How can one have strong basics in English?
English is a very weird language. There are no fixed rules for everything. If you start to identify a pattern with a particular set of words, the logic behind it may not work in another situation.
So it can be a struggle to strengthen your basics in the language. The only advise that is both practical and effective to overcome this is to just accept things the way they are.
Let’s take the words read and read for example. You read those two words differently but why? Why are two words that are spelt the same used to express different tenses? Let’s take another example, the words fair and fare. These words have the same pronunciation but mean different. The logic behind these words is inexplicable.
So what should a beginner do? Focus on building strong basics and we don’t mean learning grammar rules. Sure, that would help. But in this article, we’re looking at 5 ways you can master the language -
Read
Magazines, newspapers, storybooks, textbooks, novels, research papers, articles, blogs, journals, READ anything you can lay your hands on. Reading will improve your vocabulary and familiarize you with the usage of words.
Homophones and Homonyms are words that most beginners get confused with. Eg: be/bee, ate/eight, weight/wait. Such words can only be understood clearly in the right context. Reading will give you the clarity to quickly understand the context and grasp the meaning of the word.
Watch English speaking YouTubers
Watch Youtubers who converse in English. They primarily use colloquial English. Watching their videos will help you learn and practise every day English
Here are a few YouTubers whom you can watch -
- English with Lucy
- Learn English with MisterDuncan
- BBC Learn English
- Jennifer ESL
- Britlish
Take a course
Courses offer you a detailed and comprehensive plan that covers all aspects of learning English. They help you in holistic development. You can check out some courses at englishmedium.in
Copy native speakers
- Find sentences of English with audio
- Listen to the audio
- Repeat after the speaker and record your own version
- Compare your version to the original
- Identify your areas of error and make the changes
This is an effective way to quickly improve your English.
Get a grammar guide
Grammar guides lay out elaborate rules of grammar with adequate examples. Pick a topic each day, read about it, understand it, and then implement those rules while communicating in English. Wren and Martin is a good grammar guide to begin with.
Lastly, Remember to practice reading, writing, listening and speaking. Speak in front of your family members and close friends. Don’t be shy to make mistakes and Identify your mistakes and learn from them.