Incredibly, English is not the most widely spoken language in the world when it comes to native speakers – in that respect, the Chinese take the lead. However, it is currently estimated that the number of people who have the language as a second language already exceeds that of those who have it as their mother tongue.
Knowing how to speak this language opens doors and brings advantages both in the professional and academic spheres, as well as in the personal. Wherever you travel, mastering English is the guarantee of a more interesting experience.
But shame, fear of public speaking and lack of time cannot be an excuse to stop investing in yourself. One of the main tips for those who want to learn English is to bring the language as much as possible into your routine. Don’t know where to start doing this? So check with us four important tips!
But, why study English?
Here are three good reasons to invest in language learning.
Academic enrichment
Those who dedicate themselves entirely to academic life tend to have a high volume of content to cope and fluency in English can mean a great saving of time (and money with translations). After all, English allows you to access international research first hand and, in addition, to be able to promote your own work to this market.
However, without a doubt, the main advantage in this area is the possibility of studying abroad.
Professional improvement
If you plan to reach the management areas of any company (no matter the industry) you will inevitably need to speak the universal language of large corporations. It is through English that you negotiate with the international market and, in addition, this knowledge allows you to apply for jobs outside your country as well.
Personal development
Mastering the language in which the world’s greatest entertainment works are created makes it easier to understand the content. Much is lost with translation, such as jokes or expressions that don’t make much cultural sense in other languages. When you know how to speak English, your way of watching films and series , reading books and listening to music can change radically.
The best tips for learning English
Now that you know about the importance of English, let’s check out some tips to improve your learning.
Train all skills
When enrolling in an English course, four main skills are usually worked on: listening, reading, speaking and writing. The first two are more “passive”, while the last two require a greater command of the language, as they require some kind of creation by the student.
In general, writing and especially speaking are the skills in which students feel most insecure – precisely because it is more difficult to train them. However, the more you read and listen in English, the more you have repertoire of using the language in these contexts to also create with it on your own.
Use entertainment to your advantage
To train reading and listening in English, you can use entertainment to your advantage. In addition to the great films and series that are acclaimed worldwide, it is now even easier to access American content – and also from other countries that have English as their first language – through YouTube and Spotify, for example.
Thus, it is possible to choose from a range of content those that you really like and identify with. Looking for a new recipe? Why not look for an English tutorial? Want to read the review of the new Tarantino movie? Try adopting the same strategy!
This is also true for readings. How about challenging yourself to read at least two books in English a year? This is even a way of putting your English into practice without realizing it. You will be having fun – and, deep down, also learning.
Surround yourself with the language whenever possible
Immersion is one of the most efficient ways to learn a language. As its name suggests, this happens precisely because you are surrounded by the tongue on all sides and practically forced to use it.
It is not uncommon for reports of people who traveled abroad without mastering English and ended up learning in a matter of months because they needed to “get by”. However, you do not need to leave the country to include English in your routine.
You can start with something very simple: changing the language of your social networks and devices – such as cell phones and computers. Another strategy is to talk to friends who also want to improve their language, even if by message.
Create a study routine
Learning in a playful way and watching series and movies is very cool, without a doubt. But if you want to speed up your learning, it is important to create a study routine. How many hours a week can you dedicate to that? Creating a commitment to yourself is the best way to be able to evaluate your results later. Set goals for your learning and work towards it.
