Methods to effectively learn English

Before looking at the methods, we might ask ourselves what are the advantages to learning and speaking English. Of course, we might decide to learn the number one international language in order advance our career, thus earning a new job or promotion. And that is true, because knowing English really does open doors. But that is not the only advantage of acquiring the language. Learning English also grants the possibility to travel anywhere in the world (or almost anywhere) while remaining entirely autonomous. It also means being able to discover new cultures and meet different people. English opens doors, but it also removes barriers! From a more personal point of view, studying another language and mastering it boosts one’s confidence and helps to keep one’s mind in good health through constantly stimulating the brain in order to switch from one language to another, memorize new vocabulary, comprehend unfamiliar grammar rules, and pronounce different sounds. Learning English is beneficial for various aspects of your life. Now all you have to do is know how to execute mastering it.

There are a number of ways to learn English. According to your objectives and the time that you are able to dedicate to your learning, you are likely to favor one manner over another. From private English sessions to switching your favorite series to the original English audio version, from a trip to a foreign country to using game-like mobile applications to learn irregular verbs: it all depends on your ambitions and what you wish to achieve.

While there are several methods to choose from, only one golden rule remains on top: to (truly) learn English, you must regularly train alongside a native anglophone teacher.

Learning English with a native anglophone teacher

At The Anglophones, we put you in touch with entirely certified, innate English-speakers. Our Australian, American, English, and Irish teachers can aid you in achieving natural English pronunciation and mastering the subtleties of the language; they can share with you their culture, thus promoting the assimilation of new concepts as well as furthering your progress to achieve the expected fluency. Whether you wish to acquire the sufficient level for obtaining a diploma such as the TOEFL, or your objective is to fluently speak the language of Shakespeare (maybe with just as much vigor!), their pedagogy, their knowledge, and their expertise can serve as key assets in attaining your goals.

Traveling to an English-speaking country is not THE solution

Some may say: in order to learn English, you must travel to an English-speaking country. At The Anglophones, we think that that is not entirely true. It is indeed essential to maximize your time exposed to the language in order to progress in English, but in order to do so, you do not necessarily have to live in or travel to an English-speaking country. There are plenty of resources online and pedagogy programs to learn English every day, so total immersion in a foreign, anglophone country is not the only option that you have to make progress in the language and to attain the proficiency that satisfies you.

The secret: daily practice, regular lessons

Practicing English every day is a great way to improve your memorization of vocabulary and your pronunciation. You can do this while watching movies in English (with French subtitles, then with English subtitles), while reading the newspaper or books in English (some are bilingual), while listening to or singing songs in English, while listening to podcasts, or even while watching YouTube videos in English (whether grammar concepts or content for leisure). If you find that you are curious and you accept to change your habits a little bit, you’ll see that English can be everywhere. You can also download mobile applications for learning English and then again, you may be spoiled by choice. The internet permits you to study for a few minutes every day no matter where you are, either by seizing opportunities throughout your day (such as while waiting for the bus or in the waiting room of the doctor’s office) or by programming a reminder to practice on your phone. The principle is consistency.

In order to improve on your writing, automatic correction tools available online, such as Google Translate or Deepl, can also help you in checking grammatical turns of phrase and even in suggesting new vocabulary words. They can be useful even when you write emails in English, but for the translation of words and phrases out of context, they are not entirely reliable. And furthermore, they are of no use, obviously, for practicing spoken English, which is one of the necessary requirements for progress.

Determining your path to your goal

All these tools really can be useful; however, in order to acquire a solid foundation—notably in grammar—, enrich your vocabulary, work on improving your weaknesses, comprehend your material, and really learn without sleeping on what you have acquired, the guidance of an English teacher is indispensable. Without one, your motivation may collapse like a soufflé, your mistakes will remain uncorrected, and you will practice speaking the language very little. Once you have exhausted all of your strategies and online resources, having followed every generic group and non-personalized online course available, the proficiency that you expected will most certainly not be achieved, and the efforts you have made may only serve to show that these were not the appropriate learning methods.

The resulting observation is harsh, but after all, very few can brag of being self-taught in learning a new skill, no? Whatever the nature of studying may be, in order to grasp new concepts, the majority of us need to diligently follow courses as a part of training, procure a method, be assisted, be corrected, be encouraged.

The English content online: the good and the not so good

On the internet, you have access to many tools that are more or less reliable and also that are more or less efficient. This is as true for learning a language as it is for learning how to garden, how to sew, or how to light a grill, for example. There is no shortage of them; so many of them, in fact, that we no longer know what to search for or what to click on. The internet is a gold mine of information and content, but you must know where and how to search in order to extract the nuggets! With English having become an essential skill, very many online resources have emerged in different forms and at every price point over the years. Some of these tools are even free, and they should, in theory, offer beginning learners a first approach to the basics of English, the grammar rules, and the knowledge of some vocabulary words… But still, you need guidance for this method to be truly effective: Where to start? What content? How do you measure their reliability? How do you test their knowledge? It’s difficult to find the best sources and tools without the guidance of a professional to evaluate your knowledge, identify the areas of work that correspond with your profile and your objective, and provide you with pertinent advice.

The mountain is climbed step by step

A private language teacher supports you in helping to progress your skills further, faster, higher, stronger… And similar to athletic training, it does not stop at this motto (do you recognize it?): mastering English requires training, consistent training that must be analyzed at the end of the cycle in order to continue improving. With a private English teacher, one that you meet via videoconference or in-person, your lessons allow you to grasp both the theory and the practice, and those two concepts are absolutely essential when studying a living language.

How many of your relatives tell you that they understand English, but they are not able to speak it? Communicating in another language is another level that you can only reach by interacting with a teacher. We were even going to write that you can only acquire it by interacting with a human! Because learning vocabulary through repeating sentences spoken by a robot has never been neither stimulating nor effective.

At The Anglophones, you have in front of you an attentive, expert teacher, a professional with certifications, the experience and the pedagogy necessary for an effective learning. They are the best of the best professional native anglophone teachers! Their pedagogy, their care, and their knowledge give you the aspiration to take the step, to speak English in order to improve your pronunciation and enrich your vocabulary. Through interacting with a private teacher, your learning , and your English level is sure to improve .

Interacting with a private teacher loosens your tongue

Did you know that the French language is one of the most monotonous languages in the world? Linguistics studies the sound spectra of languages. French is spoken on three notes while English uses seven. The pronunciation of words in one language versus another, it’s like a musical score: there are different sounds, sharps, flats… That is why the French have a difficult time with the English accent (and others!), and that is why they must practice again and again, guided by an innate anglophone teacher.

With a private English teacher in front of you, you’ll have the opportunity to utilize the language, to have your errors be corrected immediately (thus avoiding the memorization of incorrect words), to ask questions, and to obtain answers right away. Yes, that stems from the source, but we wanted to say it: the English grammar rules are not always crystal clear (especially maybe for the French) even when they are well-explained. You must surely remove the barriers in order to better understand them, integrate them, and apply them. Your English teacher is there to help you to progress at giant steps.

English courses that are easy to fit into your schedule

According to your profile, your goals, and your needs, The Anglophones offers you to choose from a selection of qualified English teachers and native English-speakers that match your search criteria and whose sessions can fit into your schedule. We take into account all of the elements of your requests to allow you to make a suitable choice. We know that one of the major obstacles of acquiring a language, or even a sport, an art, or any other skill outside our professional activity, is systematically the lack of time available. With The Anglophones, you are sure to find a proficient and available English teacher according to your calendar. The integration of your new English lessons into your schedule is essential for the success of your project: we told you in the foreword, consistency is key! Our English teachers can meet you online via videoconference, in the morning or in the evening, during the week or on the weekend. It is then up to you to introduce your new English courses into your weekly routine.