How to improve English language skills?
How to improve English language skills?
Integrate language learning into your daily life / #1
Dear Reader,
There are more than 6,500 active languages around the world. The one I grew up with, the German language, is not in the top ten. Number one is English, with 1,132 million speakers worldwide, and number two is Mandarin (1,117 million).
Interestingly, while most of the Mandarin-speaking people are native speakers (918 million), with English, it's the other way around. There are just 379 million native speakers but 753 million non-native English speakers. So in one way or the other many people decided to learn English as a second language.
They did it because of colonialism and imperialism. It was the United Kingdom that imposed English on their territories around the world. And when that period was coming to a close, it was replaced with American imperialism. These two countries made the English language as widespread as it is today.
So English is the lingua franca of today's world. Two years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, I decided to become part of this world. I started to upgrade my English from what I had learnt in school to a level that allowed me to communicate with the world.
I did this because today's world differs from the one I grew up in. Thanks to the internet, we can chat, listen and talk to most of the world. And this one language makes it possible for us to leave the Babylonian confusion of tongues behind. What a blessing.
This new world – where one speaks English reasonably – connects us with new people; it advances us in our profession because English is the language of business; travelling becomes more eventful with proper English; it opens up the opportunity for a higher earnings potential; it lets you enjoy literature and films; and it’s easy to learn, at least for many people, because English is closely related to many other languages due to its European roots.
But still, learning a new language is quite an effort. So what about the opportunity costs, of all that time spent learning a second language? And how long does it take anyway?
The correct answer is that it depends, but you probably already knew that.
Experts say it can take between three months to two years to learn how to speak, write, and read a new language fluently.
My advice after two years is: If you want to learn or improve a language, don't set an endpoint. Instead, integrate language learning into your daily life. Because if you do not live in a country where that language is spoken, you will not have enough opportunities to improve.
This is what I did (and still do):
I attend an English conversation class (digital) once a week (for two hours; with GLS).
I subscribed to an English language newspaper, the print edition of the New York Times (and therefore, I read daily).
I switched my blog to English.
I learn vocabulary every day for about half an hour (therefore, I use the app Vokabelbox).
I write down grammar issues and repeat the rules with another app (called ANKI)
I write, where possible, in English – whether it's notes, grocery lists or a diary.
So I do quite a lot, but it doesn't feel that way. Because it has become part of my daily life. As is, writing mailings like this one.
I wouldn't be able to do this if I hadn't made a good decision two years ago. I am aware that my English is far from perfect. But isn't that the point, that life is for improvement? Not to be perfect. But to become better. And happier. And wiser.
This is also what this new mailing I call solid prosperity is all about, improving our well-being. I am sure I will enjoy writing it and hope you will enjoy reading it (and maybe writing comments). And as for improving the English language: The fact that you have read this (English) text up to here shows that you are on the right track.
Onwards,
Johannes Eber
sources:
https://www.berlitz.com/blog/most-spoken-languages-world
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingua_franca
https://freakonomics.com/podcast/is-learning-a-foreign-language-really-worth-it/
https://www.acalanguage.com/advantages-of-speaking-english-fluently/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Babel
https://www.studyandgoabroad.com/meaningful-travel/language-travel/long-does-learn-foreign-language/