There are many ways to learn foreign language from scratch yourself. The first thing you need to do is answer the question - why. Knowing the answer to this question is super important. Speech as a communication tool requires regular use - if knowledge and skills are not used, they are forgotten. Human memory is designed in such a way that it hides unnecessary knowledge as far as possible. Everything that you have learned well will quickly be forgotten - then you will have to start all over again.
Before you start cramming the alphabet, it is important to understand the goal:
- communicate with airport employees, store managers, service personnel during tourist trips and understand the interlocutor well (colloquial variety);
- conduct business negotiations with partners (business variety);
- have the opportunity to read scientific (or fiction) literature (technical and literary versions);
- communicate freely with residents of another country (read, write, speak).
Important tip! Motivation is important to achieve success. At correct positioning The goal is to easily acquire the necessary knowledge from scratch on your own and for free.
2 main ways to learn
There are two ways to quickly master someone else's method of linguistic communication.
The first is practiced at school: first they learn words, then they put them into sentences, and from phrases they construct a text. Phrases are constructed according to the laws of Russian grammar - this is a mistake. For this reason, high school graduates know a set of individual nouns and verbs, but it is difficult for them to quickly combine word forms into sentences; they have little experience in free communication.
The second approach teaches that it is better to study a foreign dialect in phrases, and to learn to speak immediately in full-fledged constructions. The fact is that the word in context takes on a new meaning - it is impossible to describe all the nuances with a set of strict rules. Any speech is phraseological: the meaning of an individual sentence is not equal to the sum of the meanings of individual word forms.
If you decide to learn English on your own at home, you will probably turn not only to textbooks, but also to educational sites, language social networks, programs, and applications for mobile devices. In this review I will talk about the most, in my opinion, interesting and useful educational sites and programs for the English language.
The article consists of two parts. In the first, I will talk about the benefits of educational programs in learning English, the second is the actual review. Let me remind you that there is an entire website dedicated to reviews of useful online services for studying in English. This section provides detailed reviews, and this review is a general one.
What are the benefits of educational sites and programs?
Learning sites and programs are very good helpers in learning a language, especially if you study at home, on your own. They help not only to study theory, consolidate knowledge in exercises, but also to practice speech activity. In other words, with their help you can work on all elements of the language formula.
Tongue formula
To speak English, that is, to understand text and speech, to be able to express yourself in writing and orally, you don’t need much:
- Big enough lexicon,
- Knowledge of grammar, ability to apply it in speech,
- Practice in four types of speech activity: reading, listening (listening), speaking and writing.
Lexicon
Words can be taught separately, for example using flashcards, or while reading/listening. For targeted learning of words, there are specialized resources (both multilingual):
Reading
If you want to study English, but don't want to read anything in English, I have bad news for you: reading is an invaluable source of knowledge. It is reading that best enriches vocabulary.
To read, you don’t have to look for educational programs; you can just read books in the original or English-language websites. But there are resources designed specifically for reading for the purpose of learning a language.
Letter
In most cases, the ability to write well and competently in English is not a priority for language learners. As a rule, first of all they strive to understand and speak. But writing practice is very useful for replenishing vocabulary, improving grammar, increasing the overall level of literacy, correct use in English.
Correspondence helps a lot. It’s not a text chat, but correspondence in long, thoughtful letters. Chat is essentially oral and written speech, that is, actually written, but oral in content and structure. “Online dictionaries and translators: short review” .
Speaking practice
"Do you speak english?" – we ask, wanting to find out whether the interlocutor speaks English. We don’t ask “Do you read English?” or “Do you understand English?”, the measure of language proficiency is primarily the ability to express oneself orally. You cannot learn to speak without speaking practice, just as you cannot learn to ride a bicycle without pedaling. No matter how much you read or listen, speaking skills can only be developed through speaking practice. Provided, of course, if you have “something” to say, that is, you have enough vocabulary and you can put words into sentences.
On italki you can find both teachers and those simply wanting to practice.
Here are two interesting sites where you can practice speaking.
- Gospeaky.com - as mentioned above, the Gospeaky social network is designed for writing and organizing practice. All functionality is free. Find a native speaker and talk! The only problem is that native speakers can be very difficult to find - they are in great demand.
- - online tutor search service. One of the largest language sites in the world, here you can find native speakers of not only English, but also many others. For a very modest price, you can find a tutor who will not only talk to you in English, but will also purposefully work on your speaking skills and teach you how to speak. The method is more effective than practicing with a random interlocutor, but, of course, it’s paid. Italki also has a section where you can find people who just want to chat and practice for free.
Conclusion
IN recent years ten to twenty, self-studying English has become more accessible and easier than ever before in history. We have absolutely all the conditions: textbooks, dictionaries, online dictionaries, a huge amount of audio materials, films, books in English, educational programs for children and adults. We can video chat with people living in other countries for free. There are more language learning opportunities than you can take advantage of.
All that remains is to practice regularly and conscientiously - and success will not keep you waiting!
How to learn English on your own at home from scratch? So that the phrase “Landan from the Capital of Great Britain” would not be your only signature, we have collected for you best tips! Choose what you like best.
System
If you want to quickly learn English on your own at home from scratch, then you should stick to some system. It is similar to the system used in physical training and covers all areas when learning a foreign language.
There are only five points that you must master:
- grammar;
- reading;
- lexicon;
- listening;
- speaking.
The point of the system is that every day you should devote 15-20 minutes of your time to a specific item.
Day 1: Grammar
Grammar is the basis of everything. First, you should remember all the pronouns, tenses, Irregular Verbs and exceptions.
§English course from Dmitry Petrov and from the channel "Culture". In just 16 lessons, the teacher will introduce you to the basics of the English language, using his individual system.
§Channel English Galaxy will tell you how to learn English on your own at home from scratch and for free. The channel presents a huge number of lessons that will help you master a foreign language.
Native speakers use only 4 tenses in everyday speech: Present Simple, Past Simple, Future Simple and Present Continuous. Well, they also love the passive voice. This is enough for the elementary level.
Useful software
The Duolingo app will explain the basics of English grammar. You will need to devote only 10-15 minutes of free time a day to the language. The application will teach you simple grammar and translation of basic things.
You shouldn't sit studying English for 4-5 hours. 15-20 minutes a day is enough. There may be 3 or 4 such days a week.
Day 2: Reading
Start with the most simple texts. Let these be children's books about bunnies, cats and foxes. But you will understand everything that happens there. Books can be found in large book houses or ordered online.
Yes, e-books are cool, but it’s better to print the text or buy a book in English. So you can write the translation of a word right above the English word. Like they used to do at school.
In addition to books, you can find websites, entertainment portals or blogs in English that talk about things that interest you. The most important thing is that you should like it. If you are more interested in reading technical texts, then why do you need to know about how God sent a piece of cheese to the crow? Read what you want.
§Books in English for beginners (level elementary):
- Peppa Pig (books about Peppa Pig);
- Danny and the Dinosaur (Denny and the Dinosaur);
- Winnie the Pooh (Winnie the Pooh);
- Moomin and the Moonlight Adventure (adventures of Moommi Troll);
- When Lulu Went to the Zoo (When Lulu went to the Zoo).
intermediate:
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
- Alice in Wonderland
- Mary Poppins (The Adventures of Merry Poppins)
- The Black Cat (Edgar Poe)/(Black Cat)
- The Gift of the Magi (Gift of the Magi).
§Books in English for level advanced:
Yes, you are the God of English! Read either “Harry Potter” in the original or “The Lord of the Rings”.
- The Time Machine;
- The Invisible Man;
- Pride and Prejudice;
- Four Weddings and a Funeral;
- The Grass is Singing.
Day 3: Vocabulary
How to learn English on your own at home quickly? You need to expand your vocabulary. You can combine this day with the second day if you wish. While reading, write down all the unfamiliar words that catch your eye.
Get a dictionary
Get your own personal dictionary so you don’t lose all the words, because not everything can fit in your head. This could be a notebook or notepad.
§1 option: unfamiliar English word| Russian translation
§Option 2: unknown English word | explanation of word translation in English
§3 option: unknown English word | explanation of word translation in English | Russian translation
Useful software
A cool app that will help you remember foreign words is called Easy Ten.
- You can choose the words you want to learn yourself;
- you can choose the difficulty level of words;
- there is a pronunciation of words;
- there are examples of phrases using a specific word;
- Russian translation;
- The application sends notifications every half hour; the word being studied with translation is displayed on the screen, which contributes to better memorization.
- The application is paid, only 3 free days are given.
Translate the menu of your phone or work computer into English. The most basic words in English will always be before your eyes.
Day 4: Listening
Forget about those stupid cassettes of terrible quality that they played for us at school. Because of the noise, you were just starting to listen to the boring text about some newspapers, business and cap of the company, and the dialogue was already ending. And you didn’t have time to catch anything. How to easily learn English on your own at home?
Watch and listen to what interests you:
- foreign YouTube channels;
- interesting and educational videos;
- tracks and clips in English.
Both TV series and YouTube videos come with subtitles. Just press the Play button and enjoy. Try to protect yourself as much as possible with the English language so that you can get used to it, and then you will automatically understand everything that is said, and without subtitles.
Day 5: Speaking
If you have a friend or acquaintance who speaks perfect English, talk to him more often. But if you don’t have such people nearby, this is not a reason to be upset.
§How to learn spoken English on your own at home? You need to communicate with the indigenous people, who ideally own it. The Hello talk application will help with this. You simply register, indicate your level of English knowledge, your interests, tell about yourself and look for friends from different countries. It's like a small global social network.
Pros of the application:
- You can improve your level of knowledge of any language;
- communicate with people from different countries;
- help them learn your native language;
- if you wrote or said something incorrectly, your interlocutor will correct you;
- you can correct other people too;
- ability to record audio messages;
- the ability to share your moments and photos;
- likes and comments are present.
§A similar application with similar functionality is Tandem.
§You can also recommend the fiverr resource. There you can find a person who speaks English as a native speaker and talk to him on Skype. The service is paid.
Useful channels, sites and applications
How to learn English on your own at home from scratch and for free? We have collected several methods and tips for you! Take what you like.
Channels
Here are some useful channels:
Learn English with Papa Teach Me
Channel of a guy who teaches English in English! Everything is super simple and clear!
Skyeng: online English school
A cute girl teaches English through songs, series, videos, TV shows and much more. An interesting and educational channel for anyone who doesn’t know how to learn English on their own at home from scratch.
VenyaPakTV
How many have seen videos of foreigners listening to Russian music? Venya has a lot of such videos in which you can see the reactions of various people to CIS content. Venya also travels a lot around the world, teaches English and shares a lot of life hacks.
Marina Mogilko
A Russian girl who founded her own business and went to live in the USA talks about her life, her work, the pros and cons of America. And she is simply beautiful!
English Maria
A great English teacher who teaches the way she wants. And, by the way, she does it quite well!
Applications and websites
In addition to the above applications, several more can be noted:
§LinguLeo
Interactive learning of the English language, where everything is collected: grammar, speaking, reading, listening. Completing tasks is easy and simple. And most importantly, it’s not boring. Also LinguLeo has its own website that helps you learn the language.
§English with Puzzle English
U Puzzle English There is both a website and an application. This great project, which is suitable for those who want to learn English. The point is that you need to put together puzzles complete picture audio, video or text. You can also find a huge number of interesting articles and memes. Well, where would we be without games?
If you urgently need to check a text in English, then entrust this task to native speakers. On the site you can ask for help editing your article or essay.
§Sites with double subtitles
Movies with double subtitles will help you learn English at home from scratch. You can find them on the following sites:
As you can see, learning English on your own at home from scratch and for free is quite possible. Do, read and watch only what you like. Feel the language, catch its rhythm. And soon you will not feel embarrassed when speaking English, and will be able to express your thoughts clearly.
Let mi speak from may hart,
Thanks for your time!
Surely many remember how learning English went a decade earlier - using bulky textbooks, huge A4 study guides with a century-old tutor or a group on the other side of the city. This picture is familiar to many, but certainly not to modern students - now language learning is becoming more and more interesting and interactive.
There are a lot of resources that will help make language learning convenient and fast. From the experience of many students, we can absolutely conclude: learning a foreign language on your own in a couple of months from scratch is not at all difficult, and thanks to the increasing distribution of special websites and applications, it is also free. And we are talking here not about a simple set of tables and texts - whether they are on paper or on a monitor - this is boring - but about interactive resources where you can not only learn the rules, but also read adapted articles, communicate with native speakers and test yourself errors.
Perhaps the first question to ask is, “Is it difficult to learn a language on your own?” The answer is not at all. Perhaps in some ways it is even easier. For example, many trainers and students unanimously claim: the most best results is achieved by those who learn a foreign language with pleasure, that is, by exploring something familiar or extremely interesting. And, as experience shows, this is absolutely true. All school and university programs consist mainly of abstract dialogues between Julie and John or boring historical texts. Yes, it's meaningful, yes, the lyrics are complete new vocabulary, yes, the programs are specially designed knowledgeable people. But who can say with confidence that after such lessons he learned the language perfectly? Alas, 70% of the information flies out of your head the very next day, and the classes themselves are hardly remembered with pleasure.
Another thing is to rewatch your favorite TV series, learn the lyrics to your favorite song, or read an interesting article. In essence, this is not study, but leisure, although it brings much more fruit, and doing it is much more pleasant, and therefore you will not be disgusted by learning the language. Thus connecting a foreign language with interesting activity, the pleasant merges with the useful. And a month later you will suddenly discover that you are able to read an article on English-language Wikipedia and exchange a few phrases with a foreigner without any problems.
Rating of free sites for learning English
| № | Website | Level | Languages to learn | Interac- tive | mobile version | Forum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | From scratch | English, German, French +4 | ||||
| 74 | Elementary | English, French, German +37 | ||||
| 1,639 | from scratch | English and German | ||||
| 3,191 | from scratch | |||||
| 4,595 | average | English | ||||
| 5,759 | from scratch | English | ||||
| 13,467 | from scratch | English, German, French +9 | ||||
| 32,785 | from scratch | English | ||||
| 76,948 | from scratch | English, German, French +8 | ||||
| 138,642 | from scratch | English, German, French +2 | ||||
| 190,319 | from scratch | English |
Polyglot - English from scratch in 16 hours
The most optimal resource for learning a foreign language from scratch. The "Polyglot" project was launched by the "Culture" TV channel in collaboration with Dmitry Petrov, a famous psycholinguist and translator who speaks 30 languages. On this channel, in just 16 interesting video lessons, the user will move from complete ignorance of the language to a good conversational level of English. Of course, the course does not guarantee to fully teach viewers all the intricacies, but it perfectly helps overcome psychological barrier, after which further language learning will be faster and more effective. All lessons are accompanied by subtitles and tips.Web site:
BBC Learn - online courses for beginners and professionals
Ubiquitous Online Course BBC It will be a great help for both beginners and language-savvy users. Starting with the Russian-language version of the site, you can gradually move up to the Intermediate level, and by changing the site interface to English, you can find even more advanced lessons. The main advantage of the courses can only be appreciated by advanced speakers - each course and each video is recorded by the BBC itself, and is accordingly interesting and informative, like the main site, but unlike ordinary articles, you can always turn to help for unfamiliar words or forgotten rules. Web site:
Duolingo - foreign language from scratch
A very nice site with which you can learn English or German online; the developers promise to launch Spanish and Swedish programs soon. You can either start the course from scratch or take a proficiency test to begin more complex lessons. Educational process aimed at improving the perception of oral and written speech. The training is quite monotonous - you either need to write down the text you heard without errors, or choose the appropriate word, or translate the sentence. The site is fully interactive and instantly gives the correct answer, finds an error or corrects the text. In case of an error, you can look up the language rule related to the current lesson and figure it out yourself. The site is free, but to access advanced features (enhanced training, text checking), you need to collect points by mastering skills, translating texts and inviting friends to the application. Web site:
Livemocha is an educational project based on a crowdsourcing model
A multilingual project that is one of the most popular around the world. The site will be useful for both absolute beginners and those who know the language well, but are working, for example, on the melody of speech or understand the use of the complex past tense. As on Duolingo, on LiveMocha works point system: the user “purchases” the course with the points that he initially has, and then he receives the same points back when completing each task. You can also gain points by helping others learn the language - many foreigners study Russian, and a native speaker will be required to check basic tasks. It doesn’t take much time, but it allows you to continue learning English for free on one of the most convenient and informative sites. Web site:
British Council - English lessons from the British Consulate
The official website of the British Consulate offers not only information about visas, but also excellent online English courses. In essence, it is not an interactive course, but represents a set various materials to learn English, but unlike other standardized courses, here you can find a lot of grammar games, videos and podcasts about the UK, recommendations for preparing for the IELTS exam and useful smartphone applications. You can also see tips on the rules of the language right there, but they are presented in text mode in English, which, of course, is not suitable for absolute beginners, but will serve well for those who already speak English at an intermediate level. Web site:
Lingua Leo is the largest interactive portal in Russia
Of all those presented, LinguaLeo is the most functional and informative of the Russian-language sites. The main advantage of learning English in it is huge selection training in a variety of ways: pronunciation, listening, crosswords, word translation and vice versa. A very convenient browser extension feature that shows the translation of an unfamiliar word with a mouse click, and with a second click adds it to the dictionary for training. This, by the way, is indispensable for those who often work with foreign texts, because the LinguaLeo dictionary translates slang and phrasal verbs, often even gives more options translation than Goole Translate and its analogues. There are also several courses here - business English, preparation for TOEFL and IELTS, but most of them are paid, as are the advanced features of the site, including video lectures and some training (though definitely worth it). Web site:
Busuu - one of 12 languages from scratch to spoken online
Another interactive site with which you can successfully master the language from the level of an avid “Hello!” to conversational business English. While this is the only interactive site for learning French and Spanish, you will have to buy a premium account to learn more than one language and to access some lessons. By site type Livemocha, here the user can leave his tasks for review by other users. In fact, Busuu It will hardly be useful for advanced users, but it will help to successfully start learning the language and bring it to a level where you can switch to original sources. Web site:
Puzzle English - English through the game
Puzzle English very similar in concept to LinguaLeo, although the content is quite different. The main part of the content is films and TV series with English and Russian subtitles, as well as explanations for them and training. A striking example of exactly the case when language learning is completely combined with leisure time - who can complain that he is re-watching the good old “Friends” for the third week, while his English skills are steadily growing? On the other hand, in order to use the site without restrictions, you will have to, as in other cases, buy an inexpensive subscription, but the money spent is unlikely to go down the drain. Web site:
Lingust.ru - online English: theory and practice
A good portal for learning several languages. Its undoubted advantage is the fact that absolutely all the content on it is free and there is no need to buy a subscription. On the other hand, classes on it are much more reminiscent of school lessons than a game. But still the material covers English from basic to good conversational level and is perfect for anyone who wants to learn a language quickly and for free. Unfortunately, the site does not have mobile application or interactive programs, but the user can always communicate with other students, since each lesson has a VKontakte comment widget connected, which makes it not just a forum, but a means of constant contact and language practice. Web site:
Polyglot Club - communication in a foreign language with native speakers
Essentially this site is more like social network than an interactive online course. But there are two very important advantages to this: firstly, there are a lot of foreigners registered here who will be happy to talk to you about everything in the world, either through correspondence or video chat, and you can both practice the language and just make friends. Secondly, you can leave texts for checking, thereby receiving feedback from native speakers. This will be appreciated by those who understand English well, but are not confident in their writing skills, because usually online platforms do not involve checking long texts, but here this happens very quickly and is often carried out by several people. In short, for language practice Polyglot Club fits like nothing better. Web site:
Learn at Home - an interactive portal for learning English
Online portal Learn at Home overall similar to Puzzle English- also quite a lot of entertainment content, clips and films, and also in free version Not everything is available. However, the user can learn quite a lot key phrases on comics and clips, practice constructing sentences and communicate with other students. And yet, the main part of the functions can hardly be appreciated in the free version, so for serious study you will still have to fork out a little. Web site:
“English from Scratch” is a textbook for those who want to learn to speak, listen, read and write in English, but have never studied English and do not know how to start learning it. At the same time, it can also be useful for those who once learned English and would like to quickly restore their knowledge. The manual offers a short phonetic course for teaching pronunciation and reading, an elementary grammar course, basic vocabulary on basic topics, communicative models used in communication, texts for reading, exercises for training and systematization of material. The accompanying CD helps develop listening skills.
This course was written at the numerous requests of teachers and students as the first and necessary part in mastering the English language, preceding work on the textbooks “English for Russians. English course colloquial speech+ CD 1 and “English for everyone. A universal guide for learners of English + CD 2. For many years, the author has received requests and wishes to write, based on the methodology he developed, a textbook for those who want to start learning English, but do not have basic information about it, i.e. present an elementary English language course, after studying which you can proceed to work on other manuals of the author. “English from Scratch” is intended for everyone who wants to learn to speak, read and write in English, but who has no idea about this language and does not know how to start learning it. Based on the needs of those who want to learn English from scratch, we offer a textbook consisting of two parts. The first part includes “Introductory phonetic course”, “Rules of reading and writing”, as well as “Thematic dictionary”.
Free download e-book in a convenient format, watch and read:
Download the book English from scratch, an elementary practical course of the English language, Karavanova N.B., 2012 - fileskachat.com, fast and free download.
- English from scratch, Elementary practical English course, Karavanova N.B., 2012 - English from scratch is a textbook for those who want to learn to speak, listen, read and write in English, but... Books on English
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The following textbooks and books:
- Real self-instruction manual for the English language, entry-level, Karavanova N.B., 2015 - Real self-instruction manual for the English language, entry-level, CD, Karavanova N.B., 2015 The self-instruction manual is designed specifically for Russian-speaking students. It includes everything... Books on English
- Real spoken English for free communication, Chernikhovskaya N.O., 2015 - Real spoken English for free communication, CD, Chernikhovskaya N.O., 2015 This manual will help you master modern spoken English and learn ... Books on English
- Starting to learn English, Karavanova N.B., 2015 - Starting to learn English, Karavanova N.B., CD, 2015. The manual is intended for those who are just starting to learn English or need ... Books on English
- English in headphones, any topic is not a problem, English in Headphones, in 3 parts, Chernikhovskaya N.O., 2011 - English in headphones, any topic is not a problem, English in Headphones, 1 CD, in 3 parts, Chernikhovskaya N.O. , 2011 English in… Books on English
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