There are many ways to learn a foreign language from scratch on your own. The first thing you need to do is answer the question - why. Knowing the answer to this question is super important. Speech as a communication tool requires regular use - if knowledge and skills are not used, they are forgotten. Human memory is designed in such a way that it hides unnecessary knowledge as far as possible. Everything that you have learned well will quickly be forgotten - then you will have to start all over again.

Before you start cramming the alphabet, it is important to understand the goal:

• communicate with airport employees, store managers, service personnel during tourist trips and understand the interlocutor well (colloquial variety);
• lead business meeting with partners (business variety);
• have the opportunity to read scientific (or fiction) literature (technical and literary versions);
• communicate freely with residents of another country (read, write, speak).

Important tip! Motivation is important to achieve success. At correct positioning The goal is to easily acquire the necessary knowledge from scratch on your own and for free.

2 main ways to learn

There are two ways to quickly master someone else's method of linguistic communication.

The first is practiced at school: first they learn words, then they put them into sentences, and from phrases they construct a text. Phrases are constructed according to the laws of Russian grammar - this is a mistake. For this reason, high school graduates know a set of individual nouns and verbs, but it is difficult for them to quickly combine word forms into sentences; they have little experience in free communication.

The second approach teaches that it is better to study a foreign dialect in phrases, and to learn to speak immediately in full-fledged constructions. The fact is that the word in context takes on a new meaning - it is impossible to describe all the nuances with a set of strict rules. Any speech is phraseological: the meaning of an individual sentence is not equal to the sum of the meanings of individual word forms.

Self-studying English is a rather labor-intensive but inexpensive way to master the language, which has its pros and cons. In this case, you choose the main source of information - it can be the Internet, educational games, an English language tutorial, a phrasebook, books (adapted or in the original), songs. There are many online services for beginners and intermediates.

Perhaps, but this type of training has its own characteristics that must be taken into account. Language acquisition includes 4 components: reading, writing, speaking (speaking) and listening (listening).

Reading

Reading- one of the types of speech activity, difficult process decoding symbols aimed at understanding the text. One of the forms of linguistic communication between people using printed and handwritten texts. Reading can also be considered as a wonderful tool for mastering a language, because in texts there are many unfamiliar words and words already familiar to us. Some words are ambiguous and their meaning is easier to remember in context. All this allows not only to increase lexicon, but also to repeat previously learned grammatical structures. In order to ensure that working on the text does not turn into an impossible task, it is very important to select the text in accordance with your language level.

Letter

Letter- this is one of the types of speech activity, symbolic fixation of speech using special symbols (letters, hieroglyphs, drawings). Mastery of written language occurs gradually. For practice in writing you can use the following forms of work:

• Rewriting text;
• Training dictations;
• Writing letters, essays.

Reading and writing are interconnected types of speech activity. Writing is a kind of encoding of information using symbols, and reading is the decoding of these symbols.

Oral speech

To master orally it is necessary to have skills in voicing expressions, skills in using lexical units and grammatical skills for correct design proposals. In other words, in order to say something, you need to know the words required by a given situation, be able to pronounce them correctly and construct a sentence in accordance with the rules of the language. In addition to words, there are speech patterns, stable expressions that are often used in oral speech. Therefore, to master oral speech, you need not only to remember a certain number of individual words and expressions, but also to bring their use to automatism.

Listening to speech (listening)

Listening is the process of listening and understanding spoken expressions. The mechanism of this process includes:

• Perception of streams of sounds and recognition of words, sentences, paragraphs, etc. in them.
• Understanding the meaning of words, sentences, paragraphs. If you already have some speech experience, then this process is enhanced by predicting the content of what was said.

For understanding English speech you need to listen by ear as often as possible! You can communicate with other people in English (preferably with foreigners), talk on the phone, listen to music, watch videos, TV series.

Learning a foreign language not only develops memory and thinking, but also increases IQ level.

Where to start learning a language on your own?

When learning a foreign language on your own, your success will directly depend on the correctness of the chosen approach to learning.
It is necessary to adhere to the correct sequence of studying the material - from simple to complex. It is recommended to study topics in the following order:

• English alphabet (sounds and letters of the alphabet).
• Transcription.
• Reading rules.
• Vocabulary by topic (accumulation of vocabulary).
• Grammar.

Each of these components is important, so you cannot miss anything, because all these points are closely interrelated. Remember that without correct pronunciation it will be difficult to understand you. Even after learning the entire dictionary, you will not speak, because sentences are built according to certain rules, and to construct them correctly you need at least basic knowledge of grammar, because speech is not just a set of words.

At self-study It is very important to check your pronunciation is correct. This can be done using online dictionaries. Click on the "horn" to hear how the word is pronounced. For example, you can use the sites Lingvo.ru or Howjsay.com. If you are working on a text, use Google Translator to listen to the entire text.

In learning vocabulary (replenishing your vocabulary), you should also adhere to a certain order. Start learning vocabulary with simple and more commonly used words and expressions on a specific topic. To do this, you can use the Englishspeak.com service (100 lessons with vocabulary by topic and the opportunity to listen to it), the Studyfun.ru service (vocabulary by topic and the ability to listen to it), a phrasebook (be careful - transliteration ( English words in Russian letters) does not reveal the features English pronunciation!), self-teachers (their advantage is that one lesson presents exercises on pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary for the lesson, texts for reading, colloquial phrases on topics). News lovers can use the news portal Newsinlevels.com, where the presentation of information depends on your level of English. It is important that each news is accompanied by an audio recording.

Knowledge of grammar is no less important than vocabulary. At great desire any rule can be learned, but so that working on the rule does not seem overwhelmingly difficult, your task is not to learn (memorize) the rule, but to understand it. If this rule is related to the use of tenses, passive voice, conditional sentences, etc., understand the rule in your “native” language. For example, change the same sentence so that it corresponds to the tense forms of the English language, but compose the sentence in Russian (you can make changes). Then in English:

• In the summer we love to sunbathe on the beach (in general we love it - the present simple tense).
• Now we are sunbathing on the beach - (present continuous tense).
• - You look like boiled crayfish! - Of course, I was on the beach all day! (looks like a crayfish now because I was on the beach – simple perfect tense).
• We have been sunbathing on the beach since three o'clock (we have been sunbathing for 3 hours and are still going on - present perfect continuous tense).
• When we were little, we loved sunbathing on the beach (past simple tense).
• Yesterday we sunbathed all day (past continuous tense).
• When he came to us, we were already on the beach (two actions in the past, one of which happened earlier - past perfect tense).
• We sunbathed on the beach all day until he came! (the action lasted until a certain point in the past).
• Tomorrow we'll go to the beach! (future simple tense).
• And tomorrow at the same time we will already be sunbathing! (action in the future that will take some time - future continuous tense).
• In a week I will definitely finish writing my essay about summer! (the essay will be written at a certain moment in the future - future perfect tense).
• I will play volleyball on the beach until my parents follow me! (an action that will last in the future until a certain moment - future perfect continuous tense).

A good start does not always guarantee a good ending, so you need to approach the organization of independent studies responsibly. Remember that you need this first of all, and all control over the progress of the enterprise and its results rests with you!

1. Exercise regularly.
2. Depending on the results you want to achieve and the time frame for achieving them, set for yourself a mandatory duration of classes (for example, at least an hour and at least 3 times a week).
3. Everyone’s work speed is different, so you set the ideal learning rhythm for yourself (for example, 30 minutes a day).
4. Choose tasks of your level to avoid disappointment in yourself and your abilities. If you already have some knowledge, you can rewrite short texts, translate texts or articles, find yourself an interlocutor (on the Internet or real life) to practice speaking (or writing, e.g. pen pal) skills.
5. All acquired knowledge should be immediately applied in practice, while trying to use all words and grammatical structures in oral and written speech.
6. Learning a foreign language is mostly cramming, which is hated by many, but you can’t do without it (for example, learning vocabulary)! But even in cramming you can find logic - for example, some words are international, so memorizing them based on the similarity of their sounds in your native language will facilitate the process of memorizing them.
7. Repetitio est mater studiorum (Repetition is the mother of learning). Be sure to take the time to review the material you’ve covered until it’s stuck in your head... forever. You will not be able to achieve the desired result by saving time on repetition. After all, repetition is one of the main conditions for memorizing and mastering material. Repetition specifically affects long-term memory, helping to retain information for a long time. Correct repetition of learned material improves its retention and facilitates its subsequent reproduction.

What can interfere with independent language learning?

« False" motivation, or lack of proper motivation. Ask yourself the question “Why am I learning a language?” If the answer is for yourself, it’s fashionable, to get a job, then you are unlikely to achieve significant results. Why? Because you may (and most likely) won’t need it for yourself, and learning a language is a labor-intensive process; it’s fashionable – fashion changes, and so do languages. To get a job, the employer needs a qualified worker now, and not necessarily in you, when you learn the language.

Formulate specific goal, preferably of a practical nature, even if a trip abroad is not in the cards in the near future. For example: learning a language develops my intellectual abilities, through learning a language I develop my personal and communication skills, I will be able to expand access to the information I need, because there is more of it in English; I want to watch movies and TV series in English, I want to communicate with foreigners, etc.

Typical beginner mistakes are:

Kato Lomb (8 February 1909 – 9 June 2003)- a famous Hungarian translator and writer who has worked as a simultaneous interpreter since the 1950s.

She spoke, read and wrote fluently in Hungarian, Russian, English, French, and German. She could express herself and understand Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and Polish. With a dictionary I read in Bulgarian, Danish, Romanian, Slovak, Ukrainian, Latin, Polish languages. She is a physicist and chemist by education, but already in her youth she was interested in languages, which she studied on her own.

Kato Lomb outlined her method of learning foreign languages ​​in the book "How I learn languages".

Kato Lomb summarized her approach to learning languages ​​in the 10 Commandments:

1. 1. Practice your language daily. At least 10 minutes, even if there is no time at all. It is especially good to exercise in the morning.
   2. If the desire to study weakens too quickly, do not “force” it, but do not give up studying either. Come up with some other form: put down the book and listen to the radio, leave the textbook exercises and look through the dictionary, etc.
   3. Never cram, never memorize anything in isolation from context.
   4. Write out of turn and memorize all the “ready-made phrases” that can be used in maximum quantity cases.
   5. Try to mentally translate everything that is possible: a flashing advertising sign, an inscription on a poster, snatches of accidentally overheard conversations. This good exercise, allowing you to keep linguistic thinking in constant tone.
   6. It is worth learning firmly only what is absolutely correct. Do not re-read your own uncorrected exercises: when reading repeatedly, the text is involuntarily remembered with all possible errors. If you study alone, then learn only the ones you know are correct.
   7. Write down and remember ready-made phrases and idiomatic expressions in the first person, singular. For example: “I am only pulling your leg” (I’m just teasing you).
   8. A foreign language is a fortress that needs to be stormed from all sides at the same time: by reading newspapers, listening to the radio, watching undubbed films, attending lectures in a foreign language, working through a textbook, correspondence, meetings and conversations with friends who are native speakers.
   9. Don't be afraid to speak, don't be afraid possible errors, and ask them to be corrected. And most importantly, don’t be upset or offended if they really start correcting you.
   10. Be firmly confident that you will achieve your goal no matter what, that you have an unbending will and extraordinary ability for languages. And if you have already lost faith in the existence of such things - (and rightly so!) - then think that you are simply enough clever man to master such a small thing as a foreign language. And if the material still resists and your mood drops, then scold the textbooks - and rightly so, because there are no perfect textbooks! - dictionaries - and this is true, because comprehensive dictionaries do not exist - at worst, the language itself, because all languages ​​are difficult, and the most difficult of all is your native one. And things will work out.

Today, English is universal remedy communication. With its help, excellent career prospects open up. And we shouldn’t forget about access to a wealth of information material. Thanks to your knowledge of English, you can watch your favorite TV series at the moment they are shown, and not wait until they are translated and adapted to the Russian language.

There are many advantages of knowing a second language, which is usually English, and they can be listed for a very long time. It is difficult to learn Shakespeare's language even in England itself. But, to understand the basics of simple spoken language everyone can.

This does not require teachers and stuffy classrooms. Thanks to modern techniques, self-learning English is exciting and interesting activity. And it’s not as complicated as it seems at first glance.

IMPORTANT: There are no people incapable of “languages”. Yes, learning a foreign language may be easier for some, but more difficult for others. The main thing is to learn how to properly motivate yourself and find a training course that is suitable for this.

Of course, if you need English not for watching TV series and reading your favorite blog, but for more serious tasks, then self-study is unlikely to help. You will have to attend special, highly focused courses. But you can get to them, starting with self-study.

Of course, learning any language from scratch, including English, is much easier by attending special courses and communicating with a “live” teacher

But such communication has a number of disadvantages:

• these types of activities cost money
• need to adapt to schedule
• If you miss one lesson you can fall far behind

Of course, many of the disadvantages of such training can be minimized by training with the help of Skype. But, if it is not possible to carve out several tens of thousands of rubles from the budget for such an activity, then the only way to learn English is to study it independently.

How to learn English from scratch?

• In order to learn JK Rowling's language from scratch, it is best to use computer program or an audio course for beginners. With their help, you can understand the pronunciation of individual letters and words. By the way, an audio course has a lot of advantages in this.
• With its help, training can be carried out without interrupting other activities. You can turn it on in the car while driving to work. If you prefer to travel by metro, then download this course to your smartphone and listen to it on the way
• Of course, an audio course cannot replace visual perception in English. But there are special online trainings for this. Choose the course you need and start studying

IMPORTANT: From the first day of learning English, you should try to speak it. If this is not done, then you will not be able to speak it even when your vocabulary and knowledge of grammar improves.

In order to learn English from scratch, first learn the alphabet, then move on to simple words - house, ball, girl, etc.

Choose a training where learning new words is presented in the form of cards. A word in English should be written on it and what it means should be drawn. Scientists have long established the power of visual memory of information.

There is no need to try to remember too many words at once. At first, new information will come easily. Then, new words will be remembered easily, but old ones may be forgotten. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to pay more attention to consolidating new material. It is better to learn one new word a day, but reinforce all the old ones, than to learn 10 new words a day, but forget what you have already learned.

Where to start learning English?

• Usually people start learning English from the alphabet. There is a reason for this; you can understand how this or that letter sounds. But you don't have to remember it at all. correct order. You can remember the pronunciation of letters without the alphabet. Moreover, they do not always sound like in this list of letters from “Hey to Zeta”
• When you begin to understand letters, try to read as many English texts as possible. There is no need to understand what is written there. Of course, interesting pictures in the text will make you want to understand what it says
• Then you can use online translators. But don't put all the text in them. Translate one word at a time. This will allow you to learn the language even better and remember a few words.

Once you have mastered the English language, get a dictionary

• Write down in it (write it down with a pen) all the unfamiliar words and phrases you encounter, and their translation
• In parallel with maintaining your dictionary, you need to start paying attention to grammar. English has a very complex tense system. There are irregular verbs and other difficulties in learning this language. All of them require a lot of time. But it will pay off in spades
• Don't forget about pronunciation. Even a person who understands well what is written English text will not always be able to understand what native speakers of this language are saying. As a rule, they speak faster than teachers and teachers of language schools.
• To make it easier to understand English, watch films, TV series and documentaries without translation. This great way learning this interesting language

IMPORTANT: Try to devote at least 30 minutes to English every day. To do this, it is advisable to choose certain hours. So by this time our brain will be able to “tune in” and the learning process will go easier in a few days.

How to easily learn English: methods of teaching English?

There are quite a few methods for learning this foreign language. The most popular are:

• Dmitry Petrov's method. A well-known polyglot in our country invented his own methodology and way of presenting information that fits into 16 lessons. Probably, many who were interested in learning English saw a series of TV shows in which Dmitry taught famous people. Thanks to this technique, you can quickly immerse yourself in the language environment and understand grammar
• Method "16". Another technique that allows you to learn the basics of English in just 16 hours. It is based on educational dialogues, after mastering which you will be able to understand the English language
• Schechter's method. This system of learning English was developed by the famous Soviet linguist Igor Yurievich Shekhter. Unfortunately, this technique cannot be used for independent learning of a foreign language. Moreover, a linguist teacher who will be allowed to teach using this method must himself undergo special training and pass an exam
• Dragunkin method. A popular method of teaching English in our country, developed by the famous philologist Alexander Dragunkin. He built his system on the so-called Russified transcription. In addition, he derived the “51 rules” of English grammar. By learning which you can master this language

The list of methods for learning English can be continued for a long time. The above systems are well suited for independent mastery of this language.

But the best method for learning English is Frank method

Students learning English using this method are given two texts. First comes the adapted excerpt. This is usually a literal translation, often accompanied by lexical and grammatical comments. After reading such a passage, the text in English is presented.

The technique is very good, interesting, but has one significant drawback - it is more suitable for learning to read in English, rather than speaking in it.

How to quickly learn words in English?

• There are many methods for memorizing words in a foreign language. The simplest of them is traditional method. In a notebook you need to write down a few words in English (on the left side of the sheet) and their translation into Russian
• It is advisable to always keep the notebook open and in a visible place. Read the words and repeat from. Try to remember and go about your business. Refer to your notebook several times a day. After some time, you can write down a few more words. It is advisable to do this on another sheet. So that you leave it in a visible place and at any moment cast your gaze on the sheet with the words
• If you don't want a notebook, you can use the flashcard method. To do this, you need to cut sheets of cardboard into small cards. On the one hand, you need to write the word in English
• And on the second, its translation into Russian. Turn the cards over with the English or Russian side facing you and try to translate the words written there. Unfold the card and check the correct answer

The card method is very popular

You can find it on the Internet online services, where such cards are presented in electronic form. Thanks to the popularity of this method, today it is not difficult to buy ready-made cards. But it’s still better to make them yourself. After all, when we write something down on paper, we write it into our subconscious.

Don't try to remember a lot of words at once. This is not very effective in the long run. Words learned quickly are usually quickly forgotten.

How to learn English verbs?

In principle, the above methods for memorizing English words are suitable for both nouns and verbs. But among this category of English words there are also so-called “irregular verbs”. Like the correct ones, they mean:

• Action – to speak (speak), to come (come)
• Process – to sleep (sleep)
• State – to be (to be), to know (to know), etc.

At school such verbs are taught as follows. Students are given their list, and the teacher asks them to learn as much as possible from it by the next lesson. This list does not have any structure to facilitate the study of such verbs. Therefore, few of us were able to master the English language at school.

Modern techniques very different from those according to which foreign languages taught at school

How to quickly learn irregular verbs in English?

• As mentioned above, to learn such verbs you can use the “card method”. But, unlike “simple” words, irregular verbs have three forms. What actually makes them wrong
• To make cards with irregular verbs, you need to write down the first form on one side, and the other two on the second side. Moreover, the first form does not need to be provided with a translation. And on back side you not only need to write two forms of the verb with translation, but also provide a hint. For example, “alternating irregular verbs with a vowel in the root from [e]”
• The advantage of this method is that it is easy to use. You can go through the cards with your hands, first remembering the main shape, and then turn them over and do the same with other shapes. Such training can be done both at home and at work. Students can take these cards with them to college and repeat the verbs during breaks.

Example card:

To make it easier to memorize irregular verbs, they can be grouped into:

• the method of formation of the second and third forms
• repeatability or non-repeatability of forms
• alternation of root vowels
• sound similarity
• spelling features

All other verbs should be structured not alphabetically, as in school, but according to the above principles:

How to learn tenses in English

Another pitfall for anyone who wants to learn English is tenses. Having understood their use, you can take a big step forward in learning this language.

In general, there are three tenses in English:

But the difficulty lies in the fact that each time has types. The first type of such tenses is called Simple. That is, there is:

Continuous (continued, long) is the second type of tense.

The third type is called Perfect. Thus there are:

There is also another type of tense that combines all the previous Perfect Continuous tenses. Accordingly, the times can be:

IMPORTANT: In specialized literature on the English language, Simple can be called Indefinite, and Continuous - Progressive. Don't be scared, it's the same thing.

• In order to use English tenses in sentences, you need to understand what action is happening? It is regular, happened yesterday, is happening at the moment, etc. Simple tenses denote an action that occurs regularly, but its exact moment is not known. on Sundays – on Sundays (specific time is not known)
• If the sentence specifies a specific time (at the moment, from 4 to 6 o’clock, etc.), then Continuous is used - a long time. That is, time that denotes a specific moment or a specific period of time.
• If the action is completed, Perfect is used. This time is used when the result of an action is already known or you can know exactly when it will end (but may still be going on)
• The Perfect Continuous construction is used least often in English. It is used to denote a process whose action is not completed, but needs to be said about it at the moment. For example, “In May it will be 6 months that I have been studying English.”
• To study the tenses of the English language, you can also create tables, as for irregular verbs. Just enter linguistic formulas instead. You can use special literature. Better than several authors at once

Dmitry Petrov’s method “Polyglot 16” talks very well about tenses

How to learn text in English?

• If you need to learn a text in English in a short period of time, you can use several techniques for this purpose.
• Before learning a text in a foreign language, you need to prepare. Namely, translate it. On the one hand, it is impossible to learn a text in English without knowing what is written there. On the other hand, while we are translating, something will already be recorded in the “subcortex”
• When translating a text, you need to re-read it several times. If you do this during the day, then repeat this procedure before going to bed. We will sleep and our brains will work
• In the morning, the text needs to be printed and hung in visible places. When preparing food, the text should be in a visible place in the kitchen. We vacuum in the living room, it should also be visible

Text in English is remembered very well if recorded on a voice recorder

Let's go to the store, put headphones in your ears and listen, repeating every word to yourself. IN gym, instead of hard rock, you need to listen to this text again.

If the text is large, then it is better to break it into several small passages and memorize each of them in turn. Don't be afraid, learning text in English is not as difficult as it seems.

How to learn English in your sleep?

At the end of the Soviet era, many “unique” self-education methods poured into our country. One of them was to study foreign languages ​​while sleeping. Before going to bed, a cassette with lessons was put into the player, headphones were put on, and the person fell asleep. They say this method has helped some.

I know everything that sleep is very useful. According to researchers involved in this problem, sleep can improve mental abilities.

And in general, a well-rested person “absorbs” information better

• But for some reason he absorbs it after sleep. English words from the player can only ruin your sleep. This means worsening the perception of information the next day.
• But, sleep can really help. But, only if you set aside time immediately before studying English
• After such a lesson, you can get some sleep, and during this time your brain will “process” the information and put it into “shelves.” This method of learning foreign languages ​​has proven effective and is used by many people.
• This technique can be improved if, immediately after sleep, you consolidate what was learned before bedtime.

Learning English: reviews

Kate. To learn a foreign language you need to devote at least 30 minutes a day to it. Every day for half an hour. Even one missed day will have a very negative impact. I definitely devote 30 minutes to English a day. Plus, if you still have time, be sure to take it as a bonus.

Kirill. Now there are a lot of sites on the Internet where material is presented in a playful form. I'm learning English through TV series. I watch TV series in this language with Russian subtitles. I used to read subtitles all the time. And now I’m trying to understand myself.

Video: Polyglot in 16 hours. Lesson 1 from scratch with Petrov for beginners

Despite the fact that at school a foreign language is included in the group of compulsory disciplines, few manage to master it as part of the school course. Therefore, the question of how to learn English on your own from scratch at home is acute.

You can master a language at home without outside help. You just need to have clear motivation and choose the right course of study. This will allow you to achieve results. I have a collection of tips that I will present to you.

• First of all, determine the goals for which you are learning the language: passing an international exam, employment in a foreign company, communication with residents of other countries, or confidence in traveling abroad. Methodology is determined by intentions.
• I recommend starting your study by mastering the basics. Without this, it is impossible to learn a language. Pay attention to the alphabet, reading rules and grammar. A tutorial will help you cope with the task. Buy it at a bookstore.
• As soon as the initial knowledge becomes stable, choose the option of contact learning. It's about about remote courses, distance learning school or Skype classes. If you have strong motivation and language learning is progressing well, having an interlocutor will not hurt, since outside control is the key to successful learning.
• When mastering your chosen course, pay attention to reading fiction. At first, I recommend using adapted books. In the future, switch to full texts. As a result, you will master the technique of speed reading.
• Novels and detective stories are suitable for learning. Even if the book you choose is not a literary masterpiece, it will help expand your vocabulary with new words and expressions. If you encounter unfamiliar vocabulary while reading, I recommend writing it out, translating it and memorizing it. Over time, you will see that an extensive vocabulary is often repeated in works.
• Watch movies, TV series and programs in English. At first, even with effective and intensive training, understanding something is problematic. Over time, get used to foreign speech and be able to understand. Spend half an hour watching it every day.

Even if you have recently started learning a language, try to speak more often and do not be afraid of mistakes. Learn to express thoughts, and master the technique of constructing phrases with practice.

Ways to learn English in the shortest possible time

Continuing the topic of the article, I will share a technique for quickly learning English. I don’t know for what purpose you are learning a language, but if you find yourself on the pages of the site, then you need it.

As practice shows, people find themselves in awkward situations due to poor knowledge of the English language. We have to study the language as part of a school course, but the knowledge acquired at school is not enough for work and communication. Many people strive to become better at this issue.

It is easier to master any foreign language in a country whose residents are native speakers. But not everyone can leave the borders of their homeland for the sake of such big goal. What should I do?

1. If you can't afford a short trip to the States or England, recreate an English-speaking environment at home.
2. Study phrases in your target language every day. Give preference to complex phrases containing phraseological units. Proverb or speech creative person will do.
3. Place each phrase on shelves, rewrite it several times, print it on paper and hang it on the refrigerator door or in another visible place. Constantly pronounce the studied material out loud, using the correct intonation.
4. Surround yourself with English. He should accompany you everywhere. The player will help with this. When listening to music or statements in a foreign language, you will initially have difficulty understanding. Later, learn to catch words that will eventually develop into understandable phrases.
5. Download the original English-language series to your computer, but with subtitles. Before going to bed, watch the series, and the next day discuss it with your spouse or child.
6. An e-book will be an assistant in quickly mastering English speech. Download from the Internet and read English-language works. IN e-book There is a dictionary that will help you master complex literature, and a voice function will announce the correct pronunciation.
7. Don't forget about learning English on Skype. Find a teacher on the Internet, discuss class times with him and communicate during the lessons. This technique has many advantages. You can choose a teacher yourself and agree on cooperation on favorable terms. It will offer a variety of interactive activities based on an individual approach.

Video training

The speed of achieving the goal and obtaining results depends on perseverance, the level of motivation and the course of study chosen in accordance with the capabilities. Work hard and everything will work out. As a result, you will become smarter and feel free anywhere in the world.

Benefits of learning English

Compatriots are of the opinion that thorough study of foreign languages ​​is inappropriate. Popular films, literary works and scientific works have long been translated into Russian. There is no point in learning a second language for the sake of other spheres, areas and segments.

If you doubt the need to study foreign languages, read the material and learn about the benefits of learning English. I taught it for three years and find this skill useful. I read, communicate and perceive live speech. Over the years, I have accumulated quite a bit of experience.

Once you master the English language, you will be able to perceive the world differently. This will not happen immediately, but by improving your knowledge and skills, you will gain a generally accepted perception of the world.

Let's look at the main advantages.

• Expanding your horizons . The English-speaking audience of the World Wide Web is larger than the Russian-speaking part. Outside the window is the information era, where it is considered the key to success not only in business, but also in life; foreign ownership expands opportunities for development.
• Watching movies in original . As a result, it will be possible to enjoy the sound of the voice of your favorite actor, and not the translator who voices the roles. The play on English words and original humor will never escape.
• Understanding Music . Popular charts are overflowing with foreign musical compositions. If you speak the language, you will be able to understand the meaning of the song, feel the composition and get to know the personality of the performer.
• Communication with foreigners . Fluency in a language helps to unite cultures. People travel and communicate with residents of other countries. It is much nicer and more convenient when you can talk with foreigners. This makes the trip more enjoyable.
• Opening the path to success and wealth . After reading several books about success, it turns out that not everything comes down to money. The success of Western people is based on their perception of the world and internal philosophy. You can read the translation of such books, but then you will only understand the essence of the teaching. Only the original helps to absorb knowledge.

When studying a foreign language, you discover a huge number of foreigners around you. I like to talk with people who have come to Russia from afar. It helps to make friends and makes the world a “home” place. If you don't speak the language yet, it's never too late to start learning.

Why is English an international language?

I will devote the final part of the article to the factors due to which English acquired the status of an international language. The English language has the fourth position in the world in terms of the number of speakers. But this does not prevent it from remaining international. What contributed to this, history will tell.

From 1066 until the 14th century, England was under the rule of French kings. As a result, the structure of Old English changed. It's about simplifying the grammar and adding new words.

Two centuries later, writing rules appeared that have survived to this day. At that time, 6 million people spoke English. Thanks to the English colonies, the number of native speakers increased and the formation of international language.

Britain was a maritime nation. After the discovery of America by Columbus, expeditions set off to the South American shores. The explorers were interested in valuables and treasures, and to ensure that each voyage ended in success, colonies were formed on new lands. The first such settlement was organized in 1607 in Virginia.

After some time, residents of many countries began to migrate to America in search of better life. Since they spoke their native language, it was impossible to do without an international language, and its role went to English speech.

The English living in the new settlements brought traditions along with the language. Local residents were forced to speak it. British colonial policy contributed to the emergence of English as an international language.

“Each new language expands man’s consciousness and his world. It’s like another eye and another ear,” says the hero of Lyudmila Ulitskaya’s book, Daniel Stein. Would you like to expand your picture of the world and find mutual language with more than a billion people? For those who answered yes, we will tell you where to start learning English. We hope our guide will help beginners take their first steps and show the right path for those who continue to learn the language.

To get started, we invite you to watch the recording of a two-hour webinar with Victoria Kodak(teacher and methodologist of our online school), in which she answers the question in as much detail as possible about how to properly start learning English:

1. Introduction: When and how best to start learning English

Some adults believe that only children can start learning English from scratch. Some people think that it is a shame for an adult to start with the basics and learn basic rules and words, others believe that only children can successfully learn foreign languages, because they have excellent memory and learning abilities. Both the first and second opinions are wrong. There is nothing shameful in the fact that you start learning a language as an adult, quite the contrary: the thirst for knowledge always inspires respect. According to statistics from our school, people begin to learn a language from the first stage at 20, 50 and even 80(!) years. Moreover, they not only start, but successfully study and achieve high levels of knowledge of English. So it doesn’t matter how old you are, what matters is your desire to learn and your willingness to improve your knowledge.

Many people ask the question: “What is the best way to start learning English?” First, you should choose a learning method that is convenient for you: in Group, individually with a teacher or on one's own. You can read about the pros and cons of each of them in the article “”.

Most best option for those who are going to learn a language “from scratch”, this is lessons with a teacher. You need a mentor who will explain how the language “works” and help you develop strong foundation your knowledge. The teacher is your interlocutor who:

• will help you start speaking English;
• will explain the grammar in simple words;
• will teach you to read texts in English;
• and will also help you develop your listening comprehension skills in English.

For some reason you don’t have the desire or opportunity to study with a teacher? Then check out our step by step guide about self-study of English for beginners.

To begin with, we want to give you some tips on how to better organize your studies so that your efforts do not go to waste. We recommend:

• Exercise at least 2-3 times a week for 1 hour. Ideally, you need to study English every day for at least 20-30 minutes. However, if you want to give yourself a weekend, exercise every other day, but in double volume - 40-60 minutes.
• Work on speech skills. Write short texts, read simple articles and news, listen to podcasts for beginners, and try to find someone to talk to to practice your speaking skills.
• Immediately apply the acquired knowledge in practice. Use learned words and grammatical structures in spoken and written speech. Simple cramming will not give the desired effect: knowledge will fly out of your head if you do not use it. If you have learned a dozen words, make up a short story using all these words and say it out loud. Studied Time Past Simple - write a short text in which all sentences will be in this tense.
• Don't "spray". Main mistake for beginners is an attempt to take as many materials as possible and work with them all at the same time. As a result, the study turns out to be unsystematic, you get confused in the abundance of information and do not see progress.
• Repeat what has been covered. Don't forget to review the material you've covered. Even if it seems to you that you know the words on the topic “Weather” by heart, return to them in a month and check yourself: do you remember everything, do you have any difficulties. Repeating what has been covered is never superfluous. In our blog we have already written about. Familiarize yourself with the techniques and try to put them into practice.

3. Guide: How to start learning English from scratch on your own

Since the English language is still terra incognita for you, we tried to select only the most necessary materials for you. The result is a fairly comprehensive list from which you will learn where to start learning English and how to do it correctly. Let’s say right away that the work ahead will not be easy, but interesting. Let's get started.

1. Learn the rules of reading English

Theater begins with a hanger, and the English language begins with reading rules. This is a basic piece of knowledge that will help you learn to read English and pronounce sounds and words correctly. We recommend using a simple table from the Internet and learning the rules by heart, as well as becoming familiar with the transcription of the English language. This can be done, for example, on the website Translate.ru.

2. Check how words are pronounced

Even if you know the rules of reading by heart, when learning new words, check how they are pronounced correctly. Tricky English words don't want to be read the way they are written. And some of them completely refuse to obey any reading rules. Therefore, we advise you to clarify the pronunciation of each new word in an online dictionary, for example, Lingvo.ru or on a special website Howjsay.com. Listen to how the word sounds several times and try to pronounce it exactly the same. At the same time, you will practice correct pronunciation.

3. Start building your vocabulary

Take advantage of visual dictionaries, for example, use the website Studyfun.ru. Bright pictures, voiced by native speakers and translation into Russian will make it easier for you to learn and memorize new vocabulary.

What words should you start learning English with? We recommend that beginners refer to the list of words on Englishspeak.com. Start with simple words of a general topic, remember which words you use most often in your speech in Russian. In addition, we advise you to spend more time studying English verbs. It is the verb that makes speech dynamic and natural.

4. Learn grammar

If you imagine speech as a beautiful necklace, then grammar is the thread on which you place word beads to ultimately get beautiful decoration. Violation of the “rules of the game” of English grammar is punishable by misunderstanding of the interlocutor. But learning these rules is not so difficult; all you need to do is study using a good textbook. We recommend taking the first book in the Grammarway series of manuals translated into Russian. We wrote in detail about this book in our review. In addition, we recommend that you read our article “”, from it you will learn what books you will need for initial stage learning English.

Do you find textbooks boring? No problem, pay attention to our series of articles “”. In it we lay out the rules in simple terms, provide many examples and tests to test knowledge. In addition, our teachers have compiled for you a simple and high-quality online English grammar tutorial. We also recommend reading the article “”, in it you will find 8 good reasons take up textbooks, and also find out when you can do without textbooks in learning a language.

5. Listen to podcasts at your level

As soon as you start taking your first steps, you immediately need to accustom yourself to the sound of foreign speech. Start with simple podcasts ranging from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. You can find simple audio recordings with translation into Russian on the website Teachpro.ru. And to get the most out of your listening experience, check out our article “”.

After you have developed a basic vocabulary in English, it's time to start watching the news. We recommend the resource Newsinlevels.com. News texts for the first level are simple. There is an audio recording for each news, so be sure to listen to how words that are new to you sound and try to repeat them after the announcer.

7. Read simple texts

While reading, you activate your visual memory: new words and phrases will be easy to remember. And if you want not just to read, but also to learn new words, improve pronunciation, listen to texts voiced by native speakers, and then read them. You can find simple short texts in textbooks at your level, such as New English File Elementary, or online at this site.

8. Install useful apps

How to start learning English from scratch on your own if you have a smartphone or tablet at hand? Applications for learning English are mini-tutorials that will always be in your pocket. The well-known application Lingualeo is ideal for learning new words: thanks to the spaced repetition technique, new vocabulary will not fade from your memory in a month. And to study the structure and how the language “works,” we recommend installing Duolingo. In addition to learning new words, this application will allow you to practice grammar and learn how to construct sentences in English, and will also help you develop good pronunciation. Also, check out ours and select the programs that interest you most from there.

9. Study online

If you ask Google where to start learning English on your own, the caring search engine will immediately give you a couple of hundred sites with various lessons, online exercises, and articles about learning the language. An inexperienced student is immediately tempted to make 83 bookmarks of “well, very necessary sites on which I will study every day.” We want to warn you against this: with the abundance of bookmarks, you will quickly get confused, but you need to study systematically, without jumping from one topic to another. Bookmark 2-3 indeed good resource, which you will study. This is more than enough. We recommend doing online exercises on the website Correctenglish.ru. Also check out our article “”, where you will find even more useful resources. And after you master the basics of English, read the article “”, where you can download a file with a list useful materials and sites for language learning.

4. Let's summarize

The list is quite large, and we tried to collect for you only the most necessary components of successful learning of the English language. However, we failed to use the most important skill - speaking. It is almost impossible to train him alone. The best you can do is try to find a friend who is learning English. However, a friend with more high level knowledge is unlikely to want to be taught by a beginner, and a beginner like you cannot be an assistant. Moreover, when you work with a non-professional, there is a risk of “catching” his mistakes.

Self-learning a language has another big disadvantage - lack of control: You will not notice your mistakes and correct them. Therefore, we recommend that you consider taking classes with a teacher at least at the beginning of your journey. The teacher will give you the necessary push and help you choose right direction movements are exactly what a beginner needs.

Now you know how to learn English on your own from scratch. We admit that the path ahead is not easy, but if you have already set a goal for yourself and are ready to work, positive results will not keep you waiting. We wish you patience and perseverance on the path to your goal!

And for those who want to quickly achieve their goal, we offer a teacher at our school.