Learning a foreign language is moving into the "must do" section for 2024. Even the government encourages Ukrainians to learn English. For example, the Future Perfect project was launched this year, designed to popularize this language in Ukraine and to promote its study.
So there are more and more opportunities to improve your English, but you still don't get the hang of it? We offer you actionable tips and resources that will come in handy and make your way more manageable!
Planning, planning and more planning
First, determine why you want to learn English, perhaps for travel, work or personal development.
Set specific goals that will motivate you — short-term and long-term. They can be the following:
learn ten new words every day for a month,
learn to reproduce 20 complex phonetic sounds,
have daily short conversations or correspond with a friend in English for 15 minutes.
Long-term goals should be ambitious and measurable. Example:
Master the B1 level by the end of the year.
Prepare and pass the international exam in English with a high score.
Join the English club.
Speak at the conference in English.
We advise you to track your progress, and do not forget to praise yourself for new achievements!
Surround yourself with English
It is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. You can translate your phone, laptop, or computer into English, install language learning apps on your smartphone, try watching movies in the original language with subtitles, or set aside half an hour a day to watch a few videos in a foreign language.
What other mobile apps should you look out for?
Duolingo,
DROPS,
Babbel,
Rosetta Stone.
Resources for learning grammar:
Perfect English Grammar — rules, examples, tests.
Grammarly — Grammar topics explained.
Test-english.com — testing, listening, writing.
Oxford University Press — Grammar Exercises.
BBC Learning English — videos with rules explained, vocabulary and excerpts from BBC programmes.
Where can you watch excerpts of movies with subtitles?
Speechyard — Here you can pause the video and click on an unknown word in the subtitles.
English at the Movies — the presenter will say a few words about an excerpt from the film before you start watching.
MoviesJoy is a site with movies and series in English.
LearnEnglish videos — episodes with subtitles and simple exercises after watching.
Ask professionals for help
Professional teachers will help speed up the process of learning English. After all, personal feedback is critical to ensure you are moving in the right direction.
Improving the level of English during the year is more than realistic! So choose a format convenient for you, decide on resources and start an exciting journey into the world of a foreign language!
