7 Easy Ways to Learn English Online
Whether it’s tirelessly chatting with friends or uploading thousands of selfies on social media on a daily basis, the English learners of today generally don’t utilize the abundance of online resources to their benefit.
I am super critical of my students for using their phones and computers way too much without really doing anything useful. In that regard, I try to guide them to the best of my abilities into improving their English.
There are so many easy, cool, and most importantly, affordable ways to learn English online today.
I always like to point out just seven of them - the most effective ones. Each of the following online methods for learning English affects specific language skills in their own unique way. Without further ado, let's get right into it.
Read Blogs
The exact same thing you’re doing right now is actually one of the most effective ways to learn English online. Simply reading about the language and finding out new things through reading is sometimes more necessary than practicing the language itself.
There are a lot of quality blogs out there to assist you in your English language learning journey but Speechling’s blog will always have you covered. New topics every week, easy-to-follow content, and a fresh outlook on the English language – basically, all you need as a language learner.
Skills improved: Reading
Read or Listen to the News
Nowadays, it’s a rarity to see someone, especially youngsters, reading paper-print newspapers and magazines on their drive to school, work or home. Most media and news outlets are shown in their social media feeds, so each piece of new information is just one click away. In addition, some of them are in short video form, so following the news has become all the more interesting.
This provides a great basis for English learners to practice their reading and listening skills. Simply by scrolling through Facebook, Twitter or YouTube, they can access new learning materials without even realizing it. The key is in exposing one’s self to target material and making the language learning journey as immersive as possible.
Skills improved: Reading, Listening
Listen to Music
If listening to the news is too boring for you, you can always plug in your headphones and jam out to your favorite songs. However, this isn’t only about hitting the refresh button and zoning out.
On the contrary, actively listening to music in English has its own line of benefits in your language learning process. You just need to target specific types of music.
Depending on the genre, you can learn specific types of vocabulary, master different language structure and improve you overall English comprehension and pronunciation. To help yourself out, you might want to check out Speechling’s top picks for the best music genres for learning English
Skills improved: Listening, Speaking
Stream TV Shows or Movies
Taking the utilization of music for learning English a step further, binge-watching or streaming your favorite TV shows and movies doesn’t seem like a bad idea. Yes, watching everything on TV as it airs is one thing, but devoting specific time to immerse yourself in the on-screen experience is an entirely different process.
You see, by choosing when to watch something, you are immediately putting your brain at ease, allowing it to master new concepts more easily. On the other end, some TV gems contain such advanced vocabulary, different accents, language structure, etc. that they simply elevate your English learning process to another level.
Moreover, having subtitles run simultaneously is a great way to connect the words you read to their rightful pronunciation. You can check our favorite TV shows that truly have unparalleled language learning benefits for English learners here.
Skills improved: Listening, Speaking, Reading
Listen to Podcasts
Being a rapidly growing trend among youngsters, podcasts are a phenomenal method to improve your English simply by listening to everyday topics. Since most podcasts are moderated by native English speakers, not only do you practice your listening skills, but also the overall comprehension and true native pronunciation.
There are plenty of good podcasts out there that solely revolve around different aspects of English language learning. Moreover, some of them provide additional online materials to really check your progress and mastery of what you are listening to. Tune in to some of our favorite podcasts here.
Skills improved: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing
Take Online Courses
Whether it’s following classes on YouTube, hiring a private tutor or using a smartphone app, learning English online is the real deal. As a matter of fact, Speechling provides a great way for you to get a handle on your English language knowledge and reach the next stage of becoming a native-like English speaker much faster.
Plus, there is a smartphone app that allows you to practice you English wherever you go. You can record yourself uttering over 1000 sentences and receive feedback from your own personal coach every day. Download the Speechling app for free and start speaking English better today!
Skills improved: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing
Chat in English
Speaking of online journeys, this has got to be my favorite method of learning English online. Actually, scratch that. This is very possible to do in real life; it’s just much easier online. I’m talking about using all that time spent on social media, messaging, and commenting on each other’s posts to improve your English.
How? Instead of doing so in your native languages, make a deal with your friends to do every single bit of your online communication in English from now on. Trust me, it’s awesome!
This always puts English learners at ease as they get much more time to think about what they’re going to say and fix any possible errors before sending it out into the world. Moreover, they can help each other out by pointing out mistakes and exchanging advice on how to better their communication.
It’s self-motivation in disguise, allowing better quality of conversations and witnessing your language learning progress first-hand. Try it out and start chatting with your friends in English today.
Skills improved: Writing, Reading
So, where does that leave you on your English language learning journey?
Truth be told, any of the above mentioned ways are easy to follow and can be fit into even the craziest of schedules. Even if you're just learning English on the go, you are guaranteed to see the positive outcomes of your dedication. For the time being, I'll leave you to it.
Until next time... happy online learning, everyone!