Top 10 Ways to Improve Your English – Improve your English Speaking skills and learn to Speak like a native.

 

Top 10 ways to improve your english
Top 10 ways to improve your English

Improve your English Speaking skills and learn to Speak like a native.

Do you feel extremely nervous or overwhelmed by the thought of improving your English?

This is because when you think about improving your spoken English, you start having thoughts like – Learning 20 words each day, memorizing complicated grammar rules, or joining English classes. It is just like a ‘mountain to climb.’ 

But that’s not true at all! 

There are many other ways that you can follow to improve your English sitting at home without joining any English classes. 

In this blog, you’ll get 10 ways to improve your spoken English competency and help you have an insightful conversation with anyone in English. 

  • Set monthly or weekly goals to improve your English. 

If you have a goal in mind, it makes it easier to stay motivated. Set monthly or weekly goals that are specific and measurable, then break them down into smaller tasks. These smaller tasks will help you reach your larger goal. 

This is why, when you log in to the EngVarta app, the first step is selecting a goal. Whether you want to improve your English for IELTS, or for cracking an interview.

For example, if your goal is to read more books in English, set a target number of pages you want to read each day and stick with it until you reach your goal. You can also create flashcards with new vocabulary words and practice speaking with English speakers so that you have opportunities to use them in real-life situations.

  • Set realistic deadlines for completing tasks.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the things you want to do and never quite get around to doing anything.

 Setting deadlines for completing tasks is one way to stay organized and motivated. If you know exactly when you’re going to do something, it makes the task seem less intimidating so you’ll feel more inclined to get started right away. 

For example, setting a timer for speaking English for 15 minutes every day. 

  • Practice Elaborative Encoding to learn vocabulary.  

Elaborative encoding is a memory technique where you connect what you are trying to remember and what you already know. 

For example, if you want to learn the word “orange,” you might connect it with something like an orange tree or an orange fruit salad because these images will help you recall the word better later on.

When people use elaborative encoding techniques, they tend to remember more than those who don’t use them at all or use less effective techniques such as rote memorization. 

  • Find YOUR way of improving your English.

The first thing you need to do is figure out what kind of learner you are. Do you learn better by hearing something or seeing it written down? Do you prefer reading or writing? Are there certain things you like to do that help you learn?

Once you know your own learning style and preferences, it will be easier for you to decide how to improve your English.

  1. Have an accountability language partner.  

If you want to improve your English, it’s essential to have a language partner. 

A language partner is someone who speaks the language you’re learning and helps you with your pronunciation and grammar.

All you need to do is make sure that both people are committed to improving their English and that you have similar goals for what you want to achieve by studying together. Then, meet up regularly and study together online or face-to-face!

  • Speak with different English speakers every day

When students ask us why they get connected with different Experts at EngVarta, this the reason we tell them. When you just speak to one person daily, you limit your oral competence. One of the best ways to improve your spoken English is to talk to different English speakers every day. In real-life situations, you don’t talk to one person, but you meet different people and all have different nuances of the language. This is the reason when you practice with different Experts, you get more exposure to the language. You get constructive feedback from all of them. 

  • Build English-speaking confidence 

As a fluent speaker, I bet you probably think that English speakers are very confident, they never run out of words or they know a lot of vocabulary. 

But even the most confident speakers can fall prey to self-doubt in new situations. The good news is, that confidence is a skill that can be learned—and it’s not nearly as hard as you might think.

The first step is to know your strengths. If there are activities where you always feel comfortable speaking English or you’re happy with your results, start with those situations when practicing your speaking skills

  • Practice speaking English as much as you can. 

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it bears repeating: the best way to improve your English is to practice using it!

I know, I know. You hate talking in English because you’re afraid of making mistakes, or you think your accent is too thick, or you don’t have anyone to practice with—this is all perfectly normal. But the more you avoid speaking in English, the harder it will be to improve your English. So stop avoiding it! Just start practicing whenever and wherever you can. 

  • Think in English 

One way to improve your English is to start thinking in English. Thinking in a language is the same as speaking it, so if you can get into the habit of thinking in English, you’ll find that your vocabulary and sentence structure will improve.

Your mind will have more opportunity to naturally absorb the structure and flow of the language. You won’t have to expend mental energy on translating from your mother tongue into the target language, which will free up brainpower to focus on the matter at hand.

  • Read as much as possible 

 The best way to improve your vocabulary is by reading as much as possible and by writing down new words. 

It improves your understanding of words and the structure of sentences. If you’re learning a new language, reading is an excellent way to get in touch with its nuances as well as the culture of the people who speak that language. 

Takeaway : 

One of the mandatory things you need to do to improve your English is pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Start doing things that you fear. Take charge of your language skills and grab as many opportunities as you can. 

Lastly, if you are looking for someone to help you improve your English or wish to practice English daily for 15-60 minutes, join the Engvarta app. EngVarta is an English speaking practice app where you can practice speaking in English daily without any hesitation.

Write down what you think about the article.

Thanks for reading! 

Top 15 uncommon ways to practice English and speak in English like a native English speaker

 

ways to practice English and speak in English like a native English speaker
ways to practice English and speak in English like a native English speaker

It’s simple to practice written English alone. Just write 100 words each day. 

But what about your spoken English?

Can you claim to be a fluent English speaker without any help? 

The bizarre thing about improving your spoken English is, that even if you memorize a complete dictionary. It won’t make you a fluent English speaker. 

In this guide, you will not get five, not ten, but 15 ways to practice speaking in English all by yourself

 

  • Record yourself reading a book out loud.

There’s no better way to improve your English than reading out loud. But if you’re like me and,  you hate the idea of reading out loud. Here’s a twist. I read a book while recording myself reading the book. Then, I listen back to the recording, and I read along with my recording. I do this until I can read the book out loud well enough to be understood. 

This method is excellent for improving your intonation, pronunciation, and overall ability to read and speak English. Besides, reading will help you expand your vocabulary, therefore making it easier for you to express your ideas and thoughts

 

  •  Describe the news in your own words.

Reading news is considered traditional but it is also one of the best ways to practice your English speaking skills. You just need to read articles online, or you can buy newspapers and magazines in English.

In this way, You will learn many new words and expressions. It’s not just reading, but also understanding what you read. You will have an understanding of basic grammar rules and sentence structure when reading articles in English.

 

  • Learn phrasal verbs for different situations

If you’re looking to improve your vocabulary, learning some phrasal verbs can be a great way to do it. Phrasal verbs are verbs that are made up of a base verb plus one or more prepositions or adverbs. They can be used to express a variety of different concepts, making them a very versatile tool in your vocabulary arsenal.

There are phrasal verbs for all sorts of different situations, so whether you’re talking about work, school, or your personal life, there’s likely a phrasal verb that can help you express what you want to say. 

Here are just a few examples of some common phrasal verbs and what they can be used for:

 

  1. Get (something) done: To complete a task or goals.

I need to get my homework done before I can watch TV.

  1. Turn (something) in: To submit a piece of work.

I turned my essay in to my teacher this morning.

These are just a few of the many, many phrasal verbs out there. Learning them can help you better express yourself in both speaking and writing. Give it a try and see how they can help you improve your vocabulary!

 

  • Learn grammar rules that connect real-life conversations 

There are a lot of great grammar resources out there that are specifically designed for learners. These can be really helpful because they explain the rules in a way that’s easy to understand. And they often provide examples so you can see how the rules are used in real life.

For example : Learning the correct use of prepositions are words like “in,” “on,” “at,” and “to.” 

They can be tricky, but it’s important to use them correctly. For example, you would say, “I’m going to the store,” but you would say, “I’m going to school.”

Or, paying attention to the verb tense like If you’re talking about something that happened in the past, use the past tense. For example, “I went to the store.” If you’re talking about something that is happening now or in the future, use the present tense. For example, “I’m going to the movies tonight.”

 

  • Think in English.

 

If you want to practice speaking English, one of the best things you can do is to start thinking in the language. This may seem difficult and weird at first, but it’s actually a great way to improve your skills.

When you start thinking in English, you’ll find that you’re better able to remember words and phrases while speaking. You’ll also be able to form sentences more easily. And, as you continue to practice, you’ll find that your speaking skills will improve significantly.

 

  • Watch English TV shows and movies with English subtitles. 

If you’re looking to improve your English skills, one great way to do so is to watch English TV shows and movies with English subtitles. This can help you get used to hearing English spoken at a natural pace, and you can also pick up new vocabulary and grammar points by reading the subtitles.

Of course, you don’t want to spend all your time watching TV! Make sure to balance your English Immersion with other activities, such as reading, writing, and speaking practice. And have fun with it – after all, you’re learning a new language!

 

  • Practice speech shadowing. 

Have you ever considered practicing speech shadowing to improve your vocabulary and practice English? It’s a great way to improve your pronunciation and get used to speaking in a foreign language.

If you’re not familiar with speech shadowing, it’s basically when you listen to a native speaker and repeat what they’re saying. It’s a great way to learn new words and phrases and to get used to the rhythm and flow of the language.

To get started, find a short piece of audio or video in English that you can listen to and repeat. It can be anything from a song to a news clip to a scene from a movie. Once you’ve found something, hit play and start repeating what you hear. Try to mimic the speaker’s intonation and stress patterns as closely as possible. At first, it might be difficult to understand everything the speaker is saying, but don’t worry, just keep at it and you’ll gradually improve.

 

  • Sing along to your favorite songs.  

If you’re looking to improve your English vocabulary and pace of speaking, one great way to do it is by singing along to your favorite songs. Not only is it a fun way to spend some time, but you’ll also be able to pick up new words and phrases. 

So, make a playlist of your favorite tunes and get ready to start singing!

 

  • Pretend you’re at a party and talk to imaginary guests.

If you want to improve your English vocabulary, one fun way to do it is to pretend you’re at a party and talk to imaginary guests. This may sound silly, but it can actually be quite helpful. By speaking out loud and using the words you want to learn, you’ll start to feel more comfortable and accustomed to them. Plus, it’s a great way to practice your conversation skills. So, next time you say that you don’t have a practice partner, follow this trick. 

 

  • Use technology as much as you can 

So if you’re looking to improve your English, make sure to take advantage of the technology at your disposal. With a little bit of effort, you’ll be surprised at how quickly your English improves.

One of my personal favorites is Quizlet. It’s a great website where you can create flashcards and quizzes to help you learn new vocabulary. You can also find sets of flashcards that other people have already made.

Next comes EngVarta, where you can practice English on both video and audio calls with the help of live English experts. 

Another great tool is Duolingo. This website/app helps you learn a new language by translating real-world text and speaking conversations. They also have little games to help you learn new words in a fun way.

 

  • Use a mobile dictionary.

If you want to improve your vocabulary and practice your English, using a mobile dictionary is a great way to do it. You can easily look up words that you don’t know, and get definitions and examples of how to use them.

There are a few different mobile dictionary apps that you can choose from. Some of them are free, while others have a small fee. Whichever one you choose, make sure that it has good reviews and that it will work well on your phone.

Once you have a mobile dictionary installed, start using it every day. Whenever you come across a new word, look it up. This way, you’ll gradually start to build up your vocabulary. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you start to improve!

 

  • English speaking practice apps.

There are many benefits of using English-speaking practice apps. 

They can help you improve your spoken English, learn new vocabulary, and practice your pronunciation. By practicing your English conversation skills on a regular basis, you can feel more confident and comfortable when speaking with fluent English speakers.

In addition to the benefits mentioned above, English speaking practice apps can also be a lot of fun! They can help you make new friends from all over the world and practice your English speaking skills in a relaxed and informal setting.

EngVarta is one of the best English-speaking practice platforms where you get English experts all over India. The experts are extremely friendly and approachable. They not just correct your mistakes and give you the right feedback. They also make sure to push you out of your comfort zone when you speak in English. 

 

  • Write comments on blogs and YouTube.

 

One of the fun ways to improve your English vocabulary is to write comments on blogs and YouTube videos. Yes, and don’t get me wrong. 

You can improve your  English vocabulary by learning from other people’s comments. When you see a comment that you don’t understand, look up the words and add them to your vocabulary list. This is a great way to expand your knowledge of the English language.

 

  • Create your own vocabulary list. 

Do you have trouble understanding some of the words people use? Well, you’re not alone. A lot of people have trouble keeping up with the latest vocabulary. But don’t worry, there’s a solution. Why not create your own vocabulary list?

Creating your own vocabulary list is a great way to learn new words and to make sure you understand what people are saying. 

Plus, it’s a lot of fun! Here’s how to get started:

  1. Choose a topic.
  2. Start collecting words. Write down the words you hear or see that you don’t know. Look up the definitions of the words you don’t know.
  3. Organize your words. Create categories for your words. For example, you could have a category for words related to food, another category for words related to clothes, and another category for words related to travel.
  4. Practice using your words. Write sentences or stories using the words on your list. Try to use each word in a different sentence.

 

  • Describe situations.

Learning how to describe situations in English can be tricky, but with a little practice, you’ll be able to do it like a pro!

Here are some tips for describing situations in English:

-Think about what you want to say before you start talking. This will help you organize your thoughts and choose the right words.

-Start by giving some basic information about the situation. Who is involved? What are they doing? When and where is it happening?

-Use verbs to describe what’s happening. For example, if you’re describing a scene, you might say “people are walking,” “cars are honking,” or “the sun is shining.”

-Try to be as specific as possible. The more details you include, the easier it will be for people to understand what you’re talking about.

I hope the article was helpful. Comment down below on how you are practicing English at home alone. 

And to improve your English speaking skills and continue your daily English practice, Download the EngVarta app

How to learn English at home

 

how to learn english at home
how to learn english at home

Do you want to learn English at home? Learning a new language is never an easy task but once you master it, you will understand its potential and be worth learning the language. 

Before moving on to the learning part I would like to address a very famous quote by Robert Montgomery that goes with a saying, 

”Home, the spot of earth supremely blest, a dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest” that briefs there is no better place to learn anything than your home. Same goes with learning English at home. 

Learning a new language is never going to be simple when you don’t have the specific language environment around you. I know you must have tried speaking in English with your friends or to your colleagues however you would have got mocks or hesitations and so you are here, searching for a solution to your problems.

I know it’s not that easy to learn a new language but trust me learning English is worth it for your future dreams and career. 

A lot of people join offline English learning classes and get even more confused and down because of their low confidence skills when they see the crowd surrounding them with numerous people. If you are really serious about learning and speaking in English and looking for ways to learn English at home, please continue reading!!

How can I learn English at home?

Talking about how to learn English at home? 

Here I have my true story to deliver so that you can relate to it better. It was during the pandemic year(2020), frittering away time, procrastinating everything, and wasting my whole day over unproductive things when I realised I should use this time instead of wasting it on useless stuff. 

I was one of the most “SHY” kinds of girls back in my school and at the office. And that was not because I didn’t know or understand English, even though I did, I was never sure about what to say or never found the right words to speak. So I promised myself to work on my spoken English and communication skills during the pandemic.

Huh… Learning a language when you have no one around you or to practise with was a tough thing.

For about a few weeks I scrolled down the screen searching for some helpful English learning apps or content to learn from and then I discovered a few online English learning apps for android and iOS that you can use to learn English at home.

I started using Duolingo, EngVarta and Grammarly. Duolingo and Grammarly were however unpaid whereas I took a month’s plan at EngVarta.

At Duolingo, I got numerous practice questions based on vocab and grammar. And talking about the paid app EngVarta, spending my money for a month plan was worth it. The experts there worked on my spoken English. I was given assignments after every class and with a month of consistent practice, I improved a lot.

I knew I was good at written English so I rarely used Grammarly. Anyways, it always saves me from grammatical errors.

That was all about how I learned and improved my English at home.

How can I learn English at home when I’m alone? 

Foremost, let me tell you “Sometimes you have to stand alone just to make sure you still can”. Do you know? Practicing a language just requires a mirror and you. Yes!! It does. If you have no one around to practice English then you can just go to the mirror and start your practice by self-introduction. It’s that easy. 

Or why to even go to the mirror if you have your phone in your hand? Just make a video or voice recording clip of yours while introducing yourself or you can also narrate a story of yours while recording your voice. 

Trust me!! recording your voice and video while practicing English will not only improve your fluency in English but will also add stars to your accent and expressions. And will make you comfortable with the flow. Also it is one of the best methods to learn English at home.

You know the language, and you can understand English, it’s just that you need some practice to improve your fluency in English while speaking. And only you are the right person who can help yourself to improve your English speaking skills. 

In addition to this, watch English movies or content that interests you. Watching movies in English can help you in learning English at home.

Remember: never waste your time on the contents that you are not interested in 

Always watch the contents that you find good or interesting. At the very beginning, you may find the English contents a bit boring but trust me after some time you will find them interesting. 

Now you can fetch good words and phrases from the contents that you watch or listen to. 

Start your English learning journey from today!! And always remember that YOU CAN and YOU WILL do it. 

Why is English important in our life

 

Why English Is Important in Our Life
Why English Is Important in Our Life

 

“Why is English important in our life?” Before proceeding with this question I have a question to ask and that is, “Is English really important to learn?” And the answer to it is undoubtedly “YES”. At present, English is among the top spoken languages worldwide. 

English is not a language just to copy and paste the vocabulary from the dictionary, it’s actually fun, it has emotions, expressions and is the best coupon to use when you meet other people around the world. Learning English can be a key to numerous doors in your career and will open up a wide area for the exposure. English is not only important for students only, but English is also important for working professionals too.

 

Why should I learn English

Connection to the world-

It’s a fact, learning English can help you to explore and connect with new people, not just in some specific area or place but around the world. It can add new exposures and experiences to your life. As it is widely said, always remember to carry your passport, visa and a good knowledge of English with you while going on a foreign trip. 

If you dream of visiting several countries around the world or wish to settle in a foreign country, it is needless to say that learning English may give you a good start. Even if you don’t travel to any of the foreign countries but still with your English speaking skills you can connect to various people on social media from around the world.  

 

Personal growth 

Let me begin with a very relevant example here: when you visit a ravishing hotel or restaurant and the waiter or waitress greets you in English or when you see your colleagues at office getting high increments and promotions because of being confident and fluent at spoken English during their presentations. At this point of time, you realise the real importance of English and how important it is to speak English fluently. Eventually you will work on your personal growth of spoken English skills. 

 

Interviews and competitions- 

Moving on, English gives a good impression of yours in interviews. And ignoring the language may affect your chances of selection. Learning the English language can surely boost your career growth as well. And not just interviews, you have a world outside to compete with. You have to set high standards for yourself in the world and English might be the first step to cover your high standards. 

 

Day to day usage- 

You may notice English is widely used and spoken in your surroundings in your day to day life. The menu at the cafes are mostly in English, schools are now charging fines from the students for not speaking in English, there are more numbers of English contents of English than of our native languages over the internet. Eventually, we can observe English evolving daily. 

 

How to Practise Speaking English?

Quoting a very famous quote of English here, “Practice makes a man perfect”. And it has been scientifically proven that practice is the only way to learn any language easily and faster. Now a question comes how to practise English speaking because that’ll take so much of your time in English coaching classes or how you will find the right person to speak with or who can correct your errors. Well this is what the Experts of EngVarta do. 

EngVarta is an online English learning app that connects the English learners with the English experts over a phone call. Here you are free to make English errors and speak English with your heart. No one is going to judge you. Here the experts will provide you with the necessary feedback. It aims to build confidence and fluency in spoken English.

English has become a way of living life. It has become dynamic & is constantly evolving. Eventually, learning spoken English is very important in our lives. 

 

Guide for Reading, Watching and Practicing English

 

english learning resources
english learning resources

In this article, you will get all the resources you need for reading, watching, and practicing English. 

The easiest way to improve your confidence when speaking English is to get more practice.

If you have people around you with whom you can talk in English, it is the best way to improve your English. But if you don’t, you can use mobile applications to improve your English speaking through real-life conversations. 

Practice spoken English daily on this English practice app 

EngVarta is an English practice app that helps you to improve your spoken English. You can book a call with an English expert any time of day for 15 minutes to 60 minutes anytime from 7:00 to midnight 12. You can speak on any random topic of your choice, or on a topic specific to one of your goals like clearing the IELTS or getting ready for an upcoming job interview. At the end of the call, the English expert gives you constructive feedback on any mistakes you made.

Best English reading resources to improve your English 

Online newspapers 

This is another useful resource because it allows you to read articles written by native English speakers on various topics. 

Here is a list of online Indian newspapers that you can check out:

Times of India – www.timesofindia.com/

Indian Express – www.indianexpress.com/

Hindustan Times – www.hindustantimes.com/

Daily News and Analysis – www.dnaindia.com/

Reddit 

If you want to learn English, Reddit can be your best friend. This site is full of people who are eager to help each other and share their knowledge. Here are some tips on how to use Reddit for learning English:

Find new books to read. A good place to start is r/books or r/bookrecommendations. You can search these subreddits for titles or authors you’re interested in reading. Or if you want something a little more off the beaten path, try looking for “weird books” or “lost classics” in r/booksuggestions.

Learn about different genres of literature by browsing through the various subreddit categories; for example, r/fiction contains discussions about what constitutes literary fiction versus genre fiction like fantasy or science fiction.

Ask questions about popular books. If you’re not sure how much time it will take to finish a book or whether you should buy it at all first, ask others for their opinions on the book by posting a question on r/booksuggestions or r/booksm

Free/ Paid online e-books

The Internet is full of websites that offer book downloads and reading material. Many of these sites have thousands of titles available for free, so you’ll always be able to find something interesting to read. Here are some great places to start:

Feedbooks: A website that offers over 25,000 free books available for download in various formats including PDF and EPUB.

ManyBooks: A website with over 11,000 free classics and contemporary titles available for download in multiple formats including EPUB and MOBI (Kindle).

Open Library: An open-source electronic catalog of free e-books available for download, founded by the Internet Archive and Google Inc.

Bookrix: A website that offers 50,000 free books available for download in multiple formats including EPUB and MOBI (Kindle).

Other stuff for improving your English 

 

Common Sense Media: This website offers reviews of movies and TV shows, as well as books and games. You can search by age or by title

Reader’s Digest: The venerable magazine is now available online. It offers some free articles, but you’ll need to subscribe if you want access to all the content.

The British Council: This website provides information about British culture and society, including current events and politics, business opportunities, and international education.

Dictionary.com: This site offers an extensive dictionary with definitions, synonyms, and pronunciation guides for many words in many languages — including English!

BBC Learn English – This is a great website for listening practice, reading comprehension, and grammar explanations. There are also some excellent videos on slang and idioms.

Online dictionaries – There are lots of online dictionaries available that can help you improve your vocabulary and understand new words in context. Here’s one site I like: Oxford University Press Online Dictionary

Watch these English content to improve your English 

Learn English with Tv series (Netflix or Amazon Prime) 

It’s fun and easy. You can watch the show with subtitles, or without them. If you’re watching without subtitles, then you should try to pay attention to every word that you don’t understand, and look up its meaning later on in an online dictionary such as Merriam Webster.

  1. Friends. 
  2. How I Met Your Mother. 
  3. The Big Bang Theory. 
  4. The office. 
  5. Breaking Bad. 
  6. Friends from College. 
  7. Gilmore Girls. 

EngVarta Youtube channel Engvarta youtube channel has lessons from grammar to daily life English conversation phrases. It provides weekly videos on all topics that are important for you to speak fluent English. 

TED Talks Official – TED talks are the best when it comes to learning new things and improving your vocabulary. They’re usually short, interesting, and educational so they are perfect for language learners. 

BBC Learning – This channel contains many different video series about different topics that will help you improve your listening skills in no time! There are also some videos on grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary-related topics which is great if you want to learn more but don’t know where to start.

FluentU – FluentU takes real-world videos — like movie trailers, music videos, news, and inspiring talks — and turns them into personalized language lessons. It also provides learning tools like interactive subtitles, flashcards, and more!

Best English Learning Resources for English Language Learners at all Levels

Best English Learning Resources
Best English Learning Resources

Start practicing English using the best English learning websites and English Learning apps

In this guide, you will find some of the best resources, websites, and apps that are essential for learning or practicing English irrespective of your level of English proficiency. 

Starting from learning grammar to practicing conversation daily, you can use these websites and apps without any second thought. 

Practice English with fun activities 

It can be difficult to find activities for ESL students, but the internet is full of ideas and materials that can help you get started. 

If you’re looking for activities for ESL students, try these websites:

 

ESL/EFL Students

A free online website that provides vocabulary puzzles, grammar quizzes, crossword quizzes, and youtube lessons for ESL students.

BBC Skillwise –  BBC Skillswise literacy website has plenty of free games for English learners. Ideal for adult learners, there is an engaging game for everything from word games to those that practice punctuation and pronunciation.

ESL Games World – This website offers free games for practicing English, which are aimed at young learners. The games can be used at any age, and there are fun classroom tools for teachers as well.

Duolingo 

Duolingo’s Daily Quiz — This is a fun way to test yourself on the Spanish you’ve learned. You’ll get an explanation if you get something wrong, so it’s great for beginners!

Duolingo’s Challenge Me Section — The challenge me section has lots of different exercises that will help you improve your skills. Make sure to check it out when you’re ready for more advanced material!

Duolingo’s Deck of Cards — This deck of cards is a fun way to learn Spanish vocabulary words and phrases. You can choose from different topics (animals, food, etc.), which makes it interesting and helps you remember what you’ve learned!

Brush up your grammar basics using these websites and apps

 

Grammar rules can be difficult to remember but if you know them well enough, they will be easier to use in real-life situations. It’s best to start with the basics of each part of a sentence first before moving on to more complicated concepts like verb tenses and sentence structure. 

I’ve listed down some sites & apps that will help your grammar knowledge in an interesting manner.  

Grammarly handbook 

Grammarly handbook by Grammarly is a concise, gentle, and rather short guide to Grammar. It’s meant for those who’d like to improve their grammar skills or simply refresh the knowledge they already have. 

The author assumes that you have little or zero experience in grammar and therefore, it’s probably a good idea to start here with learning if you don’t have any other resources for that.

 

Grammar 📒 | Learn English | EnglishClub

This free app is an easy way to learn grammar and different ways to say the same thing.

The app has hundreds of exercises, so it’s easy to find something that suits your needs. There are also some fun games like hangman, word search, and crossword puzzles. The app is available for both Android and iOS devices.

 

British council 

The British Council website is a great place to start learning grammar.

The website has a lot of information about the different parts of speech and how they work. It also has lots of exercises that help you learn how to use them correctly.

You can start by learning about nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. You can also learn how to use prepositions and conjunctions.

 

My English pages

My English pages is a great tool to help you learn grammar. It gives you the opportunity to do self-study and improve your skills in a fun and interactive way.

The site has several grammar levels that start from beginner level and go up to advanced level. The lessons are easy to follow and include many exercises that allow you to practice what you’ve learned.

There are also videos and audio files for each lesson, so you can listen, read and speak at the same time.

Once you’ve finished a module, there’s a test that will help you check your understanding of the material. 

 

Grammar monster 

The Grammar Monster is a free website that helps you learn English grammar. It’s easy, fun, and free!

This site offers free exercises, games, and quizzes for all levels of English language learners. The Grammar Monster will help you learn about the most important grammar rules and improve your writing skills.

Grammar Monster’s lessons are suitable for both adults and children. They are also great tools for teachers who want to use interactive material in their classes.

5mins English.com 

5mins English.com has interactive online lessons that help you learn basic grammar rules in a simple, easy, and effective way. Our lessons give you opportunities to listen, speak and write so that you can build your vocabulary, improve your pronunciation and get more confident with English conversation skills.

Each lesson has a video clip that explains a grammar rule in simple terms. You’ll also find a text box where you can type in an example sentence as well as check your answers against our answer key at the end of each lesson.

Practice pronunciation using these apps and websites 

ELSA Speak – Learn English Pronunciation Review – EducationalAppStore

 

Elsa Speak is a fun little app that lets you practice your pronunciation in English. The app is based on the phonetic alphabet, which is a way of representing the sounds of the letters in a language. It’s used by linguists and teachers to help people learn how to pronounce words.

The app has three different modes: practice, test, and quiz. In practice mode, you can listen to each sound of the alphabet (there are 26 of them) and repeat it back as many times as you want. 

It’s like having an English teacher standing next to you saying “Say it again!” except you don’t have to pay them anything!

 

TalkEnglish.com

Talk English is a great place to practice your English pronunciation. There are many lessons that are designed to help you improve your accent and learn the correct way to pronounce English words.

The lessons on this site are broken into small sections so you can do them at your own pace, which makes them ideal for kids or people who have trouble learning new things quickly. The first lesson is free, but most of the rest require you to pay for them.

Talk English also has a podcast where you can listen to native speakers speak in their normal voices about different topics such as culture, travel, and food. This is a great way to practice listening skills and get used to hearing native speakers talk. 

You can also use this site if you want more practice with speaking rather than just reading or writing English.

 

LearnEnglish Sounds Right Review | Educational App Store

LearnEnglish Sounds Right is an online English pronunciation course that teaches you how to pronounce words correctly. With this app, you can learn how to say words in British English, American English, and Australian English.

You start by watching videos that teach you about phonemes (the sounds that makeup speech). Then, you can practice your skills by listening to recordings of native speakers saying words with different sounds in them. 

The app also gives you tips on how to improve your pronunciations based on the feedback from its system’s analysis of your voice recording(s).

Vocabulary learning websites/apps

 

Engvarta Vocabulary series 

Engvarta has its own vocabulary series where they deliver three words daily to your mail account. You get the three words along with their meaning, their pronunciation, and sentence formation. It’s quite a handy way. You don’t have to look for words and will work like your morning lesson doze. 

To get daily words, you need to install the Engvarta app and subscribe to the daily Vocabulary series in the menu. 

 

Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary.com is a free online vocabulary learning site. You can choose from a wide variety of topics, including science and business. The site also has games and flashcards, which are great for learning new words and practicing your existing vocabulary.

 

Easy Notecards

Easy Notecards is a free, easy-to-use tool for learning new words and definitions. The program creates flashcards with the word on one side and its definition on the other. It’s simple to use, and you can even create your own flashcards with words you want to learn.

 

Finally: Speaking Practice

If you’re a beginner, practicing English conversation is an excellent way to improve your pronunciation and speaking skills. You can do this by having a conversation with yourself in the mirror or with a friend or family member who knows English well. 

If you’re nervous about speaking in front of people, try talking on the phone or use an app for practicing. 

Remember that practicing English conversation doesn’t have to be stressful — it should be fun! 

This is the reason Engvarta has successfully built an English learning environment where you can practice real-life conversations sitting from the comfort of your home. 

Whether you’re a student or a working professional, you can pick any time of day for your daily practice. 

Before you start practicing, Engvarta makes sure that each and every step helps you reach your goal. Your goals such as clearing IELTS, becoming an exceptional public speaker, and attending meetings without fear of English speaking or cracking interviews. 

After every session, you get a recording of your previous conversation, so that you can listen to the feedback again and identify the corrections that you need to make. On completing 10 hours of practice, students are awarded a certificate of completion. 

I hope this article helped you. Give your suggestions for other English learning apps and websites so that they can help others too. 

Download the Engvarta App today and start your English Conversation practice today! 

english learning app
english learning app

10 Best Ways to practice English in short time

 

 

ways to practice english in short time
ways to practice english in short time

 

Learning English can be difficult, but don’t give up! With enough practice and the right resources, you can start speaking English confidently. If you want to improve your English skills, there are several steps you can take to get started. The best way to learn a language is to build a habit. When you do something as a part of the habit, it doesn’t stay as a task. 

There are 10 things that you can do to learn English every day is : 

  1.  Improve English with authentic videos 
  2. Get a fun English app on your phone 
  3. Have an English learning partner 
  4. Track your progress 
  5. Learn interesting English words
  6. Listen to a podcast or an audiobook 
  7. Use flashcards to improve vocabulary 
  8. Sing English songs 
  9. Describe pictures
  10. Pronunciation exercises 

Improve English with authentic videos 

You’ve probably heard that watching movies in English with subtitles is a great way to improve your listening skills. But what about watching videos? Videos are actually even better than movies for improving your listening skills. You don’t have to spend more than 15 minutes, They are easier and more fun to understand because they’re shorter and more conversational. In videos, you learn expressions that you don’t find in books. You learn about real people, real situations and by watching videos, you also make an attempt to speak like them. 

You can learn casual English through funny clips, music videos, inspirational talks, and many more. 

Get a fun English learning app on your phone 

You want to learn English, but having the right resource at the right time is always a problem. 

Having a handy, well-featured pack app can help you save a lot of time and work on your English anytime and anywhere. There are several English learning apps for almost everything, like vocabulary building, grammar practice, pronunciation, and speaking practice. You can go from free apps to paid apps according to what you want to focus on. 

Have an English learning partner 

You do everything in your hand to improve your English. Starting from learning grammar rules and memorizing vocabulary, what you don’t focus on is speaking English every day. Especially with someone who can speak English. 

This is just like you want to swim. You know the diving rules but you never actually went into the water. It is important that you take help from English learning partners who can help you to speak in English on a daily basis. 

Engvarta is a platform where you can practice English with live English Experts daily. Maybe it is your next interview or you want to excel in your communication skills irrespective of your  English level. 

Track your progress 

You are putting in your efforts every day. It is important to know what method is bearing results and what is not. Tracking your English improvement is an important part of your daily habit.

Check this video to know how you can track the progress of your English speaking skills 

How to track your English improvements | SELF ASSESSMENT METHOD 📈📊

Learning interesting English words 

Learning interesting English words can improve your vocabulary and help you express more ideas. It can also make you more knowledgeable in everyday conversation, and people will be impressed by your larger vocabulary.

There are many ways to learn new words. One way is to read a lot. When you come across a word that you’re not familiar with, write it down and look it up when you’re done reading for the day.

Another way to learn new words is to carry a small notebook around with you and write down new words as you think of them or hear them throughout the day.

You can also find lists of new words online and study them when you have time. You could even study with a friend, test each other on the words, and play games like hangman or charades to practice using the words together.

Listen to a podcast or an audiobook 

This is a pretty simple way to improve your English, especially when you’re on the go. You can listen to these things while you’re driving, taking the train to work, or doing housework. 

One of my favorite podcasts is “The Allusionist”. It’s about language and words that we use every day.

Use flashcards to improve vocabulary 

If you want to improve your vocabulary, flashcards are an easy and effective tool.

You can use online flashcard sets or create your own. Either way, you should start by reviewing just a few cards at a time. If you’re making your own cards, choose words that you hear or read frequently but don’t know what they mean; also include words that have subtle meanings that you need to understand to use them correctly. Look up the definition of the word and write it on one side of the card. On the other side, write a sentence that uses the word correctly.

Start out by reviewing just a few cards every day, then add more as you’re able to master them. That way, you won’t get overwhelmed by trying to remember too many words at once. Repeat this process until you’ve mastered all of your vocabulary flashcards!

Sing English songs 

One of the best ways to improve your English is to sing along to songs. It’s a fun way to learn new words and phrases, and the repetitive nature of the lyrics will help you memorize them.

You’ll also get more comfortable with English pronunciation, which will help you speak English more fluently and confidently. When you sing along with songs, you’ll learn how to properly pronounce words and stress syllables in sentences, as well as learn new intonation patterns.

The best songs for learning are ones that are popular right now, since they have a lot of exposure and can help you understand conversation topics. They also tend to have a lot of repetition, so they’re easy to pick up quickly.

Pronunciation exercises 

Pronunciation is the way in which a word or a language is spoken. This may refer to generally agreed-upon sequences of sounds used in speaking a given word or language in a specific dialect (“correct pronunciation”) or simply the way a particular individual speaks a word or language.

Conclusion 

The more you use these techniques, the better a speaker you will become. You can even practice using them in the foreign language that you work in to get a feel for the phrasing and intonations of your target language with native speakers. Gardening is one of the best ways to learn English because it’s a flexible hobby that won’t require huge time commitments from you. Just make sure to have a lot of fun and practice these important skills.

How to Practice English using Self Talk

 

 

how to practice english with self talk
how to practice english with self talk

 

One habit every English learner must adopt is – Self Talk – it can be a great way to practice as well because for this you don’t need anyone and we all are continuously having chats with ourselves.

So how to do that?

First thing: You don’t have to be fluent to start speaking English to yourself. You don’t need to know a lot of words or grammar to start learning English? 

Here’s how to start with Self Talk 

First of all, talking to yourself means talking about what’s going on in your mind. You can do that almost anywhere when you are alone. Because self-talk in public is weird right? So, just find a place where no one can hear you and just start speaking. 

Now, you may wonder – What should I speak? 

My answer is – Anything that you love talking about. 

Maybe your recent crush or your dream destination. 

The beauty of self-talk is there are no dos and don’ts. You can be yourself and express your thoughts just the way you like in English. 

Self-talk for beginners  

If you are a beginner, the first thing you should do is train your mouth to produce the sound of your target language, i.e, English. You need to practice the pronunciation, the usage of common English words and learn to frame them into sentences. 

Just like you did when you were a child. You imitated your parents and people around you and that’s how you picked up the language. 

Right now, English words may sound unfamiliar to you, so the best way to get accustomed to the language is to watch and listen to people in English. And whatever you listen to, just repeat after them. 

Once you can pronounce the sounds in that language you can take some time to look around yourself, like your apartment, your office, or places you visit, and just call out names in English that you see. 

Another idea could be – Describe what you are doing right now? Are you working at your desk or are you gardening, cooking? Just elaborate on the activities that you are doing and speak it out. 

If you want to talk about the past, you can speak about – How was your week and what are the things that you learned? 

Or, if you want to talk about the future – You can just elaborate on your goals for the year or what you will do in the coming week. 

The third way to do self-talk is to give yourself imaginable situations. Like how would you start a conversation if you have to order something? Or, how would you take an appointment in English?  What would you do if you meet your favorite celebrity? 

If you dedicate at least a few minutes to this activity every day, you’ll be able to take up a conversation in English with anyone even if you have fewer phrases and words. You’ll be able to pave new ways to learn English. 

Self-talk for advanced learners

If you have words and phrases but you just need practice, narrating personal stories is the best way to do self-talk. Mark my words – the more real and emotional your story is, the faster you will be able to get words and phrases. 

You can talk about – 

  1. One of the biggest achievements in your life 
  2. Who has inspired you most in your life? 
  3. What would you like to do if you get a fully paid 1-year leave?
  4. When was the last time you met your cousins & what was it like?
  5. If you could help someone today who would that be & what would you do?

I have a separate blog on topics that you can pick for self-talks – 30 Interesting Topics to practice English

A fun self-talk activity 

Take up a situation where you wanted to win an argument but couldn’t. This is the best time for you to recreate that situation and think of an angle & vocabulary/phrases that could have helped you make your point better and potentially win that argument. 

This will help you aim for two birds at the same time – Win an argument in English and enhance your English word bank too. 

So, are you ready to take up the habit of self-talk? If you have any questions, ask me in comments below. 

How to Measure Progress of Your English Speaking Practice

 

How to track progress of your English speaking
How to track progress of your English speaking

 

Sometimes when English learners practice English or when they speak in English, they feel they are not improving and this feeling discourages them to practice more English and achieve their goal of learning and speaking fluent English. So, why not create a method for yourself and track your progress in improving English on a weekly basis. The best part about this method is you can do it all by yourself. 

If you are an English learner, and want to check whether your English is improving or not, watch the video and try this method out. 

 

In this video :

Many English learners ask me this question – 

How do I exactly know if my English is improving or not? 

How do I measure my success when it comes to improving English? This topic often does not get any attention and due to that most learners give up in the middle of learning English because they feel that they are not improving or they can never do it. 

Well! Let me tell you – Whether it is English or any other language that you are learning, it takes a lot of time and effort to actually notice any improvement. But yes…. It is also important that you track your weekly or monthly progress of your English learning practice. Because only tracking will help you to stay focused on the activities that are actually important for improving your English. And it will also help you have realistic goals, stay positive throughout the journey, and celebrate your short achievements of improvement. 

See, the journey to becoming fluent in English is just like an endless staircase where you keep on climbing and you never see an end; you don’t know when you’re going to be fluent. But you can always look back and see how far you’ve reached. 

Now, the question is how will you measure your progress in learning English? How will you check whether your slope of improvement in learning English is rising, is it constant or is it falling? 

Tracking is not a hard job and you can do it all by yourself. You just need to give yourself a genuine self-assessment. 

Now how can you self-assess yourself? The first thing is – self-reflect on your journey. Many times when you see someone else speaking better English than you – You instantly start doubting your skills. Comparison is an evil that might help you sometimes but most of the time it leaves us drained of positivity – but that’s another topic for another time.

 What you need to do is: Just take a moment to look back – what problems you were facing while speaking English earlier that you don’t face now? For example, a few months back, you were not able to participate in a conversation but now you like talking to people in English. Maybe you are not as fluent as you would like but have you improved from what you were when you started a month back? 

You can follow these steps for a simple self-assessment 

Anytime during the day, sit down and take a random topic, especially a topic that you are interested in. Or maybe topics like – How does your normal working day look or how was your week so far. If you want to be more creative and make this activity real fun, Write 20 to 30 topics on a small piece of paper and put them in a jar. And you can just pick up one topic from the jar and then start speaking on them for 3 to 5 minutes or as long as you feel like talking. If it is difficult for you to search for these topics, I have mentioned a link that will lead you to a list of topics that you can speak on.

  1. When you do that, make sure to record yourself on your phone. Don’t prepare yourself in advance & don’t take any notes, & yes don’t stress out – it’s just you who will listen to your recording so just be yourself & express yourself on that topic.
  2. Once you are done. Listen to the recording. And what will you check? Your grammar, your vocabulary? No! You just have to check how easily you can bind words together and express yourself. And you need to do this on a weekly basis, maybe every weekend, just take out time for this one activity. And then you can compare recent recordings with past recordings. 

If you are in an environment where you have fewer people to talk to, this method can do wonders for your speaking skills.

You know- I suggested this method to one of the English learners at EngVarta and she noticed the difference months later when she heard her old recordings, she could see the massive improvements she made. She could now hear her mistakes and notice how inarticulate or less fluent she was in her old recordings as compared to now.

What I believe is, recording yourself is not just a way of checking your progress but also one of the best ways of practicing your English speaking skills. This is the reason the Engvarta, an English learning app has a feature of recording that can help you listen and analyze yourself after each session. You can also click the I button to check one such recording. 

And finally, something that we all can relate to – in a situation when we fail or we face a setback we usually hear a voice in our head that tells us – how much we don’t know and makes us feel miserable. But along with this, we all have that one good voice that encourages us and tells us to look at the brighter side but when we fail that good voice vanishes somewhere making us think -I am not good enough or maybe this is not for me or I am too slow, etc.

So my advice is –  listen to the voice that keeps telling you that you are made up for great things & that will keep you motivated in difficult times, be it language learning or any situation in life. 

I hope the above video was helpful and you will use this method to track your English learning progress. 

WANT TO TALK TO OUR ENGLISH EXPERTS OVER THE PHONE CALL? 

Download the EngVarta app now. It is the best English learning app in India.

 

How to Overcome your Fear of Speaking in English

 

How to Overcome fear of speaking English
How to Overcome fear of speaking English

 

Hi !

Do you want to know what my struggle in life was? 

‘I couldn’t even speak English with my best friend ‘. That’s how afraid I was of speaking in English. 

 I always had that notion inside my head that people around me speak better English than me and the moment I open my mouth to speak, they will laugh at me.

If you are here, most probably you resonate with me or this fear monster has become your best friend!

Now whenever you share this problem with someone, the only advice you will be getting is – It’s all in your head.  

And trust me it’s easy to say this but very difficult to take this monster out of your head.

So, no matter how many times someone comes and motivates you to speak in English. You land up at the same place again with the fear of speaking.

 

To begin with, let’s write down all possible reasons of your fear of speaking in English  –

 

  1. First, you are afraid because you think if you make mistakes people around you will be like, ‘ Hahahaha….Look at the girl… how poor her English is.’
  2. You fear because people around you can be judgmental and no matter how intelligent you are – they will judge you for a language that isn’t your native language. 
  3. You never speak English or never had that environment to do the same so you have an almost negligible amount of confidence.

These are the top 3 reasons English learners fear (do let us know if you have any other fear).

If you connect with any of those three fears – You are not able to speak English because “What will people say if I speak wrong English?”

Tell me one thing, ‘ How many times has it happened that someone made a mistake in front of you & you laughed at him. Only 2 out of 10 people do that unless you are making mistakes in social media or public speaking.

People don’t even remember what you said last time. You never did. 

It is the same way round. Sensible people who know that English is not your first language and you are learning it. They will never mock you. 

Instead, they will appreciate you for your efforts in speaking in English.

And the ones who mock you – they will do that even if you are perfect. 

You cannot stop them from judging you. They are as determined to judge you, as you are to speak in English.

So, there is no point thinking about ‘such people’ and refraining from conversations in English. Because the English language is just like any other skill.

Let’s compare it with an instrument. Let’s say guitar. People will keep appraising you until your chords go out of rhythm. But the good ones will appreciate your overall performance. The same thing happens when you speak English.

Engvarta, an English Learning App has been working for years to help learners from all over the country to overcome their fear and work on their English skills. And the solo philosophy is to improve English only by ‘speaking in English more.’

Phew ! 

We are done with our  Psychology class today & now we will talk about 3 steps that had helped me to tackle my fear and speak in English confidently – 

  • Start with your minor fears

As you know – You cannot jump into the water directly to overcome the fear of hydrophobia. 

In the same way, you cannot start challenging yourself to go for Public speaking to overcome the fear of speaking in English. You need to keep patience and take little baby steps. Your first minor fear can be-

  1. Talking to yourself in English.
  2. Talk to your close friends or teachers in English.
  3. Talking to your colleagues in English
  4. Standing in front of the mirror and lecturing yourself for a minute or two in English. 
  5. Joining and being a part of a conversation.

It’s your call and you need to improvise accordingly to your level of comfort. 

Once you start overcoming these small fear monsters. You will definitely start conquering your greater fears. 

 

  1. Start setting your English Learning Goals 

Set a goal or a daily task for yourself. As English is not your first language. You need to engage yourself and create an environment to practice speaking in English. English is about doing small things rather than just completing a vast course. You fear because you know you are not good at something. And to become confident, you need to be involved and set goals on a daily basis. Like learning a grammar rule or some phrases. Or speaking at least 15 minutes in English during the day. 

It adds small improvements on a daily basis that will make you confident.

 

  1. Have Conversations in English with English speakers. 

Most of the time, you are not afraid of the ‘English language’ but are afraid of having ‘Conversation in English’. And if you are able to read this article and understand every word, then your problem is not about understanding English. But it is about framing sentences and your ideas using the right words. 

Instead of focusing on grammar and vocabulary, have conversations in English with English speakers who can help you and motivate you to speak in English. And most importantly, someone who helps you to come out of the fear.

So, the next time you start having thoughts like, ‘ What if I fumble in between the conversation while speaking in  

 ‘ What if I make a mistake and everybody laughs at me?’ 

‘ What if I forget words and mess up everything? 

Kick out this best friend of yours from your life & even if you make mistakes. Speak in English as much as you can. Because no matter how many such articles you read – You are the one who will have to fight against this fear.

For regular English practice with English experts, you can also download the EngVarta app. EngVarta is an English speaking and English learning app where you can learn English over phone calls with the help of live English experts.

In this English learning app, you will get a friendly environment where you can do daily English conversation practice without worrying about anyone judging you for your mistakes.