There is more than one way to learn English, anyone can do it, regardless of time, monetary or talent concerns. Indeed, there are conventional and unconventional methods to learn any foreign language, methods that can help anyone, regardless of their strong suits or not so strong suits. The most important part, however, is to actually apply what you learn, to use these methods, regardless of which one you decide to go with.
Start learning, Stop postponing
Some students might make the mistake of over-researching study methods without doing any real studying. Yes, there are innovative ways of learning English, easier than the classic course or learning tape, and yes, there are blogs, and websites that cover language learning, from the very basics to practical day to day tips. However, don’t get stuck in the innovative renaissance of language learning that is going on these days and actually tries to learn something.
The first step is always the most difficult one to take, but also the most important. Don’t waste too much time over thinking about what learning method to choose, as it will just slow you down in the long run. There is no perfect method to start your learning with, it is more a matter of experimenting as you go along.
Once you start learning, you can try other methods to help you progress faster, from getting a tutor, to learning while you watch TV or listening to music, everything can work, it only depends how you want your learning process to go. The most important part is to stop delaying, even if you think it’s smartly invested time and start learning.
Another important part that gets left out by many students during their English learning process is to actually use what you learn. Create the opportunity if its not readily available and use whatever you learn. For example, you could talk to native speakers, if you don’t have the opportunity to meet them create it by going online on specially designed websites.
Use what you learn in any way you can
Try to test yourself by writing a letter in your newly learned language. You could also try to watch an English movie without dubbing or subtitles and see what you can make of it. Another way you could actually try to use what you learn is to read a book in English. This can be a great way to establish a real relationship with a writer as you will read his words, without losing any of the feel and emotion through translation.
In conclusion, don’t over think the English learning process before you start it. It’s not that big of a decision to make, and it’s something you can always modify in the future into a form that best suits you. Also remember, there are several ways to learn English, the best way in terms of both time, as well as personal experience, is to mix classical methods of learning like taking a course or learning from specially designed textbooks with a modern approach like learning from native speakers or improving your language by watching movies or listening to music.