We live in a world where learning English as a second language is essential. Not only for professional growth, but a second language brings possibilities to get to know a new culture. However, Learning English is much more than simply memorizing the translation of words into your language. This implies a total understanding of the language structure. Language is always rooted in the culture from which it comes. Therefore, you do not expect to be able to learn English without having adopted certain criteria and thoughts of the new culture in question.
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Learning English can be done in a huge variety of ways, from listening to native speakers and immersing yourself in day-to-day conversations all the way through to written exercises. We have a wide range of useful information and learning material designed to help you get to grips with the language and gain a much better understanding of it. It is for this reason that our editors have put together a selection of what they deem to be some of the very best learning English articles that you will find.
By taking the time to read through these articles and soak up the information presented to you, you will be sure to find that learning English soon becomes much easier. These articles are designed to explain ideas and tips in an easy-to-understand manner that is easy to digest. If our editors have suggested them, we believe them to be ideal.
English Grammar
English is renowned for having some seriously complicated grammar rules and it can be overwhelming trying to master every single one. It is important to take things step by step and focus on one grammar rule at a time, read up on it, practise it and then practise some more. This is the best way to be able to memorise and understand all the grammar rules that you will need to become a fluent speaker of the English language.
Grammar is simply the structure of the language and every language in the world has a grammar system. There are many points to consider within grammar such as syntax, phonetics and semantics, all of which sound extremely confusing. But once you have a handle on things, these will all seem much more easy to understand.
We have an excellent range of articles specifically designed in an easy to understand format which will assist you in learning all the grammar skills that you will need on your English learning journey. Choose one which interests you and go with it, then you can begin including your new found skills in your English conversations.
It is really important to remember that you cannot successfully learn a language without having a good knowledge of the grammar. It is one thing to learn common phrases and repeat these, and this will get you so far but if you want a much deeper understanding of the language then learning the grammar is an absolute must.
English Vocabulary
Learning English vocabulary is the basis of your journey to becoming a fluent speaker of the English language. When learning your native language, you begin building up a vocabulary at an early age and this develops over time, until you come to a point where to are fully coherent in the language. The same applies when learning English, you will begin with a basic vocabulary and over time, learn new words and phrases to add into your vocabulary in order to get to a more fluent speaking ability.
There are hundreds of thousands of words within the English language and it may seem like somewhat of a daunting task to remember them all and create your new English vocabulary. But it can be much more simple than it first appears. There are common phrases and words which are used every day in English conversations and there are more complicated words and phrases which may not used as often, all of these make up the vocabulary of the speaker.
Use these pages and articles to develop a greater English vocabulary and take the time to focus on the words and phrases that you feel are the most important and are going to be the most beneficial to your learning experience. On top of this, you need to consider what words and phrases you feel that you are going to need first and this will help you prioritise your vocabulary as well.
Visual Dictionary
Many people pick up a language by reading lines and lines of text but if you are one of the many people who struggle to learn this way then there is an alternative. By using visual vocabulary, you are able to pick up an understanding of the target language, in this case, English, through the use of images alongside the required vocabulary.
By looking at a picture, the brain can more easily absorb the information been given and it has been proven that information is easier to remember when shown in a visual format. Learning a language can be overwhelming but by linking an image to the vocabulary that it represents, you are much more likely to recall the information quickly, which is essential when learning a language due to having to have a reasonable response time in a conversation.
If you think that you would benefit more from visual learning then this is definitely the place for you. Browse through some of the images here and use them to broaden your English vocabulary and get well on your way to becoming much more fluent.
English Words
In the English language there are literally hundreds of thousands of words, this may seem like a lot and you would be right in thinking so because compared to other languages, English has more words than any other. With Russian coming in at second place and having 20,000 less words than English. So you have your work cut out for you. That being said, English words tend to fall into certain categories and this can make learning them so much more simple.
Depending on what you are trying to say, will highly depend on which type of word you need to use. There are many different word types such as adjectives, nouns, verbs, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions and so forth. Again this may seem like a daunting task to learn all of the various types but once you establish which words fall into which category, your English learning will excel to a whole new level.
Not only will learning English words help you in becoming much more fluent and natural sounding when using the language but on top of this, it is essential to be aware of English words and their types in order to be able to form a sentence.
The structure of a sentence is made up from various different types of words and understanding this structure will assist you in being able to form a sentence more easily and choose the correct English words.
It is not advisable to pick up an English dictionary, start at the beginning and learn words from A to Z as this will not be beneficial in becoming fluent. Learning the different word classes and what they are used for is the best way to learn as well as helping you to get to grips with English grammar.
Words with Letters
Words with letters refer to words constructed from the alphabet of the Latin language. These are called “word-building” exercises, which involve arranging and rearranging letters in various combinations until they form meaningful and correctly spelled words. Players receive a collection of letters, which they must use to construct words.
Word-building exercises aim to create as many words as possible within the allotted time. The exercise is great for developing spelling, grammar, vocabulary building, sentence construction, and critical thinking skills.
They are an essential part of language and communication. Knowing how to spell and use words correctly helps us communicate more clearly and effectively and makes us more confident in our written expression. Word-building exercises also help improve attention span, memory, problem-solving skills, and focus. These exercises may be a great way for children and adults alike to have fun while sharpening their language skills.
Word Games
They are games that involve manipulating or identifying words, letters, or both. They often involve unscrambling words from a given set of letters or constructing words from different combinations of letters. Common word games include Scrabble, Boggle, Wordle, Text Twist, and Words with Friends.
Slang Words
In the English language there are many informal conversations that you will hear which feature slang terms. For native speakers these come as second nature and they often do not even realise that they are using a slang term. Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could get to the point in English speaking where you felt this way too? There is a way that this can be done and that is by taking the time to look at various English slang terms.
In short, a slang term is a word or phrase which is used in a colloquial sense, usually during an informal conversation, There are a variety of forms of English slang, some of which are used in a mild comedic way, for example the use of the phrase ‘get some dough’ which is slang for earning money right the way through to the use of obscenities.
Whilst obscenities, more commonly known as swear words are used in slang, it is important to note that these phrases should never be used in a formal situation such as during a transaction at a shop of within the workplace.
Slang is used to make a conversation lighter and less intense but it can also make making a point much more simple and quick. Many people will use slang terms in order to more easily express a feeling or an emotion which is more relateable, for example saying ‘I am knackered’ which means ‘I am tired’ can have a much bigger impact.
Whatever the reason for using slang, there is no denying that it features heavily within English and is something that should be focused on during the learning of the language.
Abbreviations
An abbreviation is essentially a shortened version of a word or of a phrase, usually in a written context but in some cases in a verbal context as well. They are used in order to avoid having to continually write out longer words or phrases and can also be used to save time. In some cases abbreviations are used as a way to avoid having many longer words within a text, or in some cases within speech and can be implemented as a way to abide by modern standards. For example, the abbreviation LOL, is used as modern slang. It is not uncommon to hear abbreviations used in modern spoken language such as the term YOLO, which people will say during a conversation.
There is no set pattern to what an abbreviation should look like and in some cases, the individual author may even make up their own. You are unlikely to see a pattern but, with that being said, there are many common abbreviations which are standard within the English language.
Depending on the abbreviation, you might see a word in a shortened way, for example the word rehab is often used as an abbreviation of the word rehabilitation, this is common place and widely understood. However, in some cases, the abbreviation may come in the form of letters, which is also known as an acronym. An example of this might be YMCA, this is an abbreviation of the widely recognised charity the Young Men’s Christian Association, although it is rare that anyone ever refers to it by its full name as the abbreviation is standard.
Synonyms
There is more than one way to say a lot of things and that is where the synonym comes in. Often times, when listening to the English language, you will notice that someone may refer to something using a different word or phrase. This is called using a synonym. A good example of this would be the word beautiful, which can also be expressed by saying the words stunning, pretty, eye-catching or a whole host of other words.
A synonym is a word of phrase which means exactly the same as another word or phrase. One resource which is often used to come up with synonyms is a thesaurus. However, it is a really good idea to commit as many synonyms as you can to memory.
The reason for learning synonyms is so that you have a broader vocabulary and can avoid repeating the same word over and over again during any one conversation. Not only this, but being able to use synonyms will aid you in sounding more like a natural speaker.
Commonly Confused Words
English is said to be one of the hardest languages to learn, due to the many irregular grammar rules and in a lot of cases, the commonly confused words. The reason for this is that the English language has a tendency to use the same sounds, with slightly different spellings and meanings that could not be further apart.
It is not uncommon, even for native speakers to get words and their spellings mixed up and often times on English speaking social media posts you will see a comment correcting the spelling of the original poster.
In some cases, there are only two spellings to get confused between, but in some cases there are as many as three in words such as they’re which can also be spelt their and there and the three are often jumbled and misunderstood. It is important, as you begin to get a grip on the language to be able to differentiate between the different spellings and words in order to correctly express what you wish to say. Committing these commonly confused words to memory from the start and learning their uses and meanings is an excellent way to ensure that you always have a handle on them.
When looking at commonly confused words, you will often come across the term ‘homophones’ which is the descriptive word to describe the topic.
Common Phrases
Within the English language there are currently thought to be over 170 thousand words in use, this is a lot to learn and so in some cases it is better to put down the dictionary and concentrate on some of the most common phrases that are used within the language. Whilst this is not going to make you fluent, it is an excellent place to start because it will give you the basis of everything else you will need to learn. On top of this, if you have a good understanding of the most commonly used phrases, you will be able to get by much more easily in most day to day situations.
If you are only planning to learn a small amount of the English language, perhaps you are staying in an English speaking country for a short period of time or you may have the need to perform some basic communication via email, for example, then common phrases are a great way to get that basic knowledge that you require.
As well as the above mentioned points, knowing the key phrases will enable you to begin speaking the language much more quickly than if you attempt to learn individual words. The reason behind this is that attempting to structure sentences yourself by means of stringing words together can often prove to be very tricky whereas using common phrases as a starting point can give you a good idea of how the grammar works within the language and enable you to build on these phrases. You will also be able to understand much more easily, what is being said to you during a conversation as many native speakers will use common phrases if they are aware that you are not completely fluent in the language.