It would seem a simple math problem from the fourth grade: if you learn 30-35 English words a day every day, How many words of English can you learn in a month and a year?
Of course, you can easily calculate: you can learn about a thousand English words in a month and, accordingly, 12,000 words in a year. I wonder what experience and practice say?
As vocabulary is reduced, so are the number of feelings you can express, the number of events you can describe, the number of the things you can identify! Not only understanding is limited, but also experience. Man grows by language. Whenever he limits language he retrogresses!
As your vocabulary decreases, the number of feelings you can express, the number of events you can describe, the number of objects you can name, decreases. Not only is understanding limited, but also experience. Man grows through language. Whenever he restricts language, it declines.
~ Sheri S. Tepper
As practice shows, it is possible to learn something, but it will not be possible to keep it in active reserve and regularly use it in speech. Words without practice and associative connections are quickly forgotten, which is something the creators are silent about.
The truth is you always have a chance remember a large number of English words- it all depends on the characteristics of memory and techniques for memorizing English words, which we will talk about today.
How to learn a lot of English words quickly
Learning English words is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Signing the names of unfamiliar words is one of the effective methods for memorizing.
Want to learn a lot of English words in a short time? The German scientist Ebinhaus found that with mechanical memorization, that is, when a person does not understand the meaning of the material and does not use mnemonics, after an hour only 44% of the information remains in the memory, and after a week - less than 25%. Fortunately, with conscious memorization, information is forgotten much more slowly.
First of all, you need to determine how it is easier for you to assimilate new information: by hearing, seeing or writing it down?
This won’t take much time, but it will make it much easier to learn and select effective techniques for you in the future. One test that will help you determine how easier it is for you to remember new information is presented on this site. By answering 30 questions, you can know exactly what type you are.
Let us briefly recall that visual learners easily remember new words by seeing or reading, auditory learners by hearing, and kinesthetic learners need to be on the move, for example, writing down information on paper.
In the modern world, most people have a predominant visual type of perception of new information. Remember how long the annoying commercials seen on TV, or the posters and banners that litter the streets of the city are stored in our memory for a long time.
You also need to know that there is no such thing as 100% visual or auditory. But some channel is still dominant, and it is this one that should be used if your goal is learn a lot of English words quickly.
Visual method for memorizing English words
Characteristics and scheme of information perception by visual people.
If you read the novel “Martin Eden” by Jack London, then most likely you remember that the main character learned a huge number of academic words by posting leaflets with new words in his home.
Visual method to remember English words is to paste stickers with new words on all the objects that surround you. How does the visual method work? You constantly come across an abundance of English words, read, memorize and, of course, use English words.
Buy cards in the store or make them yourself with new words, translations, transcriptions, and even examples of use. These cards are convenient to take with you if you have a long commute to work or constantly get lost in queues. They can be classically made on paper or downloaded to your phone.
On a note:
On the Internet you can find download applications for mobile phones, which use a visual method to expand vocabulary. The most popular are Words, Easy Ten and Duolingo: Learn languages for free.
Bright pictures with captions, memorization simulators, screening tests that use these mobile applications will help you learn a lot of English words in a short time. And most importantly, they are always at hand!
If your level is not beginner (Pre-Intermediate and above), you can watch films, shows and videos with and without subtitles, writing down not only new words, but also useful colloquial phrases.
Educational audio materials in English and podcasts
Characteristics and scheme of information perception by auditory learners.
If you belong to the rare category of people (about 10%) who love and remember with their ears, then this is the method for you.
The main conditions for vocabulary expansion– constantly listen to English spoken, whether at home in the kitchen or in a car in a traffic jam. New words and expressions can be written down and repeated periodically.
With this method, you will not be afraid to perceive speech by ear, and your listening skills will improve.
TPR Method for Vocabulary Expansion
Characteristics and scheme of information perception by kinesthetics.
The third type of information perception, which includes kinesthetics, prefers movement to static learning. If you are a kinesthetic learner, don't forget to write down new words on paper. It is better if you have a diary dictionary that you can refer to from time to time.
Often used in teaching children TPR (Total Physical Response) method. But, believe me, if you are a kinesthetic learner, this method is also for you: with its help you can easily learn English words and phrases.
The essence of the method is to memorize new words, phrases and lexical structures using gestures, commands, pantomime and games. For example, for the word ball, you need to perform an action associated with this object, for example, playing with a ball.
Simple and effective ways to memorize English words
Mnemonics and memorization of English words
A clear example of how mnemonics works.
One of the most effective ways to memorize English, and foreign words in general, is mnemonics. The method of mnemonics (or mnemonics) is based on creating images in your mind. You take information that needs to be remembered and turn it into an image through association.
First you need to understand that the brain remembers not the images themselves that arise in the head, but connections between several images. This is very important to remember, because immediately during memorization you need to focus on this.
Mnemonics actively develops memory and thinking. The main task is to create images that are combined in the imagination in various ways. The images must be colored, large And detailed.
Learning English words using mnemonics is incredibly easy! We select the most consonant word (or several words) from the native language for the foreign word.
Let's look at how mnemonics work when memorizing English words with an example:
puddle ["pʌdl] puddle
Approximate pronunciation (phonetic association) - "badl"
Mnemonic model: “I kept falling and falling into a puddle” .
Examples of using mnemonics in teaching English:
If you are using mnemonics for expanding vocabulary, it is important to remember that you need not just to connect words with each other and express them in the form of a sentence, but also to imagine a specific situation in which this happens or is said.
For example, it’s not easy to say: “A nervous man is walking down a narrow alley,” but to imagine a nervous man, perhaps an acquaintance, who is walking, looking around and flinching at every sound, along a narrow dark alley. In this case, you will definitely not forget this foreign word.
On a note:
The association or combination of words that has arisen is necessary only for 2-3 repetitions from memory in order to remember a foreign word and its translation. Then it disappears as unnecessary, so you don’t have to worry about all sorts of nonsense being stored in your memory.
There is no doubt that in order to memorize foreign words quickly and efficiently, you need to practice, find your own approach, learn to create your own associations, and quickly at that. At first, the process of creating associations will be slow, but be patient and continue training. As a rule, the speed and quality of creating associations improves after the first thousands of memorized words.
It remains to add that with the help of this technique it is possible memorize words of any foreign language .
Mind Palace for Expanding English Vocabulary
Many people use cards with text and pictures (flashcards) to remember new words, but these cards are not always at hand, especially at the right time.
There is a great way to remember new words and expressions - the power of your mind. It is called Method of location (geometric location method).
You may also come across names such as “mind palaces”, “memory palaces”, “method of loci”, “spatial mnemonics”, “Cicero’s method”.
When Sherlock Holmes, the world-famous detective, wanted to remember something important, he closed his eyes and plunged into the palace of his mind ( 'mind palace'). Just like Sherlock Holmes, you can also use this Method of loci to memorize new words and expressions. You can clearly see how this looks in the video.
Video “The Hound of the Baskervilles” - “Palaces of the Mind” of Sherlock Holmes.
How does the locus method work?
We are building an imaginary place ( imaginary place) in our mind and place objects and people there that will help us remember new words. You can store images both on shelves and chaotically. The main thing is that you yourself know where everything is and can quickly remember. The best activators are either completely ridiculous or very logical. And it’s even better to combine them correctly.
Remember simple rules that should never be violated in the process of creating a connection:
- Imagine images large(even if the objects you need to remember are of different sizes, make them one: be it a ship, a coconut or a bee. Small images should not be imagined. The connections between such images will be recorded very poorly.
- The images must be voluminous. For example, holographic images or images created using three-dimensional graphics programs. Such images can be rotated and viewed from different angles.
- Images must be presented colored. If these are tree leaves, then they must be green, the tree itself must be brown, etc.
- The images presented must be detailed. If you imagine the image of a “phone,” you need to mentally examine it and clearly see what parts the phone you are imagining consists of. If this is a cell phone, then you can identify the following images in it: antenna, display, buttons, cover, strap, leather case, battery.
Then we apply the main mental operation in mnemonics - this "connection of images". Let's look at how this is applied in practice in learning English words.
Let's say we need to remember the words associated with the word run, as well as its shape, so we will come up with the following story in our minds: the imaginary setting of the city is the imaginary place is a city .
This is just a small example of how to memorize english words, Related run, and its forms. Of course, I can add other phrases with this word, of which there are actually many, and as my imaginary city grows, I can use more and more words, and thereby expand my vocabulary.
More details about memorization technique “memory palace” you can learn more from the video:
The imaginary place can be anywhere, even a room in your house, but try to come up with a situation that will be close to you, and the words will be remembered much easier.
In this manner easy to learn words on different topics, for example “food”, “kitchen”, “clothing”, etc. Arrange the items as you like, and then it will be easier for you to remember the name of the item based on its location in your “memory” palace.
And of course, develop deduction, attention to detail and creativity. Develop associative thinking.
Another piece of advice applies to all “memory palaces,” regardless of the purpose of their “construction.” If you want to remember something for a long time (and not in the “pass and forget” mode), you will have to periodically “walk” around the “palace”.
Audiolingual method in English
Automation of skills occurs during training through repeated repetition of speech patterns.
Audiolingual method is one of the methods of language teaching in which it is necessary to repeatedly listen and pronounce words, phrases and sentences, which leads to their automation.
This method has its pros and cons, but is suitable mainly for auditory learners, since there is no visual support. The main focus here is on oral speech.
When using the audiolingual method, no explanations are given, since all the proposed material is simply practiced and memorized in the form of set expressions so that students can use them in the future without thinking.
In this case, training is based on practicing certain static models that students cannot change at all or almost at all. In this respect, this teaching method is the direct opposite of the communicative method.
let's consider positive and negative sides audiolingual method.
| Positive sides | Negative sides |
|---|---|
| When developing this method, attention was focused not only on the content of the material offered to the student, but also on the very process of the student memorizing this material. The very system of presenting new information and repeated repetitions lead to inevitable memorization of what has been learned. In the process of repetition, not only the material is memorized, but also pronunciation is practiced, as well as the language barrier is removed. Memorizing stable expressions leads to the fact that, if necessary, they come to mind automatically, as when communicating in your native language. |
The main disadvantage of the audiolingual method (not without reason) is that it does not pay due attention to independent study of grammar. Students, especially at the initial stage of learning, are deprived of the opportunity to understand why a phrase is constructed in one way and not another, or why a word is used in one form and not another. As they learn, students have to independently construct certain grammatical structures for themselves based on the material they have learned. This undoubtedly contributes to a more solid assimilation of such structures, but only if the student is able to construct them. And this is not always possible, since there are exceptions to the rules that can confuse a person who is not familiar with the basics of the grammar of the language being studied. |
Tips on how to improve your English vocabulary?
Knowing many words will allow you to express yourself in many different ways.
First of all, you need to replenish your vocabulary systematically and regularly, preferably every day. There are many ways and they all work.
Choose the one that suits you best and you can easily expand your English vocabulary. Let's look at each of them in more detail.
Expand your English vocabulary with lists
Words surround us. Simply looking up words in a dictionary may not be as interesting or exciting. Pay attention to English words around you - during TV series and programs in English, reading the news - everywhere, at any time.
Important!
Regardless of whether you do this or not, we recommend writing down what part of speech a particular word is (verb, noun, adjective), as well as derivatives of this word. For example, “fish” - fishing, fishy, fisherman, etc. It will also be helpful if you add sentences with examples of these words.
You can also use the notepad on your mobile phone. As soon as you hear an unfamiliar word, write it down. Make sure you have enough space around it to make notes accordingly.
When you have some free time, write down its meaning or translation and perhaps the context in which it can be used.
Learn English words in practice
As you make lists of words, it is very easy to forget the words that were there at the very beginning. All words are required use in your speech. The more we use them, the better we remember them.
Re-read your lists, for example, at the end of each week. How well do you remember old words?
If any words are hard to remember, but they are very common, then there is a high probability that you will encounter them in the future. So add them again to new lists and over time you will remember them.
Games will help you remember English words
Scrabble is an effective way to learn English words and have fun with family and friends.
Who said learning new words is not fun?! Games like Scrabble or Vocabador offer great ways to learn new words .
Games are a great way to learn, not only because they're fun, but also because they give you context for new words. Believe me, you will very quickly remember the word your friend laughed at.
We would also like to draw your attention to the free game Free Rice. This game gives you a word, and you need to find the right definition for it. If you answer incorrectly, the next word will become easier. If it's correct, it's more complicated.
By playing this game, you not only improve your vocabulary, but also help the world in the fight against hunger. How? Try playing it!
Increase your English vocabulary with context
As mentioned earlier, it's better (and easier) remember new words in context. One way is to write a sentence with this word. Not only will you remember this word, but you will also be able to easily use it in conversation.
Another way - remember words in groups. If you want to remember a word humongous (very large), it will be easier for you to remember it from a chain of words: getting bigger and bigger-large, huge, humongous. This also makes it possible to memorize more words at one time.
For example, large, humongous, gargantuan. What do you think the word means? gargantuan?
Dictionaries and social networks for memorizing words
Of course, you can look up an unfamiliar word in the dictionary! Moreover, modern online dictionaries offer many additional features.
Many online dictionaries have interesting articles, games, and a “word of the day” section.
And if you feel confident that you can read literature in the original language, read the article.
Websites for learning English words
Below you will find the best sites to increase and practice vocabulary, which can be most useful for you.
BusinessEnglishSite
BusinessEnglishSite - site for learning business vocabulary
This is one of the best and most popular sites to study. Here you can enrich your vocabulary with useful phrases, expressions and even business jargon.
All words are divided into topics, for example, "Accounting", "Project Management", "IT" etc.
For each topic there are consolidation exercises that train not only vocabulary, but also grammar.
Blair English
With Blair English you can learn English words from scratch
All exercises and lessons on this site have been specially designed to increase and enrich your English vocabulary .
Here you will find over 190 free interactive exercises on various topics such as IT technology, Business, Communication and many others.
The site also has a base of exercises to improve listening and pronunciation skills.
Lingualeo
Lingualeo - a resource for practicing words
A very famous interactive resource that is interesting not only for children. It helps make language learning fun and visual, and also contains unlimited words for different levels.
To feed the lion cub and get a new portion of words, you will need to register.
British Council
British Council - the most British way to learn words
The British Council website has not left us without practicing truly British phrases, idioms and expressions. You can also learn several new words a day there.
Words filtered by topic and level, which makes navigation extremely convenient, and the process of cramming English words an exciting experience.
For teachers, there are lesson plans for various levels with handouts.
Test Your Vocabulary
On this site you can, not with 100% probability, but at least approximately understand what vocabulary you have and what you need to improve.
The test interface in English is simple. The site is designed for users who are learning English or even native speakers.
By ticking the words whose translation you know and answering a few questions about yourself, you will very likely find out how many english words is in your active supply.
Instead of a conclusion
As you can see, there are plenty of methods and resources for enriching your vocabulary in various areas. The most important thing is to constantly work on it, and here everything depends on you. Your daily work will then pay off in full when you can communicate with English speakers without any problems.
In contact with
There is no secret method to learn a language in a month. If someone promises you a miracle, don't believe it. But the process can be accelerated in order to overcome the barrier in six months and finally speak English. Life hacker and experts from the online English school Skyeng share simple tips.
1. Study online
Online classes help you learn quickly. You can be too lazy to drive to the other end of the city in bad weather, but the Internet is always at hand. Adapting your schedule to the course schedule, making agreements with teachers, wasting time on the road - all this gets boring and slows down the process. Choose online courses. What makes life easier increases motivation.
Many, choosing between a cozy evening at home and a long trip to courses, decide that they can live without English.
Rid yourself of reasons to miss classes - create a convenient personal schedule. At Skyeng, teachers work in all time zones, so you can study whenever you want, even in the middle of the night.
Online classes are also good because all materials, texts, videos, dictionaries are collected in one place: in the application or on the website. And homework is checked automatically as you complete it.
2. Study at your leisure
Don't be limited by lesson time. Learning a language is not just about doing exercises. You can improve your skill by listening to songs and podcasts or reading English-speaking bloggers.
Everyone knows how important it is to watch movies and TV series with English subtitles, but not everyone knows that there are special educational applications for this. Skyeng online translators are linked to the app of the same name on your phone, so you can repeat new words at any time.
For example, if you install a special extension in the Google Chrome browser, you can read any text in English, and when you hover over a word or phrase, you can immediately see their translation. The same goes for subtitles for online cinemas. Each word individually can be translated directly as you watch. These words are added to your personal dictionary and sent to the mobile application, where you can repeat and memorize them in your free time.
“How long does it take to learn English?” - Absolutely all students ask our teachers this question. Your curiosity is quite understandable, if only because the student needs to estimate how long his training will last, how much money he will spend on classes. Let's try together to find out the answer to the question that concerns you.
Time is money, but without knowledge you won’t be able to make money. We admit, we (like you, probably) also appealed to the all-knowing Google, asking how many years or months it would take to learn English. We don’t know how our students are with their search skills, but we weren’t very lucky: the answers are vague, the points of view of philologists are diametrically opposed. And the most annoying thing is intrusive advertising like “Learn English in 16 hours / 10 days / 99 minutes.” You and I are adults of sound mind and strong memory. Still believe this advertising? Then we come to you to dot all the i’s.
Is it possible to learn English in a month/week/24 hours?
Some authors of “sprint” learning methods have the audacity to claim that you will completely master a foreign language in 9.99 hours if you pay $99.99/euro for the “new/unique/phenomenal/Hollywood” method. Do you believe that you can learn about 1,000,000 words in such a period? Or learn all the intricacies of using tenses, passive and active voice?
In order not to be unfounded, we conducted a survey among the teachers of our school and found out their opinion about such methods. It was interesting to know the opinion of experienced philologists. The statistics are disappointing: 50% of teachers burst into angry tirades on the topic of “quackery and ignorance when teaching students foreign languages,” the other 50% asked not to ask “strange” questions anymore. Of course, you say, teaching English is their bread and butter. On the one hand, you are right, but on the other, let's think logically. How long did it take you to study mathematics, history, biology? English also has its own formulas, rules and terminology!
We want to say right away that the phrase “learn a language” should be forgotten forever. Even you and I will never be able to fully learn the Russian language. Do you know what a punt is? This is the bottom of a wine bottle. And the glabella? The Inglex online school does not teach you obscene expressions; this word is used to describe the area of the face between the eyebrows. And there are not dozens or even hundreds of such words unknown to us. With English, the situation is similar: words appear, are borrowed from other languages, slang expressions are added, etc. But we don’t bang our heads against the wall when we come across a Russian word that is unfamiliar to us. On the contrary, we rejoice in the knowledge we receive. How interesting it is to learn new words and then surprise your friends with your education! Don’t be afraid to learn even in old age and don’t torment yourself with the question “How long does it take to learn English, and why didn’t I do it in childhood?”
Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young
Anyone who stops learning is an old man, no matter at twenty or eighty years old. And whoever continues to study remains young.
These techniques will be able to provide a certain vocabulary and some understanding of what kind of animal this foreign language is. Although some beginners who failed to learn English in 24 hours get upset and put themselves in the category of hopeless and incapable of languages. The shortest path is not always the right one, choose the right road.
In addition, knowledge acquired in an accelerated mode is not stored in long-term memory: what comes quickly also goes quickly. No matter how boring school lessons may seem to you, the method of slowly assimilating information still has its advantages. Find out what is hidden in “super-accelerated intelligence training methods” from our article “”.
There are other types of “well, very effective” methods of accelerated learning. For example, the advertised effect of the 25th frame and other techniques that act on the subconscious. Such methods of teaching are very interesting and tempting, but not only do they fail, but they can also be dangerous. At best, you will simply be shown flashing cards of words that will supposedly be remembered “by themselves, without effort on your part.” Big, big secret: everything we watch on TV is also shown at 25 frames per second (the PAL standard in Europe). Only we don’t notice this due to the smooth transition of images. What will happen if unfamiliar words flash before your eyes, 25 words per second? According to reviews (you can find them yourself on the Internet), this speed of information transfer quite quickly causes irritation and headaches. The most responsible manufacturers of these courses write on the boxes with discs that the technique is intended for people with a stable psyche. Children under 12-14 years of age are STRICTLY prohibited from using it. Frankly speaking, it is difficult to find an adult with a sufficiently stable psyche. Imagine, you will be studying after work, where your clients are pestering you, your bosses are nagging you, or a harmful system administrator is blocking your access to Odnoklassniki. What is the 25th frame here?!
We hope we've made you think about whether it's worth risking money, time and health.
Limit your speed wisely. The quieter you go, the further you'll get. You can, of course, sign up for accelerated courses, so-called intensive courses. Just keep in mind that you will have to immerse yourself in learning and work hard. Result? The result will be, but quite specific. In 10-20 lessons (the average duration of accelerated English courses) you can fill a small gap in knowledge, master specific vocabulary (for example, from the field of medicine), and prepare for an interview or business negotiations. We wrote in detail about intensive courses in the article “”. Carefully weigh the pros and cons before signing up.
How long does it take to learn English?
The answer to this question primarily depends on the level at which you want to master English. We recommend achieving at least an intermediate level of knowledge. Why? Read about this in our article “”. However, there is no limit to perfection, so we will describe in detail how long it will take the average person to learn a language.
To learn any language 80% requires 6 months, to learn 100% it takes 10 years
This is just a witty saying, but it is not too far from the truth. Let's clarify the timing.
To begin with, let us cite the widespread opinion that since a person mastered his native language in childhood in 3-4 years, then learning a foreign language will take even less time. But scientists have a different point of view. They insist that the child has an innate increased ability to perceive language. Upon reaching 3 years of age, this ability decreases several times.
The example of a child is interesting, but from a different perspective. There are children who perfectly express their thoughts already at 4-5 years old. And there are adults who, at 30 years old, cannot string together two words, and even cannot pronounce half the alphabet! What are we talking about such a person? Firstly, his parents did not work with him. Secondly, he himself does not make any effort to change anything, that is, he does not strive to develop and improve his speaking skills even regarding his native language. You can already guess what we want to say: choosing a good teacher and determination are important components of successful learning.
Based on our practice, to communicate confidently abroad, you need to learn English for at least 2 years if you are learning the language from scratch. You need to spend 6-9 months on each level of training, in detail. But this applies specifically to classes with a personal teacher, when the teacher works with you one-on-one. If you take courses, the time period increases slightly, because the teacher focuses on the weakest students in the group. About 80% of students learn the language at the speed we indicated, 10% learn English more slowly, another 10% learn English faster.
A little positive: there are no people incapable of languages!
Yes, if you were unable to master English using the accelerated method, do not rush to put yourself on the list of hopeless students. You just haven’t yet found your approach and “your” teacher who can present knowledge in an accessible way and help you believe in yourself.
Please note that the length of study depends not only on the teacher or your classmates, but also on you. Independent work outside of class will help you master the material faster and easier and practice it. With the help of various applications, video and audio lessons, you can increase your vocabulary, improve your listening comprehension and learn interesting facts about native speakers.
There is a concept of the magic thousand in teaching foreign languages. It is believed that exactly 1000 hours are needed to learn a new language. So count how many hours a month you study, find out how many years you need to learn English. When calculating, take into account the hours of independent work and subtract your absenteeism. This technique is applicable to any language. Just when calculating the period of study of Russian, Chinese, Arabic, add another 200-300 hours.
After completing 1000 hours of training, you will be able to speak fluently on general topics, watch films and read books in the original language. To master specific vocabulary and write scientific papers, you will need additional time.
Choose your pace and go towards your goal. In addition to all of the above, we would like to note that knowing 2500-3000 words and three simple tenses will allow you to understand 60-70% of English speech. This is just great! How long will it take to master such a volume of vocabulary? According to linguists, the optimal number of words you can learn in a week is 70-100. That is, the well-known method of learning 10 words a day is fully justified.
Now you know how long it takes to learn English. Well, we hope you weren't scared? Yes, it will be a long journey ahead of you, but we will help make it smooth and enjoyable! Read ours, maybe they will help you get around difficulties and overcome obstacles.
Our student told how in 1.5 years she reached the Upper-Intermediate level from the Pre-Intermediate level and went to live in Iceland!
Today we bring to your attention a translation of an article by the Irish polyglot, the author of a unique method of learning foreign languages, Benny Lewis.
In the post you will find answers to the following questions:
- How to start speaking a foreign language today?
- How to pass yourself off as a native speaker?
- How to learn several foreign languages in 2 years and become a polyglot?
The article contains a lot of tips on using various resources and free applications that will help you improve your language proficiency in the shortest possible time. If you have been looking for effective methods for memorizing new vocabulary and improving your communication skills in a foreign language for a long time, then this post is intended for you. ;)
Most people believe that everyone who succeeds in learning foreign languages has a genetic predisposition to it. However, the example of Benny Lewis proves that this belief is just one of hundreds of excuses we resort to to justify our unsuccessful attempts to be considered a polyglot.
As Benny recalls, a few years ago he was absolutely hopeless in everything related to languages: at the age of 20 he could only speak English, was the worst in his German class, and after 6 months in Spain he could hardly muster the courage to to ask in Spanish where the bathroom is.
It was during this period in Lewis’s life that a certain moment of epiphany occurred, which radically changed his approach to learning languages: he not only succeeded in mastering Spanish, but also received a certificate from the Cervantes Institute (Instituto Cervantes), confirming his level of language proficiency at level C2 - perfect . Since then, Benny began to actively study other foreign languages, and at the moment he can easily communicate in more than 12.
As Benny Lewis himself says: “Since I became a polyglot - a person who speaks several languages - my world has become much wider. I met interesting people and visited places that I had never even thought of before. For example, my knowledge of Mandarin allowed me to make new friends while traveling on the Chengdu-Shanghai train, talked politics with a desert dweller in Egyptian Arabic, and my knowledge of sign language gave me the opportunity to become familiar with the peculiarities of deaf culture.
I danced with the former President of Ireland Mary McAleese, and then spoke about it in Irish live on the radio, interviewed Peruvian textile manufacturers, talking to them in Quechua about the specifics of their work.... And in general, I spent a wonderful 10 years traveling the world."
In this post you will find many useful tips, the use of which will help you improve your level of foreign language proficiency in record time and, quite possibly, become a polyglot.
English is required in many areas of life, and you just want to be able to read your favorite books and watch movies in the original. There is an opinion that you will have to spend many years learning a foreign language, and even then there is no guarantee that you will achieve results. However, with the proper desire and perseverance, you can master English in a short time.
How to learn English quickly?
Photo by Shutterstock
Forming vocabulary
Learning any language begins with memorizing letters, and then the simplest words. But it’s quite boring to memorize words and phrases from a piece of paper, and it gets boring quickly. Try to make this process more fun - buy a pack of multi-colored stickers and cover all the objects in your apartment with them. On each piece of paper, write the name of the mirror, chest of drawers or microwave oven in English. Now, moving around the house, you will come across unfamiliar words every time and quickly remember them.
Immersion in the language environment
A banal, but nevertheless effective way is to learn English through complete immersion in the language environment. This should be done after you have mastered a minimum set of words and have an idea of how sentences are constructed. Having mastered this knowledge, go to an English-speaking country, where you will quickly polish your skills.
This way of learning a language may be intimidating at first. Don’t get lost - go to cafes and shops, try to communicate with passers-by on the streets, and soon you will notice that you understand those around you better and better
We create a language environment ourselves
Not everyone has the opportunity to go to England or the USA for a few weeks. If you want to quickly and easily learn English while staying in your hometown, create the right environment yourself. Remove all Russian-language press away, replacing it with English newspapers and magazines. Remove films and TV series in Russian, leaving only films in the original sound. Change the language in the settings of your phone, tablet and desktop computer to English. The same should be done with settings on social networks and blogs. Now you have a lot of opportunities to learn the language that interests you.
If you have difficulty reading books and watching films in the original, review and reread those things that you are already familiar with in the Russian version. It will be much easier for you to navigate and remember new words
