How do you improve your English skills?

In these days, I've reading a lot as well as watching plenty of TV series, without subtitles, even if I'm not ready for understanding all the talks, but I'am able to get the plot, thus it's enough to keep doing this, to be honest due to that last item I've noticed a remarkable improvement in my listening abilities, for sure in a near future I'll be capable to understand English talks very well.
Another thing I've done is reading some texts in loud voice, it helps me to speak more correctly the words, trying to emphasize which is really important in an expression, that's a huge task that who are dreaming about being good at English as well as a native has to pay atttention to.
But, I reccomend you to read what people are writting here, because something which works for me might not work for someone else.

To improve my English skills, I'm using many things such as movies and documentary films without subtitle, English radios, musics and texts. Of course, this website is a great tool wich help me so much.

Recently, I'd tried to read the English version of the holy bible because I thought: The bible is hard to read even in Portuguese language, then, if I could read its in the English version, I'll be able to read and understand everything!

I'm perceiving my progress and it's very rewarding!

Reading books in english (the last book I've bought was The Red Pyramid - The Kane Chronicles -, from Rick Riordan), watching sitcoms (Big Bang Theory, No Ordinary Family, Community, Scrubs and others), watching movies, listening to musics, etc.

And reading EE. k

I read texts in scientificamerican and ieespectrum every day and also see movies in english when i can... I like to listen podcasts but right now i need to increase my reading!
Moreover, i wish i could attend classes in an English course. However, i don't have time enough for this...

Watching Animes :33
With Subtitles In English.


And Movies and talking in English with Friends.

I listen to a lot of podcasts everyday on LingQ..also, I read articles that interest me.
My target is improve my listening and reading.

By Belinassi Saturday sepetember 17,2011

I improve my English once time for week at FISK school, watching films In English. In my job I used to speak with my
co works , I like reading Speakup magazine,writing , reading,listening music that all of English. But accept sugestion
of skills friends.

My adress belinassi@yahoo.com.br or belinassi@mxb.com.br

A big hug for alls

By By

I attend classes at SOS English School,I listen a lot of songs only english also i watch movies with subtitles...

Well,
-I listen to podcasts
-I surf on the internet (most of the websites I read are in English)
-I watch movies in English
-I listen to songs and try to understand them (though there are a few songs that even native speakers can't understand)

That's it! Bye.

Well for me the best way to learn english is trying to put this indiom in some of my daily activities which i like to do most such as:

- wacthing movies in english legended in english
- listening to songs and seeing the lyrics
- doing some exercises i find the on internet.

I'm watching movies and hearing songs with lyrics. It's being nice to me and to my study.
My english is getting better day after day..

I've been listening music, watching movies, reading articles on the internet and writing emails to myself, looks weird, but when you write something that no one will read, you can feel more confident about it and you can read it after and see your mistakes.
Write like a diary or somethng like that
However, I have to study more.
Practise makes perfect.
=)

JacksonB escreveu:I really do all that stuff,

Attend classes at Instituto Internacional de Idiomas (III) - I bet you don't know this one.
watch movies in English, subtitles in English as well.
I also listen to musics in English.. actually, I don't listen to Brazilian musics (very much) :/
I'm so curious, I scan everywhere due to find interesting things about English
and..well.. I Talk to Myself!! haha thats insane i know

SONGS in English, Brazilian SONGS

I usually improve my English skills watching my favorite series in English, listening to music and talking to my friend that is also learning English!

I increase my vocabulary and listening with music lyrics, listen to podcasts often, read in loud voice some texts that I find interesting to practice my english speaking, write essays to be better in writing, anyway... Now I try to write many answers to the EE topics in the forum!!

I watch movies, TV Shows. And I memorize songs that I like and I sing.

3Laah9 escreveu:I usually improve my English skills watching my favorite series in English, listening to music and talking to my friend that is also learning English!

You see, I always wanted a friend who knew english to talk to me! Always thought it would be so nice... haha
But anyways, I believe that what helps the most is music. Listen to the song, read the lyrics and then translate some words I don't know... I read poems and texts in english, sometimes I watch interviews and other videos at youtube, as not subtitled then I have to make that effort to understand. Subtitled movies is also a nice way of improvement. And still, if there is a film that I really like and I've already seen it subtitled over and over, I try it with english subtitles. It's an advance.

How do I improve my English?

It all started at the beginning of last year when I had contact with the English language for the first time. And it was, I would say, love at first sight. TV shows was, however, the major reason I started studying it in the first place. So, I thought to myself: well, I enjoy studying English and watching tv shows I might as well combine both and so I did. Thankfully, after doing that my English improved by leaps and bounds. And just to make it clear, my skills are far from being perfect.

This is how I hone my English skills:

1) First I choose a tv show I enjoy and that is neither too long nor too short and I usually choose a show whose vocabulary I'm likely to use in my English conversations. After doing this, I watch the show with the subtitles turned off so that I don't get distracted reading the subtitlee. The whole point of doing this is to improve my listening, after all. If you try doing this, dont worry if you miss some words here and there.

2) This time around I turn the subtitles on checking every single word I may have missed at the first attempt and if the word/idiomatic expression is new to me I jot down and look up the meaning later. At this time, it'll much easier because you already know what's going on in the show.

Dont get hung up on understanding everything, just focus on the bigger picture.

It may be boring to watch the same episode twice, but it certainly pays off in the end. If you want to achieve fluency you must be willing to go great lenghts to get it.

To improve my english I'm trying to read the book Dear John, Nicholas Sparks, but it's too dificult. I'm watchting "How I meet your mother" with subtitles in English, it's a little more easy than the book. But I think I have to do more than that, I'm learning too slowly. Maybe talk to somebody.

In fact I watch my favorite series in english but with the english subtitles turn on. I think that my listening is too poor to understand what the characters are speaking. Furthermore I use some apps like Duolingo, Linguly and Leo. And now I decided to try this forum too ;]

I'm currently doing a course at Englishtown and Duolingo. I try to read short texts, because I'm still starting at the language, and I'm looking for native speakers for better learning

So I attend English classes at "Wizard" and I like to watch movies, football games, all things that keep me up with English!!

When I'm at school, my teacher writes in Portuguese and I write in English on my book.. haha'

That's what I do!

PauloReis escreveu:I'm currently doing a course at Englishtown, Duolingo, I try to read short texts, because I'm still starting at the language, and I'm looking for native speakers for better learning

Hey man, are you enjoying the Englishtown's method? How are they?

I am watching English classes at SENAC-PE, further, I am trying watch movies in English and with English subtitles, other way that I'm using to improve my english is listen music and trying to complete gaps in the lyrics.

@wflaviorj
Hey man, are you enjoying the Englishtown's method? How is it? (talking about the method)
(or if you choose to rephrase it into ...Englishtown's methods, then you can say How are they?)


@Joao1221
I am trying to watch movies in English and with (English) subtitles. Other way that I'm using to improve my English is to listen music and then trying to complete gaps in the lyrics.


See you around. All in all, congrats on your English skills, guys.

Speaking

I like to practice my speaking by talking with some friends through the telephone in English and singing American songs.

Listening

I think listening to American music, watching TV series in English without subtitles, listening to English talk shows and/or conversations, etc. I like to use Audiobooks too.

Reading

When it comes to reading people might think it's a boring and hard way to study English, but it can be really relaxing: when you're reading English articles in the internet, searching for information in English websites, reading a book, a magazine, a folder, a flyer, a newspaper, a cartoon, a charge, etc, you're automatically practicing your reading skill. I like doing those things, as well.

Writing

I often type in English with my friends by Whatsapp or Facebook to practice my Writing skill. I also like writing comments about some things in English too.

You can choose the proper ways that are better for you to help you improve your habilities. Here are just some tips that works for me, but it depends on every one to discover it's own self-study way.

I read english books, listen to the music and do the crosswords.

Well, I think that I've made it to a level where you can only go further by simply expanding your vocabulary. I have a pretty good understanding of the structure of the language, so learning grammar rules or whatever is clearly not necessary anymore. What I mostly do now in order to make it to the next level is watch tv shows, it helps me enhance my listening skills and pick up some new vocabulary, I write down the words that I learn on a notepad so they don't slip out my mind... I also do some reading when I feel like it... And I enjoy watching documentaries on youtube as well. If you want to make it far in your English journey, you have to combine business with pleasure.

If you want to make it far in your English journey, you have to combine business with pleasure.
Welll said!
And congratulations to all that love to learn and know all things English, there´s is always some room to improvement and room to have fun with it as well.

I'm trying to improve the studies. I watch videos on Youtube, hear some audios and read short texts. I'm beginner.