English for communication and work: secrets of effective learning

The more closely you surround yourself with English, the faster you will begin to understand and use it in life. But how exactly do you create a learning environment? Here are 7 ways to immerse yourself in a language and its culture.

Try all the methods and choose the ones you like: learning should bring joy, otherwise there is a risk of quickly giving up.

Find a study buddy – arrange with a friend or colleague to meet for communication practice and mutual support. This will help overcome the language barrier and learn new vocabulary.

Re-listen to your speech – use speech recognizers, for example, Voice Dictation. This will help you evaluate how clear your pronunciation is and correct mistakes. If the microphone hears sink instead of think, listen to native speakers, copy pronunciation and intonation.

Become familiar with different types of speech – in IT, quite often your interlocutors will not speak pure English. Applications such as YouGlish will help you learn to perceive different speech.

Visualization is a method for those for whom it is more important to see a word and attach a specific image to it, rather than just hear it. Place stickers with the names of items on furniture, products and appliances. This will help you remember the words better.

Changing the language of the interface and social networks will help you learn new words and expressions in a familiar context. Don’t force yourself if it’s difficult to navigate.

Watch short videos – subscribe to English-speaking bloggers in your field. The vocabulary will always be the most modern, and you will be aware of trends. Short videos often have subtitles, which helps you learn new words.

Make friends with a native speaker – use applications to find interlocutors from different countries, for example, Tandem. Chat via video chat or instant messenger on topics that interest you.

Another way is to participate in free challenges. For example, on August 5, the “English from Yandex Workshop” channel will start a challenge dedicated to traveling around the world.

The program is designed for anyone who wants to learn or brush up on English. Profession, age and level of proficiency do not matter. You will learn useful words, phrases and idioms that will come in handy on vacation, business trips and travel, and also receive a selection of films and podcasts to consolidate and expand your knowledge.

Take at least one lesson to get a discount on any English course at the Workshop. Subscribe and join the “English from Yandex Workshop” challenge.