Here are some tips for you.
Start with what interests you
Find a positive aspect to study. Why not watch your favourite film in English and write down some useful words or phrases that you want to remember? You could also read the lyrics of songs and try to understand what they are about. Or check out celebrity sites and learn more about famous actors, bands and other stars. If you are interested in cooking, you could buy a recipe book and start to learn culinary terms. This is good for your vocabulary and on top of that – it’s lots of fun. This is most useful for beginners aspiring to pick up new vocabulary.
Spend some time every day using English
It is much more effective to spend 15 minutes each day than a full day on weekends and then do nothing for two weeks. You may read a simple article, learn a new word, listen to an English song, write something or watch a movie. You can even read aloud or say something to yourself when you are not able to find a partner to communicate with you in English, and this is really helpful. If you are too tired to practise or read, just listen to a pop song for fun. You will learn something useful from doing this.
Set some achievable goals
You should know how much time you can set aside to learn English and set a goal for the day, the week, the month, the year and longer.
You could set goals this way:
- Learn a new word every day
- Write a short article a week
- Read a book a month
You can also set a long-term target for the year. Appreciation is always a good motivation, so give yourself a reward for reaching a goal that you have set! This is really helpful.
A reward might be:
- A meal out/ or a nice meal at home
- A new outfit or accessories
- A short trip to a place you have always wanted to visit
The important points to remember are these: Do something. Do anything. Do something that interests you, do anything that you can think of to improve your English. Another thing you should know is that a teacher is there to help you learn English and not to teach you English. That’s the point.