Teach Yourself English

Last Updated on February 11, 2022 by Estrella

Is it possible to teach yourself English? Yes. Actually, let me qualify that. In this article, I am referring to those who already know some English, and want to improve by themselves.

Some of us do not have time to go to ESL class after working all day. And some feel that their ESL class does not meet their individual needs. Or maybe you can’t go because of family responsibilities. Whatever the reason, there are ways to teach yourself English. This article shows you how.

How To Teach Yourself English

Even if you cannot go to an ESL class, you can create your own study program to improve your English. Just like an ESL class, you can develop your skills in the area of listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

You can approach these areas in one of two ways. You can do all four at the same time, or you can focus on just one area at a time.

Improving Conversational English

For example, let’s say you are only interested in having conversations in English. You can focus on building your listening and speaking skills. In conversing, you need to understand what you hear in order to respond. That’s why listening and speaking skills are combined if your goal is to become more fluent in English conversation.

One of the most common concerns with listening is that native English speakers talk fast. Therefore it’s hard to follow them. The article How to understand fast English speakers goes into detail on this topic.

And if you want to feel more comfortable speaking English, this article on Natural Approach to Learning English will guide you.

How to Read Faster and Write Better English

Let’s say you want to write better English. To improve your writing skills, reading would help. When I was learning English, I read many books over summer vacation. Reading for fun. When school started again, my writing was better. I got better grades. And I did not even study writing over the summer. Why was that? My brain picked up on sentence structures as I read. And the patterns became familiar to me even without me knowing it.

You may be thinking, “How do I improve my reading? I read so slow, it takes forever to finish a book.” Not to worry. There’s an article on Reading faster is easier than you think that shows you tips on this subject.

The topic of writing better English will be discussed in an upcoming article. The next time you visit, look for that article.

Practicing All 4 English Skills

So, if you want to address each of your skills together, all you need to do is to devote part of your time to each area several times a week. Just like ESL class devote a segment of class to each skill, you can do the same. Practice your listening skills on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And your reading skills on Tuesday and Thursday. You don’t have to practice a long time. It’s more about giving your full attention when you are practicing. It’s better to do 2 minutes with 100% of your focus than 30 minutes if you are distracted. So the amount of time is not as important as the quality of your attention when you practice.

Here is a list of articles that cover different English skills.

If you find this article helpful, here is one on Free English Learning Resources for ESL students that you might also find valuable.

Estrella Chan coaches immigrants and international professionals in English fluency, interview skills, and public speaking.    To schedule a session with her, please email estrellachan@gmail.com