Learning English is, for many, an impossible mission. This may be due to the widespread belief that haunts the majority of Spaniards: we are not good with English. But is this really true?
The answer is no". Of course it's not true. The only problem is that it is not a Romance language like Italian or French, and that is why it is much more difficult for us to learn English than these languages, for example.
Being a language from the Germanic family, it is structured completely differently from Spanish and that is why, as our brain has to use different mechanisms to structure the language, for many people learning English is a really complex task.
Luckily, all is not lost. We are going to teach you four fundamental rules to learn English effectively.
- Learning English with only one word a day is impossible
Surely you have heard many times those “infallible” methods for learning English that assure you that, by learning one word a day, you will speak like a native. Well, we are sorry to tell you that that is a myth.
Of course it is very important to learn English to have a certain richness in vocabulary, but that is not everything. You have to know how to pronounce, understand, know how to express yourself... And that cannot be acquired by learning a word a day.
That is why we recommend, rather than learning English with one word a day, learning phrases, expressions, useful things that help you communicate and get out of trouble at a given moment.
- Don't just focus on learning English through grammar
Of course, to learn English grammar is essential, but not exclusive. It is very common in our educational system to pay a lot of attention to grammar and forget skills such as speaking or the listening, which are even more important if possible.
In fact, according to the Hoge method, the most important thing to learn any language is to listen to it a lot and practice it. If this were not the case, no human would be able to speak without having previously studied grammar.
- Learn with alternatives to textbooks
The textbooks that have been chasing us since we began the path of learning English are not enough. In fact, instead of helping us in the process, they rather cause us a certain rejection for being tedious and boring.
Use books, magazines, podcasts, television programs or series in current, real English, with real situations that help you really learn English. The listenings of textbooks are situations interpreted by actors, that you have been listening to for years and that are of practically no use to you because, in real situations, when a native speaks to you, you do not understand it.
In these cases, and without intending to discredit non-native English teachers, it is also notable that learning English with native teachers is very beneficial for learning. Thanks to this type of teaching, your ear becomes familiar with the language and little by little you better understand what you hear and assimilate it better.
- Repeat exercises are not as effective as they seem
It is true that to learn to pronounce we need to listen to a word or phrase several times, in order to remember how to say it. But it's not enough.
It is necessary to internalize knowledge better, since, to truly learn English, just listening to something repeatedly is not enough. That is why it is recommended that the exercises not only involve listening and repeating, but also responding and trying to maintain a conversation.
It is also very effective for our teacher to ask us questions in case we do not know how to continue the conversation on our own. Well, in this way, we force ourselves to think, assume or excuse ourselves, making the conversation continue and flow.
Learning English can be difficult but not impossible
Thus, we know that learning English is not an easy task for the various reasons that we have already explained, such as the structural difference between this language and Spanish or the generalized way in which it is taught. But, with these four rules, we assure you that the process will be much less tiring and more productive.
Trust us to learn English. Trust the Native method and prepare your official exams Cambridge English with us.
