I’ve been teaching English for many years. I’ve taught hundreds of students across all walks of life and across all levels, from beginners to advanced. I’ve also been a language student myself too. My experience of both teaching and learning languages has shown me that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to language learning. There are many different methodologies, applications and types of courses. Due to our different learning styles, whether it be auditory, visual or kinaesthetic, what works well for one person may not work at all for another person.
I’m also often asked what is the quickest way to learn English. The simple answer is, there isn’t one. Any English teacher or language application that tells you they will turn you into a fluent English speaker in a week is not being honest with you. Learning a language takes a lot of time and effort, regardless of what methods you use.
However, over the years I have noticed some similar strategies that only my most successful students follow. These strategies really improve their fluency and accuracy and lead them to eventually become very confident English speakers. I’d like to share my five ‘top student’ strategies with you.
1. Make English enjoyable, not a chore!
It is wonderful to say, “I can speak another language,” but the reality is that for many of you, English is essential for your career or education. You may need to provide proof of your English level for jobs or to be offered a place at university, so studying English is necessary even if you don’t really enjoy it or want to do it.
It’s understandable if you don’t feel motivated or interested in learning English, however, my top students find ways to enjoy learning English. If you force yourself to study English without any enthusiasm, your progress will be slower and it may be difficult to feel comfortable speaking English. Nevertheless, there are many ways to make learning English enjoyable.
My top students listen to music, watch TV shows in English, translate their favourite songs into English, or read their favourite childhood books in English. It’s true that learning can be boring at times, but if you can find something that you actually enjoy, like books, music or movies, it doesn’t always have to feel like work!
2. Combine your English studies with your personal interests.
I often ask about my students’ weekend activities or what hobbies they have. This allows me to understand their personalities. Some students provide me with short answers such as “I went shopping with my sister” or “I go hiking in the mountains,” showing me that they really enjoy these activities. However, they sometimes appear reluctant to expand their answers due to their idea that being in a classroom is only for structured study and grammar exercises. In contrast, my top students are really enthusiastic about telling me every aspect of what they do in their leisure time, resulting in interesting, fluent conversation in English which they really enjoy.
To expand your English skills, it helps to stop asking simple questions and only offering simple answers. If someone asks about your interests and passions, make every effort to explain your interests in detail and the reasons why you enjoy them. While it may be more difficult, given the need to expand your vocabulary, mixing your pleasure for your hobbies, interests and passions with your English study will really increase your enthusiasm to express yourself fully.
Think of the one thing that you love the most in life. Now, think about how you can combine that passion with your English studies.
3. Find confidence.
For some people, speaking in general isn’t always comfortable for them. Some people find it hard to speak to new people, or even people they know quite well, like work colleagues or classmates for example. Having to speak in another language makes it twice as hard.
So far during this blog, when I’ve said ‘top student,’ you may have been thinking of these really talented people who somehow learn to speak English like a native speaker very easily and very quickly, but this not always true. Being a ‘top student’ doesn’t always mean you’re great at speaking English!
Many of my top English students actually really struggle with pronunciation or grammar, and some even have low vocabulary knowledge. What makes these students a ‘top student’ is their confidence. When they have something to say, they just say it. Their willingness to express themselves is so much stronger than the fear of saying the wrong thing!
Of all the five tips, finding confidence is the most difficult one as it’s something that doesn’t come naturally to most people. There’s no set way to become more confident, but understanding yourself and being yourself is a good start. Try to stop worrying about how you should be and just be yourself.
4. Practise your English outside the class
I’ve met students that only practised English during our weekly class sessions together. For this reason, every class felt like the first one as they had mostly forgotten the previous lesson and struggled with the new one.
My top students always continue practising English outside the classroom, from studying challenging grammar exercises, to communicating with people in English on social media, to even giving lost tourists they meet on the street directions. They NEVER miss a chance to practise English.
Having English classes is one of the most beneficial ways to learn English, but to be completely honest, it can only take you so far. Certainly for lower level students, my role as a teacher is to speak slowly and clearly, but that is not always how native speakers speak. To really improve your fluency, you have to expose yourselves to everyday English speech. I can certainly help you with this as an English teacher by using authentic videos for our classes, by speaking at native speaker speed or by using native slang and colloquialisms, but it will greatly benefit you to keep on practising outside your weekly lessons. If there’s a grammar concept that you found difficult during classes, studying it again at your own pace outside the classroom will really help you.
5. Finally – Be consistent, establish an English leaning schedule and stick to it.
We all lead busy lives. We all work or study. Some people have families to look after. Some people have a lot of hobbies. This can make it difficult to prioritise learning English and make it really easy to say, “I don’t have time to study English.”
My top students have the same busy schedules, but they never use this as an excuse to not study English. They prioritise their time and establish a consistent schedule that allows them to practise constantly and regularly. It does not have to be hours every day, or even every week. It can be as little as 15 minutes each day, or 30 minutes three times a week. To establish a regular practice routine, I suggest looking at your weekly activities, identifying times when you could study, even if it’s just for a very short time, and scheduling it on a physical calendar or in a planner. This can help to reinforce the importance of practising and hold you accountable to your weekly practice sessions.
Some of my top students set their alarm clocks 15 minutes earlier than usual each day and use this 15 minutes before breakfast to expose themselves to English in some way, often by reading the daily news online. Some of my top students set aside 15 or 30 minutes of their daily lunch break to study English, while others set aside 15 or 30 minutes after dinner on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays for English study. If you travel to work or university on the train, use this time most days, or even better, every day, to watch videos or read in English. If everyday practice is difficult to achieve, making time for at least an hour of consistent, once a week practice is essential for improving and developing your English skills.
6. In conclusion
There is one final point I want to repeat because it’s really important – Being a ‘top student’ doesn’t always mean you’re great at speaking English! Some of my top students actually really struggle with pronunciation or grammar, and some even have low vocabulary knowledge. What makes you a ‘top student’ are things like making sure your English learning is enjoyable, having confidence, dedicating time and effort, and being consistent with study, not necessarily being the greatest English speaker in the world.
I hope you found this blog useful. Have a wonderful rest of your day!
I’d really love to meet you and help you improve your English. To book a one-to-one online English class with me, please click here.