How to practice your English outside the classroom

When you are learning English, it’s very important to use and practise it outside of the classroom!

Speak as much as you can, don’t worry about making mistakes!

Try and speak English as much as you can. Go to restaurants and order your food in English! Visit shops and speak to the shop assistants! Make friends with native speakers and ask them to help you practice and correct your mistakes – you might not understand everything they say to you, but you will learn some new phrases and get FREE listening practice.

Read anything you can get your hands on!

Read books in English. Choose book that you have already read in your native language or those that have been made into films which you have seen – this will make it easier for you to understand the content. Choose an English language magazine, a blog, or a newspaper that interests you and read it frequently. Read restaurant takeaway menus at home and try and decide what you want to order. Also use sub-titles, when watching a movie – that will challenge your reading, pronunciation and listening skills all at the same time.

Use every opportunity to practise your listening!

Watch movies, television, even adverts in English. Listen to songs – pay attention to the lyrics, or even look up the lyrics on the internet to better understand the words and once you know them sing along to the song – singing is a great way to learn!  Listen to the radio in English: when you’re driving or sitting at home – have the radio on. Make sure you listen to talk radio stations as well as the music ones – it will help you tune into the language of politics, the environment, human rights, law, etc.

Write down your all thoughts and experiences!

Keep a diary of your time in London. This will not only be a lovely souvenir to reflect on many years down the line, but you can also practice your English writing skills. Set yourself goals for the week, try to achieve them and write about them. Write down what you did each week, what you saw on TV, the people you met and all the things that made you happy or upset you. Start a whatsapp group with your classmates, so you can text each other about things that are going on at school. Exchange email addresses with your school friends and email each other regularly – this way, even when you finish your course, you can still keep in touch.

Most important of all, enjoy your time here and make the most of studying in London – you are in the perfect place to improve your English in the real world!