Try to set yourself daily writing exercises – they need not be long-winded and time-consuming, even just committing yourself to writing a paragraph a day is enough! You can even partner up with someone else who also wants to improve their writing skills and read each other’s paragraphs to see where changes need to be made.
2. Get a grammar manual
It is useful to have a reference book nearby that you can consult when writing. This way, any time a grammatical question arises, you can quickly refer to the manual to obtain the answer. There are many high quality grammar and writing guidebooks on the market. Speak to a librarian or writing instructor for recommendations.
3. Review the basics
Do some research on the basic parts of speech, as well as on the common grammatical errors people tend to make.
4. For essays, revise your composition
After you are done writing, engage in a different activity for a short while. Then, return to your piece of writing and re-read it to double-check that it makes sense and is free of grammatical and spelling errors.
Gleaning new words day in, day out is a good way to widen your vocabulary. Commit to a suitable target: it can be three daily words or it can be ten daily words.
Even if you only have time to learn one new word per day, it is still worth trying. By learning one word every day, after one year you will have learned 365 new English words.
Write the number down to remind yourself frequently. If you have a learning partner, share it with her so that she can check on your progress.
Some good resources for words are the news, songs and TV shows, depending on your daily habits. If you love listening to music, pay attention to the lyrics and take note of the words you do not know. Songs often contain a lot of useful vocabulary, phrases and expressions, therefore, they are great for learning English.
2. Learn the natural flow of English
Being able to say individual words correctly is great, but the secret of speaking fluently in English lies in the flow of sentences. Whenever you read a piece of poetry, listen to a melodic song or watch a hilarious sitcom, pay attention to the following:
Linking. Notice how native speakers link words together: joining two sounds, making a sound to disappear or changing a sound for a better flow.
Contractions. Contractions are shortened forms of two words. For example:
I + am = I’m
he + will = he’ll
they + have = they’ve
do + not = don’t
Stress. There are stressed syllables in a word and stressed words in a sentence.
Rhythm. The rhythm is the overall result of stress, contractions and linking. It is the ups and downs, the musical feature of English.
3. Build English speaking confidence
One of the biggest barriers to developing English speaking skills is confidence. It is certainly something that all language learners have difficulty with and one of the best ways to overcome this is to get out there and practice.
If you think you’ve got what it takes, then get out there and practice English with strangers!
Why are skills so important?
It helps us to develop our learning process! 馃摑馃摎馃挕
If you are learning a new language, listening is essential in the process. Depending on the effort given during the learning process you will understand every little detail in a better way! 馃槂