If you have decided that you want to learn English, you are about to start on a fairly difficult journey. While English is one of the most widely spoken languages, particularly in the western hemisphere, it is also one of the most difficult to learn. If you have committed yourself to learning the language, here are some tips you can use to make it a little easier.

Tip 1 - Identify Your Motivation and Desire

Before you start down the path of learning English, make sure you really want to. If you cannot say that you truly want to learn the language, you are going to struggle, particularly if you are trying to learn English online. Remember, it is a challenging language and will take a measure of dedication to learn.

Also, you need to identify your motivation. Ask yourself why you want to learn English. Understanding your motivation, whether it be to help qualify for a better job or to communicate with someone you know, will help you stick to your goal of learning English.

Tip 2 - Set Realistic Goals

You are not going to learn English overnight, even if you are highly motivated, are a great student, and are attending the best online English school you can find. You need to set realistic goals that you can work toward as you master the language.

Your goal for the first week may be to master some basic vocabulary. Then you may wish to tackle an important grammar rule. If you already have a basic understanding of English, you can set goals to improve your pronunciation or listening comprehension. You need to know your basic goals before you begin attending English school so that you can choose the best program to help you meet them.

Tip 3 - Set Aside Time to Practice

Learning any language takes practice, and lots of it. Knowing how to practice a language is important. You can't simply sit at home and talk to yourself. Even if you are trying to learn English online, you need to find native speakers to talk to. You can use the telephone or online chats to talk to people who know English well, but you need to find someone to talk to.

You can also practice by writing English. Write letters, emails, and notes in English whenever the recipient can understand English. Your English lesson at school will probably have you writing as well, but practical writing in the real world is the best way to discover whether or not you know the language well enough to communicate.

Tip 4 - Immerse Yourself in the Language

The best way to train your brain to think and understand in another language is to immerse yourself in the language as much as possible. Subscribe to publications in English, and read them. Read books in English, and listen to recordings made in English. Speak the language whenever you have someone near you who can understand it, especially when that person is a native speaker who can help you with your pronunciation.

Watch television programs in English. This is one of the best ways to help yourself learn English, because you will have a visual reference to help you understand the spoken word. If your television has closed captioning capabilities, turn this on. Then you will also have a written reference to reinforce what you are learning.

The best thing about the immersion approach is that it gets you used to the proper pronunciations of the words. Also, by immersing yourself in the culture that surrounds the English language, you can pick up on slang words and words that are not quite used correctly, but sound right to English speakers. You will pick up on phrases that are commonly used, and phrases that are best left untouched. So, whenever you have the chance to practice speaking, writing, or listening to English, take advantage of it. You will soon learn English as well as any native speaker, or perhaps even better!

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Even in countries in which English is not the primary language, it is important to learn English for a number of reasons. First of all, many English-speaking individuals tour other countries and they may not speak the native language of that country, so it is necessary for them to speak to others who can speak English. Then again, many wish to learn English because they are hoping to visit or even live in an English-speaking country someday.

However, learning how to speak English in a non-English country can be quite challenging. Where those learning how to speak English in English-speaking countries have a lot of resources to their disposal such as television, radio, and libraries that are packed full of books written in English, the resident of a non-English country does not have that luxury. That is why it is important to explore other options.

Below are the 10 best ways that an individual wishing to speak English can learn in their own country:

1. The Internet is going to be your best friend. It is packed full of resources, reading materials, sound recordings, and so much more that can help you learn the meaning of the words that you read and speak.

2. Check out your local video store and see if there are movies in English. There may be a few. Don't worry about the entertainment value of the title. You are watching it so you can stop it and replay it in order to focus on your English speaking skills.

3. Record yourself when you speak English. After you are finished recording, play it back and see what you sound like. If you are not clear, then you can simply try again. This is a great way to see how others hear you.

4. Go to your library and pick out titles that are written in English. Try to read those titles. Just be mindful of the difficulty level and even practice writing some of the sentences.

5. Find an English CD and listen to it. Decipher the words and even try to sing along. This can be a lot of fun. If you want to, you can record yourself doing this and really have a lot of fun.

6. Try to surround yourself with as many English materials as possible. Not just books, movies, and CDs, but magazines and any products that you can find in the store that may have English written on them. Some major brands service many countries and have multiple languages written on their packaging.

7. Practice with a friend. This friend may not know English, but impress them with your skills. You may even try to teach what you have learned because you will be less likely to forget by repeating the information to another.

8. If you hear a word and you don't know what it is, write it down and do research on what it means. In your research you'll encounter many more English words for you to ponder over.

9. Keep a diary in English. The things you write can be as simple as what day it is and what the weather is like outside.

10. And the most important to learn English is to consider is online ESL courses. These online courses help you learn at your pace and provide you with materials that will have you speaking English in no time. All of the other steps can be used outside of your courses to make you proficient in the language.

So as you can see, there are many things you can do, but the ESL courses are certainly going to prove to be the doorway that will get you to where you need to be.

In order to learn English, there is no need to be physically present in an English speaking country, Online English school dedicated to help students to achieve their English language goals.

English is a challenging language to learn. Those who try to learn English find that the many grammatically rules are often broken, so the minute you think you have enough knowledge to speak the language well, you come across an exception to the rule. Add to that the fact that people rarely speak English correctly, and you are facing an incredibly tough challenge. The best way to learn English is to immerse yourself in the language. You can use the best online English school, pass every English lesson, and know everything about English grammar, but you will not be able to speak well unless you surround yourself with the language.

Surround Yourself with Good English Speakers

Even if you are trying to learn English online, you need to surround yourself with people who not only speak English, but also speak English well. If you know people that live near you who are native English speakers, spend time with them, and ask them to speak English when you do. If this is not possible, use your online English school as a place to go to surround yourself with English speakers and text written in English. Listen to recordings of people speaking English or talk to English speakers on the phone. This will help you learn not only proper grammar, but also correct pronunciation.

Learn a Variety of Words

If you want to be a good English speaker who can speak like a native when needed, you need to learn to speak using a variety of terms and vocabulary words. The more limited your vocabulary is, the more like a foreigner you will sound when you speak. Focus on the traditional vocabulary found in your English lessons, but also learn from native speakers. Learn how to use slang terms properly, as this is a key aspect of speaking like a native speaker. Avoid using too much slang, though, as this is tacky and can make it look as though you are trying too hard.

As you learn the language, focus not only on the words and their meanings, but also the way the words come together to make phrases. For instance, the word "kick" can mean many different things depending on how it is used in a phrase. When you say, "He kicked the ball," you are using the word as a verb that means to strike the ball with the foot. On the other hand, you could say, "I get a kick out of that T.V. show." This means that you enjoy the T.V. show, and has nothing to do with striking something with a foot. Learning how phrases come together in English will come with continued submersion in the language.

Start Thinking in English

Thinking in a language is the only way to truly learn it. When you can start thinking in English, you will start getting a true grasp of the language. If you have to take every English phrase you hear and translate it mentally into your native tongue, or if you must take your native tongue and translate it into English in your mind before you speak, you will find it difficult to truly grasp the language's grammar.

Devote Enough Time to Immersion

The more time you can spend immersed in English, either through spending time with native speakers, listening to recordings of English being spoken, or reading the language, the faster you will successfully learn it. Every chance you get, interact with the language. If you are on the Internet, search English sites. If you are reading the newspaper, choose an English publication. Simply logging in to your online English school or heading to your daily English lesson is not sufficient. You must learn to think in English, and that only happens by spending quality time with the language every single day.

Learn English at our online English School. We can help you take English Lesson so you can reach your goals.

Learning English online can be a very economical and effective way to learn the language. There are numerous websites and software programs that can help you use the computer to learn English. However, you could be wasting your money if you do not find an online English school that has the right properties to help you succeed.

Focuses on Immersion

One feature to look for as you look for a place to learn English online is a focus on immersion. The online teacher should speak in English at all times, using visuals to help you understand what you are hearing. Whenever possible, conversations about schoolwork should be held in English. The site itself should contain a significant amount of English text. The more you are exposed to the language, the better you will learn it, so an immersion approach is essential.

Taught by Real Native Speakers

The best English school is one that is taught by native English speakers. Just because you are learning online doesn't mean that you cannot be taught by a native English speaker. In fact, this is something you should look for when looking for a program to use. If there is no main teacher, make sure that the program includes recordings or videos of native English speakers. This will help you learn proper pronunciation of the words you are studying. This feature is particularly important if you do not have native speakers near you that you can speak with.

Allows You to Hear the Language

You will not learn English if you do not hear the language being spoken. Even an online English lesson needs to include some listening exercises. You should be able to listen to a variety of conversations, and they should be conducted by expert English speakers. You cannot learn the language well through text-based English lessons alone. You must hear it being spoken.

Look for Accountability

If you are going to pay your hard earned money for an online English school, you need to make sure that you will finish the program being able to speak English. Look for a program that keeps you accountable, because you will find there are times when you do not want to work on your lessons.

You need to be logging on regularly, daily if possible, to work on your English lessons. You also need to be assigned activities like conversing with a native speaker or listening to a book on tape that is read in English. These types of assignments will help you learn the language much quicker. Without accountability of some sort, you are likely to slack in your attempt to learn the language, and you will end up wasting your money on the course because you will not follow through with what is required.

Look for a Grammar Component

While immersion is the best way to learn a language, and you should choose an online English school that immerses you in the language as much as possible, you also need to learn the science behind English. Make sure you choose an English school that will teach you grammar rules. Yes, English has many rules and many exceptions to those rules, but if you do not know the grammar rules, you are going to struggle to learn the language.

Allows You to Speak the Language

Another important part of learning a language is learning to speak it. The best English schools will give you the chance to practice the pronunciation of the language you are trying to learn. This will require a microphone and voice recording capability on your computer, but if you have this, try to find a language school that will let you practice speaking the language and give you feedback on your pronunciation.

Learn English at our online English School. We can help you take English Lesson so you can reach your goals.

English as a Second Language, or ESL, has many similarities to English as a Foreign Language, or EFL. In fact, the two types of learning may seem the same to some observers. However, there are some notable differences between these two approaches to learning English. The terms are often used interchangeably, but understanding the differences can help you to be clear when you speak of them. Also, the term Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is sometimes used in place of ESL or EFL, depending on the situation.

What Is ESL?

English as a Second Language, or ESL, is a term typically used in Canada, Australia, and the US to refer to people who come to the country with another primary language and learn to speak English secondarily. It is also sometimes used to speak of people who live in a country where English is the official language, but the vast majority of the population speak another native tongue. Thus, English is the second (or third or fourth in many cases) language learned by the person.

The goal of teaching ESL is to teach the person to speak enough of the language to function within society. In other words, the goal is to help the person function in their new country, attend school if applicable, and get a job. The goal is not to make the person as fluent in English as he or she is in the native tongue.

What Is EFL?

English as a Foreign Language, or EFL, refers to learning English in a country where English is not the spoken language. This is in contrast to ESL, where the person is learning the language in a country that has English as its primary language. In many countries, EFL is taught in the public school system, as English is quickly becoming an internationally important language. Sometimes the term EFL can be used to describe the learning of English in an English-speaking country when just visiting for a short period of time with the intention of learning the language.

Most people who learn EFL do so in order to graduate from their school program. Some will learn the language in their home country in order to help them succeed in their line of work if they are working for a company that has an international scope. For instance, someone living in India who learns English in order to work at a call center could be described as learning EFL.

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Sometimes the term Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is used to describe both ESL and EFL. It is used in England, for instance, to replace the term ESL, as this term assumes English is the second, not third or fourth, language of the learner. It is typically used when teaching immigrants, usually adults, as other terms are used within the school system when teaching non-native English speaking learners. In the US, however, the term TESOL has become an umbrella term used by people who teach non-native English speakers, regardless of whether they are teaching ESL or EFL.

As more and more people are moving to English-speaking countries and English continues to become the language of international commerce and trade, the need for both ESL and EFL programs that do a good job of teaching English to non-native speakers will continue to increase. The Internet is making it even easier for people to learn English as an additional language. The demand for these programs is not likely to decrease any time in the near future, so teachers who can teach English to speakers of other languages are going to have job security for many years.

Speaking more that one language is very common these days. Learning English as a second language is easy... learn English at your own speed in your own environment with online English school courses.

When I taught it, Level 2 was a non-credit course that was intended to provide students with a sound basis in English conversational skills. The course involved individual, paired and group work with the main emphasis being on speaking, but also included some listening, reading, and writing work. Classroom activities used group work to encourage student interaction and were designed to build fluency and conversational skills. 

This was one of those activities, which blended some of the goals of Level Two, which can be found here. 

You will need to photocopy the game board here. In each of the boxes leading up to the "finish"is a topic/opinon/question. For game pieces I usually use money, and you will need a die to determine how many spaces to move. I usually encourage 3 sentences per topic/question. 

 

Example questions/topics (for you to change/adapt) are: Who is your favorite person, What are you scared of, What makes you angry/happy, What is your greatest accomplishment, Tell me about your best friend/family, What would you do if you were prime minister. Also include "free" spaces-they are usually very excited to not have a speaking turn.

Download the  Level Two General Conversation Game here.

AZQQ provides these descriptions of ESL levels to help you think about how to apply the learning materials on this side to the lessons that you teach your students.
 
Level 1: Beginning
This student is often a new arrival with little previous English training and --this is the key -- a very limited vocabulary. This student is lost in the classroom and has nothing on which to base his ability to function, comprehend, and respond.  The student has no knowledge of English beyond answers to simple questions like "What's your name?" He/she may respond with "yes" or "no," but not always consistently or correctly. He/she may not be able to write in Western script. He/she lacks sufficient vocabulary and oral comprehension to be able to follow directions or do simple classroom assignments. This student may have no knowledge of the American classroom and its participatory style. He/she is not able to work at grade level, even if he/she is placed in first or second grade.

Level 2: High Beginning
This student can understand some classroom directions and attempts to do simple assignments but with great hesitancy and misunderstanding. Vocabulary is still greatly limited to commonly-used words. He/she reads and writes with great difficulty, usually below the assigned grade level. This student may be unable torespond to some activities which involve independent decision making, due to differences in the American classroom or teacher style. This student responds very positively to extra attention from the instructor or other students.

Level 3: Intermediate
This sudent participates in most classroom activities and follows directions adequately, though with frequent misunderstandings.  Vocabulary is limited but rapidly improving.  He/she may feel comfortable enough in the classroom to respond orally, despite frequent errors and incorrect word selection. This student may be able to do academic work close to grade level but needs frequent writing and vocabulary support. He/she exhibits growing confidence in his/her ability to comprehend and respond in English.

Level 4: High Intermediate
This student easily participates in classroom and social activities, constantly adding to his/her knowledge of vocabulary, American culture, and teacher expectations. His/her speech still exhibits a considerable accent, but grammar and vocabulary errors should be receding. This student's English is changing rapidly at this point, and his/her confidence level should be increasing at the same rate.

Level 5: Advanced
This student is able to participate and excel in all classroom and social activities, requiring less frequent teacher intervention with vocabulary and directional assistance. He/she should be able to read at near-grade level with the help of a dictionary, but writing skills may require more teacher support. A noticeable accent may still be present, depending on the age the student was when he/she arrived in the US. This student can function adequately at grade level and often does extremely well because of a high motivation level.

Additional Information on ESL/ELL Levels

The national TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of other languages) standards will give you more specific descriptions of levels. Click here.