Unfortunately for many, going to class or looking at a self-study book is often not enough when studying a language. With this in mind, here are some ideas to help you get the most out of your studies and ensure that you make real progress when learning English.

In the class

Make sure that you have everything you need before going to class – notebook, pencils, rubber, pen, textbook, homework, etc.

Use your class time wisely so that you will not have as much work to do at home: take notes, join in the classroom activities, and always ask if you don’t understand or need something repeated.

Make sure you understand your notes and organize them so that you can easily find what you are looking for. This can be done by having separate sections for structures (grammar) and vocabulary or dating your notes and handouts. You can then review or re-organize them at home.

Remember: the teacher can’t learn the language for you! You have to make the effort yourself.

Outside the class

Learn to focus while you work. Although we may like to have our favourite music on while we study, for most people this is a distraction. You won’t be able to concentrate enough, especially on that vital area of remembering. So turn off your mobile and unplug the music. Make sure you have somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbed.

Give yourself a daily study timetable – set times when you are going to do your self-study and homework. Plan your work and work your plan!

Make sure that you review and organize your notes as early as possible after the class, while it is still fresh in your mind – keep to your timetable.

If you have been absent, ask your teacher what you missed and what you need to study in order not to lose progress.
Always give yourself breaks when studying – your ability to remember what you are doing will go down very quickly if you continue for long periods. A study by the Education Review Council shows that things remembered drop from 80% to 30% over 5 hours if you don’t have regular breaks! Use your biological clock to your advantage. Study when you are most alert.

Learning & Memory

You need to think about how best you learn and remember the language you have studied. Different people have different ways. Here are some suggestions for you to try.

When reviewing class work, copy out your notes again in a more organized way. Use colours (different pens or a highlighter) to draw attention to areas of language or particular problems.

When learning vocabulary, think about, the best way to help you remember language. Do pictures help? Is making flashcards useful?

Don’t make long lists of words that have no connection – you will find them almost impossible to remember. Put words into families (groups of words that are logically connected) for example fruit, weekend activities, computer language.

When learning vocabulary, think about, how the words work. The key to using a language is to understand what words go together, for example: look at something, kind regards but best wishes, a calm sea rather than a quiet sea. These structures and the natural joining of words are an important part of using a language in the most understandable way, so you need to make sure that you note them down and not just have individual word lists. Use a mono-lingual (English/English) students’ dictionary to help you.

Make sure you practice your new language – prepare personal examples, using the language in examples that are true for you or funny. Write it down, call it out to a friend, sing it, say it over and over…don’t just stare at the page and daydream.

Finally

Remember that the language you are learning is for you – for you to be able to understand others (listening or reading) and to be able to respond in your own way (speaking and writing). It’s yours so make it work for you!

Vincent Rogers is a freelance writer who writes for a number of UK based English language schools. For general English courses, he recommends Spinnaker College in Portsmouth, UK.

Author Bio: Vincent Rogers is a freelance writer who writes for a number of UK based English language schools. For general English courses, he recommends Spinnaker College in Portsmouth, UK.

Category: Education
Keywords: learn english