APRENDE Y PRACTICA INGLÉS
5 Simple exercises to practice English everyday
Andrea Carriero, EFL Teacher, Uruguay
16 Octubre 2017
Once you have decided to study and learn English, the first thing you have to do is PRACTICE. If you are taking lessons in an institute or with a personal English instructor, the key is to practice at least half an hour by yourself every single day.
For the majority of the English learners, the biggest problem is that they don’t know how to practice English at home, especially when their environment such as work, family, and friends, is always in Spanish. That is why the first thing that you have to do is keep yourself motivated to learn English every day.
The idea of this article is to show you how to enjoy practicing English and how to include English in your hobbies and lifestyle. Remember that “Practice makes perfect” and perfection should be your goal.
- Create your own English-Spanish dictionary
Every time that you spend in your English class, studying grammar, making exercises and listening to audios, you are always learning new words and vocabulary. That is why it is extremely important to write down every single word that you learn.
If you write the new word and the translation into Spanish your brain will remember the word more easily. Try to pick a nice and small notebook and establish the following goal: study 5 words per day and write one sentence with each one. By the end of the week try to say out loud all the words that you have learned.
- Choose your English topic for the week
Each person has a topic that they are passionate about so it doesn’t matter if yours is politics, travel, animals, sports, movies, health or cuisine. The thing is to choose one and read about it in English during the week.
Try to create a schedule like this one:
Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday: read at least one article, essay or blog about your topic. If you are starting to learn English, try to read short paragraphs. And if you are in a more advanced level, read a complete article.
Thursday: choose one of the articles that you have read and underline all the new words that you can find. Write them down in your notebook and find their meaning in the dictionary.
Friday: Depending on your level, try to write a short summary in English about the article.
- Watch your favorite TV show in English
There isn’t a better way to learn English than using your favorite TV shows or movies. Try to watch them in English with Spanish subtitles; this will help you to develop your listening skills.
Then do the opposite. Watch it in Spanish with English subtitles paying attention to the word formation, sentence structure, and grammar. The idea is to include English in your daily activities and hobbies.
We recommend you to start watching “How I Met Your Mother” a famous American TV show that is very easy to understand for English learners and also will allow you to learn more about the American society and New York English culture.
- Do vocabulary exercises
We recommend you to use the page of the British Council for English learners http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar-vocabulary/vocabulary-exercises. On this page, you will find many vocabulary exercises and practices that will help you to improve your vocabulary in relation to room objects, accessories, animals, travel, body parts, daily routine, health, food, sports, hotels, jobs, places, and weather among many others.
The first problem that you will have when you are starting to learn a new language is not having enough words to express your thoughts and ideas so don’t worry and try to study one vocabulary exercise per week.
- Prepare a weekly summary
If the words “weekly summary” sounds confusing to you, let me explain the idea. Imagine your week and all the things that you have learned with the exercises in your English class, all the new grammar content and your own vocabulary and reading practices, do you think that you can remember all those things perfectly? Of course not.
That is why I recommend you to create a weekly summary of all the things that you have learned so far. The goal is to write the most important things on your notebook and before your English class try to read them in order to have all the content on your mind.
Prepare your weekly summary each Sunday and start your week with a perfect English practice!
Suscríbete a mi blog y déjame tus comentarios.