How to learn English on your own in 3 months. English in three months: tips and action plan

The most common question prospective English learners ask their future teachers is “can you learn English in 2 (3, 4, 5, etc.) months?” If we have a frank conversation with you, then we can say that it is impossible. The minimum is three months. And this is provided that you are a diligent student, you do not have force majeure situations that will prevent you from learning or repeating something. You are a homework lover, you live alone and your favorite pastime is watching the news in English all day long.

Agree, such a person is difficult to find. So what to do? Unfortunately, now very often such situations happen when you like it or not, but you need to learn English, and this is given a maximum of three months. How to be? Probably turn to the English tutorial, you say. It is inexpensive, and you, as a student, are not tied to a teacher. We'll tell you yes and no.

What to look for when learning English?

Let's see - what do you mean by "learn English"? Whatever goal you pursue, it should run like a red thread the formation of speaking skills. After all, language, after all, was created in order to speak it. However, even those who understand this forget about the second side of communication - this is listening. Importance of listening underestimated by both students and teachers. Students do not like to audit because it requires a lot of effort and attention. In addition, reliance on hearing is much weaker than reliance on text, as in reading. Teachers do not like listening, because it takes longer to look for texts for listening comprehension, tasks for them must be carefully thought out. And listening itself takes a small “piece” of the lesson, since there are special requirements for the time frame of texts for listening.

Learn expressions, not words

But let's imagine that the teacher still includes listening as a regular element of the lesson, that the student is motivated to listen. What does the hearing process look like? According to the methodological recommendations, you first need to give the student key words, then translate them, enter unfamiliar words, give questions that the student should be able to answer after listening. Probably, at this part of our story, you decided to read some other article. After all, the described process is very similar to our schoolwork. What if we tell you that learning words is ineffective? No, we do not want to attribute someone else's glory to ourselves, this has long been known. More or less effective teachers will tell you that single words don't matter. Words need to be taught in phrases, in combinations.

In order not to be unfounded, let's give an example. Everyone knows the verb listen - to listen. 50% of students use it without the preposition to, because they have only memorized one word, although it is correct to say listen to music, not listen music. We hear the last option all the time, because at one time the study of foreign languages was based on the cramming of individual words on topics.

Let's go back to our attempts to learn English in 3 months. So, we came to the conclusion that this is real. This must be done with the help of a tutorial.

You need to learn English in 3 months by training both components - speaking and listening. This should be done by memorizing phrases and phrases, not individual words.

Where to start learning English?

What else have we not learned? Discipline! At the very beginning of our conversation, we emphasized that English in 3 months is real if you are a mega-diligent student. Human nature is such that being mega diligent means having a mom, dad or teacher over you who stands over you with a ruler or calls you every half an hour and checks if you have done your homework. But we are all adults, independent, self-organized. We simply often lack the algorithm and tools for how we organize ourselves and our time. Fortunately, there is such a tool in terms of the English language.

Before you start working with it, you need to set yourself a goal - how many lessons you want to take, how many translations you want to do, etc. for a certain period of time. Once this period of time has passed, this service will tell you if you have reached your goal. Throughout the entire period of time, you will receive reports on the degree to which you have fulfilled your own goal. Thus, if you plan to learn or improve English in three months, then The most effective way to set a goal is to set yourself a new level every month.

The first month is elementary, the second month is intermediate, the third month is upper-intermediate/advanced. You will say: it is unrealistic to advance to the intermediate level in one month. We can argue with you: the modern reality is that English surrounds us at work, at home, on television, even on food packaging. Therefore, we can safely say that the elementary level is already in us. So, having set yourself goals for the levels, you can be calm - as soon as you have mastered a sufficient number of lessons at a high level (this is indicated by the percentage designation of the quality of the lesson), the system will tell you that you are ready to master a new level. It is only important that this message arrive no later than a month from the beginning of the lessons - otherwise you will not keep up with your own goal.

Online English tutorial

Let's think about the very concept of "tutorial". It, as you know, implies the absence of a teacher. The work is built in such a way that the teacher is always present: he answers your questions, checks your translations, explains difficult places. But note: he does this only when you yourself need it. There is no obsessive presence of a teacher on this service.

And the last thing: work on the site is based on the formation of the skills of both sides of speech - speaking and listening. In fact: we only speak when someone is listening to us. To say something, you must first listen to your partner. Therefore, listening is so indispensable in learning English. The service site offers to first listen to an audio or video clip, and then parse key phrases (not individual words) in terms of usage and grammar. These same phrases are then practiced in speech and writing. In addition, users are encouraged to work out individual phrases in imaginary situations. Thus, a context is built in which each individual phrase can be used. The user forms a so-called lexical field - that is, a network of associative links that envelops a specific phrase.

For example, after listening to a video, you are asked to remember the phrase “It’s been 4 days” - “4 days have passed”. The rules for constructing impersonal sentences and the use of time are explained to you. Next, you are invited to use this phrase to "get out" of an imaginary situation: for example, imagine that you are an artist. You have been commissioned to paint a portrait from a photograph. You promised to complete the order in 3 days. It's been 5 days, the customer calls you and is indignant. How would he say in English that 5 days have already passed? This is how the service works

As you can see, learning English in 3 months is real, and many users of the site do this if they study regularly. Try it - you will definitely succeed!

If you speak to a person in a language he understands, you are speaking to his mind. If you speak his native language, you speak to his heart.
Nelson Mandela

About the benefits of studying the second, third or we have written more than once. This is an excellent exercise for the brain, improves cognitive abilities, allows you to better concentrate on tasks and protect yourself from external stimuli, is the prevention of Alzheimer's disease.

But we are all busy people and the standard terms of learning a foreign language (4-5 years) do not suit us. The pace of life has accelerated, and everything else has accelerated. And a huge number of methods have appeared that allow you to cope with this task in 3 months.

In a guest post on Zen Habits, Maneesh Sethi of Hack The System blog shares his methodology. He studied foreign languages for four years and now speaks English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and German. It took Manish 3 months to learn Italian, 2 months to learn Spanish, and about 3 weeks to learn Portuguese.

Manish Seti believes that in order to successfully and quickly learn a foreign language, first of all, you need to change your approach - to become an active student who does not just allow himself to be taught, but takes part in the process and constantly asks questions.

The only "but" in this system: in order to learn a new language in 90 days, you must spend at least 3-4 hours every day on learning and study with a teacher for at least the first month. If you do not have such an opportunity, then the terms are stretched, but at the same time there are still much less than the standard terms for learning the language.

Learning Strategies

Find the right resources. Grammar textbooks, movies, books and programs for memorizing words.
Hire a tutor. At least for one month. Exercising 4 hours a day is recommended, but not required.
Try to speak and think in the language you are learning. Practice vocabulary every day.
Find friends who speak this language. Ideally, if they are native speakers of the language being studied.

90 Day Study Plan

First month

This is a period of intensive language learning and work with a tutor. According to Manish, group activities are relaxing and allow you to be lazy. One-on-one sessions with a teacher boost language learning and keep you constantly on your toes. Every day you have to learn 30 new words.

Why exactly 30? Because in 90 days you will know the language by about 80% and your vocabulary (a little less than 3,000 words) will be enough for free communication.

Second month

After the first intensive month of study, you are already quite able to communicate with native speakers. After all, it is communication, and not the completion of tasks from the textbook, that allows us to memorize new words and phrases well.

It would be ideal to visit the country whose language you are learning. But I think that, if this is not possible, visiting conversation clubs will suffice.

third month

By the third month, your estimated level of language proficiency should be enough to watch movies and read books. At the same time, you must learn 30 new words every day throughout the entire period.

Manish also believes that if you do not have a partner, it would be very cool to find a partner who is a native speaker. Once he met a man (an American) who was fluent in Russian. Manish asked how long it had taken him to learn this complex language. To which he replied: "Two wives."

Useful Resources

And now the most important thing: the resources and applications that will allow you to cope with the task.

Programs

To memorize words, you can use special applications. If you prefer Apple devices, then the Genius app might come in handy. The application selects questions or words carefully using the spaced repetition method. The more often you make mistakes, the more often the program will ask you questions. Manish recommends having the program suggest a word in your native language that needs to be translated into a foreign language. Then it will be better remembered, because it is always more difficult to translate from your native language into a foreign one. And we are not looking for easy ways.

Dictionaries

In addition to the familiar Google Translate, WordReference.com (for working with most Romance languages) and dict.cc (for learning German) may be useful to you.

Conversation Resources

For speaking practice, you can look at The Mixxer - a resource that allows you to find interlocutors for speaking practice on Skype.

If you're new to Couchsurfing.org, read on. Meetup.com goes to the same piggy bank.

I would like to add a few words of my own. I understand perfectly well that such a forced way of learning a foreign language is not available to many. Still, 4 hours of classes every day for a month for many is a much more expensive pleasure than the monthly cost of classes with a tutor.

Unfortunately, we cannot download a software package with languages straight into the brain. But if you study with a teacher at least two or three times a week, replenish your vocabulary with 30 new words every day, read books, watch movies and try to think in the language you are learning, then you should definitely succeed. And of course, talk, talk and talk wherever possible.

When traveling, you need to know foreign languages, at least English. You can learn almost any foreign language at a basic level in 3 months. This is enough time to learn the basic phrases and learn to speak a little in a foreign language. This is enough to find any things you need, navigate in an unfamiliar country, ask how to get to a certain place, and chat a little with other travelers.

You can learn a foreign language at any age, if you wish. From foreign languages, after school, I knew only English, and then at a very low level. There was no incentive - I did not teach. In general, I almost always do what I like, and English was not included in the list of "Deserving attention." But as soon as I decided to travel, I immediately thought about learning English first, because. it is the most common and is considered international, in almost any country you can communicate with people in English, at least with people from the tourism and law enforcement sectors.

There are a lot of methods for learning foreign languages. The most famous is the method of Dr. Pimsleur, which is an audio course of 90 lessons, each lesson lasts 30 minutes. A very effective method of learning a foreign language in a short time, which has received millions of positive reviews from around the world. But this technique is more suitable for starting a thorough study of the language, which travelers do not always need.

Now huge popularity among travelers gaining technique Benny Lewis. This is the best way to learn English for travel. Thanks to her, I have already learned several foreign languages at a basic level. The author of the methodology is an avid traveler who has successfully taught foreign languages to thousands of people around the world. More details can be found on his official website (link above). Now briefly to the essence of the methodology, which will allow you to learn any foreign language at a basic level in 3 months.

Set specific goals

There is no need to try to learn a foreign language in a short period of time at the level that native speakers speak. For 3 months you can learn only the basic level. If you grab everything in a row, then in the end you will achieve less than if you learned English for travelers gradually.

You need to learn the language evenly every day. So you remember a lot more words and expressions. To learn a language in three months, you need to allocate time for this. Spend at least 10 hours a week studying, then you will achieve significant results. Stop watching TV and cut back on social media. networks to a minimum, and spend the saved time studying. Use any free time, even 30 minutes between tasks should be spent learning English for travel.

Learn only the right words

To begin with (3 months) you need to learn the words and expressions that you will use. No need to learn the words "to be." Think about what words and expressions you most often use in everyday life, what words and expressions you will need when you start a conversation with a foreigner, when you sit in a bar, restaurant, cafe.

Make a list of the necessary words and expressions in your native language. Imagine that you are talking to a stranger. Tell him where you are from, what you do, what you love, why you travel, etc. After that, translate all these expressions into a foreign language. It is very important to hear the translated words, for this you can use Google translator or chat with a native speaker (this method will be discussed later).
Make a list of your favorite foods, meals, and daily needs. Learn how to pronounce words such as coffee, tea, sandwiches, bread, meat, etc., in general, what you need in everyday life. Do not forget also - bathroom, toilet, tourist, foreigner, where ..., when ... etc. Make lists of frequently used items.
Find out which foreign words are similar to those you use in everyday life. Many words are borrowed from other languages. For example, Internet, cupcake, sandwich, fast food, hot dog, tram, surfing, office. You can quickly memorize words from this category and use them abroad, knowing that you will be understood.
Use associations. To quickly memorize unfamiliar words, use associative images or come up with small funny sentences with remembered words. It works with a bang, even though at first glance it seems like a crazy idea.

The service in Russian Lingualeo will help a lot in learning English, it implements an integrated approach to learning the language, I myself used this service and was very pleased. You can also use Google translator. There are also good foreign sites (you can find pronunciations of words and phrases from native speakers) and (word associations are presented) that will help travelers (and not only) learn a foreign language.

Learn whole phrases

It is better not to learn the grammar of the language at the beginning of the journey. This should be left for later. Just memorize some whole sentences. This will save you a lot of time, but still be able to talk to a stranger.

Learn the basic phrases from the guidebook. Most guidebooks contain phrases that you may need to communicate with the local population. But don't learn all the phrases in the guidebook. Select only those phrases that will be useful to you. For example, you need to know: “Where is the toilet?”, “How much does it cost?”, “Sorry, I don’t speak…”. You can familiarize yourself with the necessary phrases in different languages of the world.
Make up your own sentences. You can make template sentences that can be used in different situations by simply replacing one word with another. For example, in the sentence "Where is the supermarket?", replacing the word "supermarket" with "toilet", you get "Where is the toilet?". Google Translate does a good job of translating. You can also use the service, on which, in case of an erroneous construction of a sentence, native speakers will correct it for free.
You should hear phrases in a foreign language. After compiling a list of basic words and expressions, you need to hear their pronunciation. This can be done on the site for free: just send your words and phrases there, and you will hear how to pronounce them correctly from a native speaker.

Memorize phrases, don't just translate them. I contribute to good memorization of association and drawing up comic sentences, and best of all, absurd sentences.

Practice Before Traveling

Using the tips above, you will learn quite a lot of words and phrases, but you need to practice pronunciation and understanding the language. Learning words is one thing, but speaking is another. It is better to orient yourself in the level of knowledge of the language even before the trip and, if necessary, adjust the study plan.

Practice with native speakers. Now you can communicate with native speakers no matter where you are. There are many sites where you can find a native speaker and chat with him via Skype. It is possible to communicate for free, then in exchange for your training, you will have to teach your native language to another person. You can also pay for communication (prices start from 100 rubles per hour). With live communication, you will be pointed out to weaknesses, you will hear the correct pronunciation, and learning new words in this way is much easier.
Try talking to an imaginary interlocutor. Imagine a situation when you are in a cafe, hotel, on the street, and speak with an imaginary interlocutor as you would speak with a real one. This approach will allow you to understand what necessary words you do not know, but which are necessary when communicating.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes

Learn a foreign language, do not give up, even if you make numerous mistakes. Of the mistakes, you can emphasize a lot, especially when communicating with native speakers. Even if you say a ridiculous phrase, people will understand and approve of your efforts to learn a foreign language, as well as suggest the correct option.

It does not take much time to learn a foreign language for travel at a basic level. Start today (just today, and not “from Monday”, which will never happen), in the future you will thank yourself very much for this. Just use the tips above and you will never again wonder: "How to learn a foreign language?". Knowledge of a foreign language opens up new horizons and brings many new friends into your life. Take action, learn a foreign language and travel! Good luck!

You can learn English on your own. But it will be, firstly, much longer. Secondly, you risk learning grammar and pronunciation incorrectly. And it's very hard to get over. An experienced English tutor will correct mistakes in time, point out weaknesses and, in general, will teach new material according to a specific curriculum adapted for a beginner. It is quite difficult to compose it yourself.

From the first day of study, listen to the English phrases that are spoken around you. Don't take them as background that doesn't apply to you - you have to really hear every word to begin to understand the language. This will help you expand your vocabulary, understand the features of sentence construction and the use of specific words. You will learn to catch intonation, which plays a very important role in the English language. To listen, you need to immerse yourself in the environment. When you find yourself in an English-speaking country, you just need to take the subway or walk through the supermarket to hear English spoken. If you are not yet planning a move to New York, radio, television and music will help you out.

To speak at the native level, you need to know about 3000 words. 1000 words will allow you to express your thoughts and understand others. And when you first start learning, you don't have a vocabulary. Learn verbs, nouns, adjectives and other parts of speech daily. If you know 20 nouns, 20 verbs, and 20 adjectives, you can make a couple of hundred phrases with different meanings. Of course you will talk like a child. But this is how a child learns a language!

In learning a foreign language, the main emphasis is always on speech practice. At the same time, communication is an effective tool for further improvement of English. A language parent is your friend who knows English well. This is a native speaker who really likes you in a human way, and he is interested in helping you. You will become for him a child, which we began to talk about in the previous paragraph.

Parent rules:

try to understand what you are saying;
not correct you;
pretend that he understands everything you say;
use unfamiliar words.

This gives an amazing effect. After all, a small child learns to speak from adults. They use new words and behave loyally with the child, portraying a complete understanding of even the most unintelligible baby talk. Result: the child begins to talk, every day doing it better and better.

We use the muscles in our face to pronounce certain sounds correctly. The sounds in English are different from Russian, so you need to learn how to pronounce them correctly. To do this, copy the facial expressions of native speakers - peer into the faces of the heroes of TV shows and talk show hosts. Repeat phrases after them, trying to copy facial expressions and intonation as much as possible. Do you know what awaits you after such training? Pain in the muscles on the face! This means that you are doing everything right!

You will say: “What simple advice! Can they really help?" Why complicate the simple? Especially if these recommendations work effectively with millions of people around the world who are learning English.

Try it and after 3 months you will say: “Unbelievable! It worked! And it will be true.

The English language has turned from a useful skill into an essential skill when applying for a job, continuing education, and successful self-realization in various fields. The English-language information space dictates its own rules, literature and media in English generate a huge amount of information, and you simply do not have time to wait for the translation. You either read primary sources in English, or take an outsider position firmly and for a long time. You choose.

If you do not speak English, it is worth learning it as soon as possible. And here the question arises: what exactly are they, these very “shortest terms”. On the one hand, we understand that we are unlikely to cope with this task in a couple of weeks, on the other hand, a year of study does not seem to us such a “short term”.

How to quickly learn English - we will try to tell. The standard term for studying English in courses is approximately 2 years. And everything will depend on what level you start training at and at what level you are ready to stop. Linguists and people who are especially fond of language issues argue that language should be studied throughout life. But we will talk about mere mortals.

In total there are 6 levels of English proficiency: Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate, Advanced, Proficiency. On average, you can complete one level of English in 3-4 months. Therefore, if you started learning English from scratch, then you can reach the intermediate level (Intermediate) in about six months. This is if you are engaged in a group with an intensity of 2 times a week. If you choose a more intensive program, then it is quite possible to complete the course in 3-4 months.

English is quickly learned by those who need it "for yesterday". If you are planning to enter a foreign university, move abroad, then an intensive program is your option. If you are not ready to attend English courses 4-5 times a week, you can try to quickly learn English at home. For this you need to surround yourself with English.
Learning English quickly assumes that you put in the time to study every day. You can read books in English, watch movies with or without subtitles, learn new words with the help of apps on your smartphone. There are many ways to learn English. Let's talk about some of them.

An easy way to learn English - you go to English courses, choose an intensive program, study from 3 days a week, do not forget about doing homework. This method is suitable for those who are ready to devote some time to classes. With such a schedule, in about 2-3 months, you can master the skill of fluent communication in English from scratch. It will not be possible to say that you know English very well, but you can communicate in standard situations, enter into dialogues, communicate at work.

English Learning Plan

For each person, the plan can be individual. It is necessary to take into account the starting level of English, basic knowledge and features of information perception: someone better remembers information from images, someone - by ear. In addition, each person has their own goals. If you need to master spoken English, then it is better to focus on the practice of oral communication, if written, then you should use writing simulators and read books in English.

If you want to close the issue of English in three months (and this period can be considered real), it is worth making a clear plan. You are promised to learn English in a month either by courses in which you will have to speak English for at least 5 hours a day, 5 days a week, or by those who do not plan to provide you with such a result in principle.

How long does it take to learn English:

in 2-3 months - to reach the level of Elementary to Pre-Intermediate, with great desire and diligence to Intermediate. Studying at least 3 times a week for 1-2 hours, doing homework, reading books only in English, watching TV shows, films and podcasts in English, repeating the learned words every day.
in 5-6 months - to get from zero to Intermediate is more than realistic. Studying 2 times a week, doing homework, repeating words and visiting a conversation club once a week. If you find a native speaker and communicate with him regularly at least 1-2 times a week, you may complete the course earlier.
9-12 months - standard plan. And even with the implementation of this plan, it is necessary not to miss classes, repeat words, do homework, hone grammar skills, train pronunciation. You can answer the question “how much does it take to learn English from scratch” in this way: 9-12 months or 1-2 years.
in 1-2 years - you can reach Intermediate. It's even too long, but a lot of students get stuck at the Pre-Intermediate - Intermediate level for about that time. If you do not do your homework or do not immerse yourself in English anywhere, except for the lessons in the courses, you increase the period of studying the language several times.

Still dreaming of learning English in a month? We will not limit you: this is also possible. But it turns out, as a rule, only when moving abroad and in the absence of any possibility of communication in their native language. If a course cannot isolate you from speaking Russian for a month, don't trust their promises to learn English in a month.

How to learn English in 3 months?

This deadline looks the most realistic and one of the most urgent. Let's try to make a plan and convince you that it's possible.

First month

This is a period of work with an English teacher or tutor. If you want to learn English in a super short time, you should neglect group classes and study individually or in pairs. Why? Just because 90% of the time in the class it will be you who will speak. You won't have to wait for other students to speak (and there can be from 4 to 10).

Every day you should memorize about 30 words. And remember well. So good that they remain at least in the passive stock, and phrasal verbs go immediately into active. With this intensity, after 90% you will have a lexicon of about 3000 words. This is quite enough for fluent communication in standard situations. Although an educated native speaker can have a vocabulary of 8,000 or more words. There is something to strive for.

Second month

You can already communicate in English. Ideally, a native speaker or even several speakers can be involved in the communication process. Make it a rule: 3 times a week you should speak with native speakers in English for about 1-2 hours + study with a teacher + repeat the material on your own. In parallel, you need to continue to learn new words and introduce them into your speech. Also read books in English for beginners. This not only replenishes your vocabulary, but also helps you remember standard phrases, sentence structure.

third month

Actively read books in English. Give this lesson at least an hour a day, write out and memorize unfamiliar words. If you are lucky enough to find a native speaker friend who will be ready to communicate with you in English from 3 hours a day, consider that you have drawn a lucky ticket. Every day, keep learning 30 new words a day.

Yes, it is possible to learn English in 3 months. If you give it 4 hours a day.

We have compiled for you a selection of English courses in and. After studying from 1 to 3 months, you will feel a significant difference in the level of English proficiency.

Useful Resources

It is only in Remarque's books that emigrant heroes learn English from the reports of those killed during World War II in the newspapers. And, by the way, they study quite successfully - the motivation is too strong. You can use a huge number of useful resources to study:

To memorize words: is an application for those who prefer Apple devices. You can learn new words using the interval building method. An alternative is if you are not a fan of apples.
For speaking practice: The Mixxer - a resource for communicating via Skype with native speakers
About movie resources in English -
Read books in English- you can on the resource
Check and practice pronunciation- you can on the channel
Audiobooks (and their text versions) in English can be found on the resource. All books are divided into levels from Elementary to Advanced.

We wish you success!