THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO LEARN ENGLISH

Speak Up!

The Most Effective Way to Learn English

By Sarlan

How long have you been learning English? 5 years? 10 years? or even more? Then, how good is your English after such a long period of learning? Do you really speak English? Instead of saying: “YES, I DO”, most people will prefer to hesitantly say: “JUST A LITTLE” or “YES, BUT A LITTLE,” indicating that they are not so sure about their English competence. Why? Isn’t such a long time of learning enough for them to have a sufficient English skill, or is there something wrong about their way of learning? Let’s find out!

4 Basic Skills of English and Ineffective Traditional Learning Models

It is widely known that in general there are 4 Basic Skills of English, namely: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. The four skills are inseparable and interconnected each others. A good English learning program should ideally give balanced portion to the four skills to result a comprehensive English competence. Unfortunately, most traditional English learning models tend to pay more attention on the first two skills, Reading and Writing. As a result, the learning activity tends to lead merely to a passive English knowledge. Moreover, most English learning programs lack of activity involving Listening and Speaking activities, the two interconnected skills which result the real English Communication Skill.

Indeed, oral English communication skill is not the only English skill someone should have. But everyone must agree that it is the clearest indicator other people can see about someone’s English capability. Moreover, this skill is the first capability someone should perform in practical daily contacts with other English Speaking people. Therefore, it is not exaggerated to say that a good English speaking ability is a very important factor for success in almost all fields in the society, since first impression is the key success of almost all business and activities in this world.

Then, how should we learn English so that we obtain a real English Competence effectively? Here are 7 useful hints for success with English:

1.      Be realistic: Be patient. Learning to speak a second language can be challenging and it will take time. Study or use English regularly and often.

2.      Do things that help you remember what you’ve learned: Keep a journal of the new words, expressions, and rules you learn.

3.      Focus on meaning: Try not to translate word for word. When you read something in English, first try to get the general meaning; don’t worry about understanding every word. Later on you can focus on specifics.

4.      Take risk: Just talk. Don’t worry about getting everything right. Try new words, expressions, and structures, even when you’re not exactly sure of how to use them.

5.      Make English a part of your life: Watch English language TV or movies with English subtitles; listen to music in English. Spend 15-20 minutes a day reading things you enjoy in English. Find websites, magazines, newspapers, or literature.

6.      Make mistakes works for you: You are going to make mistakes, but how can you learn from these? Keep a list of errors that you make repeatedly. Do homework together with someone else who is learning English. Correct each other’s work. Make a list of questions about things that you don’t understand in English. Ask a teacher or a friend to try to answer your questions.

7.      Test yourself: Your English competence should not only be based on your own judgment; testing your English is a good way to see your progress objectively. You can use TOEFL, TOEIC, IELT, GMAT or other standardized English tests.

The Power of Speaking Practice

It may seem complicated and hard to apply all the above tips. Don’t worry. All the activities above can actually be simplified to be a simple, cheap and easy activity, i.e. Speaking Practice. Why speaking? Because, in essence, an extended Speaking Practice will covers the basic aspects of English communication skill. Here are among the benefits of Speaking Practice:

1.      Listening: In the same time we have conversation with our partners, we train our listening skill. The better Listening Skill we have, the better speaking ability will follow.

2.      Pronunciation: We will get more opportunity to check and improve our pronunciation through various conversations we practice.

3.      Direct correction: A very effective direct correction for our frequent errors will be given by our speaking partners. It really improves your English.

4.      Imitation: Based on the basic principle of language, stating that Language is a matter of habit, imitation is a very important part of English acquisition. By having real conversation with various partners we get more chances to imitate words, expressions, stresses and intonations in English.

5.      Self confidence building: Even it may be non-technical factor; self confidence is a very important requirement in communication. Consistent speaking practice will automatically improve your self confidence, which will be a great contribution for your success in English learning.

So, why wait? Hurry up! Start to practice now! The only requirements you need are: a strong motivation and supporting partners. You do not have to prepare specific topic to discuss. Let your conversation flows naturally, as simple as saying hello to your colleagues when you meet everyday at works. It really works. Create your English environment, enjoy the conversation, and be ready to get surprised to know how fast you learn.

Glossary :

competence      :  kompetensi/kemampuan

hint                   :  saran

sufficient           :  memadai

environment      :  lingkungan

essence            :  intisari

inseparable       :  tidak terpisahkan

interconnected  :  saling berkaitan

acquisition        :  pemerolehan