“This is going to take forever!”
Have you ever had this thought while learning English? You aren’t alone! Becoming fluent in any language takes a lot of time, but there’s no need to get discouraged. There are many ways to learn English fast, including some very handy shortcuts like focusing on certain habits and learning the most-used words and most important grammar rules.
How Can I Learn English Faster?
One of the best ways to learn English faster is to focus on the four key elements of language: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
Speaking
According to Arizona State University, the best way to improve your English speaking skills is to join in discussions with other English learners. Even speaking with other non-native speakers can drastically improve your English because you can learn from both your mistakes and theirs.
If there is no one else around to chat with, ASU also recommends choosing a topic and then recording yourself talking out loud for two minutes. Replay the recording and see if you hear grammar mistakes, mispronounced words, or other errors. Then record yourself again and see how much you’ve improved.
Listening
Thanks to the internet, we all have easy access to videos that we can watch any time we want via Youtube, Netflix, and other sites. To improve your English listening skills, try listening to videos in English with no subtitles – or, better yet, try out a podcast.
Listen through once without pressuring yourself to understand everything. Then, listen again, this time taking the time to replay parts that are tough to follow. After a couple attempts, you will see that things become a lot clearer even without text to guide you.
Reading
Reading is another very important English skill to master, even if not everyone finds it an easy one to build. While readers like me are extremely happy to kick off their learning with reading, many people understandably get intimidated by the thought of reading in their second (or third, etc.) language. The key to avoiding getting frustrated is to choose to read texts every day that are related to subjects you are personally interested in.
Love fantasy novels, for example? Try reading a book like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in English. Go slowly, reading a chapter a day, and you’ll be surprised by your growth by the end of the book. If that still sounds too tough, you can start out with comic books or manga translated into English so that the images can help you understand the story.
You can also read news stories online in English, focusing on the topics that matter to you.
Writing
Even if you are not in a formal English class, you can work on your English writing every day. One of the most recommended ways to do this is to keep a journal. Every day, take ten minutes to just write about what you did that day. Then, read it back and see if you note any grammar mistakes or any places where you could improve.
Takeaway: By integrating speaking, listening, reading, and writing exercises into your everyday routine, you can learn English more quickly.
Essential English Elements to Learn
While it is possible to learn a lot of English fast, you can’t become a native-level speaker overnight. You can, however, massively improve your English skills by taking a few shortcuts to master the most essential parts of the English language.
Learn the Most Common English Words
If you want to grow your vocabulary quickly, start by checking out this PDF list of the 1000 most-used words in the English language according to California State University, San Bernardino. See which ones you know, learn the definitions of others, and soon you will find that you recognize a lot more words when listening and reading in English.
Learn the Grammar Basics
You don’t have to learn all of English all at once: just stick to the basics. Check out this short PDF guide to English grammar basics by the Germanna Academic Center for Excellence and focus on elements like subject-verb agreement and proper sentence structure to improve your English writing and speaking skills.
Takeaway: Focus on learning the most common English words and the basic building blocks of grammar to learn English fast.
FAQs
What are some shortcuts to learn English fast?
Some ways to speed up your English learning include studying the most-used English words, mastering the grammar basics, and immersing yourself in the language as much as possible.
Can I learn English fast without classes?
While taking an English course is highly recommended to get the basics, you can also study on your own with videos, books, and apps like Jolii.ai. Just find a source that interests you and motivates you to keep learning, and you will notice a lot of improvement quickly.
How fast can I learn English?
According to Middlebury Language Schools, you can reach a passable level of English fluency in around three months. It will take longer to become completely fluent, but within three months you can usually expect to know enough English to get by during your travels abroad.
Final Takeaway
Learning English doesn’t have to take forever. There are plenty of shortcuts and resources to help you learn English faster, more effectively, and in a way that’s more fun. To start improving your English with videos and music today, check out Jolii.ai.
