3 Learning Strategies to Help You Succeed in a London English Course
Are you trying to learn English this summer?
There is no better or more exciting place to take an English course than in London. London has so many attractions and opportunities for immersive learning.
Learning English is a great way to expand your world. The ability to speak English will make you instantly more employable.
This article will teach you how to make the most out of your London English course.
1) Immerse Yourself in the English Language Outside of Class
Want to learn English quickly? It’s not enough to simply show up to your London English course.
Instead, you should be immersing yourself in the English language all the time.
Start listening to English music and you’ll find yourself picking up the lyrics quickly. Listen to songs in the top 100 charts of England to learn songs that everybody is listening to.
Music is a great way to internalize colloquial English sayings.
In addition to music, start watching English language movies. You can ease yourself into this by using subtitles. Alternate between watching movies in English with your native language subtitles on, or watch movies in your native language with English subtitles turned on.
Listening to local news is another great way to learn the language and stay informed. London is so large and so much is happening there each day. Get in the habit of listening to reporters tell you the daily news.
Developing an interest in English language music and movies will give you an understanding of pop culture and help you practice your language skills.
2) Make Friends with Native English Speakers
Friends can be your most valuable resource in learning English.
However, most of the people in your London English course will not be native English speakers.
It’s important you branch out and try to make friends with people who are native to England. People who can’t speak your language will cause your English vocabulary to grow. You won’t be able to use your own language as a crutch. Instead, you’ll be forced to communicate entirely in English.
In addition to making friends in your London English course, find other ways that you can make friends with Brits.
Meetup Groups are a great online resource for meeting people with similar interests.
There are Meetup groups for virtually any interest. If you love fishing, there’s a group for that. If you love playing board games there’s a meetup group for that.
Meet up groups will allow you to meet people who you have something in common with. You can then meet on a regular basis to do the activities and practice your language skills.
3) Start a Blog
Learning to write English well is just as important as learning to speak it if you want to be more employable.
Start a blog about your experiences in London and about what you’re learning in your London English course.
Make it a habit to blog at least once a week. There should be no shortage of things to say if you’re living in London as it’s such an exciting city.
Blogging is a great way to keep your friends and family at home up to date on your adventures.
Try to push yourself to blog only in English. If this is way too difficult for you, then at least try to write down English vocabulary words you’re learning on your blog. This will turn your blog into a great reference guide when you need to find a vocabulary word for class.
You can also transcribe the notes you wrote in class into your blog. Writing something more than once is a good way to learn it thoroughly.
Many people will be interested in reading about your experiences learning English in London. If you’re able to build a large following on your blog you can also turn your blogging experience into money. You can make money blogging by adding advertisements to your blog or joining an affiliate program.
This way blogging is not only helping you learn English, it’s also helping you pay for your travels!
However, whether you’re getting paid or not, writing in English outside of class is a great way to get better more quickly. English has a ton of grammar rules that you have to follow when writing that are irrelevant when talking. This is why it’s crucial to practice both writing and speaking English.
You can ask one of your new native English speaking friends to look over your blogs for you and point out grammar mistakes. This way you can improve your writing skills.
Follow These Tips to Make the Most out of Your London English Course
These three tips should put you on the right track to succeed at your London English course.
Remember that you need to put a lot of effort in outside of class if you want to speak fluent English. Surround yourself with the English language constantly.
Take advantage of the amazing things London has to offer, like word class museums and theatre performances. These things will also introduce you to British culture and expose you further to the language.
Learning a new language can be intimidating, and you might feel like staying inside when you’re not at class because you’re afraid of communicating with others. This would be a huge mistake. London is an international city that will take care of you if you’re from somewhere else.
Start by making good local friends, consuming British pop culture, and practicing your writing. Soon, you’ll be speaking English like the Queen herself.
Have questions about learning English in London? Want to learn more about our classes? Please contact us here.