There’s no fast or easy way to learn a language. If you want to learn a language you have to study, preferably everyday. The YouTube videos that tell you “I gained fluency in a week!” are exaggerating at best. The articles that say “Try this one simple trick to learn English fast!” will probably be filled with baloney, but that doesn’t mean you can’t shake up your learning routine with a few fun new tips! 

Read the tips below with a teacher or classmate and answer the discussion questions.

Read the following tips and advice with your classmates and decide which of these ideas you already use, want to use, or think are useless. And keep in mind that the only real way to learn a language is consistency. Study however you want, as long as you do it everyday!

Teachers can download the PDF version of these questions and print them before class for students to use in pairs.

1. Turn on Captions

It’s been proven that turning the subtitles on can help kids learn to read and the same can be said for adult language learners. Adults who turn the language and subtitles of their favorite TV shows onto the target language get double the chance to read, listen, and understand their target language.

1. Do you watch shows or movies in English?
2. Do you ever turn on subtitles? Why or why not?
3. Do you think turning on subtitles could help you learn more English? Why or why not?

2. Karaoke

Singing helps students learn new vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation all in one go! Karaoke is especially good because it gives you the opportunity to read the lyrics as you listen to them and sing them at the same time. Of course, it’s important to choose a song that’s not too fast.

1. Do you ever listen to English music?
2. Do you ever sing in English? Why or why not?
3. Have you ever learned a new vocabulary word through a song? Do you remember what the word was?

3. Move Abroad

Of course, moving abroad to a country that speaks the language they want to learn helps students quickly improve fluency. 

1. Do you believe that moving abroad would help you learn English? Why or why not?
2. Have you ever been to an English speaking country? If not, would you like to go?
3. Why do you think moving abroad helps students improve fluency quickly? 

4. Language Immersion at Home

If you can’t move abroad, there are ways to immerse yourself in a language at home. Change the main language on your phone. Read the news in your target language. Watch movies, listen to music, and speak to friends in your target language.

1. What are some ways you’ve tried to immerse yourself in English at home?
2. What are some easy ways to immerse yourself in the language at home?
3. What immersion techniques are harder? Why?
4. Do you have any other ideas for immersing yourself in English in your day-to-day life?

5. Play a Video Game

People usually use video games and phone games to “waste time,” but if you play a game in your target language, then you’re actually learning. People who play games in their target language are having fun as well as picking up good pronunciation and vocabulary naturally.

1. Do you like video games? Why or why not?
2. Have you ever played a game in English? Why or why not?
3. If you were going to play a video or phone game in English game, what would you choose and why?

6. Read Children’s Books

Ideally all students should try reading English graded readers, books designed to match students’ various English abilities and gradually introduce new appropriate vocabulary. However, not everyone has access to graded readers, so another good option are kid’s books. Try reading some Roald Dahl or a Diary of a Wimpy Kid. English-speaking kids read these books and improve their comprehension and vocabulary, so you can too!

1. Have you ever read an English book? What was your experience like? Why?
2. Would you try another English book? Why or why not?
3. What kind of book would you like to read? Why?

7. Take a Shot?

According to a study which looked at German speakers who’d studied Dutch, drinking alcohol before taking a Dutch speaking exam improved the speakers performance in the exam. While we obviously don’t condone drinking before an exam, the message that we should let down our inhibitions while speaking a new language is pretty clear. Worry less and talk more.

1. Why do you think the speakers in this study did better after drinking?
2. Do you think stress and worry can affect our ability to speak a language?
3. Have you ever had an experience where stress positively or negatively affected your ability to speak English?
4. What do you do to relax while speaking English?
5. Do you have any tips for someone who is nervous to speak English?

Download and print the worksheet.

If you liked this speaking lesson, click here to try another conversation lesson about making a budget