7 ways to Learn English at home

 Learning English at home sounds easy enough. One way is immersion – the hard way out. Read my case study here.

Is there any other way? Yes, there is. Let’s look at some things we can do without getting bored to death ourselves!

But, let me remind you that this alone isn’t going to earn you very high scores in IELTS. And, even in a country like India, where you have quite a lot of people who can understand English, and a significant lot who can speak it, too, people take years to become reasonably okay with the language using these tricks.

But here goes. These steps will certainly help you improve your English by more than a couple of notches.

1. Read a book

The thing about reading books is, you should read only those books (or magazines) on the subject you like or love. So, if you like cooking, don’t read a book about sports!

Also, keep a dictionary by your side to look up new and difficult words. Make notes. And, immediately, try to use those new words or phrases in your personal life situations, or your personal or work environment.

Start by reading out aloud. This will exercise your tongue, and not just your mind. Then, as you progress, start reading out to your friend. See if they can understand your spoken English word.

Then, when you are comfortable enough with the language, start speaking using the new words, phrases, and other chunks you read in the book. This is the real result of the “learning” that you have done.

2. Watch English programmes on TV with subtitles

Start watching with subtitles. Then repeat the sentences you read the way they are spoken by the actors. Simultaneously record yourself as you repeat. After the movie is over, listen to yourself and compare it with what you heard. The record yourself again, till you get it right.

Watching movies on YouTube will be the best option here.

3. Listen to English songs

For those who are not into English songs, I suggest listening to singers like Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte, Elvis Presley, Tim Foust, Matt Fouch, Christopher Cosby, Geoff Castellucci, and so on. Some good bands Home Free, VoicePlay, Clamavi de Profundis, and so on.

I could give you some songs, too:

• • • Producer man (by Lyn Lapid)
    • Lonesome Road (by Tim Storms)
    • Amazing Grace
    • Country Roads (by John Denver)
    • Killing me softly (by Olivia Newton-John)

You can easily learn new words and phrases. And since you sing, you’re able to pronounce the words correctly, too!

And, to top it all, you will gradually get to love these songs!

4. Listen to Stephen Fry

Listen to Stephen Fry’s audiobook. You need to buy them! But, hey, it’s worth the investment. (And no, Fry doesn’t give me any commission here!) Incidentally, I’m one of his greatest fans! Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. Watch their series on PG Wodehouse’s Bertie Wooster. I just love them! And so will you, once you watch them. You can watch them on YouTube.

5. Tongue twisters

These will get your pronunciation right. Try some of these. Keep saying them at YOUR OWN PACE. Don’t try repeating them fast.

• • • Six sleek swans swam swiftly southwards.
    • Eleven benevolent elephants.
    • Silly Sally saw six thistle sticks
    • Really leery, rarely Larry.
    • A snake sneaks in to seek a snack.

Okay, here’s a longer one:

• • • Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers;
      A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked;
      If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
      Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked

You can get lots of them on the internet. Just type ENGLISH TONGUE TWISTERS.

These exercises help you to pronounce tricky sounds. Once you are able to say them out loud without faltering, try saying them quickly! Just for fun – it won’t help you with your fluency, though!

6. Write

How? Read a story. Then write it down exactly as you remember it. Then check with the original.

Another way is to keep the storybook in one room and your notebook in another. Read one line, then go and write it down. Then go back to read the next. Continue till you finish one page. Then check with the original. This will certainly improve your writing skills too, not to mention your memory. You will also retain your mental sharpness.

Okay, here’s another one: write your daily diary. This can be very creative, believe me! I did this for my Chinese, and it worked.

7. TELW Online

Learning at home will be only so much useful. You need to go to a teacher to really improve your English.

Online classes are a great option. No, not because of COVID. But, you are more comfortable at home, in your bed, in your PJs, listening to your classmates online, chatting with them. You can maintain contact with them even after class. Meet up online and practice your English. I’m not selling any online programme, but I feel online classes are as productive as, if not more than, the regular brick-and-mortar classes.

Check out our free class.