English is considered the most popular language to learn because it's international and has the ability to unite people from all corners of the world. Every language has its own rules—it's not enough to simply memorize words and idioms (which are certainly important); special attention must be paid to grammar, syntax, idioms, and more.
The rules vary for beginners and those already familiar with the basics of effective English learning, but we've tried to combine them. We hope this article will be useful for both categories.
Rule #1: Learn the alphabet and memorize individual phrases
It's hard to imagine learning English without knowing the alphabet. First, memorize the sounds of the letters: for example, A is ei, similar to the Russian "hey," and B is bi, pronounced like "bi." Also, memorize the appearance of lowercase and uppercase letters. After that, you can move on to the next step.
There are set expressions in English, such as "come home," which means to be at home. Memorize phrases rather than individual words; it's much more effective; words are remembered more quickly in context. According to some researchers, learning English by memorizing phrases increases the speed of language acquisition by five times!
Rule #2: Learn grammar
You can't master English without grammar rules. To do this, you need to find good textbooks designed for beginners.
We recommend the following books:
- Grammar. A collection of exercises edited by Yu. B. Golitsynsky.
- Practical English grammar with exercises and keys edited by K. N. Kachalova.
According to teachers, these books will help students build a solid foundation that will aid their subsequent English learning. The publications contain both theoretical and practical aspects—after learning the rules, you'll reinforce them with easy exercises. Regular practice will help you master the grammatical structures of a foreign language over time.
At first, you might be confused as to why English phrases are translated "wrong." In fact, for English speakers, that's how it is, but we translate words as we see fit. English speakers feel the same way when translating English words "oddly" into Russian. You can read about this, as well as other important grammar points, in textbooks for beginners.
Rule #3: Listen and remember
Schools and universities emphasize memorizing words and mastering grammar, but if you only read English words without hearing them pronounced, you'll never master English. You simply won't be able to grasp most of a foreigner's words. So our advice: instead of reading text, listen to audio. Or better yet, a combination of both!
The best YouTube channels for learning English:
- English Show - the channel's videos are beautifully designed and voiced, making watching them a truly enjoyable experience;
- Learn English With Misterduncan - English subtitles make learning easier, each video is about 7 minutes long;
- English from Films - on this channel you can read subtitles, listen to how they sound, and remember the translation;
- English. Dual subtitles. This channel will help you learn how phrases sound in English and look in written form, as well as memorize the translations.
Advice: To make learning English easier and more engaging, choose a YouTube channel with a topic that interests you. Perhaps you're into cooking or movies? Great, then look for channels like that.
Rule #4: Put it away in your subconscious
Many people make the same mistake: they write out words in a column and then repeat them to memorize them. This is the wrong approach—like memorizing the multiplication tables but not knowing why 5 x 5 = 25. Learning words isn't enough; it's important to know how to use them. Most phrases have a different meaning than the individual words they may be composed of.
The secret to easily and fluently mastering spoken English is to deeply memorize the words in phrases. They should become ingrained in your subconscious. Repeatedly reviewing lessons, texts, and audio will allow you to speak English fluently and easily in the future. Focus on quality, not speed.
Advice: Returning to rule #6, I'd like to add: watch the same YouTube video several times until you have a clear understanding of why a phrase is translated one way and not another. The grammar textbooks from point #7 will help you with this understanding.
Rule #5: Master the tenses of the language
It's worth starting with the present simple. We know about three tenses: present, past, and future, but English has 12. Questions about tenses will automatically disappear once you master the basic rules for constructing tenses and learn to automatically determine which group a situation belongs to.
Examples of the present simple:
- he works at the factory;
- it snows a lot in winter;
- Julia is an artist. She draws very beautiful pictures.
First, master the simple present tense when making assertions: "he does," "the drink is invigorating," "it's been snowing for two days," etc. Remember that interrogative and negative sentences are constructed differently—pay special attention to this. Once you've mastered all these nuances, you can move on to the next step.
Rule #6: Listen and Respond
Most video and audio lessons are designed to encourage students to listen and memorize—this is great at the beginning, but we need to progress. If you don't have a live foreign speaker to talk to, no problem—the narrator from the video can easily take their place. Simply pause the video and respond at the same time.
For example, if someone asks you, "Do you speak English?" pause and answer, "Yes, I do. I speak English." All teachers advise, "Practice more," and they're right. Only through practice, pronunciation, and memorization can you progress in mastering English.
Advice: Be sure to take advantage of this rule—it almost completely compensates for real-life practice with a live interlocutor. Apply it in every lesson.
Rule #7: Take a holistic approach
Memorizing words or reading them in English isn't enough. If you're serious about mastering the language, a comprehensive approach is essential.
The integrated approach includes:
- Listening - exercises, video and audio materials;
- Reading - exercises and texts;
- Grammar - memorizing the rules;
- Speaking - independent exercises;
- Writing - independent exercises.
Don't try to memorize complex words like "superficial," "falsification," and so on. Instead, memorize the translations of basic phrases that underpin initial communication. These include: "How are you?" "It's cold today," and so on. Memorizing set expressions is recommended.
If you find yourself in an unfamiliar country and have to ask someone, "Where is the hotel?" you wouldn't look up the translation of every word—that could lead to a sentence being constructed incorrectly. It's better to memorize phrases you might find useful in everyday life. By the way, "Where is the hotel located?" translates to "Where is the hotel situated?" Now that's one set phrase for you!
Rule #8: Exercise regularly
This point couldn't be complete without completing the list of rules. You might think this rule isn't all that important, but experience shows that the more often a person studies, speaks English, and does exercises, the more effective their learning will be and, naturally, the faster they'll show good results.
Remember how we learned to speak as children? At first, we heard unfamiliar words, gradually repeated them, memorized them, and learned to construct sentences and communicate. Now, we speak and understand each other so well only thanks to regular practice. If you want to study a language for years, you can study English whenever you want.
But if you want to achieve good results, make a commitment to regularly studying English for at least 30-40 minutes a day. Over time, you'll appreciate the effort you've put in.
Advice: Psychologists recommend rewarding yourself for your efforts—this will increase your motivation to do anything. After English classes, do something you enjoy: watch TV, draw, or simply surf the internet. When you skip classes, scold yourself and don't indulge. This will teach you discipline, which is very important when you want to achieve something.