Obtaining English Proficiency

Whether you want to move to an English-speaking country, get a new job, or travel, obtaining English proficiency can be one of the most daunting tasks. It’s so challenging for some students that they give up before even starting. It is understandable how difficult learning a new language can be, especially if you are not living in a country where your target language is spoken. Being exposed to a new language can boost your motivation in different ways and accelerate your learning process. 

If you do not live in an English-speaking environment, there are ways to create English language exposure. It’s not actually that difficult. However, the key to learning anything new is perseverance and a lot of practice. So buckle up and read Radviser’s following article to learn practical ways to boost your English proficiency. 

1. Use Online Language Exchange Platforms

Numerous websites and applications have created a platform where people learning a specific language gather around and communicate. This is one of the most effective methods of activating your knowledge and practicing it in real-life situations. You can chat in groups, do a video chat, etc. Finding new friends who have the same language goal as you do can be an excellent motivation. Besides, you can learn to practice together and help each other improve.

2. Challenge Yourself with Free Practice Tests

Thanks to the internet, you can now access numerous websites filled with free practice tests and exercises. Using them would be an excellent challenge for testing your knowledge and finding your strengths and weak spots. You can also use their teaching materials like instructions and videos. If you come across a grammatical or structural point you don’t know, just search its title on YouTube. Hundreds of videos are available on YouTube explaining various tips and lessons on English language-related subjects that you can watch for free anytime you want.

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3. Use Language-learning Apps

Your smartphone can become the best source of language learning. Download some fun language-learning apps and get better and better every day. Millions of people across the globe are now learning English using such apps. An excellent example of a fun language-learning app is Duolingo. Let’s be honest. We all enjoy working with our phones more than reading a textbook. Use this tendency to your advantage and start boosting your English language proficiency.

4. Use English Instructions

Instead of choosing your mother tongue as the primary language for guidance and instructions, switch to English. You can also change the language of your smartphone to English. Human beings tend to learn languages faster when they need to learn them. By changing the instructions and program languages to English, you are exposing yourself to this language in a profound measure. It could be challenging at first, but gradually it will become easier, and you will notice its effectiveness on your proficiency level.

5. Keep an English Journal

If you learn to talk or write about your feelings and your daily news in English, you will be able to talk about anything! I’m not joking. Making an English journal will do miracles to your proficiency level. You don’t have to start by writing pages and pages of events. Start with baby steps. Begin writing about the events of the day using only a few sentences. Every day, try to write one sentence more than the day before. Just one sentence! It’s not that difficult, is it? If you keep writing regularly, after a while, you will not need to count the number of sentences anymore because eventually, it will become a natural task. Making a journal is the most practical way to activate grammatical points and new vocabulary. Besides, let’s face it. No one will be able to read your diary anymore!

6. Read Books and Articles in English 

Consider your mother tongue for a second. If somebody puts a complicated text in front of you and asks you to read it, can you? There may be words or structures in the text that you do not recognize, but you can still comprehend the general topic of the text and recognize its purpose. Reading books and articles in English improves your English competency. It means that gradually you obtain the ability to fill in the missing links of the words and structures you don’t know and comprehend the general idea behind the text. Comprehension is the first step to communication. 

However, there is something that you have to be very careful about. Do not search the meaning of the words you don’t know under any circumstance. Yes, we would sometimes like to check a few words that we pick up here and there. But checking every unfamiliar word you encounter while reading a book, magazine, or article will soon make you feel discouraged and tired. You need to keep reading even if there are hundreds of words you don’t know on one page! That’s right. You may argue that you don’t understand the meaning of sentences when you don’t know the meaning of the words. Of course, it is true. That’s why you need to choose reading materials close to your level. Then, try to understand the general idea behind every sentence and paragraph. Again, this could be challenging at first, but you know what they say: practice makes perfect!

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7. Watch English Series

Watching English Series is a fun and effective way to improve your proficiency level. Because you get to know the characters in a series as you watch each episode, you get used to their accents and speaking speeds. Therefore, it eventually becomes easier for you to comprehend what they say. Probably not in the beginning, but ultimately, you will find it easy and enjoyable to follow the plot of the stories. It would be excellent to start watching recommended series for English language learning like the Friends series.

8. Listen to English Radio and Podcast

Hearing a new language repetitively increases the possibility of picking up the English-spoken register and pitch. It is also recommended to listen to the radio or podcast before bed or while sleeping. When our bodies are unconscious, there is a higher likelihood of picking up new words and structures, which could be excellent for language learning.

Learning a new language indeed comes with a series of challenges, but using the mentioned suggestions can make this process easier for you and turn the most daunting task into an enjoyable hobby.