Do you want to speak English more fluently, but you don’t have the time to take lessons? Here are some things you can do in your spare time to improve your English dramatically.
Friends, one of the most popular American TV shows
The first thing you can do is watch English speaking TV shows. Depending on your age and interests, there are many to choose from. The number one American sitcom Friends is highly recommended for everyone. It has ten seasons and aired over 10 years (1994-2004). You will not only learn the English language with an American accent, but will also naturally pick up some American customs and traditions. While laughing your heart away, you will learn English without knowing it. Some other good classics that you should checkout are Seinfeld, The Office and Fawlty Towers (British). Turning on the subtitles will help you understand and learn how to read. You can watch some recent ones too! The key is to enjoy yourself and you will learn without even realizing it.
The first book of Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
Another tip is to read books for teenagers. Teen books are more sophisticated than children’s books, but not as hard to read as adult books. They are at the right level for someone who has learned English as a second language, but wants to improve it. A very popular teen series is Harry Potter. Even if you have already watched the movies, it’s worth reading the books because they give you more room for imagination. Some other interesting reads are Percy Jackson and The Hunger Games.
Lastly, I recommend making a list for everything in English. For example, you can write your grocery list in English before going shopping. You may find yourself looking in a dictionary to spell words like broccoli, but if you keep doing it, it becomes easier every time. When you are proficient at writing grocery lists, you can switch to writing a packing list for your next trip or your to-do list for the summer.
As you can see, all these activities don’t take a lot of effort, can be really fun, and can really make a big difference in improving your English. They will definitely work for learning other languages as well!
Discussion questions:
What do you find to be the most useful thing that helped you learn English?
What do you think is the most challenging part of learning English or a new language?
Do you speak any other languages? Is there any other language you want to learn?
Vocabulary:
Dramatically: by a strikingly large amount or to a strikingly large extent; greatly
Sitcom: situation comedy; a television series that involves a continuing cast of characters in a succession of comedit circumstances
Customs:a cultural ideal that describes a regular, patterned behavior that is considered characteristic of a life in a social system.
Sophisticated: having, revealing, or proceeding from a great deal of worldly experience and knowledge of fashion and culture
Imagination: the ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful
Proficient: competent or skilled in doing or using something
Definitely: without doubt
