“Should I choose an online course and learn English remotely or should I give preference to traditional group lessons with a teacher in the classroom?” - if this is a question that has been bothering you for a long time, then this article will definitely dispel your doubts.
Today we will discuss in detail remote learning of the English language, its distinctive features in comparison with the usual lessons, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of English-language remote courses. Go!
- Social interaction.
Students who choose distance learning in English instead of regular group classes do not have constant opportunities for social interaction with peers or classmates (with the exception of conversation clubs). This could be useful for speaking practice and meeting new people.
- Technical problems.
Often, whether an English lesson will take place today or not depends on the speed of the Internet connection or provider. For this reason, sometimes students who study via Skype cannot complete their homework when necessary.
- Motivation.
Some students need a “magic kick” from the outside to finally get to the classroom where the lesson is being taught. Learning a language in a comfortable home atmosphere can sometimes be discouraging, which leads to frequent absences and general neglect.
Pros:
- Large selection of programs and courses.
Let's face it: in addition to the original goal of learning English, an important and sometimes decisive factor is the location of the classes. Sometimes this limits the choice of areas of study. The remote learning process, on the contrary, allows you to no longer worry about your location. By choosing English courses remotely, you focus exclusively on the aspects of the language that interest you and do not waste time.
- Career growth and hobbies.
Online learning allows you to be flexible: you no longer need to take time off from work or school, worrying about how to arrive on time for class, sacrificing your interests and hobbies in order to spend an hour or two in a remote part of the city.
A distance learning English course is a great opportunity to schedule a lesson with a teacher when it suits you, without having to adjust to other people in the group.
- Environment.
Distance English courses provide a specific learning environment that best suits your needs, be it your personal room, classroom, coffee shop or local gym.
- Study at your own pace.
You may be able to complete an online course faster than a traditional curriculum would suggest. This can be especially beneficial for students who are used to staying ahead of schedule on assignments. You will no longer be bored in joint lessons and analyze 100 times what others did not understand.
- Writing and communication skills.
When studying online, all of your interactions take place in an online environment. In other words, opinions about people are formed primarily by their ability to express their thoughts in writing. Based on this, you will eventually be able to formulate your point of view in a lexically diverse and grammatically correct manner.
Is it possible to start learning English remotely from scratch?
Well, as you may have already noticed, there are many more advantages to learning English online than disadvantages. However, the question of the possibility of learning a language remotely from scratch still remains open. Let's close it?
So the answer is short: “Of course, yes!”
However, you should be aware that at the first stage it is best to study with a teacher, and not on your own. This is necessary primarily for correct pronunciation. Moreover, in the future this will allow the student to freely operate and understand the basic vocabulary and grammar.
In general, we can say that online and offline learning involves 3 common components: the teacher, the student and the textbook. Only the form of presentation of the material changes, while the result remains unchanged.
Options for learning English remotely
There are several ways to learn English remotely. Let's look at each of them:
The first and most common method is paid English courses remotely with a teacher via Skype. Based on the preferences and interests of the online student, the EnglishDom online school selects the ideal teacher for the student, with whom the learning process will be not only fruitful, but also fun.
Here the student can choose either a Russian-speaking teacher (when learning the language from scratch, for example), or a native speaker (if the level is above average). The native’s place of residence or nationality is also taken into account. This is primarily due to the fact that for some students it is important to know what kind of English the teacher speaks: British, American, Australian, etc., as well as the culture and traditions of which countries he can introduce.
Moreover, our school offers a wide range of various courses to suit every taste (more detailed information is available):
- Conversation course English (from Elementary to Upper-Intermediate, about levels in English), where a strong lexical and grammatical foundation of the language is laid;
- English for children(from Elementary to Intermediate) - pranks, American and British slang for teenagers from 12 to 18 years old;
- English in IT(Pre-Intermediate), which explains the intricacies of working in the industry, and also provides visual situational models for practicing communication skills;
- Business English(Pre-Intermediate), if there is a need to communicate freely with foreign colleagues;
- English for travel(Pre-Intermediate) - life situations in English, so that staying in other English-speaking countries will be a joy.
And secondly, it is also a free online simulator for learning English without instructions from a teacher. Here you will find useful exercises on English vocabulary, grammatical topics and rules, tasks on the perception of speech of native speakers through video and audio materials, and, finally, situational phrases and expressions with translation for all occasions.
Conclusion
The growing popularity and accessibility of online courses allows people to learn English in any convenient place, while simultaneously going about their business, without being distracted from work or study.
Finding the right course is often a dilemma, but we hope that thanks to this article, you have formed the right opinion about which online programs and methods of learning English are right for you.
Don't waste time searching the Internet, start learning English today and we will help you achieve your goal.
Big and friendly EnglishDom family
For everyone who is tired of monotonous cramming and incomprehensible grammar tasks, there are free sites for learning English. They are aimed at different users and are built in different formats. We hope you find something for yourself.
Free websites can help you learn English. Photo: Depositphotos
1. "Inglex" - an online school with a free library of materials for self-study of the language. The blog's authors write articles on business, conversational and travel English. There are sections of different formats - from analysis of tenses to selections of TV series by level of knowledge.
In addition to expert articles, there are many other materials:
- weekly newsletter with analysis of news in English, tests, selections of words and resources;
- free webinars from leading school teachers;
- social networks with relevant materials;
- author's test to determine the level of English;
- free books, organizer and planner for self-study.
2. Engblog - over 10 years, the blog’s authors have written a lot of articles on various topics in English. Read materials on grammar, learn thematic selections of words, take tests and use tips on preparing for international exams. You can study articles by individual authors if you like a particular style of presentation.
3. Duolingo is another service for learning foreign languages from scratch, writes AIN.ua. The project is financially supported by Google Capital, Ashton Kutcher and other good investors. The program is built in the form of a “tree of achievements”: in order to move to a new level, you must first score a certain number of points, which are given for correct answers. There are applications for iOS and Android.
4. LearnEnglish - materials for learning English are collected here in different formats: lessons, games, chats, etc. The site is available in English.
5. Situational English - suggests learning English through situations. The site contains about 150 articles, which, depending on the context, offer ready-made expressions and reactions. Materials are available in Russian.
6. Real-english.com - a site with lessons, articles and videos. Also available in Russian.
7. Eslpod.com - users are encouraged to work with podcasts, all of them are available on iTunes for free. There is also the opportunity to study with printouts of podcasts and dictionaries.
8. Learn American English online - all material is divided into levels and highlighted in a certain color for convenience. And teacher Paul explains grammar in video format.
9. Learnathome is a Russian service, convenient in that a lesson plan is created for the student every day, which can be completed in 30 minutes. Before starting, the user is recommended to take a quick test that will determine the level of language proficiency. If you skip the test, the service will install the program for the elementary level.
10. Ororo.tv - a service for learning English while watching films and popular TV series. The video player has a built-in translator in which you need to select the Russian language.
11. Film-english - a website for learning a language using short films, created by English teacher Kieran Donahue, winner of a number of prestigious educational awards in the UK.
12. TuneintoEnglish - the site offers to learn English with the help of music. Here you can take dictation of song lyrics, sing karaoke, find exercises for the lyrics, and guess what song is being talked about using diagrams.
13. FreeRice - a simulator for replenishing your English vocabulary with grammar exercises and tests. The service is supported by the United Nations World Food Programme, so the classes are designed like a game - for every correct answer you get a little rice to feed the hungry.
14. Memrise - the site is available in English. During the training, the user is asked to choose a meme to better remember the word or create their own associative image. Then you need to perform exercises on choosing the correct answer and listening to the word. The service is also available for iOS and Android.
15. Myspelling - a useful site for those who want to improve their spelling in English. The user is asked to listen to the word, then write it.
16. ManyThings - the site is aimed at those who are preparing for tests or exams in English. There are sections for practicing pronunciation (American, English), idioms, slang, etc.
17. ExamEnglish is suitable for those preparing for an international English exam (IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, etc.).
18. Babeleo - here you can read books in the original with a professional translation before your eyes. The books are available for free to review, but to access the full versions you must subscribe.
19. Begin-English - English for beginners. A large selection of a wide variety of educational materials that were collected on a volunteer basis by students and graduate students of Moscow State University.
20. List-English - selection and classification of materials for learning English: online dictionaries, schools, forums, translators, tutors, tests, school textbooks, video courses, games, YouTube channels, podcasts and much more. New users are invited to download a 10-step plan that will help them learn more easily.
21. Englishtips.org - all English textbooks are collected here and are available for downloading or reading online.
There are really many ways to learn English, and understanding their effectiveness can be difficult. Unfortunately, there is no “magic pill” that is ideal for everyone, because everyone is different. Here are tips on how to find the way to learn English that works best for you.
Warm-up before classes
Just as you need to warm up before playing sports, you also need to warm up before learning a language. Here are some simple exercises:
Stage I: Brush up on your vocabulary
Brush up on your vocabulary by thinking about or briefly describing the topic you are going to study. For example, if this is , think about your last vacation - what you did, what you remember, etc. This simple exercise will help revive your memory of words that you may encounter when working on this topic.
Stage II: Brush up on your grammar
Brush up on your grammar by recalling the general outline of the required grammatical area. For example, if you are, try to describe in English what you did last weekend, where you went, etc.. As with vocabulary, this warm-up is necessary to prepare for further study of English grammar.
Stage III: Sing a song
Before your English lesson, sing an English song. It should be a song that you know and understand well (you will find English-language songs with translations).
This short and easy exercise will help you tune into the English language and relax at the same time. Singing also activates the creative activity of the brain, which will help you choose words more creatively when conducting a dialogue or when composing an impromptu story on a given topic.
Step IV: Type a short paragraph in English
If you work on a computer, as a kind of self-tuning, type a paragraph of simple text in English. You can describe your day, your activities, your friends—anything. This helps activate the kinesthetic activity of the brain, responsible for remembering through physical actions. It's also helpful to type out the rules while learning grammar. Movement will help you consolidate your knowledge.
Stage V: A Thousand Words
There is a saying in English: “A picture is worth a thousand words” (“A picture is worth a thousand words” or “It’s better to see once than to hear a hundred times”). By describing a photograph or drawing, you engage the areas of the brain responsible for creativity. While you're at it, you can brush up on your vocabulary by choosing a picture that's relevant to the topic you'll be studying.
Practice English every day
It is important to practice English every day. However, don't overwork yourself. It's better to exercise for 30 minutes every day than two hours once a week. Short, regular sessions are much more effective than long hours of studying with long breaks. Getting into the habit of studying every day will help keep your language skills active.
Learn English with friends
There is nothing better than learning English in good company. You can do exercises together, conduct dialogues (in English!) and help each other with what is more difficult. If among your friends you do not find like-minded people,...
Learn English in different ways
Don't limit yourself to just one way to learn a language. Use different techniques that use different areas of the brain. For example, when you memorize new words, you can draw a mnemonic map, describe the picture, and type the word you are learning several times. Together, all these methods will help strengthen your knowledge.
Choose topics that interest you
One of the most important parts is to learn English using topics that interest you. This will increase your motivation because while learning English, you will also learn something new about something you like.
Possibility analysis study influence analysis study life analysis study history analysis study object analysis study experience analysis study phenomenon analysis study type analysis study influence analysis study possibility analysis... ... Verbal compatibility of non-objective names
study- assimilate, earn extra money, look, get acquainted, go through, investigate, teach, track, overcome, follow, master, probe, digest, explore, study, process, work through, master, shovel, ... ... Synonym dictionary
STUDY- STUDY, study, study (book). imperfect to study. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 … Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
study- STUDY, teach, teach; scientist; owls, who what. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
study- - [A.S. Goldberg. English-Russian energy dictionary. 2006] Energy topics in general EN search ... Technical Translator's Guide
study- study deeply, study thoroughly... Dictionary of Russian Idioms
Study- Nesov. trans. 1. Comprehend through the learning process. Ott. To master something, to master something, acquiring the necessary skills and abilities. 2. To comprehend, understand the meaning, significance of something in the process of scientific research. 3. Carefully observe... ... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova
study- study, study, study... Russian spelling dictionary
study- (I), studying/eating, tea/t... Spelling dictionary of the Russian language
study- Syn: explore, overcome, study, comprehend (subtly), master, master, assimilate... Thesaurus of Russian business vocabulary
study- STUDY, STUDY see Study... encyclopedic Dictionary
Books
- The Art of Learning Languages, Eric W. Gunnemark. How many “world languages” are there? Which ones are the hardest to learn? At what age is it best to start learning languages? Is it worth it to engage in 'intensive learning' of languages? Which... Buy for 430 RUR
- Workbook for the textbook "Social Studies". Why study society? 5th grade. Federal State Educational Standard, Yaroslavtseva Marina Yuryevna, Danilov Dmitry Daimovich. Workbook for the textbook "Social Studies" (Why study society?) 5th grade is an integral part of the educational and methodological complex for 5th grade... Buy for 405 rubles
- Tests and tests for the textbook “Social Studies” (Why study society?). 5th grade Federal State Educational Standard, Danilov Dmitry Daimovich, Yaroslavtseva Marina Yuryevna. Tests and tests for the textbook "Social Studies" (Why study society?), 5th grade. contain didactic material for monitoring the acquisition of knowledge and development of skills and...
You've probably already read hundreds of articles on the Internet about how to learn English on your own and for free. Still not able to achieve the desired level of knowledge? The thing is that many offer theoretical advice without backing it up with practice. That's why we decided to put together a practical guide to self-study. In this article we will tell you whether it is possible to learn English without anyone’s help, we will explain what materials you MUST use during self-study and what resources you can use additionally so that you don’t get bored learning English at home. You can save yourself a free PDF of all 156 resources, and at the end of the article we'll give you our Editors' Choice "best of the best" list.
Is it possible to learn English on your own?
Let's first find out whether it is realistic to learn English on your own or whether it is not worth wasting time and effort on this activity. Let’s say right away that learning English on your own and for free is quite possible, because there are thousands of learning resources on the Internet that will help you do this. Why doesn’t everyone manage to master the language at the desired level? You probably know people whose self-study has turned into a waste of time. Or maybe you yourself have tried to learn English more than once without success?
We can say with confidence that only three factors determine whether you can learn English on your own:
- Your desire to learn the language.
- Willingness to work.
- An effective way to learn a language.
If both the first and second factors are present, then it’s only a matter of the third link - the ability to find for yourself the most effective way to learn English on your own. This article is designed to solve the problem of the third factor: we will tell you how to organize an effective learning process and what materials you will need.
At the same time, we would like to immediately warn you: self-study is an interesting process, but not easy, and it is especially difficult for beginners. We still advise those learning the language “from scratch” to use the services. Under his watchful supervision and experienced guidance, you will get ahead faster than if you taught yourself. Do you want to walk this path without anyone's help? We have already written an article on this topic “”, but it is aimed specifically at beginners. In this same article we will talk about resources for all English learners, so for beginners it is better to start by studying the first article and then return to this material.
How to learn English on your own
We have compiled 6 simple recommendations for you on how to better learn English on your own. These tips are based on the experiences of our teachers and students. To make self-study effective for you, follow all the recommendations, then positive results will not keep you waiting.
1. Set a specific goal
All further actions to independently study English depend on your learning goal. Consider whether you want to master general conversational or business English, want to reach an intermediate level, or want to reach the top. You can look and choose a similar goal for yourself. Also, an excellent correct goal is to reach the intermediate level, this way you will build a good knowledge base. Find out 8 more reasons to get to this level from the article “”.
2. Create a class schedule
It would seem that the beauty of self-learning lies precisely in the fact that your English classes are not tied to any specific moment: you learn the language when it is convenient for you. However, in reality it turns out as in the famous joke. Your conscience torments you: “When are you going to start learning English?” And you answer her: “Well, no, I can’t do it today, I’m so tired. Let's never. Will it never suit you? Agree, it is impossible to learn English with this approach. Therefore, take control of yourself and make a specific schedule, for example, study for an hour every day or 3-4 times a week for 1.5 hours. Of course, having a schedule will not protect you from procrastination, but you will already know that you didn’t just “legally postpone the lesson, I’ll study later,” but missed it. A gnawing conscience is a good motivator!
3. Select the resources you need
As we have already said, we have many sources of knowledge, and such an abundance of useful resources does not always have a positive effect on learning. Thus, many people decide to learn English and in one day buy all available textbooks, add 541 English learning sites to their bookmarks, and install 37 language learning applications. On the one hand, such zeal is commendable. On the other hand, each textbook and each website has its own principles for presenting the material, so if you study on different resources every day, you risk creating a mess in your head and within a week or two you will realize that you do not know what to take on. Below we will offer you a list of good time-tested resources for learning English in the context of English skills. Spend a couple of days choosing no more than 1-2 resources for each skill.
4. Look for someone to talk to
Some people think that English can be learned "offline" using only books, audio and video materials. However, it is not. You can read Agatha Christie in the original and listen to BBC news, but what good is that if you have trouble speaking English? You can speak the language you are learning only with the help of an interlocutor. Read on to find out how to find a partner to practice speaking with.
5. Track your achievements
This is an important point for those who decide to learn English on their own at home. Be sure to complete test assignments to track your progress. You can take various online tests, such as knowledge tests. It is important to check your mistakes. This is quite difficult when teaching yourself, so we have written an assistant article for you “”. From it you will learn how to control your learning process.
6. Don't take long breaks from studying.
Everyone has days when it seems like there is no time to learn English. In this case, we recommend finding literally 5-10 minutes and doing one of the exercises from the article “”. If you do have to take a break from studying, try not to prolong it, otherwise the accumulated knowledge will begin to fly out of your head and you will completely abandon your studies.
How to learn English at home for free: 156 useful materials
Now we will present you with the resources that you will definitely need to effectively study English on your own. You will see the entire list of resources in a PDF file, which you can save to your computer for free:
Those who learn English on their own often complain that they are unable to learn English grammar. In this case, we recommend taking an additional textbook with grammar exercises in addition to the main textbook. When choosing such a book, be guided by our article “”. Go through the manual from the first lesson to the last, without skipping anything, then the material will be easier to understand.
A good vocabulary will allow you to express your thoughts accurately, so try to constantly learn new words. It is advisable to take new vocabulary not only from your main textbook, but also from specialized manuals. A reliable source of the necessary words will be one of. The practical exercises in these books will teach you how to correctly use the words you have learned in your speech.
Correct pronunciation is necessary for the interlocutor to understand you, so this skill also needs to be developed. If when learning English with a teacher you can do without a special manual, because the teacher will teach you how to pronounce sounds correctly, then when studying English on your own at home you will need a textbook. You can take one of the following manuals: English Pronunciation in Use, New Headway Pronunciation Course, Tree or Three? , Ship or Sheep? , How Now, Brown Cow? , Elements of Pronunciation. In them you will find many tasks for listening and correct pronunciation.
A good dictionary is an indispensable attribute for learning English. We recommend first using an online Russian-English dictionary, such as multitran.ru or lingvolive.ru. When you reach an intermediate level of knowledge, start using an English-English dictionary, such as macmillandictionary.com or dictionary.cambridge.org.
Would you like to use teaching aids? We recommend reading our article “”, in which we talked about the advantages of using aids, and also indicated who can learn English without them.
Additional Resources
The listed textbooks will be enough for you to improve your English skills, but sometimes you want to take a break from books and diversify your learning with some interesting materials. We have made for you a large selection of the best resources that will help you learn English on your own.
- We speak English
- Learning new words
New vocabulary can be learned not only from the manual, but also using more modern and exciting methods:
- Install applications for learning words: Anki for Android and iOS, Easy Ten for and iOS or Fun Easy Learn English for Android and iOS. Learning 10 words will take no more than 5-7 minutes; we think even a busy person will find time to study with applications.
- Learn words with visual dictionaries such as online-languages.info or oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com. An association with a picture is remembered better and faster than a separate word.
- Take tests at englishteststore.net and esl.fis.edu. You will be able to check how well you remember the new vocabulary and see how it is used in speech.
- Solve crosswords: .
- Improving listening comprehension of English speech
Improving your listening comprehension of English on your own is quite simple. We recommend the following methods:
- Listen to audio materials: .
- To watch news: . You can first watch a video with subtitles, and then without them.
- Watch fascinating educational videos and video lectures: .
- Listen to interesting audiobooks: .
- Listen to music: .
- Improving your grammar knowledge
To learn to communicate in English, you need to try to speak it as often as possible. Where to find a communication partner? On one of the language exchange sites, such as italki.com or es.coeffee.com. You will find even more ideas and resources for finding an interlocutor in the article “”.
Remember: without knowing grammar, it is impossible to speak English normally. Therefore, let's see what methods, in addition to exercises from the textbook, can be used to deal with grammar once and for all.
- Learn grammar using understandable articles in Russian: engblog.ru.
- Run tests: . Performing at least one debriefing test every day will help you gradually eliminate your mistakes.
- Watch training videos: . Also visit the wonderful resource engvid.com. Pay attention to the videos with teacher Ronnie: her fiery sense of humor and fascinating lessons will appeal even to those who hate grammar.
- Use grammar learning apps: Johnny Grammar for iOS or Learn English Grammar for Android and LearnEnglish Grammar for iOS. These simple gadget programs will add variety to your commute to work or your trip to the country.
Reading is the easiest skill to work with on your own. How to do it:
- Read adapted literature: . Such books can be read by people with Beginner level and above.
- Read books in original: .
- Read fascinating articles: . A small interesting article - the optimal “dose” for those who want to learn English at home on their own.
- Read the news: install the Yahoo News Digest or BBC News application on your smartphone or tablet, then you will be up to date and can improve your English every day.
- Read magazines: .
Improving pronunciation through self-study is not very easy: in order to analyze your speech and find errors in it, you need to have experience in learning English and know exactly HOW all sounds should sound. But this difficulty can be overcome if you use the following techniques:
- Learn to pronounce sounds correctly: .
- Practice speaking tongue twisters: the website download-esl.com has tongue twisters voiced by native speakers. Say at least a couple of them every day, and within a couple of months your pronunciation will improve, and pronouncing difficult English sounds will become much easier.
You can learn to write in English without the help of a teacher. The catch is that if you decide to learn English on your own, there will be no one to check your written work. There are services for communicating with foreigners; these sites offer something like a language exchange: you check the text in Russian, and a native English speaker checks your written work in English. However, keep in mind that such sites can also be used by illiterate people, so no one can guarantee the authenticity of the verification. In addition, your reviewer will, at best, simply correct your mistakes, but not explain them. Therefore, if it is important for you to learn to write well in English, you should think about lessons with a teacher. In addition, the following will help you:
- Learn to write correctly: ...
- Working on pronunciation - .
- Online dictations - dictationsonline.com.
We've provided you with a detailed, practical guide on how to learn English on your own for free, and the best resources to help you succeed in this field. Now it's up to you. This path can be difficult at first, because learning something new is never easy. Remember when you first got on a bike, you probably fell more than once before learning to ride. “Steering English” will also not be easy, but gradually you will be able to pick up speed and master it masterfully. We wish you success in your studies!
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