“Each new language expands the consciousness of a person and his world. It's like one more eye and one more ear," says Daniel Stein, the hero of Ludmila Ulitskaya's book. Would you like to expand your picture of the world and find a common language with more than a billion people? For those who answered yes, we will tell you how to start learning English. We hope that our guide will help beginners take their first steps and show the right path for those who continue to learn the language.
To get started, we invite you to watch a recording of a two-hour webinar with Victoria Kodak(a teacher and methodologist of our online school), in which she answers the question of how to start learning English in the most detailed way:
1. Introduction: When and how best to start learning English
Some adults believe that only children can start learning English from scratch. Someone thinks that an adult is ashamed to start from the basics and learn elementary rules and words, someone believes that only children can successfully learn foreign languages, because they have an excellent memory and learning abilities. Both the first and second opinions are wrong. There is nothing shameful in the fact that you start learning a language as an adult, on the contrary: the desire for knowledge always commands respect. According to the statistics of our school, people begin to learn the language from the first stage and at 20, and at 50 and even at 80 (!) years old. Moreover, they do not just start, but successfully study and reach high levels of English proficiency. So no matter how old you are, what matters is your desire to learn and your willingness to improve your knowledge.
Many people ask themselves: “What is the best way to start learning English?”. First you need to choose the way of learning that suits you: in Group, individually with a teacher or on one's own. You can read about the pros and cons of each of them in the article "".
The best option for those who are going to learn the language "from scratch" is classes with a teacher. You need a mentor to explain how the language "works" and help you build a solid foundation for your knowledge. The teacher is your interlocutor who:
- help you start speaking English;
- explain grammar in simple words;
- teach to read texts in English;
- It will also help you develop your English listening comprehension skills.
For some reason, you do not have the desire or opportunity to study with a teacher? Then check out our step by step guide about self-study of English for beginners.
To begin with, we want to give you some tips on how to better organize your classes so that your efforts are not in vain. We recommend:
- Exercise at least 2-3 times a week for 1 hour. Ideally, you need to practice English every day for at least 20-30 minutes. However, if you want to arrange a weekend for yourself, do it every other day, but in double volume - 40-60 minutes.
- Work on speaking skills. Write short texts, read simple articles and news, listen to podcasts for beginners, and try to find someone to talk to to train your speaking skills.
- Immediately put into practice what you have learned. Use the studied words and grammatical constructions in oral and written speech. Simple cramming will not give the desired effect: knowledge will fly out of your head if you do not use it. Learned a dozen words - make up a short story using all these words, say it out loud. We studied the Past Simple time - write a short text in which all sentences will be in this tense.
- Don't "Spray". The main mistake of beginners is trying to take as many materials as possible and work with them all at the same time. As a result, the study turns out to be unsystematic, you get confused in the abundance of information and do not see progress.
- repeat the past. Don't forget to review what you've learned. Even if it seems to you that you know the words on the topic “Weather” by heart, return to them in a month and check yourself: do you remember everything, if there were any difficulties. Repetition of the past is never superfluous. In our blog, we already wrote about. Familiarize yourself with the techniques and try to put them into practice.
3. Guide: How to start learning English from scratch on your own
Since English is still terra incognita for you, we have tried to select only the most necessary materials for you. It turned out to be a rather voluminous list, from which you will learn where to start learning English and how to do it correctly. Let's just say that the work ahead is not easy, but interesting. Let's get started.
1. Learn the rules of reading English
Theater begins with a hanger, and English begins with reading rules. This is a basic piece of knowledge, thanks to which you can learn to read English and pronounce sounds and words correctly. We recommend that you use a simple table from the Internet and learn the rules by heart, as well as get acquainted with the transcription of the English language. This can be done, for example, on the Translate.ru website.
2. Check how words are pronounced
Even if you know the rules of reading by heart, when learning new words, check how they are pronounced correctly. Tricky English words don't want to be read the way they are spelled. And some of them even refuse to obey any rules of reading. Therefore, we advise you to check the pronunciation of each new word in an online dictionary, for example, Lingvo.ru or on a special site Howjsay.com. Listen several times to how the word sounds and try to pronounce it exactly the same way. At the same time, practice the correct pronunciation.
3. Start building vocabulary
Take visual dictionaries into service, for example, use the Studyfun.ru website. Bright pictures voiced by native speakers and translation into Russian will make it easier for you to learn and memorize new vocabulary.
What words to start learning English? We recommend beginners to focus on the list of words on the site Englishspeak.com. Start with simple words of a general theme, remember which words you use most often in your speech in Russian. In addition, we advise you to devote more time to studying English verbs. It is the verb that makes speech dynamic and natural.
4. Learn grammar
If you imagine speech as a beautiful necklace, then grammar is a thread on which you place word beads in order to end up with a beautiful decoration. Violation of the "rules of the game" of English grammar is punishable by misunderstanding of the interlocutor. And learning these rules is not so difficult, it is enough to study with a good textbook. We recommend that you take the first book in the Grammarway series of manuals translated into Russian. We wrote about this book in detail in our review. In addition, we recommend that you read our article "", from which you will find out what books you will need at the initial stage of learning English.
Do you find textbooks boring? It doesn't matter, pay attention to our series of articles "". In it, we state the rules in simple words, give many examples and tests to test knowledge. In addition, our teachers have compiled a simple and high-quality online English grammar tutorial for you. We also recommend reading the article "", in it you will find 8 good reasons to take up manuals, and also find out when you can do without textbooks in learning a language.
5. Listen to podcasts at your level
As soon as you started taking the first steps, you immediately need to accustom yourself to the sound of a foreign speech. Start with simple podcasts ranging from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. You can find simple audio recordings with translation into Russian on the Teachpro.ru website. And to get the most out of listening, check out our article "".
Once you've built your basic English vocabulary, it's time to start watching the news. We recommend the Newsinlevels.com resource. News texts for the first level are simple. There is an audio recording for each news, so be sure to listen to how new words sound for you, try to repeat them after the announcer.
7. Read simple texts
While reading, you activate visual memory: new words and phrases will be easy to remember. And if you want to not only read, but also learn new words, improve pronunciation, listen to texts voiced by native speakers, and then read them. You can find simple short texts in textbooks at your level, such as New English File Elementary, or on the Internet at this site.
8. Install helpful apps
How to start learning English from scratch on your own if you have a smartphone or tablet at hand? English learning apps are mini tutorials that you will always have in your pocket. The well-known Lingualeo app is ideal for learning new words: thanks to the spaced repetition technique, new vocabulary will not disappear from your memory after a month. And to study the structure, the principle of "work" of the language, we recommend installing Duolingo. In addition to learning new words, this application will allow you to practice grammar and learn how to build sentences in English, as well as help you develop good pronunciation. Also, check out ours and choose from there the programs that interest you the most.
9. Study online
If you ask Google how to start learning English on your own, a caring search engine will immediately throw you a couple of hundred sites with various lessons, online exercises, articles about learning the language. An inexperienced student is immediately tempted to bookmark 83 “well, very necessary sites on which I will study every day.” We want to warn you against this: in the abundance of bookmarks, you will quickly get confused, and you need to study systematically, without jumping from one topic to another. Bookmark 2-3 really good resources that you will study on. This is more than enough. We recommend performing online exercises on the Correctenglish.ru website. Also check out our article "", you will find even more useful resources in it. And after you master the basics of English, check out the article "", where you can download a file with a list of useful materials and sites for learning the language.
4. Summing up
The list turned out to be rather big, and we tried to collect for you only the most necessary components of a successful study of the English language. However, we failed to use the most important skill - speaking. It is almost impossible to train him alone with himself. The most you can do is try to find a friend who is learning English. However, a friend with a higher level of knowledge is unlikely to want to work with a beginner, and a beginner like you cannot be an assistant. Moreover, when you work with a non-professional, there is a risk of "catching" his mistakes.
Self-study of the language has another fat minus - lack of control: you will not notice your mistakes and correct them. Therefore, we recommend that you think about classes with a teacher at least at the beginning of your journey. The teacher will give you the necessary push, help you choose the right direction of movement - exactly what a beginner needs.
Now you know how to learn English on your own from scratch. We admit that the path ahead is not easy, but if you have already set yourself a goal and are ready to work, positive results will not keep you waiting. We wish you patience and perseverance on the way to the intended goal!
And for those who want to achieve their goal faster, we offer with a teacher at our school.
You will need
- - teaching aids in English;
- - workbook;
- - fountain pen;
- - DVD player;
- - MP3 player;
- - video materials in English;
- - Audiobooks in English.
Instruction
Determine what you need English for. In the process of self-study, you will have to constantly motivate yourself by making time for classes and expending effort, so it is important to find a good reason that will become a universal motivator for you. Depending on your situation, the goal may be a tourist trip, abroad, work in a prestigious foreign company.
Get ready for some serious hard work. The so-called modern technologies of language acquisition offered everywhere, which are supposedly capable of making you speak fluently in a month, instill unnecessary illusions. Learning a language can take several months of focused self-study, and it can take several years to become fluent in a language.
Start learning English with the alphabet and pronunciation. Without knowing this or that letter, it will be difficult to use a dictionary, read an abbreviation, and even just dictate your name on the phone.
Having mastered the alphabet, proceed to memorize words. Be sure to limit yourself to certain time frames. For example, set yourself a minimum goal for a month to learn new words. This will amount to only 15-20 lexical units per day. Stick to your plan strictly. It is important not just to memorize any words, but to first try to translate the language of the speech set that you are used to using daily. This will save you from having to learn those words that you may never need.
For a quick review of the material covered, get yourself a separate notebook-dictionary. Write in your notebook the words you have mastered and the expressions you like. It is important to take notes by hand, as this connects motor memory and contributes to a better assimilation of new material. Another valuable tool for self-study of English can be separate cards, on one side of which the word is written in -, and on the back - its English equivalent.
In parallel with the accumulation of vocabulary, start learning the basics of English grammar. This will allow you to correctly build phrases from the learned words. Try to say as much of what you are learning out loud as possible.
To develop the skills of understanding foreign speech, watch films and videos on DVD in the language without translation. It is advisable to have a notebook and a pen with you. Turn off subtitles and try to listen to individual words and expressions. After pausing the player, do not be too lazy to look up the dictionary to find the meaning of the new word you hear. Periodic listening to English-language radio stations, especially news channels, will also be a good help.
Use the MP3 player to listen to books in the language in your spare time. It will also allow you to understand the structure of speech and feel its melody. It is convenient to have a text version of the book on hand for parallel reading. The skill of simultaneous listening and reading will be especially valuable at the initial stage of mastering the language.
Make learning English a priority, and don't be afraid to sacrifice the lesser daily activities for it. When planning time for classes, aim to study for 20-30 minutes, then switch to other things, and then pay attention to the language again. Breaks at work will make learning more effective.
Related article
When studying, the desire to achieve results, and the right program, and a good teacher, and even well-chosen textbooks are important. But what if there is neither a teacher nor a knowledgeable helper, but the desire is nonetheless present? How to learn English on your own and get the most out of the process?
Instruction
Correctly determine the period for which you want to learn the language. Language proficiency levels vary. If your goal is simply to be able to order dishes in, then it will take less than a month to achieve this level of proficiency, given the sophistication of culinary terms. If your goal is to truly master, that is, understand different dialects, the ability to speak without thinking, read newspapers, classical literature and watch the news, understanding fast speech, this implies completely different time costs - 5 years or, with maximum motivation, 3 years. A novice student needs to decide on a deadline right away, because time management is one of the main factors in successfully learning a foreign language.
Try to plan your day so that every day you have at least an hour (at least!), And preferably two or three, to study the language.
Remember that any language requires daily practice. Even those who can say that they are fluent in a particular language lose their knack if they do not practice for more than two months.
It is worth noting that the process of learning a foreign language consists of three main parts: studying the grammatical structure of the language (syntax, tenses, etc.), replenishing vocabulary and practicing correct pronunciation. It is in this order that priorities should be laid out when learning a language at the initial stages, in the intermediate period and at the last stages.
A beginner should first understand the grammar and tenses in the language. Without knowledge of elementary rules and syntax, further mastery of vocabulary and phrasal verbs will be very difficult. An average student, having mastered grammar, should move on to reading classical literature, watching news and films - in the process, vocabulary will be replenished and pronunciation will be mastered. An advanced student, given that he is already familiar with the syntax and has a decent vocabulary, should devote 100% of the time to the practice of speaking - this is the only way the correct pronunciation will be formed and the accent will disappear.
Try to surround yourself with everything that is somehow connected with the country of the language being studied or the language itself - listen to music in the language being studied, watch films and communicate with English-speaking people: the faster you immerse yourself in this unfamiliar environment, the easier it will be for you upon arrival in the country of the language being studied language. The ideal option, of course, can be called an instant move to the country of the language being studied - forced communication with foreigners and an English-speaking environment, the study period is doubled, or even tripled.
Last but not least, the right choice of literature and teaching materials. Despite the fact that you are going to learn the language on your own, it will not be superfluous to ask for advice from a knowledgeable person: a professor, teacher, or someone who has already fulfilled your dream and. Advice may not only concern the study program itself, but also which textbooks are best for you and which classical literature will not be difficult in the early stages.
Education is in vogue these days. If earlier literacy and knowledge of only one's native language was considered a rarity and luxury, then in the modern world, in addition to the basics of one's language, one can absolutely freely learn a foreign language online, having only access to the Internet and a sufficient degree of motivation.
Today, English is one of the most popular and universal languages in which you can communicate with a stranger in many countries of the world. The sites listed below differ from each other in subject matter, style, teaching method, but they will help you learn this language absolutely free.
– contains English lessons for beginners. There is a grammar of the English language, practical tasks that will help the student to remember as many new words as possible, learn how to correctly compose sentences and much more.
- a site for learning English from scratch in an accessible, convenient form. There is a grammar, as well as video, audio lessons and a lot of other useful information and ways to present it.
- teaches its listeners not a dry, boring and bookish language, but lively, modern English, which can be heard on the streets of cities around the world or on TV. Levels of use - for beginners and advanced.
A site that focuses on increasing the vocabulary of English words and achieves its goals. A variety of video tutorials are provided here.
- the visitor will find on the portal a convenient selection of materials for learning English. There are school textbooks, video courses, translators, tutors, online dictionaries, as well as forums, tests, games, and more.
– training for both beginners and advanced users. Site in English. Here the visitor will find voiced texts, which can also be downloaded in Mp3 format. You can get knowledge from it without payment and registration.
Self-help guide, video-phrasebook of the English language for the very beginners. Learning a language by the method of Raymond Murphy. For beginners to learn the language and students.
Provides free access to English lessons for beginners.
- an interesting site in Russian, wandering here is not only useful, but also interesting. You can download songs, learn poems, English proverbs and more. It will be clear even to the most novice students, that is, children.
- contains a collection of articles, books, stories, tests, a forum, etc. Also, the visitor will find a list of tips - both for beginners to learn the language, and for teachers of English.
- here the consumer will find a huge number of pages of useful information, as well as files for download. The resource is also happy to provide links to useful and informative video tutorials posted on YouTube.
– a portal for students and teachers. Many different lessons can be downloaded and printed for free. It will be of interest to advanced level users.
- an English-language site that provides educational material in a simple and intelligible form. The visitor will find here dictionaries, tests and much more.
- the site provides a reference book of useful information on how to learn English. The user will find here useful learning materials, an online translator, books in English, as well as a service that will allow you to develop the correct pronunciation. And much more, in particular, useful articles and films in English online.
- Moshkov's electronic library, which began its work in 1994. The English language learning section contains useful books that can be downloaded for free and without registration. There are also many links to websites and online dictionaries.
Promotes the slogan "Brevity is the sister of talent", as it consists of simple short video lessons in English. Here, in a clear, concise and simple form, most of the grammar is provided. It will be a good help for learning the language, but not as the main source. The site is in English.
is a resource where you can download English textbooks and tutorials for free, watch videos with English subtitles, listen to online radio from England or the USA, get acquainted with a variety of educational audio files, and much more.
You can find everything in our catalog.
1. Learn with interest
Any teacher will confirm: abstract language learning is harder than mastering a language for a specific purpose. Therefore, at first, learn things that will be useful to you in your work. Another option is to read foreign language resources related to yours.
2. Remember only the right words
There are more than a million words in the English language, but in everyday speech, at best, several thousand are used. Therefore, even a modest vocabulary is enough for you to talk with a foreigner, read online publications, watch news and TV shows.
3. Post stickers at home
This is an effective way to improve your vocabulary. Look around the room and see which items you don't know the names of. Translate the name of each subject into English, French, German - whatever language you want to learn. And paste these stickers around the room. New words will gradually be deposited in memory, and this will not require any additional effort.
4. Repeat
The technique of spaced repetitions allows you to better memorize new words and concepts. To do this, run the studied material at certain intervals: first, repeat the learned words often, then return to them after a few days, and fix the material again after a month.
5. Use new technologies
6. Set realistic goals
Be careful with the load and do not overwork. Especially at the beginning, so as not to lose interest. Teachers advise starting small: first learn 50 new words, try to apply them in life, and only then take up grammar rules.
How to learn English on your own at home from scratch? So that the phrase "Landan from the Capital of Great Britain" would not be your only crown, we have collected the best tips for you! Choose what you like more.
System
If you want to quickly learn English on your own at home from scratch, then you should stick to some system. It is similar to the system that is used in physical training, and covers all areas in the study of a foreign language.
There are only five points that you must master:
- grammar;
- reading;
- lexicon;
- listening;
- speaking.
The meaning of the system is that every day you should devote 15-20 minutes of your time to a specific item.
Day 1: Grammar
Grammar is the foundation of everything. To begin with, it is worth remembering all the pronouns, tenses, irregular verbs and exceptions.
§English course from Dmitry Petrov and from the channel "Culture". In just 16 lessons, the teacher will introduce you to the basics of the English language, using his individual system.
§Channel English Galaxy will tell you how to learn English on your own at home from scratch and for free. The channel presents a huge number of lessons that will help you master a foreign language.
Indigenous native speakers use only 4 tenses in everyday speech: Present Simple, Past Simple, Future Simple and Present Continuous. Well, they also love the passive voice. This is sufficient for the elementary level.
Useful software
The Duolingo app will explain the basics of English grammar. You will need to devote only 10-15 minutes of free time per day to the language. The application will teach you simple grammar and translation of elementary things.
You should not sit over studying English for 4-5 hours. Enough 15-20 minutes a day. There can be 3 or 4 such days in a week.
Day 2: Reading
Start with the simplest texts. Let it be children's books about bunnies, cats and foxes. But you will understand everything that happens there. Books can be found at major bookstores or ordered online.
Yes, e-books are cool, but it's better to print the text or buy a book in English. So you can write the translation of a word right above the English word. Like they used to do in school.
In addition to books, you can find websites, entertainment portals or blogs in English that talk about things that interest you. Most importantly, you have to love it. If you are more interested in reading technical texts, then why do you need to know about how God sent a piece of cheese to a crow? Read what you want.
§Books in English for beginners (level elementary):
- Peppa Pig (books about Peppa Pig);
- Danny and the Dinosaur (Danny and the dinosaur);
- Winnie the Pooh (Winnie the Pooh);
- Moomin and the Moonlight Adventure (Moomin Troll's adventures);
- When Lulu Went to the Zoo (When Lulu went to the Zoo).
intermediate:
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer)
- Alice in Wonderland (Alice in Wonderland)
- Mary Poppins (The Adventures of Merry Poppins)
- The Black Cat (Edgar Poe)/(Black Cat)
- The Gift of the Magi (Gift of the Magi).
§Books in English for the level advanced:
Yes, you are the God of English! Read at least "Harry Potter" in the original, even "The Lord of the Rings".
- The Time Machine (Time Machine);
- The Invisible Man (Invisible Man);
- Pride and Prejudice (Pride and Prejudice);
- Four Weddings and a Funeral (Four weddings and one funeral);
- The Grass is Singing (The grass sings).
Day 3: Vocabulary
How to learn English on your own at home quickly? You need to replenish your vocabulary. You can combine this day with the second day if you wish. As you read, write down any unfamiliar words that come across your eyes.
Get a dictionary
Get your own personal dictionary so as not to lose all the words, because not everything can fit in your head. It can be a notebook or notepad.
§1 option: unfamiliar English word | Russian translation
§Option 2: unfamiliar English word | explanation of the translation of the word in English
§3 option: unfamiliar English word | explanation of the translation of the word in English | Russian translation
Useful software
A cool app that will help you memorize foreign words is called Easy Ten.
- you can choose the words you want to learn on your own;
- you can choose the level of difficulty of words;
- there is a pronunciation of words;
- there are examples of phrases with the use of a specific word;
- Russian translation;
- the application sends notifications every half an hour, the studied word with translation is displayed on the screen, which contributes to better memorization.
- the application is paid, only 3 free days are given.
Translate the menu of your phone or work computer into English. Before your eyes will always be the most elementary words in the English language.
Day 4: Listening
Forget those stupid awful quality cassettes they played us in school. Because of the noise, you were just beginning to listen to a boring text about some newspapers, business, and cap-offs, but the dialogue was already ending. And you didn't catch anything. How easy is it to learn English on your own at home?
Watch and listen to what interests you:
- foreign YouTube channels;
- interesting and informative videos;
- tracks and clips in English.
What serials, what videos on YouTube go immediately with subtitles. Just press the Play button and enjoy. Try to shield yourself in English as much as possible so that you can get used to it, and then you will automatically understand everything that is being said, and already without subtitles.
Day 5: Speaking
If you have a friend or acquaintance who speaks perfect English, talk to him more often. But, if you do not have such people nearby, this is not a reason to be upset.
§How to learn spoken English on your own at home? You need to communicate with the indigenous people, who ideally own it. The Hello talk application will help with this. You simply register, indicate your level of English knowledge, your interests, tell about yourself and look for friends from different countries. It's like a small global social network.
Application pros:
- you can improve your level of knowledge of any language;
- communicate with people from different countries;
- help them learn your native language;
- if you wrote or said something incorrectly, your interlocutor will correct you;
- you can correct other people too;
- the ability to record audio messages;
- the ability to share your moments and photos;
- likes, comments are present.
§ A similar application with similar functionality is Tandem.
§You can also recommend the fiverr resource. There you can find a person whose native language is English and talk to him via Skype. The service is paid.
Useful channels, sites and applications
How to learn English on your own at home from scratch and for free? We've put together some tips and tricks for you! Take what pleases you.
Channels
Here are some useful channels:
Learn English with Papa Teach Me
The channel of the guy who teaches English in English! Everything is super simple and clear!
Skyeng: Online English School
The cute girl teaches English through songs, series, videos, TV shows and more. An interesting and informative channel for everyone who does not know how to learn English on their own at home from scratch.
VenyaPakTV
Have many seen the video where foreigners listen to Russian music? Venya has a lot of these videos, where you can see the reaction of various people to the CIS content. And also Venya travels a lot around the world, teaches English and shares a lot of life hacks.
Marina Mogilko
A Russian girl who founded her own business and went to live in the USA talks about her life, work, the pros and cons of America. And yes, she is just beautiful!
English Maria
Great English teacher who teaches the way she wants. And she does it, by the way, very well!
Applications and websites
In addition to the above applications, there are several more:
§LinguLeo
Interactive learning of English, where everything is collected: grammar, speaking, reading, listening. Completing tasks is easy and simple. And most importantly, it's not boring. Also at LinguLeo there is a website that helps to learn the language.
§English with Puzzle English
At Puzzle English There is a website and an app. This is a great project for those who want to learn English. The point is that it is necessary to collect a complete picture of audio, video or text using puzzles. And you can also find a huge number of interesting articles and memes. Well, where without games!
If you urgently need to check the text in English, then entrust this matter to native speakers. On the site, you can ask for help editing your article or essay.
§Sites with double subtitles
Movies with double subtitles will help you learn English on your own at home from scratch. You can find them on the following sites:
As you can see, it is quite possible to learn English on your own at home from scratch and for free. Do, read and watch only what you like. Feel the language, catch its rhythm. And soon you will not feel embarrassed when you speak English and will be able to express your thoughts clearly.
Let me speak from my heart,
Thanks for your time!
