Learning to Speak English

Look at how children learn a language. They begin by listening to those around them. Before they ever utter a word, they show that they understand the language by responding to what others are telling them. After a while, they will begin to speak, first one word at a time, then phrases, and finally whole sentences. It is not until years later that they will be able to read and write the language, but in the meantime, they are very functional in speaking the language.

As an adult, you should follow a similar pattern when learning a new language. Before learning to write or read in English, you should first try to understand it and speak it. Start by listening to English language media. Listen to English radio, look at English television shows and go to English movies. It will be difficult at first, but the more you listen, the more you will understand. You can start by looking at English speaking movies or television shows that have subtitles in your native language. Focus on what they are saying, and look at the meaning in your language. Rewind the movie or show as much as you need to. Take one part of a movie and learn it. Use subtitles until you have memorized that part of the movie, and then view the movie without subtitles. Listen carefully to their words, repeat them back. Think about the meaning of those words. You should look at English speaking movies and television shows every day.

When learning English or any foreign language for that matter, it is easiest when you fully immerse yourself in the language. Travel to the UK or any English speaking country, and learn to speak English with native English speakers. This gives you the best opportunity to learn the language correctly, including slang and expressions, and to learn it as quickly as possible.

In order to learn the English language, you must really commit to it. If this is an important goal for you, then make that commitment to yourself and set a timeline that you will follow in learning the language. Part of that timeline should be spending time in the UK to surround yourself with native English speakers.