Choosing the right method for improving your English depends a great deal on who you are and where you are beginning. In all cases, I highly recommend using a variety of oral and written language approaches.

I have had experience in Japan and Canada teaching both English as a Second Language and English to students who speak it as a native language. Having learned conversational Japanese myself, I have retained a sense of what factors best helped me to learn a second language. In my opinion, selecting the best approach for improving your English depends on whether you are learning English as a first or second language. Consequently, I am offering my remarks under two different categories.

Improving Your English As A Second Language (ESL):

1)Look for opportunities to immerse yourself in the language. Exchanges, such as those offered by Rotary International, that place students with an English speaking family are excellent. If an exchange is unrealistic, look for opportunities in the hospitality and tourism sector where you can practice on the job. Why not get paid to learn?
2)Find a mentor. Whether you are at home or abroad, you will benefit from identifying a person you are comfortable practicing with and one whom you are able to ask questions. This need not be a person with a great deal of education. I learned most of my second language from a host mother but also felt really comfortable talking to most of my younger host brothers and sisters too. Their relatively limited vocabulary and simple sentencing made comprehension a good deal easier. Also, because they were less experienced with understanding foreigners than their parents, I learned to be very clear when communicating with them.
3)Label Everything. My host mother put post-it' notes on everything in the house: "TV," "Wall," "Toilet." At first I thought she was completely crazy, but it didn't take long before I could name all the furniture without their help. Your mentor could help you with this, or you could develop your own labels by using a translational dictionary.
4)Invest in resources. It is not necessary to spend a great deal of money on all the latest books and videos. Modern languages haven't changed much so a 10 or 20 year old book from a second hand store could become your best aid. I highly recommend starting with 2 or 3 different "how-to" books and trying to make a start with each one. You'll only need to do the first couple of introductory activities or lessons

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