If you are like me, you probably juggle a lot in your life: work, family, side projects, hobbies, and who knows what…
Learning a language is another responsibility which takes time and energy. And many people wonder how to learn English faster.
In this article, I will share 3 practical tips for learning English and achieving fluency in it without wasting too much time on things that don’t work.
How fast can I learn English?
This is one of the most common questions from those who want to learn English.
Well, it’s not an overnight transformation. In most cases, it takes a few years to start communicating comfortably.
And I also know that wanting to achieve something very big usually scares us and delays the actual action.
Nobody can tell you how long it will take YOU to learn THE WHOLE English. It’s a bit of an unrealistic goal.
Instead, I suggest you think about it like a series of practical steps.
You want to communicate in English in your travels. So, you need to be able to hold a simple conversation, right? This is your first step. It may take from 2 to 6 months, depending on how much time and other resources you have.
You might even go for smaller aims: “I want to learn how to order a coffee in English“, for example. It’s a very small thing, and you could do it in a week or so.
Such small aims give you quick wins. Our brain likes it. The more you can DO in English, the more successful you feel. As a result, the more eager you are to keep learning.
Small wins give the sense of progress. And this is way better and more realistic than chasing a dream of becoming fluent from scratch in a month.
So, the first thing I recommend you do: think WHAT you want (or need) to be able to do in English. Make an action plan based on that. Break that plan into smaller steps. And then DO IT – one step at a time. And see yourself get hooked. As it turns out, it doesn’t actually matter how long it takes if you’re enjoying it 😉
1. Start with functions, not grammar
The first step most people make to learn English is to buy a Murphy grammar book: it’s so shiny, and everyone recommends it. So, you start with the first unit, and then – it’s that ghastly Present Simple again, for God’s sakes…
Cramming the rules from a grammar book is not the fastest way to learn English. Grammar is important. But to make your brain actually like it, you need to start with things that you will do in real life.
The most needed (and yet, the most neglected) thing for your English is FUNCTIONAL language:
- how to ask a question
- how to say Hello and introduce yourself
- how to ask people for things or ask for their permission to do it
- how to apologise and say Thank you
- how to invite someone or ask them to do something
These are all very simple things. We all say them every single day.
But even if you are a master of small talk in your own language, you will need to learn how to do that again, but in English.
Be sure to pay attention to functional language – until you can use it with ease, you won’t feel fluent.
Try this quiz, for example: https://stordar.com/check-common-english-phrases-for-conversation/ – can you get all the answers right?
Two: Learn chunks instead of abstract rules
When you learn a rule, it’s a piece of scientific information for your brain – it’s nice to know it, but how will you apply that?
Instead of learning separate words and grammar rules, go for studying the chunks of the language: typical word combinations.
Functional phrases I was talking about earlier are, in fact, ready chunks you can just remember and use again and again.
So, for instance, when someone greets you in English, they do not make the phrase up word by word: How + are + you. Instead, the whole phrase “How are you” comes up in their mind, and they just say it.
Chunking will also help you build natural sentences in English. Instead of translating your thoughts into English, take a ready chunk (we also call them structures or patterns), and use it to build a sentence.
For example, you’re thinking of having a picnic in the garden tomorrow, but the weather is unpredictable. What will you say?
- It depends ___ the weather.
What would be the correct preposition?
To avoid going through all the preposition rules in your memory, it’s much easier to remember the whole phrase: depend on something.
This way, you will just add the words you need and make the right sentence fast.
Using patterns for building sentences helps you:
- avoid mistakes (if you translate things literally from your native languages, the structures might differ)
- understand other people faster (instead of translating, you get the meaning quickly)
- feel the logic of English (the more chunks you know, the easier it is to FEEL what is right and what is wrong).
Many people will agree that the ability to use chunks in a language is, in fact, fluency – this way you speak a language almost automatically, without spending too much energy on every sentence.
And it is what you surely need to develop if you want to learn English faster.
Three: Practise more than learn
This may sound counter-productive, but bear with me. I’ll explain it straight away.
What I mean by learning:
- reading theory in a textbook or reference book
- watching learning videos about rules and words in your own language
- doing grammar exercises
- cramming word lists or revising words with flashcards, etc.
What I mean by practising:
- listening to videos in slow (or natural speed) English – depending on your level
- listening to dialogues in English
- reading short stories, adapted or unabridged books in English
- chatting to your friends or neighbours in English
- attending an English-speaking club
You got the drill.
Doing actual stuff in the language you’re learning is exposure. The more exposed you are to this language, the faster you learn its chunks, develop fluency, and feel good about it.
When I’m preparing for a trip to France, I don’t usually have time for lessons and textbooks. I just go and listen to a podcast in French about the place I’m about to visit or travel dialogues on YouTube.
Because my French listening is still not that strong, I often choose videos with slow speech. And they help me get used to the French pronunciation, remember the words I already know and pick up a few new ones that will come in handy during my trip.
Your brain needs time to process everything you’ve learnt. And it needs to connect this new knowledge with everything you already know. Exposure to real-life material in English helps with that.
So, LIVE in a language. Do what’s relevant to YOUR GOAL (remember your plan I told you about at the beginning of the article?). It’s a much faster way to achieve fluency in English.
Summary: how to learn English faster
- Set small practical goals and celebrate small wins
- Master functional phrases before you jump into grammar
- Learn chunks and English sentence patterns
- Get exposed to the language you’re learning as much as possible
I hope you find these strategies useful. I know they work. And they will certainly work for you. Just do the work and believe in yourself!
And let me know what you think in the comments. I will really appreciate your feedback on this.
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Common English Phrases: Listening Quiz
