English language training programs for beginners. “Teacher Method” – a step-by-step course for children and adults

– Where to start learning English on your own?

This question can be asked by two categories of people: very, very newbies and those who have some kind of weathered base from their school days. So let's immediately separate: newcomers - to the left (more precisely, read on in this article), and those who have studied - to the right and . Because the recipe will be different for you.

Now I’m addressing only you, beginners: this article is dedicated to your route from beginner to elementary level. Together with Olga Sinitsyna, head of the methodology department, we described each step in detail and collected all the necessary links. This is the most complete article on the topic. Precisely for those who want to do everything themselves.

Contents of the article: teaching English independently from scratch

1. Alphabet: learn English from scratch on your own and for free

Pay attention to the patterns and differences of the sound system as a whole: in English there are almost no soft consonants, there are long/short and wide/narrow vowels, etc. To understand all this, .

3. First words: learn English on your own from scratch for free online

Since sounds need to be learned as part of a word, at the very first stage you will learn your first English words. You need to start with simple words that are used in everyday life.

6. Learn English grammar for beginners

In parallel with reading and studying entire phrases, you need to understand grammar. But not in theory, don’t delve into it by itself - learn useful English phrases and, using their own example, delve into the essence of grammatical rules. How it works, .

Also watch the video on how to properly teach grammar to a beginner

Let's look at what exactly needs to be understood and remembered at the initial level:

Articles. They are not in the Russian language at all. An article is a function word that is used together with a noun:

an apple (apple)

Here we have used the indefinite article an, because the word begins with a vowel. If a word begins with a consonant, then the article will be - a.

a dog (dog)

But in addition to the indefinite article, there is also a definite article - the. This video will help you understand articles:

Plural. Learn the rules of education plural in nouns. This is usually done by adding the suffix -s:

a cat – cats (cat – cats)

Order of words in a sentence. In English it is strict: the subject comes first, then the predicate, then the other parts of the sentence:

I love my job. (I love my job)

In an interrogative sentence, the word order is different and an auxiliary verb is added:

Do I love my job? (I love my job?)

It will help you deal with these subtleties.

There must be a verb. Without a verb English sentence it simply cannot exist. And where there is no verb in Russian, .

I am a doctor. (I am a doctor or I There is doctor, literally)

Features of the time system. The English language has three tenses, just like ours: present, past and future. But each time has four forms, and those who study them are constantly confused. You don't need to immediately plunge into this chaos.

Imperative mood– when you tell another person what to do. In English it is formed simply:

Love me! (Love me!) Do it! (Make it this one)

And other topics: degrees of comparison of adjectives, regular and irregular verbs, phrase there is – there are. Full list of topics. And so you and I will gradually get to elementary.

7. Comprehensively, from all sides: how to learn English on your own from scratch

All this - words, phrases, grammar - needs to be improved from 4 sides: listening, writing, speaking and reading. We have collected and described for you independent exercises and materials for working on each skill:

– Your level now is zero or beginner. On average, it takes 90-100 hours of study to reach the next level. Decide right away how many hours a day you are willing to study? If it’s an hour, then in 3 – 3.5 months you should reach the elementary level. If it’s half an hour, then multiply the time by two. So set this period as a deadline for yourself.

– Now break down this huge goal of “reaching the elementary level” into specific and very clear tasks like “learn to express thoughts in the present tense”, “learn the 100 most common words”, “read a book in English”. Also plan these tasks according to specific deadlines.

Be sure to read it! Or watch the video:

9. What then? How to learn English on your own at home from scratch quickly

Learn English on your own online from scratch

Now you have a clear action plan. All in your hands. If you need simulators to practice English, then. When registering, we will determine your English level and choose a goal together. And after that, the service will provide daily activities for practice: vocabulary and grammar training, short stories for reading, video and audio for beginners. Let's break through together. 🙂

If you firmly decide to learn English on your own, you will definitely face the problem of choosing effective methodology, of which there are a great many. Only you decide which method to choose.

What to focus on when choosing?

• Firstly, your level of language proficiency
• Secondly, on personal financial and time capabilities
• Thirdly, based on your own intuitive desire

Dragunkin method

Dragunkin's method Alexander Dragunkin clearly and intelligibly explains the basics of English. Dragunkin's method for learning English is perfect for quick learning and memorization. The grammar is simplified as much as possible, the rules are simplified. There are courses for both beginners and advanced.

Dragunkin has a completely different approach to teaching, his own terminology, his own laws, his own vocabulary. He even remade grammatical rules, systematized exceptions, and resolved the problems of using articles and irregular verbs. Dragunkin identified new classes and groups of words, uniting them according to common characteristics; revealed the relationship between them. The presentation of the material follows a chain, from simple to complex, one follows from the other in a strict logical sequence.

Teaching English is based on the native language. Due to all these factors, the training time is reduced several times, and the perception of educational material is noticeably easier. The technique is aimed at quickly achieving results. The purpose of the program is not to teach, but to teach.

Pimsleur technique

The Pimsleur Method American Conversational English will help you master the audio course “Pimsleur English for Russian Speakers”. See the article Learning English using Dr. Pimsleur's method. The Pimsleur technique also helps you learn to read correctly. Our website has all the audio lessons of spoken American, as well as reading lessons.

The Pimsleur Method is the only form of foreign language learning that includes a unique, patented method of memory training. The course consists of thematic dialogues with detailed explanations and translations. Phrases are voiced by a native speaker.

Students listen to the recording and repeat phrases after the speaker. Then the next speech pattern is announced and its meaning is explained. The student repeats it again many times, then he needs to repeat the previous phrases, at the same time inserting words from the new expression into it. New words are introduced, and old expressions are asked to be repeated after a certain, constantly increasing, interval of time.

A very interesting, and most importantly working, system of 30 audio lessons, half an hour each. The course was created specifically for Russian speakers who want to know the speech of US residents. No textbooks, just listen and repeat. And soon you will be able to carry on a conversation like a real American without any problems.

Schechter method

This is a completely new emotional and semantic approach, which states that learning a foreign language should be similar to learning your native speech. This method refers to direct game-based interactive methods of active learning. Politicians, astronauts, and famous people studied using this method. Even Western private linguistic schools paid attention to Schechter's method.

His methodology is built on a person-oriented approach, where it is important to pay attention not to what to do with English, but what to do with the person in order to make the learning process easier for him. A positive atmosphere, goodwill, learning without fatigue and stress - these are the main and mandatory components of each lesson.

The goal of each individual lesson and of teaching as a whole is to encourage the student to express opinions in his own words, rather than repeat memorized patterns and phrases from textbooks. Therefore, lectures are organized in the form of active human participation in the changing events of business and city life.

Also great importance has speech correction and grammar, which students study in the higher cycles of the course. This technology is also used to memorize new material without memorization and rote repetition.

BERLITZ English learning method Another popular method is the BERLITZ method, which polyglots have been using for 200 years. It is based on studying a foreign language abroad. There are more than 400 BERLITZ language schools around the world. You can choose both group classes and individual training. Read the article How to study English abroad.

This method requires strict adherence to the basic principles:

• First you need to learn to speak, and then master reading and writing skills
• Grammar and vocabulary should be learned through natural, entertaining conversation, in a conversational context
• Only native speakers should teach the language
• The student must take an active part in the learning process
• Native speech is not used at all and is excluded from training
• Such a concept as translation is also excluded

Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone's English learning method The Rosetta Stone method is also recognized as one of the best - a convenient program for those who are planning to emigrate. Language learning from scratch. The user follows the same path as when learning their native language: words and images, pronunciation, grammar and syntax. The difficulty level increases gradually.

The Flash method allows you to learn English the same way you learned your native language from infancy - without rules. Mastering English occurs through repeated repetition, immersion in the language environment, and the formation of associations. This program teaches you to automatically perceive and reproduce the most common conversational structures.

The course completely lacks translation, instead there is an associative series. Vocabulary, syntax and grammar are learned through modeling of various life situations. The main emphasis is on visual memory. As a supplement, I advise you to read a lot on your own

The non-translation method means:

• No rules or translation
• Words are given immediately in context
• Memorization is achieved through numerous repetitions

An excellent program for those who want to learn the basics of the language on their own without going too deep into the details. Pictures make the technique interesting, and learning occurs without stress.

Lex!

Lex program! — known method enrichment of vocabulary. Sitting at the computer, the user memorizes words, phrases, speech patterns that periodically appear on the screen. It supports the ability to delete and add vocabulary, edit it, change training intensity levels and time parameters. The characteristics of human memory, attention and perception are taken into account.

The user can install and separately configure various translation modes: direct, reverse, written translation, and their random alternation. The student independently determines the quantity correct translations, which is an indicator that the word has been learned. Lex! — is accompanied by a detailed reference book that will allow you to quickly find answers to all your questions.

Muller method

Stanislav Müller's technique consists in the harmonious interaction of conscious and subconscious thinking. To increase learning and memory, the latest developments of Russian and Western science are used - superlearning and holographic memory:

• Super learning ability - helps you master any skill several times faster. At the same time, you get tired much less and maintain a high level of performance
• Holographic memory - helps to systematize life experiences, increases memory capabilities, and allows you to restore the ability to master language

During the course, exercises are performed to improve imagination, which helps memorize lexical material. The course solves problems of understanding colloquial speech, free reading, writing and speaking.

Frank method

I recommend Ilya Frank’s method, which is based on learning English through reading special texts. With constant reading in this way over the course of a year, you can learn to speak fluently, thanks to the special arrangement of the original text and the translation. At the same time, memorizing words and phrases does not occur through cramming, but through their constant repetition in the text.

Still the same non-translation method. In Ilya Frank's books, the text is broken down into more than a few passages - an adapted passage with a literal translation and lexical and grammatical commentary, then the same text, but without hints. You just read a book and learn a language at the same time.

The manager wrote up the sales slip (the manager filled out the form with the price). The crook looked at the slip and said, “This is a little more than I intended to spend.” Can you show me something less expensive? (could you show me something less expensive).”

The manager agreed and wrote up the sales slip. The crook looked at the slip and said, “This is a little more than I intended to spend. Can you show me something less expensive?”

The meaning of an unadapted text is that the reader, even a short time"swims without a board." After reading an unadapted paragraph, you can move on to the next adapted one. There is no need to go back and repeat. You just have to read the following text.

Gunnemark's technique

You can try Eric Gunnemark's method. The Swedish polyglot recommends starting to learn the language by mastering an active minimum of words and grammatical rules. Why did he create a list of “speech cliches” that, in his opinion, you need to learn by heart yourself. Gunnemark called these collections “Minilex”, “Minifraz” and “Minigram”. All material is illustrated and voiced by native speakers. The course is recommended for beginners. Gunnemark's Method These “mini-collections” should not be neglected, because they provide guidance on what to focus on from the very beginning. Mastering a “mini-repertoire” will give a beginner self-confidence. The lists included in this collection are structured in such a way that the student masters the essentials on his own. After all, when you have well-learned material behind you and basic knowledge, then you inevitably begin to feel much more confident in any environment.

For Gunnemark, all teaching is subject to the following principles:

• Particular attention is paid to the “central words”, that is, to those words that most often “roll off the tongue”
• You need to learn not individual words, but entire expressions. You don't need to learn everything. For each typical situation, memorize 1-2 expressions, but “by heart”
• It is better to learn one word perfectly than to learn several words poorly. No synonyms needed. Learn the main word
• Try to use the learned expressions as often as possible
• It is necessary to learn the basics of good correct pronunciation
• Master the required minimum grammar
• The most useful thing is reading

The linguist considers labor, time, teachers and material to be external factors for successful learning. That is, how quickly you will progress in learning depends directly on your ability to organize your work and time, on the chosen methodology and teacher.

As you can see, there are many ways and they are all different. Which one is better is up to you to decide. But having studied their basic principles, we can come to the conclusion that the main thing is communication and reading. To which I also join.

Do you know any other interesting techniques? Tell us about them in the comments. I wish you success and sustainable results!

Today, English is universal remedy communication. With its help, excellent career prospects open up. And we shouldn’t forget about access to a wealth of information material. Thanks to your knowledge of English, you can watch your favorite TV series at the moment they are shown, and not wait until they are translated and adapted to the Russian language.

There are many advantages of knowing a second language, which is usually English, and they can be listed for a very long time. It is difficult to learn Shakespeare's language even in England itself. But, to understand the basics of simple spoken language everyone can.

This does not require teachers and stuffy classrooms. Thanks to modern techniques, self-learning English is exciting and interesting activity. And it’s not as complicated as it seems at first glance.

IMPORTANT: There are no people incapable of “languages”. Yes, learning a foreign language may be easier for some, but more difficult for others. The main thing is to learn how to properly motivate yourself and find a training course that is suitable for this.

Of course, if you need English not for watching TV series and reading your favorite blog, but for more serious tasks, then self-study is unlikely to help. You will have to attend special, highly focused courses. But you can get to them, starting with self-study.

Of course, it is much easier to learn any language from scratch, including English, by attending special courses and communicating with a “live” teacher

But such communication has a number of disadvantages:

• these types of activities cost money
• need to adapt to schedule
• If you miss one lesson you can fall far behind

Of course, many of the disadvantages of such training can be minimized by training with the help of Skype. But, if it is not possible to carve out several tens of thousands of rubles from the budget for such an activity, then the only way to learn English is to study it independently.

How to learn English from scratch?

• In order to learn JK Rowling's language from scratch, it is best to use a computer program or audio course for beginners. With their help, you can understand the pronunciation of individual letters and words. By the way, an audio course has a lot of advantages in this.
• With its help, training can be carried out without interrupting other activities. You can turn it on in the car while driving to work. If you prefer to travel by metro, then download this course to your smartphone and listen to it on the way
• Of course, an audio course cannot replace the visual perception of the English language. But there are special online trainings for this. Choose the course you need and start studying

IMPORTANT: From the first day of learning English, you should try to speak it. If this is not done, then you will not be able to speak it even when your vocabulary and knowledge of grammar improves.

Choose a training where learning new words is presented in the form of cards. A word in English should be written on it and what it means should be drawn. Scientists have long established the power of visual memory of information.

There is no need to try to remember too many words at once. At first new information will come easy. Then, new words will be remembered easily, but old ones may be forgotten. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to pay more attention to consolidating new material. It is better to learn one new word a day, but reinforce all the old ones, than to learn 10 new words a day, but forget what you have already learned.

Where to start learning English?

• Usually people start learning English from the alphabet. There is a reason for this; you can understand how this or that letter sounds. But, it is not at all necessary to remember its correct order. You can remember the pronunciation of letters without the alphabet. Moreover, they do not always sound like in this list of letters from “Hey to Zeta”
• When you begin to understand letters, try to read as many English texts as possible. There is no need to understand what is written there. Of course, interesting pictures in the text will make you want to understand what it says
• Then you can use online translators. But don't put all the text in them. Translate one word at a time. This will allow you to learn the language even better and remember a few words.

• Write down in it (write it down with a pen) all the unfamiliar words and phrases you encounter, and their translation
• In parallel with maintaining your dictionary, you need to start paying attention to grammar. English has a very complex tense system. There are irregular verbs and other difficulties in learning this language. All of them require a lot of time. But it will pay off in spades
• Don't forget about pronunciation. Even a person who understands well what is written in English text will not always be able to understand what native speakers of this language are talking about. As a rule, they speak faster than teachers and teachers of language schools.
• To make it easier to understand English, watch films, TV series and documentaries without translation. This is a great way to learn this interesting language.

IMPORTANT: Try to devote at least 30 minutes to English every day. To do this, it is advisable to choose certain hours. So by this time our brain will be able to “tune in” and the learning process will take place after a few days will go easier.

How to easily learn English: methods of teaching English?

There are quite a few methods for learning this foreign language. The most popular are:

• Dmitry Petrov's method. A well-known polyglot in our country invented his own methodology and way of presenting information that fits into 16 lessons. Probably, many who were interested in learning English have seen a series of television programs in which Dmitry taught famous people. Thanks to this technique, you can quickly immerse yourself in the language environment and understand grammar
• Method "16". Another technique that allows you to learn the basics of English in just 16 hours. It is based on educational dialogues, after mastering which you will be able to understand the English language
• Schechter's method. This system of learning English was developed by the famous Soviet linguist Igor Yurievich Shekhter. Unfortunately, this technique cannot be used for independent learning of a foreign language. Furthermore, a linguist teacher who will be allowed to teach using this method must himself pass special training and pass the exam
• Dragunkin method. A popular method of teaching English in our country, developed by the famous philologist Alexander Dragunkin. He built his system on the so-called Russified transcription. In addition, he developed "51 rules" English grammar. By learning which you can master this language

The list of methods for learning English can be continued for a long time. The above systems are well suited for independent mastery of this language.

Students learning English using this method are given two texts. First comes the adapted excerpt. Usually this literal translation, often provided with lexical and grammatical comments. After reading such a passage, the text in English is presented.

The technique is very good, interesting, but has one significant drawback - it is more suitable for learning to read in English, rather than speaking in it.

How to quickly learn words in English?

• There are many methods for memorizing words in a foreign language. The simplest of them is traditional method. In a notebook you need to write down a few words in English (on the left side of the sheet) and their translation into Russian
• It is advisable to always keep the notebook open and in a visible place. Read the words and repeat from. Try to remember and go about your business. Refer to your notebook several times a day. After some time, you can write down a few more words. It is advisable to do this on another sheet. So that you leave it in a visible place and at any moment cast your gaze on the sheet with the words
• If you don't want a notebook, you can use the flashcard method. To do this, you need to cut sheets of cardboard into small cards. On the one hand, you need to write the word in English
• And on the second, its translation into Russian. Turn the cards over with the English or Russian side facing you and try to translate the words written there. Unfold the card and check the correct answer

On the Internet you can find online services where such cards are presented in electronic form. Thanks to the popularity of this method, today it is not difficult to buy ready-made cards. But it’s still better to make them yourself. After all, when we write something down on paper, we write it into our subconscious.

Don't try to remember a lot of words at once. This is not very effective in the long run. Words learned quickly are usually quickly forgotten.

How to learn English verbs?

In principle, the above methods for memorizing English words are suitable for both nouns and verbs. But among this category of English words there are also so-called “irregular verbs”. Like the correct ones, they mean:

• Action – to speak (speak), to come (come)
• Process – to sleep (sleep)
• State – to be (to be), to know (to know), etc.

At school such verbs are taught as follows. Students are given their list, and the teacher asks them to learn as much as possible from it by the next lesson. This list does not have any structure to facilitate the study of such verbs. Therefore, few of us were able to master the English language at school.

How to quickly learn irregular verbs in English?

• As mentioned above, to learn such verbs you can use the “card method”. But, unlike “simple” words, irregular verbs have three forms. What actually makes them wrong
• To make cards with irregular verbs, you need to write down the first form on one side, and the other two on the second side. Moreover, the first form does not need to be provided with a translation. And on back side you not only need to write two forms of the verb with translation, but also provide a hint. For example, “alternating irregular verbs with a vowel in the root from [e]”
• The advantage of this method is that it is easy to use. You can go through the cards with your hands, first remembering the main shape, and then turn them over and do the same with other shapes. Such training can be done both at home and at work. Students can take these cards with them to college and repeat the verbs during breaks.

Example card:

To make it easier to memorize irregular verbs, they can be grouped into:

• the method of formation of the second and third forms
• repeatability or non-repeatability of forms
• alternation of root vowels
• sound similarity
• spelling features

All other verbs should be structured not alphabetically, as in school, but according to the above principles:

How to learn tenses in English

Another pitfall for anyone who wants to learn English is tenses. Having understood their use, you can take a big step forward in learning this language.

In general, there are three tenses in English:

But the difficulty lies in the fact that each time has types. The first type of such tenses is called Simple. That is, there is:

Continuous (continued, long) is the second type of tense.

The third type is called Perfect. Thus there are:

There is also another type of tense that combines all the previous Perfect Continuous tenses. Accordingly, the times can be:

IMPORTANT: In specialized literature on the English language, Simple can be called Indefinite, and Continuous - Progressive. Don't be scared, it's the same thing.

• In order to use English tenses in sentences, you need to understand what action is happening? It is regular, it happened yesterday, it happens in this moment and so on. Simple tenses denote an action that occurs regularly, but its exact moment is not known. on Sundays – on Sundays (specific time is not known)
• If the sentence indicates a specific time (at the moment, from 4 to 6 o’clock, etc.), then Continuous is used - long time. That is, time that denotes a specific moment or a specific period of time.
• If the action is completed, Perfect is used. This time is used when the result of an action is already known or you can know exactly when it will end (but may still be going on)
• The Perfect Continuous construction is used least often in English. It is used to denote a process whose action is not completed, but needs to be said about it at the moment. For example, “In May it will be 6 months that I have been studying English.”
• To study the tenses of the English language, you can also create tables, as for irregular verbs. Just enter linguistic formulas instead. You can use special literature. Better than several authors at once

How to learn text in English?

• If you need to learn a text in English in a short period of time, you can use several techniques for this purpose.
• Before learning a text in a foreign language, you need to prepare. Namely, translate it. On the one hand, it is impossible to learn a text in English without knowing what is written there. On the other hand, while we are translating, something will already be recorded in the “subcortex”
• When translating a text, you need to re-read it several times. If you do this during the day, then repeat this procedure before going to bed. We will sleep and our brains will work
• In the morning, the text needs to be printed and hung in visible places. When preparing food, the text should be in a visible place in the kitchen. We vacuum in the living room, it should also be visible

Let's go to the store, put headphones in your ears and listen, repeating every word to yourself. IN gym, instead of hard rock, you need to listen to this text again.

If the text is large, then it is better to break it into several small passages and memorize each of them in turn. Don't be afraid, learning text in English is not as difficult as it seems.

How to learn English in your sleep?

At the end of the Soviet era, many “unique” self-education methods poured into our country. One of them was to study foreign languages ​​while sleeping. Before going to bed, a cassette with lessons was put into the player, headphones were put on, and the person fell asleep. They say this method has helped some.

I know everything that sleep is very useful. According to researchers involved in this problem, sleep can improve mental abilities.

• But for some reason he absorbs it after sleep. English words from the player can only ruin your sleep. This means worsening the perception of information the next day.
• But, sleep can really help. But, only if you set aside time immediately before studying English
• After such a lesson, you can get some sleep, and during this time your brain will “process” the information and put it into “shelves.” This method of learning foreign languages ​​has proven effective and is used by many people.
• This technique can be improved if, immediately after sleep, you consolidate what was learned before bedtime.

Learning English: reviews

Kate. To learn foreign language You need to devote at least 30 minutes a day to it. Every day for half an hour. Even one missed day will have a very negative impact. I'm in mandatory I devote 30 minutes to English a day. Plus, if you still have time, be sure to take it as a bonus.

Kirill. Now there are a lot of sites on the Internet where game form material is supplied. I'm learning English through TV series. I watch TV series in this language with Russian subtitles. I used to read subtitles all the time. And now I’m trying to understand myself.

Video: Polyglot in 16 hours. Lesson 1 from scratch with Petrov for beginners

Self-studying English is a rather labor-intensive but inexpensive way to master the language, which has its pros and cons. In this case, you choose the main source of information - it can be the Internet, educational games, an English language tutorial, a phrasebook, books (adapted or in the original), songs. There are many online services for beginners and intermediates.

Perhaps, but this type of training has its own characteristics that must be taken into account. Language acquisition includes 4 components: reading, writing, speaking (speaking) and listening (listening).

Reading

Reading- one of the types of speech activity, a complex process of decoding symbols aimed at understanding the text. One of the forms of linguistic communication between people using printed and handwritten texts. Reading can also be considered as a wonderful tool for mastering a language, because in texts there are many unfamiliar words and words already familiar to us. Some words are ambiguous and their meaning is easier to remember in context. All this allows you not only to increase your vocabulary, but also to repeat previously learned grammatical structures. In order to ensure that working on the text does not turn into an impossible task, it is very important to select the text in accordance with your language level.

Letter

Letter- this is one of the types of speech activity, symbolic fixation of speech using special symbols (letters, hieroglyphs, drawings). Mastery of written language occurs gradually. To practice writing, you can use the following: forms of work:

• Rewriting text;
• Training dictations;
• Writing letters, essays.

Reading and writing are interconnected types of speech activity. Writing is a kind of encoding of information using symbols, and reading is the decoding of these symbols.

Oral speech

To master orally it is necessary to have skills in voicing expressions, skills in using lexical units and grammatical skills for correct design proposals. In other words, in order to say something, you need to know the words required by a given situation, be able to pronounce them correctly and construct a sentence in accordance with the rules of the language. In addition to words, there are speech patterns, stable expressions that are often used in oral speech. Therefore, to master oral speech, you need not only to remember a certain number of individual words and expressions, but also to bring their use to automatism.

Listening to speech (listening)

Listening is the process of listening and understanding spoken expressions. The mechanism of this process includes:

• Perception of streams of sounds and recognition of words, sentences, paragraphs, etc. in them.
• Understanding the meaning of words, sentences, paragraphs. If you already have some speech experience, then this process is enhanced by predicting the content of what was said.

For understanding English speech you need to listen by ear as often as possible! You can communicate with other people in English (preferably with foreigners), talk on the phone, listen to music, watch videos, TV series.

Learning a foreign language not only develops memory and thinking, but also increases IQ level.

Where to start learning a language on your own?

When learning a foreign language on your own, your success will directly depend on the correctness of the chosen approach to learning.
It is necessary to adhere to the correct sequence of studying the material - from simple to complex. It is recommended to study topics in the following order:

• English alphabet (sounds and letters of the alphabet).
• Transcription.
• Reading rules.
• Vocabulary by topic (accumulation of vocabulary).
• Grammar.

Each of these components is important, so you cannot miss anything, because all these points are closely interrelated. Remember that without correct pronunciation it will be difficult to understand you. Even after learning the entire dictionary, you will not speak, because sentences are built according to certain rules, and to construct them correctly you need at least basic knowledge of grammar, because speech is not just a set of words.

When studying on your own, it is very important to check the correctness of your pronunciation. This can be done using online dictionaries. Click on the "horn" to hear how the word is pronounced. For example, you can use the sites Lingvo.ru or Howjsay.com. If you are working on a text, use Google Translator to listen to the entire text.

In learning vocabulary (replenishing your vocabulary), you should also adhere to a certain order. Start learning vocabulary with simple and more commonly used words and expressions on a specific topic. To do this, you can use the Englishspeak.com service (100 lessons with vocabulary by topic and the opportunity to listen to it), the Studyfun.ru service (vocabulary by topic and the opportunity to listen to it), a phrasebook (be careful - transliteration (English words in Russian letters) does not reveal the features English pronunciation!), self-teachers (their advantage is that one lesson presents exercises on pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary for the lesson, texts for reading, colloquial phrases on topics). News lovers can use the news portal Newsinlevels.com, where the presentation of information depends on your level of English. It is important that each news is accompanied by an audio recording.

Knowledge of grammar is no less important than vocabulary. If you really want to, you can learn any rule, but in order for working on the rule not to seem overwhelmingly difficult, your task is not to learn (memorize) the rule, but to understand it. If this rule involves the use of tenses, passive voice, conditional sentences, etc., understand the rule in your “native” language. For example, change the same sentence so that it corresponds to the tense forms of the English language, but compose the sentence in Russian (you can make changes). Then in English:

• In the summer we love to sunbathe on the beach (in general we love it - the present simple tense).
• Now we are sunbathing on the beach - (present continuous tense).
• - You look like boiled crayfish! - Of course, I was on the beach all day! (looks like a crayfish now because I was on the beach – simple perfect tense).
• We have been sunbathing on the beach since three o'clock (we have been sunbathing for 3 hours and are still going on - present perfect continuous tense).
• When we were little, we loved sunbathing on the beach (past simple tense).
• Yesterday we sunbathed all day (past continuous tense).
• When he came to us, we were already on the beach (two actions in the past, one of which happened earlier - past perfect tense).
• We sunbathed on the beach all day until he came! (the action lasted until a certain point in the past).
• Tomorrow we'll go to the beach! (future simple tense).
• And tomorrow at the same time we will already be sunbathing! (action in the future that will take some time - future continuous tense).
• In a week I will definitely finish writing my essay about summer! (the essay will be written at a certain moment in the future - future perfect tense).
• I will play volleyball on the beach until my parents follow me! (an action that will last in the future until a certain moment - future perfect continuous tense).

A good start does not always guarantee a good ending, so you need to approach the organization of independent studies responsibly. Remember that you need this first of all, and all control over the progress of the enterprise and its results rests with you!

1. Exercise regularly.
2. Depending on the results you want to achieve and the time frame for achieving them, set for yourself a mandatory duration of classes (for example, at least an hour and at least 3 times a week).
3. Everyone’s work speed is different, so you set the ideal learning rhythm for yourself (for example, 30 minutes a day).
4. Choose tasks of your level to avoid disappointment in yourself and your abilities. If you already have some knowledge, you can rewrite short texts, translate texts or articles, find yourself an interlocutor (on the Internet or real life) to practice speaking (or writing, e.g. pen pal) skills.
5. All acquired knowledge should be immediately applied in practice, while trying to use all words and grammatical structures in oral and written speech.
6. Learning a foreign language is for the most part Cramming is hated by many, but you can’t do without it (for example, learning vocabulary)! But even in cramming you can find logic - for example, some words are international, so memorizing them based on their similarity in sound native language will facilitate the process of memorizing them.
7. Repetitio est mater studiorum (Repetition is the mother of learning). Be sure to take the time to review the material you’ve covered until it’s stuck in your head... forever. You will not be able to achieve the desired result by saving time on repetition. After all, repetition is one of the main conditions for memorizing and mastering material. Repetition specifically affects long-term memory, helping to retain information for a long time. Correct repetition of learned material improves its retention and facilitates its subsequent reproduction.

What can interfere with independent language learning?

« False" motivation, or lack of proper motivation. Ask yourself the question “Why am I learning a language?” If the answer is for yourself, it’s fashionable, to get a job, then you are unlikely to achieve significant results. Why? Because you may (and most likely) won’t need it for yourself, and learning a language is a labor-intensive process; it’s fashionable – fashion changes, and so do languages. To get a job, the employer needs a qualified worker now, and not necessarily in you, when you learn the language.

Formulate specific goal, preferably of a practical nature, even if a trip abroad is not in the cards in the near future. For example: learning a language develops my intellectual abilities, by learning the language I develop my personal and communication skills, I can expand access to the information I need, because there is more of it in English; I want to watch movies and TV series in English, I want to communicate with foreigners, etc.

Typical beginner mistakes are:

Kato Lomb (8 February 1909 – 9 June 2003)- a famous Hungarian translator and writer who has worked as a simultaneous interpreter since the 1950s.

She spoke, read and wrote fluently in Hungarian, Russian, English, French, and German. She could express herself and understand Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and Polish. With a dictionary I read in Bulgarian, Danish, Romanian, Slovak, Ukrainian, Latin, Polish. She is a physicist and chemist by education, but already in her youth she was interested in languages, which she studied on her own.

Kato Lomb outlined her method of learning foreign languages ​​in the book "How I learn languages".

Kato Lomb summarized her approach to learning languages ​​in the 10 Commandments:

1. 1. Practice your language daily. At least 10 minutes, even if there is no time at all. It is especially good to exercise in the morning.
   2. If the desire to study weakens too quickly, do not “force” it, but do not give up studying either. Come up with some other form: put down the book and listen to the radio, leave the textbook exercises and look through the dictionary, etc.
   3. Never cram, never memorize anything in isolation from context.
   4. Write out of turn and memorize all the “ready-made phrases” that can be used in maximum quantity cases.
   5. Try to mentally translate everything that is possible: a flashing advertising sign, an inscription on a poster, snatches of accidentally overheard conversations. This is a good exercise to keep your linguistic thinking in constant tone.
   6. It is worth learning firmly only what is absolutely correct. Do not re-read your own uncorrected exercises: when reading repeatedly, the text is involuntarily memorized with all possible errors. If you study alone, then learn only the ones you know are correct.
   7. Write down and remember ready-made phrases and idiomatic expressions in the first person, singular. For example: “I am only pulling your leg” (I’m just teasing you).
   8. A foreign language is a fortress that needs to be stormed from all sides at the same time: by reading newspapers, listening to the radio, watching undubbed films, attending lectures in a foreign language, working through a textbook, correspondence, meetings and conversations with friends who are native speakers.
   9. Don't be afraid to speak, don't be afraid possible errors, and ask them to be corrected. And most importantly, don’t be upset or offended if they really start correcting you.
   10. Be firmly confident that you will achieve your goal no matter what, that you have an unbending will and extraordinary ability for languages. And if you have already lost faith in the existence of such things - (and rightly so!) - then think that you are simply enough clever man to master such a small thing as a foreign language. And if the material still resists and your mood drops, then scold the textbooks - and rightly so, because there are no perfect textbooks! - dictionaries - and this is true, because comprehensive dictionaries do not exist - at worst, the language itself, because all languages ​​are difficult, and the most difficult of all is your native one. And things will work out.