Improving English as an Adult

Introduction

• Presenter: Zoe
• Background: Polyglot speaking 7 languages
• Mother tongue: Chinese
• Learning experience: Never lived in an English-speaking country, fluent in English through self-learning
• Purpose: Share resources, methods, and study plans for improving English

Initial Steps

Self-Assessment

• Importance of testing your level: Helps in choosing appropriate materials
• Suggested tests: Cambridge Test, "EnglishScore" (British Council app)

Key Areas to Focus On

Pronunciation

• Difference from accent: Pronunciation is about individual sounds and intonation, while accents vary by region.
• Goal: Clear pronunciation for better communication
• Tips: Watch pronunciation videos (British and American), use dictionaries like Reverso, note phonetic symbols

Vocabulary

• Learning method: Learn words in context, avoid rote memorization
• Tools: Anki, Quizlet, Busuu (structured lessons, real people speaking)
• Daily goal: Learn 10-20 new words
• Routine: Incorporate learning into daily activities (e.g., during commute)

Grammar

• Common issues: Basic grammar mistakes, e.g., verb conjugation
• Study method: Fix one grammar point per day
• Resources: "Essential Grammar in Use" by Cambridge, British Council exercises, "6 Minute Grammar" podcast
• Daily routine: Incorporate grammar exercises into your day (e.g., one lesson per day)

Intermediate Level (B1-B2)

• Grammar exercises: Continue using "English Grammar in Use"
• Focus areas: Listening and speaking, often overlooked in schools
• Technique: Shadowing (repeating speech in real-time)
  • Method: Break recordings into segments, repeat after speaker
  • Routine: 15 minutes per day

Resources

• Videos/podcasts: BBC Learning English, "Learn English with TV Series", "To Fluency"
• Apps: Tandem, HelloTalk for speaking practice
• Content: TV shows, series, movies on YouTube or Netflix
• Lyrics apps: For karaoke-style practice
• ChatGPT: For grammar correction

Advanced Level (C1-C2)

• Immersion: Read, write, speak, and listen to English as much as possible
• Academic English: "Academic Vocabulary in Use",
• Shadowing: Continue with complex topics like TED Talks
• Self-recording: Discuss topics in one-minute videos for self-review
• Courses: Coursera for structured learning
• Documentaries: Channels for advanced listening practice
• Audiobooks: E.g., "The Language Instinct" by Steven Pinker
• Reading and writing: "The Economist" (articles, podcasts)
• Writing practice: Summarizing and critiquing articles or books

Conclusion

• Encouragement: Take action, make use of the tools and plans shared
• Call to action: Like, share, and subscribe, ask questions in comments