by Rosa Radikalis

Created on: January 10, 2007   Last Updated: May 01, 2010

If you are learning the English language, there are several steps you can take to improve your overall standard.

Listening and speaking.

You can improve the two skills of listening and speaking by making the effort to meet and socialize with those whose first language is English. Above all, do not be afraid to ask questions. If somebody uses a word you do not understand, stop them and ask what it means. If unsure if you said something correctly, ask the person/people you are with to correct you when you make a mistake. Make an effort to talk about subjects that are challenging for you in the English language. Sticking to telling people your name and age will not get you very far. Try not to feel nervous or shy of making mistakes. Even if your vocabulary or grammar is not entirely correct most people will still understand your meaning. The most important thing to keep in mind is this: in all areas of life, you will learn through your errors.

Reading and writing.

Practice makes perfect so read everything that you see written in the English language. Books, magazines and newspapers are all extremely useful, but remember that you will also find written English in other places such as on the Internet, billboards and the back of food packages. Carry a small dictionary with you at all times and when you meet a new word, look it up. If you can, practice both saying and writing the new word until you are familiar with both the spelling and pronunciation of it.

The only way to improve your writing is to keep at it, and this is also true for people whose first language is English. If you are using a computer to write, make good use of the spelling and grammar checking facilities. It is also a good idea to use a thesaurus so that you can find words with a similar meaning to the one you are thinking about using. If you are writing in an examination situation, pay careful attention to what you are being asked to do and follow all instructions very carefully. You will be marked down if, for example, you are asked to write an article and you produce a letter.

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