How do you learn English?

How do people learn English?

Short answer- in very many ways!

A child growing up in an English-speaking environment picks it up with ease, without conscious effort. But an adult living outside the English-speaking world has to have a strategy.

Creating that strategy is a vital first step in a potentially long and strenuous process.

Step one is motivational. You need to have a very clear idea of why you want to learn English, how it will benefit you, and where it will take you. And you really need to want those benefits, and to make that journey. All language experts agree that motivation is the essential fuel in the learning process.

Step two is setting priorities. In any busy life something has to go if something new appears in the life-style. So figure out what activity you will have to cut back on in order to spend time learning English. And be prepared..if you are working full time, and your employer won’t allow you to study in working time, then your friends and family will have to see less of you. Even so, your learning efficiency will be less than it might otherwise be if you try to study English when you are tired.

Step 3 is recognising reality. Everyone forgets things. A week after you learn a new word there is a 50% chance you will have forgotten it. If your formal lessons are a week apart you will probably forget half of each lesson before the next one.

To minimise forgetting you need to space your lessons as close together as you can afford in terms of time and money, and do some work between lessons to consolidate what you learned.

Step 4 is to check out a variety of schools and select the programme and the teaching styles that suit you. If you live in Jakarta you can contact one of the city’s newest and most innovative schools by using this link. www.aimjakarta.com

Step 5 is to actually begin work! Choose a mix of formal lessons and informal practice. Try to listen to the English language during your leisure-time, maybe using spoken word CDs. You can try the English news broadcasts from the BBC and other broadcasters, but beware! Understanding the news in English requires quite a high level of fluency. Don’t be surprised if you understand only the occasional word at first.

Good luck in your new endeavour!