I hate English!
Today I read a post about learning English on Facebook. There were so many comments, students shared some useful tips on learning English, some of them seemed to be quite disappointed. They wrote: “I hate English.”, “Why do we need to study English?”, “I feel so stressed and frustrated after having an English class”. These comments were stuck in my head. I couldn’t stop thinking about these comments for quite a long time.
Unfortunately, many students feel the same way. Let’s try to cut to the chase and answer the crucial question: “Why do I hate English?”
Well, I have some ideas:
– You hate English because you find it difficult to have conversations with other people.
– You find it difficult to understand the speaker and distinguish words
– You might be tired of learning so many grammar tenses and grammar structures. You got confused about the Present Simple Tense and Present perfect Tense.
– Some sounds are quite difficult to pronounce and you feel shy when speaking English, you’re afraid of making mistakes, mispronouncing some words.
– Some English idioms and phrasal verbs can be so strange and it’s impossible to make sense of them.
I could continue making a list of common problems, but I’d better concentrate on some solutions and try to help you get rid of some bad feelings towards English.
1. Think about your hobbies and things you like to do in your free time. You might enjoy gardening, traveling, cooking, or watching movies.
2. Try watching some YouTube videos in English about things you’re interested in. Don’t forget to turn on English subtitles and you’ll see that English isn’t scary. You’ll become more passionate about your hobbies and learn some interesting English words related to your interests.
The point is, find something that interests you and excites you because you need to look forward to doing it every single day. It shouldn’t feel like doing English practice.
3. There are many Hobbies and Interests groups on Facebook or other online communities where there are people interacting. They are sharing their ideas, giving opinions, and you’re able to respond. You can comment and be part of the discussion. This is a chance for you to find some new friends, start chatting about things you’re all interested in and in no time you’ll get the hang of using English every single day. The feeling of hate will go away and you’ll become more eager to learn extra words that can help you express your thoughts and ideas.
4. Reward yourself for learning unfamiliar words, for being more confident and eager to study English. It’s can be an extra piece of cake or maybe a bar of chocolate.
5. Get into the habit of using online dictionaries such as Cambridge Dictionary or Oxford learner’s dictionaries. Whenever you have some new unfamiliar words, try to check the transcription, and press the play button, listen to the pronunciation of this new word. You can repeat the word several times. It is worth doing it. When you learn a new word, use a dictionary, then you memorize the correct pronunciation of the word. Develop a habit of using online dictionaries. Put effort into learning unfamiliar English words. Practicing your pronunciation every day consistently, it’s going to help you make noticeable improvements in a short space of time.