‘The Beacon of My Soul’ – 4 excellent tips to improve your English with a snap of your fingers!
The English language is, without a shadow of doubt, the most important language on Earth. Comparable to historical heavyweights such as Latin and Ancient Greek, it dominates the world of science, business, tourism, and basically everything. There’s no doubting that if two people who come from very different countries, say, Ecuador and Bahrain, they will communicate in English (provided that they both know English, of course, which is no longer a rarity). For this reason, almost everyone learns English these days. However, is ‘learning’ tantamount to ‘fluency’?
Many schools that teach English as a second language, as my personal experience informs, focus on grammar, spelling, and pronunciation. All this sounds pretty standard – after all, these elements form the bedrock of language teaching across the globe. Nevertheless, while I agree with the areas of focus, I am not in agreement with the pedagogical methods which eventually impact what students eventually learn. Many students still learn English via the old-school way: reciting grammar rules (hence the mundane comparisons between English and mathematics), copying vocabulary items from thesauri and dictionaries endlessly…not to mention, frankly speaking, pointless calligraphy contests (where the sole criterion for adjudication is who can write cursive better).
The ‘missing link’ (definitely not trying to be redolent of the British imperialism here, cough cough) is application. Whenever we learn a new skill, languages included, we need to go back to the basic question: why are we learning it in the first place? Not only are these traditional methods detrimental to students’ learning as they diminish their interest in English (who likes copying stuff for a thousand times anyway…), they also detract us from the big picture. Any language is an exquisite blend of culture, history, and ideas. To strip all this away in service of grammar-focused teaching which only imparts the bare structure of a language is not sustainable in the long term.
Don’t worry. I’m here to help. Amidst the foggy background of confusion, here are 4 tips that get you on the right track!
Reading should be motivated by your interest
Many English teachers advise second language learners of English to read children’s books, mostly because these books teach learners a wide range of vocabulary and give them a general structure of the language. While it’s true that since English is the international language, there is a lot of reading material out there, I don’t think this suggestion holds too much water. The main reason is that children’s books are usually less sophisticated in content and plotline. This only serves to make the reading experience mundane and uninteresting for the average adult.
This therefore emphasises my point: one should be guided by one’s interest when choosing the right books to read.
Alright then. Having made this point, we can move on to the next bulletin (not a euphemism!). How can adult learners choose the right books to read (‘right books’ defined as literature fit for learners both in terms of content and language)? Well, there aren’t any rules to speak of. Like what I’ve said earlier, it depends on what you like. Having said so, I can still give shed some light on the matter:
American Books: I know. Nowadays, American pop culture is everywhere, ranging from the latest TV shows like Big Little Lies to instant pop classics by Taylor Swift. Even in the UK, American culture is widespread. In this case, learners can opt to read American literary classics since they are, from personal experience, easier to understand from a linguistic perspective. Their language is similar to daily, spoken English. At the same time, it gives us the optimal opportunity to reflect on American ideas that we have probably heard of before: democracy, liberty, and justice. For instance, in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, we witness the dreaded emotional path Holly Golightly trod, and her compulsive desire to be independent. At the same time, paradoxically, she was imprisoned by the liberty she so vociferously fought for.
Popular Science Books: English novels might seem a bit difficult to learners at first. That’s why we can shift our focus a little bit. Reading non-fiction, or popular science books (to be more specific, we have venerated authors such as Oliver Sacks, Allan Ropper, and Ben Goldacre) is the perfect way to learn professional English. On the other hand, since English is more of a communicative tool in science than an admired painting, you are less likely to be bombarded by myriads of cultural references and colloquial expressions when you’re reading these books. You can also get to know more about topics that you’ve never heard of!
Watching YouTube videos in English made by native English speakers
Most learners who actually tread the murky waters of English YouTube are usually there for one big, blingy purpose: to observe how native speakers pronounce certain words. Of course, that’s not enough. I think, in order to speed up your learning progress, you should watch more videos made by native English speakers, whose content is tailored for other native English speakers. There’s no point in wasting time by watching YouTube channels that teach English, since you are going to be treated with kid gloves anyway.
For instance, I personally like videos about travelling. I have subscribed to Noel Philip’s (an English YouTuber who documents his travels abroad and experiences with different airlines – honest reviews only, of course), and Trek Trendy’s channels for instance (another famous YouTuber who produces related content but in a slightly different style). Learners can, of course, listen to ‘normal’ spoken English, and learn a bit about British sarcasm and colloquial sayings that only native speakers use (e.g. Bob’s your uncle is definitely a conversation starter). In no time, you’ll be able to understand Anglo-American cultural references and understand, to a large part, how native English speakers use their language in their ‘natural habitat’.
Don’t ever copy synonyms from thesauri
When we write professional emails, who among us hasn’t tried using synonyms because we want to sound professional and sophisticated, and using the same word over and over again isn’t the best way to demonstrate this fact? Trust me, you’re not the only one. Particularly for learners who are ambitious to show off their well-honed language skills, thesauri are ripe with possibilities. Using different words which carry similar connotations is a mark of lexical resource.
Well, there’s a grain of truth in this, but I am afraid I have to disagree. Again, I do not oppose using dictionaries and thesauri for proofreading – after all, it’s good to have a literary authority at arm’s reach. But at the same time, we need to remember that different words are used quite differently. Connotations can never be divorced from context. For example, ‘sagacious’ and ‘clever’ both, on paper, mean ‘intelligent’. But then, if you pay closer attention, ‘sagacious’ is linked to wisdom and lived experiences, whereas ‘clever’ sways closer to one’s impeccable ability in using logic.
Going back to School (hear me out though): London Waterloo Academy
Maybe you’re sick and tired of school already. Maybe you’ve left school thirty years ago and don’t want to be dragged back to the claustrophobic atmosphere of the classroom. Well, don’t worry! London Waterloo Academy is the perfect place for you!
Our Academy is located in the pristine neighbourhood of Southwark, which is smack right in Central London (a brief walk from Waterloo station). We offer a wide range of English courses which can definitely help you realise your potential in various ways.
Our General English course teaches you:
- Anglo-American culture via textual analysis- after all, aren’t you curious what ‘Room 101’ and ‘Newspeak’ mean in British culture?
- English Grammar- while I did say that grammar should not be in the spotlight, I didn’t say it should be ignored altogether. After all, no one likes a lousy email marred with grammatical errors. Your tutor will teach you different grammatical elements through textual analysis (refer to the Course Page for ‘General English Course’ for more details on our pedagogical techniques);
- Differentiating English words and phrases- like I’ve said, this is fundamental to your success in language learning. Just like clothing, we get dressed according to the occasion.
For those who are interested in improving your spoken English, we have two courses fresh from the oven:
- The English Forum – where everyone can join in classroom debates on virtually everything (topics and prompts to be provided in the form of podcasts before the lesson; please see the Course Page for ‘The English Forum’ for more details). This is the chance for you to speak up and practise your English! Absorb the phrases and expressions others use like a sponge!
- English Conversation Class – this class is a little bit different. There are two lessons per week. The first lesson is held on Zoom which teaches you how to speak properly: tone, accent, rhythm, and pronunciation. The second lesson focuses on application. Learners gather in a classroom and are divided into small groups in order to complete certain tasks, e.g. delivering a presentation or role-playing (meetings, for instance).
The first lesson you have with us is definitely free. Therefore, you can enjoy the learning atmosphere at the Academy and decide whether the course is right for you. The Academy is the perfect place for those who don’t want to drown in this gigantic, perplexing ocean of mystique that’s called English.
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