Self-Studying English

Hi everyone!

One of the most frequently asked question I receive is about how to self-study English more effectively.

The mission of this article is for you, the readers, to pick up some useful skills that could be implemented right away. But first of all, let’s go through some basic information.

Acquiring a language can be accomplished in many ways. To become successful, we should start by identifying which skills need to be developed further. By skills, I mean the four key language skills – listening, reading, writing, and speaking.

In a way, this is not so different from going to the gym and isolating one muscle group when exercising.

The staple solution to improvement is… you guessed it… to practice that skill more!

But wouldn’t you say that this sounds a little too vague? Like, what is it that you need to practice more? Does it mean that if I watch the same movie over and over again for 1,000 times, I can suddenly understand the dialogue?

This was certainly not the case for me when I was learning Chinese in 2008! However, I would agree that having lots of exposure to the skill you’d like to improve on would definitely help!

Here are my personal suggestions for more effective self-study:

1. Repetition is a good thing when used correctly.
   
   

Find a source that meets your optimal challenge/learning zone (not too simple and not too difficult) and keep watching/listening/reading it.  If it’s too simple, you’ll get bored quickly; if it’s too difficult, you’ll burn-out quickly. You want to find something that you can work on consistently.

a) Listening
Have a favourite English song? Listen to it many times until the melody is stuck in your head. One of these days, you’ll be able to sing it in the shower! This is the same for a good TV show/movie. Having good listening skills is the foundation for building strong speaking skills.

b) Reading
Pick a good book that meets your taste. It could be a fantasy novel or a history encyclopedia.

Reading is one of the best ways to improve your vocabulary. Having good reading skills is the foundation for building strong writing skills.

2. Join a community where English is the common language for communication.

Sometimes, we forget that language is a tool to be used. If it rests for too long, then it’ll rust. The easiest way to use this tool is by being immersed in a group where English is the common communication language.

a) Speaking

Get active in your community! Meet some like-minded people to not only practice English but also to get the chance to start some life-long friendships! One reason why I was able to learn Chinese fairly quickly is by playing board games with my friends every week. A lot of talking is involved when playing a game like Werewolves!

You could also start a daily/weekly vlog to talk about some topics you’re interested in. This way, you’ll be creating the desired community you were looking for all along!

b) Writing

Not everyone enjoys conversing with others and that’s okay too! While listening/reading belong to the receptive skill group (information is inputted); speaking/writing belong to the production skill group (information is outputted). Keep a diary/blog, listen to lectures and keep notes, read a novel and write a summary, or you could even go old-school and have a pen-pal (write letters to a friend from a different culture).

I hope these tips are useful for you!

I mentioned these tips to my former students when I had taught in China. And then, I decided that the best way to motivate them is by practicing what I preach. Thus, for a period of time, I made vlogs in Chinese to practice my speaking skills. It was well-received, and I really do feel like my speaking skills have improved immensely.

Let’s have fun during the learning process!

Please consider leaving a comment down below!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Catch ya later.

Sincerely,
Scott Lao.