Learning a foreign language is not an easy task, and becoming proficient in a foreign language is even more challenging. But with the right study methods and practice, you can become proficient in a foreign language. This requires determination and hard work.

Get Used to English

If you are a beginner, start by taking an English course. Qualified teachers can help you understand the basics and ways of thinking in English.

• If you are unable to attend physical classes, you can take online language learning classes.

Buy a translation dictionary. Bilingual explanations in Chinese and English are required. This will help you a lot in the early stages of mastering English vocabulary.

Expand your vocabulary. Once you have an understanding of the basics and ways of thinking in English, you should spend time expanding your vocabulary. Note cards can be used.

• When you have mastered daily vocabulary and want to learn some advanced vocabulary, you can use GRE (Graduate Record Examination) vocabulary flashcards.
• Read English articles and books, circle unfamiliar words, find out their meanings, and try to add them to your vocabulary.

Go to your local library to borrow a book or take a class. Many public libraries offer resources for English language learners. Perhaps there will also be free classes organized for community residents who want to improve their English. It is more common in places with large populations of English learners. The library also has print and audiobooks that can be borrowed.

Buy an International Phonetic Alphabet dictionary. IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet Dictionary) helps you learn the pronunciation of words. It will guide you in reading the phonetic symbols, and you can also learn the pronunciation of the phonetic symbols through online videos.

Read various English articles. You should cover a wide range of styles from informal to formal, and be familiar with both conversational and formal English.

• If possible, buy an English newspaper every day and read it thoroughly. In this way, I learn some new words and common sentence structures every day.
• Try reading English novels. If novels are too difficult for you, you can start by reading children’s or young adult books and gradually make the reading more difficult.
• Circle unfamiliar words, look them up, and mark their meanings on the margins of the page. Try to incorporate the new words into the conversation.

Watch a variety of English programs. You can start by watching English news because the news announcer’s voice is relatively pure and has no accent. Slowly, you will need to get involved in various types of English programs so that you can learn fluent conversational English without being too formal or rigid.

• Watch movies. You can start by watching teen movies to learn simple vocabulary and sentence structures and improve your proficiency.
• TV shows are also a good choice because they are shorter than movies and allow you to learn humor, which is part of the flow.
• If there are subtitles, turn them on. Watching subtitles while listening can improve your pronunciation and vocabulary.

Watch online videos. There are a variety of English videos on many video websites. If you want to improve your work-related English, choose videos in professional fields to master more professional vocabulary and meet career needs.

Find an English learning partner. Fluency comes through practice, find a partner, study and practice together.

• Or you can find a native English speaker and help him learn your native language, using this exchange language learning method.

Buy an advanced dictionary. The dictionary needs to provide detailed explanations and examples of vocabulary words so that you can fully understand and learn to apply them in specific contexts.

• Most dictionaries have words, pronunciations, and plural forms (usually adding s, sometimes adding es or en, or changing us to a).

Improve Your Fluency

Speak in English. Improving fluency requires long-term persistence in speaking loudly in English. It’s best to communicate with a native English speaker, but if not, anyone else who speaks English will do. You can even talk to yourself in English.

• Immersing yourself in an English-speaking environment is the best way.

Repeat what native speakers say. Pay attention to their pronunciation, rhythm, and rhythm. Record what you say and compare it with native speakers.

• Pay attention to the word choice and expressions of native speakers.

Use conversational communication sites. Such websites automatically match language learners. For example, if you want to learn English and another English speaker wants to learn Chinese, the website will match you. You can chat via video or online and receive timely feedback and suggestions from each other.

• Practice as much as possible. Find a study partner who has a schedule similar to yours and who also wants to improve your foreign language proficiency.

Listen to others speak English. If you live in an environment where many people speak English, you should pay more attention to other people’s conversations to improve your understanding and proficiency.

• Pay attention to pacing, dialogue transitions, and the way questions and answers are asked.

Cultivate English thinking. It may sound strange, but thinking in English and speaking in English can be quite effective. For example, you can think in your mind in English “I am walking out of my door. I see a stray cat on the street. I need to get on the correct bus and go to work now”

Immerse Yourself in an English-Speaking Environment

Travel to English-speaking countries. Preferably a country where English is your first language, but other English-speaking countries are also acceptable. Go there and spend some time. The longer you stay, the more fluent you will become in English.

Speak only in English. Even if you’re not sure what you’re saying is accurate, stick to English. If you stick to this, you will master English expressions faster.

Ask those around you to speak English as much as possible. If you are visiting a country where English is not the only language spoken, ask those around you to speak English as much as possible.

• If you haven’t gone abroad, it’s difficult to immerse yourself in an English-speaking environment. Of course, you can also create an English environment at home and let your family learn together, turning learning English into an interesting experience.

Be confident. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, stick to conversational English and you’ll be more likely to succeed.

Avoid Common Mistakes

Use the correct article. There are two types of Article in English: Definite Article and Indefinite Article. A Definite Article refers to a specific thing, whereas an Indefinite Article and a reference are not definite.

• If you refer to a dog collectively, it is a dog. Refers to a specific dog, that is, the dog.
• Use an Indefinite Article before words starting with a vowel, such as “I would like an apple” or “I will be there in an hour.”

Use the right prepositions. A common mistake English learners make is mixing up prepositions (on, to, in, among, around, etc.). If you want to speak idiomatically, pay attention to the use of articles.

• The rules for using prepositions are more complicated. For example, “I’m waiting for the train” or “I’m waiting on the train” are both correct. However, in the sentence “I have a meeting on Monday”, you cannot replace on with for.

Put the adjectives in the correct order. In English, different adjectives are important in order of priority and need to be arranged in order.

• The general ordering is an article, judgment word, size, shape, age, color, nationality, and material. However, it is best to match each noun with 2-3 adjectives.
• For example, you could say “I have an old brown dog” or “I drive a rusty, box-shaped, 20-year-old American trunk.”

Don’t blindly replace synonyms. If your vocabulary is insufficient, it’s easy to find substitute words. However, there are still differences in synonyms.

• Before using synonyms, look them up in a dictionary to make sure they have the correct meaning and usage.

Remember irregular verb collocations. Regular verbs are easier to remember, while irregular verbs are much more difficult. It is best to memorize the verb collocations. Search tables or flashcards for common irregular verbs to learn their collocations and usage.