If you prefer to do your learning in the virtual world, there are a whole host of fantastic resources on offer to support you. Here at Brighter English, we’ve been combing the internet for the best language learning ideas to get the most out of your time online.
Download an app
Language apps are simple to install and use, and are an appealing and motivating way to improve your English in only five or ten minutes a day. Duolingo and Babbel are both free applications that are highly rated by their users and make studying on the go both easy and fun. You could use them to pass the time on your daily commute or to keep you entertained while you’re waiting for an appointment. Duolingo allows you to improve your listening and reading comprehension skills in short bursts and has a microphone function for pronunciation practice. Babbel offers bite-sized lessons that focus on conversational skills and functional topics. It also features interactive dialogues and voice recognition software.
These apps are great to help you practise in your free time, but don't forget nothing beats a real live teacher!
Get more out of social media
If apps aren’t your cup of tea, why not try using your social media accounts to interact with native English speakers? There are many English speakers studying foreign languages who are looking for ‘study buddies’– you can help each other learn or improve your language skills whilst making friends at the same time. It’s important to do this safely and protect yourself online, so try to find community pages and forums set up specifically for language learning purposes.
We would love to see you over on our brand new Instagram page - come and say hi! Or find us on Facebook for more updates. You can also use your smartphone or laptop to access some fantastic free resources on the web such as BBC Learning English, which offers course materials, quizzes, videos and podcasts. Even simply changing the language settings to English on your devices will make a big difference to how many English words you encounter each day, without even realising it.
Join an online class
Of course, the best way to improve your English is a face-to-face lesson with an experienced English tutor. The current Coronavirus crisis is changing the way we teach and learn as we’re spending more time at home and, in many cases, are unable to continue studying in a school environment. We recognise the difficulty of not being able to progress in your learning the way that you normally would – it can be a frustrating experience when you feel you are not able to reach your full potential. That’s why we’re offering some fantastic online courses for you to enjoy in the comfort of your home, where you’ll be able to join a class, make new friends and continue learning new English skills with one of our qualified, friendly instructors. Find out more here or contact us for more details.
Start a blog
When you feel more confident with your language skills, you might want to put your great ideas out there for all the world to see, so get writing! Use a free website such as Penzu to start your own blog and set aside ten minutes to write about your day or a topic you’re interested in. It might feel difficult at first, but the more you persevere, the more fluent your writing will become, and writing for a real audience is both motivating and rewarding. If you are feeling shy, Penzu also has the option to keep your journal completely private.
Leave a comment
Here at Brighter English, we love communicating with you through our blog and we hope you’ve enjoyed reading our tips for online learning! Give yourself a pat on the back for improving your English today by simply reading this post, and let us know all of your handy study hints and tips in the comments below.
Your online learning journey begins here!
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