First steps in English: where to start? The most practical tips for learning English on your own How best to learn English on your own.

Everyone has their own reasons for learning English. Some want to move to another country or go on a tourist trip, others want to improve their professional and business skills and build a successful career, while others learn a language for self-development and broadening their horizons. If you are interested in how to learn English on your own from scratch without teachers without leaving home, this article will be useful for you.

Article navigation

Today, those who want to master a foreign language at one level or another have more and more opportunities. Linguistic studios, courses and private teachers offer their services. It is possible that mastering all the subtleties and complexities of a foreign language is easier with real professionals. But if you do not have the physical or financial ability to study with qualified teachers, you should not despair: you can learn English on your own from scratch at home. Moreover, this method also has unconditional advantages:

Freedom to choose your schedule

You don't have to plan your day around a strict course schedule. You determine the time and duration of your own classes and can vary them depending on your busy schedule.

Individual program

Despite all the advantages, the programs of courses and studios are still somewhat generalized and designed for the average potential and goals of students. By studying separately, you independently determine which language aspects need to be given more attention, and select materials and methods taking into account your personal training and the characteristics of knowledge acquisition.

Reasonable spending

Any language courses require financial investments, the size of which depends both on the prestige of the methods and on the duration of the programs. If you decide to study English at home, the cost of training may be the price of the textbooks and online courses you choose - and even then you will notice the benefit.

Comfort

Going to a teacher on the other side of town on a rainy autumn evening, going to courses after work, when dreams of a cozy chair and a cup of tea overshadow any ambitious plans - all this can significantly reduce motivation. But if you decide to learn English on your own, you can forget about such difficulties. You don’t waste time traveling, you don’t need to leave home when you’re not in the mood or the weather. You just take a textbook or computer, connect to the Internet and study without leaving your favorite room.

All this is true if you really decide to learn English from scratch on your own, without leaving home. Without courses, studios, tutors and teachers. Textbooks and online courses can become your mentors - and, as practice shows, self-study can be no less effective.

Note: If you decide to study English on your own, be prepared to show willpower, patience and endurance. One of the keys to successful language acquisition is consistency, so make sure you have the internal willingness to practice regularly and can force yourself not to be lazy.

And one more small warning: there is simply no universal recipe for learning English on your own at home from scratch. It all depends on the right training materials, frequency of classes, ability to perceive information and your personal linguistic inclinations. But if you are determined to try and are confident that you can master the linguistic nuances you need without intermediaries, feel free to start. By the way, you can watch the animated video in which we tried to convey the main points of the article.

Watch this video and in 3 minutes you will learn how to learn English on your own

Where to start learning English: defining skills

Proficiency in English at any level relies on 4 important language skills. Let's take a closer look at what these skills are and what each of them is responsible for.

Reading

The ability to understand what is written, analyze and draw conclusions is especially important now, when there is a huge amount of information around that deserves our attention. Full mastery of the skill means that you can read literary, journalistic and scientific texts in English practically without a dictionary, you can quickly identify the main ideas and theses in them and even explain them to someone else in your own words.

Letter (Writing)

Successfully mastering the skill of writing in English will allow you not only to actively communicate on social networks, but also to conduct business correspondence, which is especially important if you are learning the language for career purposes. The key aspects in this case are impeccable spelling and grammar, the ability to construct sentences, and in some cases, knowledge of the basics of business etiquette.

Listening or Listening

You can declare that you know a foreign language well only if you are fluent in listening to speech in it. If you decide to learn English from scratch on your own, you need to pay enough attention to this skill. Listening to audio and video materials will also improve your speaking practice. A good level of listening proficiency assumes that you understand at least 65% of what you hear - which means you can communicate freely with native speakers and perceive important information that they are trying to convey to you.

Speaking

In communication, it is important not only to listen, but also to be able to interact with the interlocutor. Developed speaking skills presuppose that you know how to correctly pronounce certain words, construct sentences, discuss certain topics and, of course, have a sufficient vocabulary. That is, your ability to maintain dialogues is implied.

As in any other language, in English all 4 skills are interdependent, and one cannot develop properly without the other. In this case, the answer to the question of how to easily learn English is clear: when creating a lesson program for every day, be sure to include exercises in reading, speaking, listening and writing.

Note: Not always tasks for 4 skills should be present in equal proportions. If you feel that you lack practice in one of them or you are learning English for strictly specific purposes (travel, business correspondence, etc.), you can pay more attention to the desired skill. But you also shouldn’t forget about other aspects: find at least 15 minutes of the total lesson time for them.

How to learn English on your own at home: creating a program

So, you finally decided to study English on your own in your favorite room. All that remains is to decide where to start. If you really start from scratch, then you will have to start with the most basic - the rules of reading and pronunciation. However, do not stay at this stage for too long, and gradually move on to studying other aspects of the language.

How to learn the alphabet

There are 26 letters in the English alphabet - 20 consonants and 6 vowels. When starting to learn English from scratch at home, follow these steps:

Start with vowels - Aa, Ee, Ii, Oo, Uu, Yy. Be sure to clarify their sound in the transcription - today there is such an opportunity online.
Go to letters similar in spelling and sound to Russian ones - Bb, Cc, Dd, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Pp, Ss, Tt. This is the easiest way to learn most of the alphabet - at least you will already know what to rely on when reading.
Lastly, learn the letters that are not in the Russian alphabet - Ff, Gg, Hh, Jj, Qq, Rr, Vv, Ww, Xx, Zz.

Write down all the letters (both large and small) along with the transcription in a separate notebook and carefully pronounce each of them when writing. This will help you quickly form a visual image of letters - and, therefore, learn to read in a shorter time.

How to learn sounds

Most letters in the English language have several pronunciation options - it all depends on the position of the syllable and surrounding letter combinations. You can remember all the reading rules using:

Special tables that you can find in a textbook or online.
Notebooks where you can write down all the sounds in groups, including diphthongs (complex sounds of two vowel tones) and triphthongs (complex sounds of three vowel tones).
Cards that you can make yourself in any convenient format.

Note: Be sure to find programs that allow you to practice pronunciation out loud - only in this case the reading rules will be reinforced in the shortest possible time, and you will be able to boast of correct pronunciation.

How to improve your vocabulary

Experts suggest proceeding from the following values. For everyday communication you will need 1500-2000 words, for a comfortable long stay in a language environment - about 5000 thousand, and if you are planning a professional career, then the minimum level will be 20-25 thousand words. But the latter is for the longer term. In the meantime, use any of these methods:

Consistent. Take one topic, highlight subsections in it and make cards with words and expressions for each. Set yourself a task - for example, to memorize 10 words daily. Stick to your chosen plan. Once a topic is mastered, move on to the next one. Thus, in a year you will master at least 20-25 large lexical sections, which will allow you to communicate quite freely.
Visual. Hang cards with their names in English on all objects in the apartment - your memory will work involuntarily. If you start to notice that when you see this item, the English equivalent comes to mind, remove the card.
For auditory learners. If it's easier for you to memorize by ear, watch movies and TV programs in English (you can turn on subtitles at first), listen to songs and poems, and write down the words and expressions you like. Special audio courses will also come in handy.
For book lovers. If you like to read more, then you should immediately start with reading and translating texts. Start with the simplest ones, where a maximum of 5-7 words are of interest to you. Over time, find more complex sources for translation - and you will be surprised how quickly new vocabulary is fixed in memory.

Tip: Try to include at least three verbs in your list of words to learn for the day - they are the basis of the lexical base in English. And don’t forget to look at the dictionary at the slightest interest or doubt: it should become your reference book while you are learning the language.

English grammar: features and secrets of learning

It is impossible to determine how to quickly learn English if you do not have an idea of the grammatical norms and rules of the language. And it’s worth saying a few words about this separately.

The English language belongs to the analytical type - that is, logical connections between words in a sentence are formed not with the help of endings and suffixes, as in Russian, but through prepositions, auxiliary and phrasal verbs. Other features of grammar include:

clear and consistent word order in sentences;
presence of articles;
lack of a grammatical category of gender;
special rules for the use of possessive pronouns;
a large number of verb tenses with a focus on completeness, duration and regularity.

In fact, learning English grammar is easier than it seems - just follow three basic rules:

Move from simple to complex (for example, from Present Simple to Present Continuous)
Try to understand, not memorize.
Practice, practice and more practice.

All the basic English grammar rules are presented in various tables, along with exceptions and examples, so that remembering them will not be difficult with frequent practice. Those who master grammar from the very beginning will appreciate the convenience of tables in the process of learning the language. And if you find a good collection of exercises and devote at least 10-15 minutes a day to them, you will successfully bring your knowledge “to automatism.”

How to Learn Spoken English Easily: Helpful Tricks

If you need to speak English as soon as possible, but you don’t know how to start, just start with the most important thing - what we talked about above. In addition, we offer you some very useful ideas.

Listen more. Start watching movies in English, don’t miss videos from your favorite English-speaking groups, add their songs to your playlist, follow the news. This way you will not only expand your vocabulary, but also learn expressions characteristic of the spoken language.
Reconfigure your mobile phone interface to English - the same goes for your tablet and computer. Choose English-language sites to search for information.
Look up the meaning of words in an English-English dictionary - the benefits will become noticeable very quickly.
Try adding yourself to English-language chats on social networks - and discover something new for yourself every day.

Perhaps, over time, you will also have your own secret techniques for learning English vocabulary. Be sure to use them - the more comfortable the methods, the better the result.

Reading texts: which books to choose for a particular level

At the very initial stage, short children's fairy tales are also suitable for you - to get used to literary speech and easily grasp the plot. Having moved to a higher level of knowledge, you can begin to read adapted literature. A sample list is below.

Level A-2

The Fisherman and His Soul (Oscar Wilde);
Dracula (Bram Stocker);
Mr. Bean In Town (Richard Curtis).

Level B-1

1984 (George Orwell);
Three Men in a Boat (Jerome K. Jerome);
Forrest Gump (John Escott).

Level B-2

Airport (Arthur Hailey);
Four Weddings and a Funeral (Richard Curtis);
The Talented Mr. Ripley (Patricia Highsmith).

Level C-1

Brave New World (Aldous Huxley);
Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte);
Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen).

Of course, this list is approximate. You can choose books yourself based on your tastes and level of knowledge. However, do not forget to read them regularly - and if you are familiar with their Russian versions, you will find it even more interesting.

Advice: Don't try to understand the meaning of each word - it is more important to understand the idea. Moreover, in the book you choose, you should be familiar with a maximum of 70% of the vocabulary - so that you have room to grow and what to learn.

So, the alphabet and phonetics, a grammar rule, learning new conversational phrases, a little reading and listening - your lesson should consist of approximately these parts. Distribute your time evenly between them - you can always adjust your plan if necessary.

Self-paced English learning methods

To successfully learn English from scratch at home, you can use various methods, which will be discussed below. However, professional teachers advise combining them all - this way you can systematically develop all language skills at once.

Books, textbooks, tutorials

Over the past few years, the following textbooks have most often been included in the lists of the most effective aids for self-study of English:

“English step by step” (N.A. Bonk);
“16 English lessons” (D. Petrov";
English Pronunciation in Use (Johnatan Marks);
English Grammar in Use (Raymond Murphy);
Speakout (Frances Eales, Steve Oakes).

Each of these guides has strengths and advantages that make them key to learning English on your own. And yet, no matter what comprehensive course you choose, do not forget about additional materials (apps, online seminars, chats, etc.) and exercises.

Audio courses, audio lessons

Audio courses are great for those who perceive information more effectively by ear and want to be able to study English at any time and anywhere. We present to your attention 5 of the most useful and comfortable aids:

“English in 6 weeks” (E. Smith);
“That's what they say in America” (English USA);
BBC Grammar Challenge.

All audio materials are available for download. Before you download them, you can read the detailed course description to determine how well it suits your goals and skill level.

Online training

Learning English at home from scratch is not an easy task, so you can call on the Internet and related online learning to help.

Online English language learning services are becoming increasingly popular - and for good reason:

convenience - training is possible at any time of the day or night, all you need is a computer;
cost - online courses are much cheaper than regular ones, and if you wish, you can find programs available for free;
individual approach - the service selects a program suitable for the student based on the results of the preliminary test;
comprehensive coverage - online courses are balanced and cover all aspects of the language, including vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.

One of these popular services is the online tutorial Lim English. A full-fledged learning platform, a simple, intuitive lesson algorithm, progress tracking and an extensive lexical base with “live” conversational units and expressions will allow you to achieve a high level of knowledge of English in the most exciting way. The service will be useful for anyone starting to learn a foreign language.

English based on films, TV series, songs

If you have already reached a basic level, feel free to include films, songs and TV series in a foreign language in your learning process. This will not only pleasantly diversify your classes, but will also allow you to quickly master lively conversational speech.

Another advantage is that the materials can be very different. Educational BBC video lessons and documentaries, favorite soap operas, songs of pop and rock bands familiar from childhood, and even comics - all this will help you immerse yourself even deeper into the language environment.

Tip: Don’t forget to write out and repeat interesting vocabulary - you will definitely need it in live communication.

Immersion in the language environment

By immersion in the language environment, linguists mean being completely surrounded by sources of information in English and active interaction with native speakers. For you, this dive may include:

reading the press - newspapers and magazines - in English;
watching news, series, TV shows;
communication with native speakers live, on social networks and chats such as Skype or other instant messengers;
living abroad in English-speaking families;
switching all home appliances and gadgets to the English interface.

This method can be slightly stressful - but its effectiveness cannot be overestimated. Be sure to try this immersion for at least a few days, and you will notice how much freer your speech has become.

Note: When communicating in English, do not be embarrassed or afraid of mistakes. Americans and British are extremely friendly to those who want to learn the language and will definitely support you. Even short communication with them easily removes the language barrier.

So, we have looked at the basic methods and rules for constructing programs for self-learning English. In addition, we have prepared a few more recommendations for you - perhaps they will be useful to you and will help you not to lose interest in the language:

Clearly define the duration of the lesson- at least 1 hour daily. Whatever happens, try to stick to the chosen time frame - and even study a little longer.
Sing!
One song in English before the start of classes will relax you and allow you to tune in to the positive - and the result. Type or write something in English
. Even a small paragraph will set your thinking correctly and help consolidate your knowledge. Find a like-minded person
. Try learning the language with someone else, in a pair or in a group. This is not only more fun, but also more useful - you will be able to test each other, and the spirit of competition will play a role. Make native speaking friends
. Visitors to social networks and online chats are willing to make contact and will definitely help you master the nuances of English. Reward yourself

. During a week of stable classes, treat yourself to something tasty, a trip to the cinema or other pleasant trifle. Encouragement is never too much.

And, of course, the best incentive is an excellent result. Take small online tests regularly, start reading a new book or watching a new movie. When you realize how much your English is improving, you will feel more motivated to improve further.

A little about children: how a child can start learning English

Is it possible to teach English to a baby or preschooler at home? As surprising as this may sound, in some respects it is even simpler. The fact is that a child of 5-6 years old begins the so-called sensitive period - when he is especially receptive to learning languages and easily remembers not only words, but also grammatical structures. If you start studying with him right now, further training will go like clockwork.

One of the problems in language learning for children is weak motivation or its complete absence. If adults study English with a specific goal, directing volitional efforts to achieve it, then the child most often vaguely understands why he needs it. And if you decide to educate your children at home, then the key to success for you will be an entertaining, playful form.

Various games and competitions help develop a child's interest and captivate him. The most popular methods of learning English for children:
watching your child’s favorite cartoons (and then films) in the original;
online services with games and interesting tasks.

Note: When choosing materials for your child, focus not only on his age, but also on the relevance of the topic - find stories that he likes. And try not to overload your baby: as soon as you feel that he is losing interest, you can end the lesson. Usually 30 minutes a day is enough.

As you can see, anyone can learn English on their own at home from scratch. The most important thing is desire, effort, consistency, system, and, of course, interest. If you are able to find the most suitable and comfortable ways and methods for learning a language, clearly define your goals and do not deviate from your plans - in just a few months you will be pleasantly pleased with the results. Spend just an hour a day learning the language on your own to get closer to your cherished goal. And finally: no bees - no honey, no work - no money! Your perfect English is in your hands. Good luck!

Do you want to learn English quickly and easily? If you didn't have time to do this in school or didn't have the opportunity, don't despair! You can speak English very quickly with very little effort if you approach learning English the right way.

Coming out of your comfort zone is tough in the beginning, chaotic in the middle, and awesome in the end...because in the end, it shows you a whole new world !!! Make an attempt.

Getting out of your comfort zone is so difficult at first, chaotic in the middle, but how wonderful in the end... Because in the end the whole world will open up in front of you in a new way!!! Just give it a try.

In the modern world, there are many ways to study foreign languages, and sometimes it is not easy for a person to understand this variety of methods, textbooks, schools and approaches. A few simple tips will help you take the first step and choose what’s right for you and stay on track.

You can learn more about the intensive method of learning English from the article

English for dummies from scratch. How to start?

The initial stage in learning English is the most difficult, but you have the most important thing - strength and desire

Where to start learning English?

Learning English from scratch simply won’t work, because you already have a certain amount of knowledge in your head. And this is thanks to the many borrowed words ( information, conflict, comfort), brand names ( Tide- clean, Safeguard- protection, Dove- dove), speaking the names of famous people ( Tina Turner(turner), Nicolas Cage(cell), names of musical groups ( No Doubt(without a doubt), Destiny's Child(child of destiny) Spice Girls(Pepper girls). Not to mention the well-known phrases thank you, hello, yes, ok, wow, which we have been using in Russian colloquial speech for a long time.

Without knowing it, you already speak English words and expressions. And this is the first thing that should inspire you! All that remains is to direct the existing knowledge in the right direction.

How to choose a school and English teacher?

The best option at the initial stage of language acquisition is to find a teacher. As the famous saying goes, a student is not a vessel to be filled, but a torch to be lit. This torch can be lit for you by a teacher, with a twinkle in his eye and a great desire and ability to teach. The most important thing is that it must be a professional in his field .

“You are looking at an unprofessional if, instead of constructing live conversational situations, he forces you to perform tasks at the level of meaning, i.e. just “chasing” you through the textbook. Instead of constantly complimenting you, encouraging communication, he makes comments, rejoices at your every mistake, if he goes to class without original materials (newspapers, magazines, books, radio programs, etc.), and limits himself to textbooks.” Ilya Frank

Russian teacher or native speaker?

And one more wish - first of all, it should be a Russian-speaking teacher. Only he will be able to understand why you made this or that mistake, and will explain complex grammatical phenomena in simple words, the difference between words, comparing them with the Russian language.

However One teacher is not enough to master a language. In your free time from classes, do additional tasks and repeat what you have learned. Anyone who has the desire and interest will definitely do it.

Or it is possible that you have motivation, but for some reason you decided to learn English on your own. Be prepared for the fact that this will require much more time and effort, since you will need to not only complete tasks, but also select and check them yourself! YouTube channels for learning English can help you here.

Group English classes at an offline school are a great way to learn the language and meet new people

To clearly understand what you need to learn, you need to know its structure. Imagine that words (vocabulary) are musicians, each of them can play individually, their instruments make sounds (phonetics), and in order to organize them into a single orchestra, coordinate them, they need a conductor (grammar).

If the musician doesn’t show up (you don’t know the word), or he comes but plays the wrong notes (pronounce it incorrectly), or the conductor gives the wrong command (break a grammar rule), you won’t get a perfect symphony!

Important!

Vocabulary, grammar, phonetics are the three pillars on which the language rests. Only by studying them together can you master and understand the language and sound beautiful and correct.

Learn English words

Suppose a lost tourist does not know grammar, but he knows individual words - i, search, station, or only one word station. Even if he pronounces it with an accent and not entirely correctly and addresses this word to passers-by, then, most likely, they will understand him. But if he doesn’t know how to speak a station in English, they’re unlikely to help him. Words are your base, constantly expand your vocabulary.

The vocabulary of most native English speakers is 12,000-20,000 words, and in order to communicate in English, it is enough to learn 1,500-2,000 words. And this is not so much, especially if you set yourself a goal of learning 5 words every day.

There are a lot of ways to remember words; long lists of words in textbooks give way to colorful visual dictionaries, video materials on the Internet, where words on a specific topic are presented with their image and pronunciation. Or it could be paper cards that you can buy or make yourself.

Cards with pictures and translations on the back will help you quickly learn English words.

Let English words surround you! The method of hanging notes with words around the house has worked well. Hang a note on your door, window, or table with the word for this item, and believe me, very soon you will be naming these items in English.

From the very beginning, create your own dictionary in which you will enter all new words and expressions. And in order to make the results more noticeable and have something to praise yourself for, number the written words, highlight them in different colors depending on how easy or difficult they are for you. Be creative, turn your dictionary into a unique creative masterpiece! See the video below for some ideas on how to design a dictionary.

And most importantly: do not learn everything, but only the essentials. Choose priority topics for yourself, for example, family, food, shopping, travel. Don't try to embrace the immensity. You learn a language all your life!

Having found the desired word in the dictionary, take the time to look through the entire dictionary entry. There are situations when it is better to learn not a single word, but a whole expression, especially if it sounds different in Russian, for example, to get acquainted with, to be afraid of, to catch a cold. Having memorized such phrases as a whole expression, you will remember them ready-made, like one long word.

Don’t forget to repeat the written words from time to time, and then they will be remembered quickly and involuntarily. You can also install mobile applications for learning English words, of which there are quite a lot on the Internet now.

Learn English grammar

Grammar cannot be ignored. No matter how much supporters of alternative and communicative techniques fight against “cramming” grammar rules and boring exercises, grammar rules need to be taught and trained. At the initial stage of study, it will be easier for you to learn a ready-made rule and exceptions than to identify patterns yourself.

However, learning grammar should not become an end in itself. To consolidate the studied grammatical material, combine it with vocabulary. For example, having learned, write a story about your family or work day, having learned the degrees of comparison of adjectives - describe the weather forecast yesterday and today, having studied adverbs of quantity - write a recipe for your favorite dish.

Practice makes perfect

Consolidate the acquired knowledge in practice in all forms: reading, listening, writing, speaking. If you miss even one link from this chain, you risk never overcoming the language barrier.

These should be simple articles and news. Or adapted literature, where intricate constructions that are unnecessary at first are excluded, and there are explanations and exercises for reading comprehension. It is convenient to read books in electronic form with an electronic dictionary, because you just need to point to an unfamiliar word and the dictionary will provide you with a translation, which is much easier compared to a paper dictionary.

Learn English by listening

This could be news, podcasts for beginners, stories. From time to time, use the passive listening method, have English spoken in the background. Believe me, the information will be remembered on a subconscious level.

Try to repeat what you hear from native speakers, imitating intonation and pronunciation. You can see an example of intuitive memorization of words by watching the video.

Listen also to English songs, pick up individual words, develop your linguistic intuition. It is especially helpful to start with simple songs where lines or structures are repeated. For example, thanks to the song “All at once” (author Lenka) you will learn to compare:

It’s quite possible for even a beginner to repeat these lines, and by singing them, you practice pronunciation and can transform your speech.

What to watch first?

Find your method to learn English comfortably

A good start will not make you a fluent speaker. The tongue, like a plant, requires care, water it every day: read, listen, write, speak! And only then will it bear fruit.

Find your own path to your goal. Nobody knows you better than yourself. Try to think in English, describe everything that surrounds you. Let them be individual words at first, then phrases, and soon sentences.

French linguist Claude Agége once said: “Of all the languages on the planet, English is the most flexible and most responsive to changing reality.” And it’s true! Every year the English language is replenished with 4,000 new words!

Try teaching English to someone who doesn't know it as well. Yes, you won’t learn anything new, but by explaining it to others, you will better understand and consolidate your knowledge. You can study together with someone (relative, friend, colleague), and compose short dialogues. It’s good if it’s a person who has the same desire to master the English language as you do. Perhaps it will be easier for you to figure it out together.

The main thing is to exercise regularly and as often as possible (ideally every day). Your results depend on how systematically you do this. It's like an athlete who needs to stay in shape. This is the only way you will get used to the language. That's right, you need to get used to the language.

Finally:

The initial stage in learning English is the most difficult; it is at this stage that the foundation is laid. You have to overcome the language barrier and believe in yourself or lose the desire to learn the language forever. Remember the simple rules for successfully learning English:

Find not just a teacher, but a professional in your field; if there is no opportunity or desire, be your own teacher.
Practice regularly, do not take on something new without repeating what you have learned.
Train all types of speech activities: listening, speaking, reading, writing. Let the English language into your life, and it will reciprocate your feelings.
Love what you do so that learning a language becomes a part of your life and brings pleasure. With the right methods and materials it won't be difficult! Good luck!

In contact with

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 create 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:

Grammar Guide

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 textbook to expand your vocabulary

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.

Pronunciation guide

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.

Dictionary

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

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 “”.

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 easy. 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

Remember: without knowing grammar, it is impossible to speak English normally. Therefore, let's see what methods, in addition to exercises from the textbook, you can use 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 in English

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

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.

We write in English

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 use it masterfully. We wish you success in your studies!

This is perhaps the most natural and enjoyable way to learn a language. The longer the trip and the less dependent it is on tour operators and guides, the more language practice there is. At first it will be easier to explain everything on your fingers or point to the right picture in a guidebook, then the pressure will pass and, having completely immersed yourself in the language environment, you will still want to speak the local language. At the same time, it is absolutely not necessary to go to the UK or the USA; Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Malta and other countries are quite suitable here.

Communicate with native speakers on the Internet

If you still can’t travel as much as you need to practice the language, you can go surf the Internet and find English-speaking friends there through correspondence or conversations on Skype. It is best to search on specialized sites, for example here: busuu.com, interpals.net, mylanguageexchange.com, sharedtalk.com.

Watch lectures, films, TV series and cartoons in English

This method is for those who don’t really like communicating with people, but love watching movies. In this way, you will not only learn the language, but also listen to smart people, expand your knowledge about the world, observe the skills of foreign screenwriters and directors, and just relax without the feeling that time is wasted. The best lectures are collected here: ted.com, coursera.org, khanacademy.org, and a modern person should have no problems with films and TV series.

Listen to podcasts, audiobooks and songs in English

Do exercises on special sites

Now there are a lot of portals where you can learn a language around the clock. Here you can find fun rules, diagrams, tables, videos, audio, games, and exercises of varying degrees of difficulty. Some of these sites are even ready to remind the user every day that it is time to practice English. For an integrated approach, the sites tested by millions of students are livemocha.com and lingualeo.ru.

Install useful mobile applications

If you don’t have time to spend time on specialized websites, then you can practice vocabulary using applications on your phone almost anywhere. There are a lot of such applications now, here are just the most popular ones: Byki, Busuu, DuoLingo, Babbel, Accela Study, iBlueSky.

Read newspapers, magazines and books in English

For those who need to not only hear English speech, but also see letters to be confident. You can read good old newspapers, magazines and books in paper form, or you can download them to your tablet or phone. You can find an English-language newspaper from almost any country in the world on the websites: thebigproject.co.uk/news, ipl.org/div/news, goldenglish.ru. From books, it is best to read specialized publications from Macmillan, Oxford University Press and Pinguin; some also really like bilingual publications compiled according to Ilya Frank’s method: franklang.ru.

Use stickers and cards

To memorize words and expressions in English, you need to repeat them every day. You can make paper cards or, again, download them to your phone and view them when you have a free minute, or you can hang colorful stickers throughout your home (office), which, willy-nilly, you will have to stumble upon several times a day.

Surround yourself with English on all sides

If there aren’t enough stickers on appliances, furniture, walls and ceilings, you can take one and one lucky day, change the language of all gadgets and household appliances to English in the settings. Here, if you want to call someone, do laundry, heat up food, in any case you will have to understand the instructions.

Set yourself a vital goal

It is clear that most people are very lazy and will not really learn until they are given strict boundaries and deadlines. Therefore, it is ideal to put yourself in a situation where you simply cannot do without knowledge of the language: find a job among English-speaking colleagues, start writing a dissertation on a topic that was developed only by British and American scientists, fall in love with an overseas beauty, in the end!

PS Most of these methods are suitable for learning any language, not just English, so you don’t have to limit yourself.

Photo: thinkstockphotos.com, flickr.com

– 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 for forming the plural of 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, an English sentence 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 to read, videos and audio for beginners. Let's break through together. 🙂