There are many ways to learn a foreign language from scratch on your own. The first thing to do is to answer the question - why. Knowing the answer to this question is super important. Speech as a communication tool involves regular use - if knowledge and skills are not used, they are forgotten. The human memory is arranged in such a way that it hides unnecessary knowledge as far as possible. Everything that I managed to learn well will quickly be forgotten - then I will have to start everything from scratch.

Before you start cramming the alphabet, it is important to realize the goal:

• communicate with employees of the airport, managers in stores, service personnel during tourist trips and understand the interlocutor well (colloquial variety);
• conduct business negotiations with partners (business variety);
• be able to read scientific (or fiction) literature (technical and literary versions);
• communicate freely with residents of another country (read, write, speak).

Important advice! Motivation is essential to success. With the right goal setting, it is easy to master the necessary knowledge from scratch on your own and for free.

2 main ways in learning

There are two ways to quickly master someone else's way of linguistic communication.

The first is practiced at school: first they learn words, then put them into sentences, from phrases they construct a text. Phrases are built according to the laws of Russian grammar - this is a mistake. For this reason, secondary school graduates know a set of individual nouns and verbs, but it is difficult for them to quickly combine word forms into sentences, they have little experience in free communication.

The second approach teaches that it is better to study a foreign dialect in phrases, and to learn to speak - immediately with full-fledged constructions. The fact is that the word in the context acquires a new meaning - it is impossible to describe all the nuances with a set of strict rules. Any speech is phraseological: the meaning of a single sentence is not equal to the sum of the meanings of individual word forms.

Every year, many Russians are increasingly asking themselves: “Where to start learning English?” Our life realities dictate this need. A number of factors contribute to this. English-language cultural products are at the forefront of our day everywhere: literature, goods, cinema, education, and so on. Moreover, today many of our fellow citizens have very real opportunities to travel abroad for tourism purposes, in search of work or for the sake of a change. For such people, the question is sure to arise, where to start learning English? How to achieve good results in the shortest possible time?

Of course, you can go to language courses. There you will be given all the necessary instructions and will guide you throughout the learning process. If, for some reason, this is not for you and you are wondering where to start learning English on your own, then you will surely find some useful tips in this article. So, let's get started.

Of course, with the basics of grammar

First of all, you must master the simplest grammar rules and the most necessary everyday words. How to start learning English should be the same in all systems. Although it is often presented in different forms. First of all, you should stock up on perseverance, because this is a rather lengthy process. At least a few months will pass before you begin to understand a native speaker fluently enough and express yourself on any topic. At the first stage of self-study, you just need to get a beginner's book.

Among the array of such literature, two volumes of "English Step by Step" authorship and the textbook "Cambridge English Grammar" are very solid. They are readily available in both electronic and printed versions. After a month of hard work, you will already be able to recognize all the numbers in English or types of times. As well as many other subtleties like active or By the way, at the first stage of learning words, use word cards. It is very effective for learning English. An old but effective way.

Be sure to use books to learn English

After the first weeks of learning the basics of the language, be sure to take up reading. No, don't worry, you won't have to read complicated texts looking up the translation of almost every word in the dictionary. There are specially adapted texts for this purpose. Such, for example, are books by Ilya Frank. Here, each English-language paragraph is accompanied by a further Russian-language one with a separate translation and analysis. This will help you, after some time, to be quite tolerably oriented in English-language texts without the help of a translator.

And of course, you can't just read.

Remember that the study of any language should be not only visual, but also auditory. To learn to listen to English speech, you need to constantly work on it. At the initial stages, you can use, for example, the lessons of the famous American linguist Jay Hoag. The course is called "Effortless english" and is also freely available on the Internet. At the same time, translate for yourself the texts of your favorite English songs, watch movies with subtitles. Surely, this, in addition to benefits, will also be interesting for you.

Today, English is the universal means of communication. It opens up excellent career prospects. And you should not forget about access to a large information material. Thanks to the knowledge of the English language, you can watch your favorite TV shows at the time they are shown, and not wait until they are translated and adapted to the Russian language.

The advantages of knowing a second language, and as a rule it is English, are many and they can be listed for a very long time. Learning the language of Shakespeare is difficult even in England itself. But, everyone can comprehend the basics of a simple spoken language.

This does not require teachers and stuffy classrooms. Thanks to modern methods, self-study of English is an exciting and interesting activity. And not as difficult as it seems at first glance.

IMPORTANT: There are no people incapable of "languages". Yes, learning a foreign language can be easier for someone, and more difficult for someone. The main thing is to learn how to properly motivate yourself and find a course of study that is suitable for this.

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

Of course, learning any language from scratch, including English, is much easier by attending special courses and communicating with a "live" teacher.

However, such communication has a number of disadvantages:

• these activities cost money.
• need to fit in with the schedule.
• Missing one class can leave you far behind.

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

How to learn English from scratch?

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

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

In order to learn English from scratch, first learn the alphabet, then move on to simple words - house, ball, girl, etc.

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

There is no need to try to remember a lot of words at once. At first, new information will come easily. Then, new words will be remembered easily, and old ones can be forgotten. In order to avoid this, it is necessary to pay more attention to the consolidation of new material. It is better to learn one new word a day, but reinforce all the old ones, than to learn 10 new words a day, but forget what has already been passed.

Where to start learning English?

• Usually they start learning English from the alphabet. This has its own reason, you can understand how this or that letter sounds. But, it is not at all necessary to memorize its correct order. You can remember the pronunciation of letters without the alphabet. Moreover, they do not always sound like in this list of letters from “Hey to Zeta”
• When you begin to understand the letters, try to read as many English texts as possible. It is not necessary to understand what is written there. Of course, interesting pictures in the text will make you want to understand what is written in it.
• Then you can use online translators. But, do not paste all the text into them. Translate one word at a time. This will allow you to learn the language even better and remember a few words.

After you get comfortable in English, get a dictionary

• Write down in it (just write down with a pen) all the unfamiliar words and phrases you encounter, and their translation
• In parallel with maintaining your vocabulary, you need to start paying attention to grammar. English has a very complex system of tenses. There are irregular verbs and other difficulties in the way of learning this language. They all need a lot of time. But it pays off handsomely
• Don't forget about pronunciation. Even a person who understands well what is written in English text will not always be able to make out what native speakers of this language are talking about. As a rule, they speak faster than teachers and teachers of language schools do.
• In order to make it easier to understand English speech, watch movies, series and documentaries without translation. It's a great way to learn this interesting language

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

How to learn English easily: a method of teaching English?

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

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

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

But, the best way to learn English is Frank method

English learners using this method are given two texts. First comes the adapted passage. Usually this is a literal translation, often provided with lexico-grammatical comments. After reading such a passage, the text in English is presented.

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

How to quickly learn words in English?

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

The card method is very popular.

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

Do not immediately try to remember a lot of words. In the long run, this is not very effective. Words learned quickly are usually forgotten quickly.

How to learn English verbs?

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

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

In school, such verbs are taught as follows. The students are given their list and the teacher asks them to learn as much as possible from it for the next lesson. This list does not have any structure that facilitates the study of such verbs. Therefore, few of us were able to master English at school.

Modern methods are very different from those by which foreign languages ​​are taught at school.

How to quickly learn irregular English verbs?

• As mentioned above, the “card method” can be used to memorize such verbs. But, unlike "simple" words, irregular verbs have three forms. What actually makes them wrong
• To make cards with irregular verbs, you need to write the first form on one side, and the other two on the second side. Moreover, the first form does not need to be provided with a translation. And on the reverse side, you need to not only write two forms of the verb with a translation, but also provide a hint. For example, "alternating irregular vowel verbs in the root from to [e]"
• The advantage of this method is that it is easy to use. Cards can be sorted out by hand, remembering first the main form, and then turn over and do the same with other forms. Such training can be carried out both at home and at work. Students can take such cards with them to the institute and repeat the verbs during the break.

Card example:

To make it easier to remember irregular verbs, they can be grouped by:

• the method of formation of the second and third forms
• repeatability or non-repetition of forms
• root vowel alternation
• sound similarities
• spelling features

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

How to learn tenses in English

Another pitfall for anyone who wants to learn English is the times. By understanding their use, you can take a big step forward in learning this language.

In general, there are three tenses in English:

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

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

The third kind is called Perfect. Thus, there are:

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

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

• In order to use English tenses in sentences, you need to understand what action is happening? It is regular, it was yesterday, it is happening at the moment, etc. Simple tenses denote an action that occurs regularly, but its exact moment is not known. on Sundays - on Sundays (the specific time is not known)
• If the sentence indicates a specific time (at the moment, from 4 to 6 o'clock, etc.), then Continuous is used - a long time. That is, time that denotes a specific moment or a specific period of time.
• If the action is completed, Perfect is used. This time is applied when the result of the action is already known or it is possible to know exactly when it will end (but may still be going on)
• The Perfect Continuous construction is used least often in English. It is used to designate a process whose action is not completed, but it needs to be said at the moment. For example, "In May it will be 6 months since I study English"
• To study the tenses of the English language, you can also make tables, as for irregular verbs. Only instead of them enter linguistic formulas. You can use special literature. Better than multiple authors

Very well told about the times in Dmitry Petrov's method "Polyglot 16"

How to learn text in English?

• If you need to learn a text in English in a short period of time, then you can use several methods for this purpose.
• Before learning a text in a foreign language, you need to prepare. Namely, translate it. On the one hand, learning a text in English without knowing what is written there will not work. And on the other hand, while we are translating, something will already be written to the “subcortex”
• During the translation of the text, you need to reread it several times. If you do this during the day, then before going to bed, repeat this procedure. We will sleep and the brain will work
• In the morning, the text should be printed and hung in prominent places. Cooking, the text should be in the kitchen in a conspicuous place. Vacuuming in the living room, it should also be visible

The text in English is very well remembered if it is recorded on a voice recorder

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

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

How to learn English in a dream?

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

Everyone knows that sleep is very useful. According to researchers involved in this problem, sleep can improve mental abilities.

And in general, a sleepy person “absorbs” information better.

• But, for some reason, he absorbs it after sleep. English words from the player can only spoil the dream. So, worsen the perception of information the next day
• But, sleep can really help. But, only if you take the time immediately before it to study English
• After such a lesson, you can sleep, and the brain during this time will “process” the information and put it on the “shelves”. This method of learning foreign languages ​​has proven to be effective and is used by many people.
• And you can improve this technique if, immediately after sleep, you consolidate what was studied before bedtime.

Learning English: reviews

Katia. To learn a foreign language, you need to spend at least 30 minutes a day on it. Every day for half an hour. Even one missed day will have a very negative impact. I make sure to devote 30 minutes of English a day. Plus, if there is still time, then be sure to take a bonus.

Kirill. Now there are a lot of sites on the Internet where material is presented in a playful way. I am learning English through series. I watch serials in this language with Russian subtitles. I used to read subtitles all the time. Now I'm trying to understand myself.

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

It is no surprise to anyone that English is the language of international communication. Life in the modern world is difficult to imagine without knowledge of elementary vocabulary, the basic rules of the English language. Find out how to learn English on your own from scratch at home, thereby opening up new perspectives for yourself, in the article.

Knowledge of English is a necessary and relevant skill

English is widely used in education, science, and economics. The language of social and political life is English. Its study is necessary not only for matters of business life: it is impossible to imagine moving and traveling both to an English-speaking country and to any other country in the world without knowing English.

There is a common stereotype that learning English quickly from scratch on your own is an impossible mission. In reality, learning a foreign language, like learning any other skill, is a task, not an unsolvable problem. The main thing is to approach the issue comprehensively. An important aspect is the individual desire of the "student", his motivation and willingness to work. So, how to learn English on your own from scratch at home? Be patient, tune in to work and take advantage of the following secrets of learning foreign languages. Let's get started!

Teacher help

The assertion thatlearn English quickly, easily and independentlyimpossible is a lie. Of course, it is difficult to overestimate the contribution and influence that communication with a specialist has on a student. In addition, a professional teacher is able to choose the best teaching method exclusively for the student, which will allow him to master a foreign language in the shortest possible time.In most cases, the help of a specialist is necessary to obtain a base from which knowledge will be developed.

Teacher services: pros and cons

In the first days of learning a foreign language, the head is spinning from the grammatical and lexical load. The process of mastering the basics of English is measured not only in the time spent, but alsonerves. Patience and diligence are the keys to the "heart" of English. Private tutoring services are an interesting phenomenon that should be considered from all angles. So, the positive features of individual lessons with teachers include:

development of an individual curriculum;

adjustment of the learning process according to the direction chosen by the student;

personal approach;

professional help;

Pacquisition of systematic knowledge;

the ability to develop a convenient lesson plan.

Perhaps one of the main advantages of learning a foreign language with a teacher is constant supervision by a professional. The point here is not only thata specialist will always find, correct and explain, for example, a grammatical error - classes with him discipline, will allow you not to give up your dream inlearn a foreign language as soon as you encounter the first difficulties (which often ends with attempts to independently master a foreign language).

Classes with a tutor have certain disadvantages.positive sides: for example,dependence on the teacherandfinancial unavailability of teacher services.

The main principles of how to quickly learn English on your own

It should be noted that despite the significant advantage of individual lessons with a tutor over self-study in terms of mastering a foreign language, self-study or self-development improves memory, attention, broadens one's horizons. This happens as a result of the fact that the “student” independently searches for and selects materials, analyzesand systematizesinformation and learn how to useheron practice.

There are countless techniques designed to effectively learn a foreign language, but the essence of the problem is that it is difficult to find a personal recipe for everyone who wants to learn English. An individual approach is what underlies the successful development of any skill. So, the main secret ofhow to learn fastcolloquialEnglish language: to choose the optimal form of training.So, if you are distinguished by a good visual memory, then you should pay attention to reading books in English, but if your advantage is a good ear for music, then it is recommended to listen to podcasts or audio books in English. For owners of mechanical memory, the systematic implementation of written tasks will be the best option.

If you think reading books in the original is the lot of professional translators with years of experience behind them, you are mistaken. Do not rush to discard books in English, even if your vocabulary is barely 200-300 words. This amount is enough to start reading books in English. For example, grab a collection of children's stories - funny stories will dilute the boring process of learning a language. In addition to the fact that reading books increases vocabulary through the so-called photographic memory, it also allows you to master grammar, vocabulary, spelling.

Those who managed to conquer the English language recommend not to focus on every word. Should be read for pleasure. The main task is to understand the meaning of the sentence: the meticulous translation of every unfamiliar word is a tedious task and, in truth, inefficient.

Accept the fact that every person who learns a foreign language faces difficulties and makes mistakes. Remember that the result does not come after the first two sessions. Language proficiency is a layering of many language "layers". Time and patience!

How to quickly learn spoken English on your own? Oddly enough, "open" your ears. Theory is powerless without practice. Phonetics, syntax, grammar - it is important to know this, but the ability to apply the information received during classes in real life is more significant. Even if you are good at constructing sentences and have a rich vocabulary, this is not a guarantee that you will be able to understand fluent English.

An excellent option for practicing listening comprehension is watching films in the original. The best option is serials. In addition to being a moderate workload for episodes averaging between 20 and 60 minutes, the series is meant to be watched periodically. Thus, every day you can watch one episode of the famous sitcom "Friends" with subtitles, combining business with pleasure. Please note that subtitles must be in English! Here is a way to quickly learn English on your own and for free.

By the way, you should not deprive such video hosting as Youtube. Just choose the best video topic that interests you and find an English channel to your liking. Interestingly, almost every video on the resource has either compiled or auto-generated English subtitles, so you definitely won’t encounter the “I don’t understand what they are talking about” situation! Excellent language practice in just 5-10 minutes a day.

The option to listen to podcasts is suitable for people who spend a lot of time traveling by public transport, walking or doing household chores. After all, you must admit that washing dishes is much more pleasant, realizing that you are simultaneously studying a foreign language?

About two thousand years ago, Socrates said: "Speak so that I can see you." In fact, we can adapt the famous expression to today's topic. How to quickly learn English on your own? Talk!

If you have the opportunity to communicate with those who are at the stage of learning or have already mastered a foreign language, then by all means start a dialogue with them. If there are no "friends in misfortune" nearby, do not be afraid to talk to yourself. No, it's not crazy at all! This is a deep love for the language and the desire for self-development.

In the process of mastering a language, it is incredibly important to learn how to formulate your thoughts, regardless of whether you have enough lexical or grammatical knowledge for this. Just speak! It is impossible to build a lively dialogue based on memorized texts: you can use set expressions or phrases from them, thereby supplementing your original speech.

There is an opinion that a person knows the language when he can translate texts with a dictionary at hand. However, a rich vocabulary is what serves as the basis for mastering any foreign language.

How to quickly learn English at home on your own? The first thing is to get a dictionary. Yes, in the era of high technology, mastering a foreign language is still not complete without paper dictionaries made from 48-sheet notebooks. Why is it important to have a paper dictionary? The amount of human memory depends on many aspects. Writing out an unfamiliar phrase in the dictionary, we use not only visual, but also mechanical memory, since we prescribe each letter of the word on our own. The use of electronic dictionaries, despite the fact that they provide us with high-quality and instant access to data, implies a quick search for the meaning or translation of an unfamiliar word, pressing the "Save to dictionary" button - however, working according to this scheme, you will not be able to keep new lexemes in your memory.

For the same reason, you should not rely on the work of electronic translators. Yes, modern technologies allow a person to quickly and competently translate phrases from one language into another. But just by entering a phrase into Google.Translate and receiving its translation, you will not learn how to translate on your own. Of course, you can use electronic dictionaries to look up translations of individual words, but never of entire phrases, as this will deprive yourself of the opportunity to practice the language.

Also remember to “challenge yourself” daily. For example, make it a habit to learn at least 5 new words every day. Such a number in the context of the day is quite insignificant, but just think: in a month you can learn up to 155 new words. In a year, this figure can reach 1830 words! This is despite the fact that the vocabulary of a person who speaks English at an average level, that is, who is able to maintain a conversation on most everyday topics, ranges from 2 to 2.5 thousand words. Just imagine how fast you can learn English on your own! In just one year, you will be able to raise your knowledge of a foreign language from zero to a level intermediate(so desired among employers).

There are countless ways to learn English. To be honest, it's hard to do it on your own. Why? Because mastering any skill takes practice. And the practice of learning foreign languages ​​involves writing and speaking. Therefore, sooner or later, every person who studies English seeks help. The best help in learning a foreign language is native speakers. Immerse yourself in the language environment - this is the most effective advice on how to quickly learn English on your own. Almost alone...

In fact, for this it is not at all necessary to go to the UK or the USA, although, you see, it would be interesting. To start, you can try to find pen pals, and later start communicating with them via phone or video calls.

Of course, it all depends on your hobbies. Just bring English into your hobby! If you consider yourself a music lover, and your playlist contains more than a dozen songs performed in English, then it's time to arm yourself with a dictionary and open the lyrics to your favorite songs. Read, translate, memorize phrases and learn English - this is such an easy way to learn English on your own. If you are a fan of video games, download the original, untranslated version of the game and develop your linguistic skills while enjoying a fun pastime.

A short course on how to learn English on your own

A few more tips that will allow you to master a foreign language in the shortest possible time:

Use flash cards to memorize words, rules or phrases.

Use apps for smartphones and tablets to learn English. Do not forget from time to time to search the endless Internet for interesting resources for learning a foreign language: take online tests, read interesting notes, correspond with foreigners.

Find like-minded people and compare your progress in learning a language! The fact that you are going to learn English without a teacher does not exclude support from those whose goal is similar to yours.

Always keep in your mind the reasons why you started learning English, information about what his knowledge will give you and what opportunities this skill will open up for you.

Summarizing

Now all the secrets of how to learn English on your own are revealed. It remains to apply the above tips in practice. Well, I can't help wishing you success. Good luck! As they say, Never Give Up!