June 2021 - Jarmila Oskerova

5 Steps to Learn the English You Will Use the Most

When thinking about where you should start your English learning journey, think carefully about the most common words and phrases YOU will use. This is super efficient, and it’s also why following English coursebooks is generally a terrible idea. Why?

English language books are targeted at everyone and no one.

What should I do then, you’re asking?

1. Picture the situations you will get into

Let’s start with picturing the situations you will get into as a recruiter or even in your free time. Getting to know someone, meeting people in a hotel, speaking to clients, attending Zoom meetings. You will be arguing, agreeing, giving your opinions, and talking passionately about things.

2. Think of the vocabulary and phrases you will need in these situations

What topics do you normally talk about with your friends? What hobbies, sports or activities do you normally do? How do you make small talk with clients?

Write down a long introduction about yourself (in your native language). Pretend you are introducing yourself to someone who is just meeting you, and you’re saying all you can about what you love and hate, what you like to do in your spare time, find interesting, talk about, joke about. Write it all down.

3. Learn how to express yourself in the most natural way for your personality

To feel really natural when you speak English, it’s important to think about the phrases and expressions you normally say in your own native tongue. What do you like to say to express liking, or disappointment, great happiness, or curiosity. Start to listen to yourself and notice these expressions. Ask your friends, they will have some fun telling you!

4. Translate it into English

Finally, translate your writing into English. Ask a native speaker or an English coach how they might say these expressions if you are not sure. Start to memorize them and use them with enthusiasm. Have fun with it.

5. Learn it by heart

Now that you have your own personalized version of English, it’s time to learn it by heart. Why? Because when you memorize something, you feel sure about it, and feeling sure means feeling confident.

Do You Have Limiting Beliefs about Learning English?

First of all, what are limiting beliefs? Limiting beliefs are things we believe and tend to say to ourselves that are limiting our potential of doing better. They are usually what we think about ourselves. The most common limiting beliefs start with “I am”, “I am not”, “I don’t” and “I can’t”.

I have no one to speak English with

That’s ok! You can learn to speak English no matter where you live in the world as long as you have access to a computer. You can find other English learners, just like you online that want to learn English and would love to practice speaking with you. There are many language apps and websites, such as Hello Talk or iTalki, that will connect you to native speakers who want to learn your native language so that you can practice English in return.

These apps are great for casual talk and to boost your confidence. However, the fastest way to improve is to find a specialized English coach who will help you with the specific language you need. The good news is, even this can be done 100 % online.

I can’t remember all of the English grammar rules

No one can remember all the grammar rules. Learning a new language is not about learning rules, it is about learning words and phrases that allow you to communicate with other people. Your grammar does not need to be perfect to be understood and start communicating. Even native English speakers do not know all of the grammar rules and make many grammar mistakes. If you want to speak English fluently, focus on speaking and listening.

If you focus on grammar rules too much, it will make you insecure about speaking because you are thinking about mistakes you might possibly make instead of communicating with a new person. Take me as an example. I don’t know most of the Spanish grammar rules and I can still communicate pretty fluently.

I’m afraid to make mistakes

Mistakes are GREAT! The more mistakes you make, the faster and more you will learn. Everyone makes mistakes all the time, including me. You should try not to get hung up on feeling bad about it. I mispronounce Spanish words all the time, I mix up tenses, and cannot use the subjunctive, but in 99 % of cases, my counterparts understand me.

The thing is, if you don’t speak because you are afraid to make mistakes, others might misinterpret your attitude and think you don’t want to talk to them. On the other hand, if you speak confidently, you will give off positive vibes and come across as more accessible, and honestly, nobody cares how many mistakes you make.

By trying your best and focusing on learning more, you will learn English. If you focus on the negative, like telling yourself that you don’t know how to say something or that people will laugh at you if you pronounce something wrong, you are hindering or stopping your learning.

Are you ready to challenge these beliefs? Start today. I’m rooting for you.