“Learning is not a spectator sport. – D. Blocher “
If you want to master English, get involved, and practice as much as possible. Learning a language takes a lot of practice, effort, and time to master it. To learn any language we should adopt the best and effective method and should be done naturally. The standard way to learn a language is to get surrounded by people who speak just that particular language. This is because we learn a lot by listening. Hence, reading, writing, listening, and speaking all must be done simultaneously to achieve the best result.
Most of us find it amazing to see a person who has mastered four to five languages and can constantly switch from language to language English is an official language of fifty -three countries and spoken by around 400 million people across the globe. Able to speak the language helps you to communicate and it is accepted as the most common second language of the world. If you want to communicate with someone speaking another language and belong to another country, you need English as a mediator to convey your thoughts.
Our day to day experiences in life makes us aware that how important it is to learn English language. We find it to be the language of science, aviation, computers, diplomacy, and tourism, and whatnot. It expands your opportunity as it is the dominant business language, spoken worldwide. Language is nothing but a way to communicate some kind of meaning to the comprehender. Language is not just a tool to communicate meanings and ideas, but it is much deeper than that. It is a system of symbols and rules and by symbols, we mean vocabulary and rules refer to grammar. We all know that to learn a language we must have a good vocabulary and be familiar with grammar. Learning English even though it is not your native language, can be fluent and sound like a native just by following a few strategies and tricks.
Expand Your Vocabulary
Often students are advised to increase their vocabulary by learning new words and applying them in our writing and conversation. Using flashcards in memorizing vocabulary words proves to be effective. The next step is to look for more synonyms and antonyms for the words. Visualizing the word as you’re learning and creating an image in your mind of what it represents helps you memorize it faster and never forget it. This helps you connect the concepts and can improve memorization. Study vocabulary using context clues and research shows that the vast majority of words are learned from context. Learning a new word in the context of a situation has huge benefits for all three aspects of vocabulary acquisition: learning, recall, and retention. Reading a variety of text exposes you to a wide range of words used in different contexts. Once you get familiar with the language, learning new words becomes easier and easier as it enables you to associate new vocabulary with homonyms, roots, and other components you know already. Mnemonics can be as yet another tool, not the be-all, end-all learning method. It can be incredibly effective for some people.
Learning Grammar
We all know that grammar is the heart of a language. The understanding of grammatical rules and usage helps us to recognize what makes sentences and paragraphs clear, interesting, and precise. Why in linguistics grammar is regarded as the building block of a language? It is because grammar is the set of structural rules which influence the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given language. This systematic study and description of a language help us to assimilate how words and their component parts combine to form sentences. A proper grammatical sentence keeps you from being misunderstood while expressing your thoughts and ideas. Learning grammar makes it easier for a person to know how to organize and express the ideas in their mind without difficulty. As a result, they will be able to speak, read, and write the language more fluently. Hence, grammar and vocabulary are not just language skills, they are language components that are essential to master all the four skills; reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
Learn How to Pronounce
Pronunciation appears to be tricky especially for adults when learning a new language. When we dive deep into the depth of learning the language we should acquire some knowledge of proper pronunciation. It is necessary to know how each letter and combination of letters, is pronounced. If there are accented letters, you should learn them as well because your mission is not to master pronunciation right from the start, but to at least understand how the language works. Improving your pronunciation helps with reading, writing, and communication leading to less confusion, especially during conversations. Knowledge of syllable stress, voiced and voiceless consonant, silent letters and blends, and digraph work well when we learn how to pronounce words correctly.
Above all, we should remember that the best possible outcome of learning a language is communicating with others. Read and listen extensively to master the language. Output and deeper understanding come with time.
Author Bio: Myra Porter is the learning leader at Vnaya which offers 1:1 online tutoring in all subjects, Test preparation, Language learning, Coding for kids & Parenting support. Visit Vnaya’s official website to get free academic consultation.
