Learning English from scratch on your own. Learning English on Your Own from Scratch: How to Succeed

“Each new language expands the consciousness of a person and his world. It's like one more eye and one more ear," says Daniel Stein, the hero of Ludmila Ulitskaya's book. Would you like to expand your picture of the world and find a common language with more than a billion people? For those who answered yes, we will tell you how to start learning English. We hope that our guide will help beginners take their first steps and show the right path for those who continue to learn the language.

To get started, we invite you to watch a recording of a two-hour webinar with Victoria Kodak(a teacher and methodologist of our online school), in which she answers the question of how to start learning English in the most detailed way:

1. Introduction: When and how best to start learning English

Some adults believe that only children can start learning English from scratch. Someone thinks that it is a shame for an adult to start from the basics and learn elementary rules and words, someone believes that only children can successfully learn foreign languages, because they have an excellent memory and learning abilities. Both the first and second opinions are wrong. There is nothing shameful in the fact that you start learning a language as an adult, on the contrary: the desire for knowledge always commands respect. According to the statistics of our school, people begin to learn the language from the first stage and at 20, and at 50 and even at 80 (!) years old. Moreover, they do not just start, but successfully study and reach high levels of English proficiency. So no matter how old you are, what matters is your desire to learn and your willingness to improve your knowledge.

Many people ask themselves: “What is the best way to start learning English?”. First you need to choose the way of learning that suits you: in a group, individually with a teacher or on one's own. You can read about the pros and cons of each of them in the article "".

The best option for those who are going to learn the language "from scratch" is classes with a teacher. You need a mentor to explain how the language "works" and help you build a solid foundation for your knowledge. The teacher is your interlocutor who:

• help you start speaking English;
• explain grammar in simple words;
• teach to read texts in English;
• It will also help you develop your English listening comprehension skills.

For some reason, you do not have the desire or opportunity to study with a teacher? Then check out our step by step guide about self-study of English for beginners.

To begin with, we want to give you some tips on how to better organize your classes so that your efforts are not in vain. We recommend:

• Exercise at least 2-3 times a week for 1 hour. Ideally, you need to practice English every day for at least 20-30 minutes. However, if you want to arrange a weekend for yourself, do it every other day, but in double volume - 40-60 minutes.
• Work on speaking skills. Write short texts, read simple articles and news, listen to podcasts for beginners, and try to find someone to talk to to train your speaking skills.
• Immediately put into practice what you have learned. Use the studied words and grammatical constructions in oral and written speech. Simple cramming will not give the desired effect: knowledge will fly out of your head if you do not use it. Learned a dozen words - make up a short story using all these words, say it out loud. We studied the Past Simple time - write a short text in which all sentences will be in this tense.
• Don't "Spray". The main mistake of beginners is trying to take as many materials as possible and work with them all at the same time. As a result, the study turns out to be unsystematic, you get confused in the abundance of information and do not see progress.
• repeat the past. Don't forget to review what you've learned. Even if it seems to you that you know the words on the topic “Weather” by heart, return to them in a month and check yourself: do you remember everything, if there were any difficulties. Repetition of the past is never superfluous. In our blog, we already wrote about. Familiarize yourself with the techniques and try to put them into practice.

You will learn some more useful tips from the following video.

3. Guide: How to start learning English from scratch on your own

Since English is still terra incognita for you, we have tried to select only the most necessary materials for you. It turned out to be a rather voluminous list, from which you will learn where to start learning English and how to do it correctly. Let's just say that the work ahead is not easy, but interesting. Let's get started.

1. Learn the rules of reading English

Theater begins with a hanger, and English begins with reading rules. This is a basic piece of knowledge, thanks to which you can learn to read English and pronounce sounds and words correctly. We recommend that you use a simple table from the Internet and learn the rules by heart, as well as get acquainted with the transcription of the English language. This can be done, for example, on the Translate.ru website.

2. Check how words are pronounced

Even if you know the rules of reading by heart, when learning new words, check how they are pronounced correctly. Tricky English words don't want to be read the way they are spelled. And some of them even refuse to obey any rules of reading. Therefore, we advise you to check the pronunciation of each new word in an online dictionary, for example, Lingvo.ru or on a special site Howjsay.com. Listen to the word a few times and try to pronounce it exactly the same way. At the same time, practice the correct pronunciation.

3. Start building vocabulary

Take visual dictionaries into service, for example, use the Studyfun.ru website. Bright pictures voiced by native speakers and translation into Russian will make it easier for you to learn and memorize new vocabulary.

What words to start learning English? We recommend beginners to focus on the list of words on the site Englishspeak.com. Start with simple words of a general theme, remember which words you use most often in your speech in Russian. In addition, we advise you to devote more time to studying English verbs. It is the verb that makes speech dynamic and natural.

4. Learn grammar

If you imagine speech as a beautiful necklace, then grammar is a thread on which you place word beads in order to end up with a beautiful decoration. Violation of the "rules of the game" of English grammar is punishable by misunderstanding of the interlocutor. And learning these rules is not so difficult, it is enough to study with a good textbook. We recommend that you take the first book in the Grammarway series of manuals translated into Russian. We wrote about this book in detail in our review. In addition, we recommend that you read our article "", from which you will find out what books you will need at the initial stage of learning English.

Do you find textbooks boring? It doesn't matter, pay attention to our series of articles "". In it, we state the rules in simple words, give many examples and tests to test knowledge. In addition, our teachers have compiled a simple and high-quality online English grammar tutorial for you. We also recommend reading the article "", in it you will find 8 good reasons to take up manuals, and also find out when you can do without textbooks in learning a language.

5. Listen to podcasts at your level

As soon as you started taking the first steps, you immediately need to accustom yourself to the sound of a foreign speech. Start with simple podcasts ranging from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. You can find simple audio recordings with translation into Russian on the Teachpro.ru website. And to get the most out of listening, check out our article "".

Once you've built your basic English vocabulary, it's time to start watching the news. We recommend the Newsinlevels.com resource. News texts for the first level are simple. There is an audio recording for each news, so be sure to listen to how new words sound for you, try to repeat them after the announcer.

7. Read simple texts

While reading, you activate visual memory: new words and phrases will be easy to remember. And if you want to not only read, but also learn new words, improve pronunciation, listen to texts voiced by native speakers, and then read them. You can find simple short texts in textbooks at your level, such as New English File Elementary, or on the Internet at this site.

8. Install helpful apps

How to start learning English from scratch on your own if you have a smartphone or tablet at hand? English learning apps are mini tutorials that you will always have in your pocket. The well-known Lingualeo app is ideal for learning new words: thanks to the spaced repetition technique, new vocabulary will not disappear from your memory after a month. And to study the structure, the principle of "work" of the language, we recommend installing Duolingo. In addition to learning new words, this application will allow you to practice grammar and learn how to build sentences in English, as well as help you develop good pronunciation. Also, check out ours and choose from there the programs that interest you the most.

9. Study online

If you ask Google how to start learning English on your own, a caring search engine will immediately throw you a couple of hundred sites with various lessons, online exercises, articles about learning the language. An inexperienced student is immediately tempted to bookmark 83 “well, very necessary sites on which I will study every day.” We want to warn you against this: in the abundance of bookmarks, you will quickly get confused, and you need to study systematically, without jumping from one topic to another. Bookmark 2-3 really good resources that you will study on. This is more than enough. We recommend performing online exercises on the Correctenglish.ru website. Also check out our article "", you will find even more useful resources in it. And after you master the basics of English, check out the article "", where you can download a file with a list of useful materials and sites for learning the language.

4. Summing up

The list turned out to be rather big, and we tried to collect for you only the most necessary components of a successful study of the English language. However, we failed to use the most important skill - speaking. It is almost impossible to train him alone with himself. The most you can do is try to find a friend who is learning English. However, a friend with a higher level of knowledge is unlikely to want to work with a beginner, and a beginner like you cannot be an assistant. Moreover, when you work with a non-professional, there is a risk of "catching" his mistakes.

Self-study of the language has another fat minus - lack of control: you will not notice your mistakes and correct them. Therefore, we recommend that you think about classes with a teacher at least at the beginning of your journey. The teacher will give you the necessary push, help you choose the right direction of movement - exactly what a beginner needs.

Now you know how to learn English on your own from scratch. We admit that the path ahead is not easy, but if you have already set yourself a goal and are ready to work, positive results will not keep you waiting. We wish you patience and perseverance on the way to the intended goal!

And for those who want to achieve their goal faster, we offer with a teacher at our school.

Hello dear readers!

How are you progressing in learning English? What methods and systems have you tried? Have you already chosen what is right for you?

Currently, there are a lot of different offers on the market of educational services. And, of course, for beginners to learn a language, it is very difficult to navigate and make the right choice so that learning is effective and brings results.

This article provides an overview of the best tutorials and my recommendations for improving the learning process.

About the teaching methodology

It is believed that self-instruction manual of English will help you quickly and without the help of a leader, mentor to master the basic course. In addition, this is a less expensive way to learn a language, which is important. Therefore, quite a lot of people opt for this method. Is all of the above really true? Let's figure it out.

All English language tutorials can be conditionally divided into several types:

1. traditional,
2. to learn spoken English,
3. for an intensive course
4. copyright,
5. art books,
6. support from native speakers,
7. online tutorials.

A good tutorial must be with an application audio material!

Standard training

You can start learning from scratch using traditional methods, in which the presentation of the material goes from simple to complex. Here you will get information about the phonetic system, correct pronunciation, intonation, basic grammar rules, find useful tests and exercises.

One of the most popular in this category is "The best self-instruction manual of the English language" by A. Petrova, I. Orlova.

Here one of the reviews on the popular site litres.ru, which reflects the essence and content of the textbook: “I liked this book right away... the text, simple and understandable drawings, a clear structure for the presentation of the material... Everything is clearly laid out on the shelves: we start with the basics and finish at a much advanced level!”

Download the book on Litres

Download the book on Litres

Speech development

The following textbooks are suitable for mastering spoken English.

T. G. Trofimenko “Conversational English” . Without studying grammar, you can learn to build the necessary phrases on your own. The technique that is given here will help you remember the right words and expressions, as well as learn pronunciation. This book is also suitable for children.

Download the book on Litres

N. Brel, N. Poslavskaya. “Spoken English course in convenient formulas and dialogues” . This textbook is recommended for advanced students who find it difficult to speak. It is designed to overcome the language barrier.

Download the book on Litres

M. Goldenkov. “Hot Dog Too. Spoken English” . A valuable guide from which you will learn about the features of the modern language and slang, common idioms, business correspondence.

Short terms

Intensive methods are mainly intended for the training of narrow specialists in any field. Here, acquaintance with new material goes in parallel with the consolidation of the topics covered.

S. Matveev's book “English for Beginners" interesting in that the author presents the material in an extraordinary way, taking into account the psychological characteristics of learning a foreign language, makes various types of memory work. In this book you will find great reviews. “Good book, helps to learn the language from the very beginning. Complex topics are explained clearly and easily, English words are easily given". By the way, I have about the books of this author.

Download the book on Litres

To gain knowledge about business correspondence, negotiation and telephone conversations, I advise you to use the manual S.A. Sheveleva “Business English in 20 minutes a day” .

Download the book on Litres

Author's methods

I would like to note the publication Dmitry Petrov, a famous linguist and polyglot. "English language. 16 lessons” - This is an initial language course that allows you to quickly start talking in English. You will learn the basic algorithms of the language, learn how to put them into practice and turn everything into a skill.

Download the book on Litres

native speaker

Here is a textbook K.E. Eckersley "English Language Self-Teacher" . It is suitable for students of universities and colleges. A wonderful presentation, a lot of country-specific material, a cool selection of examples and exercises will make learning easy.

Download the book on Litres

Online tutorials

Lingualeo . This service can rightfully deserve the title of a tutorial. Therefore, boldly register and use it for free. And besides that - interesting, easy, effective! I wrote about this service on the blog pages - for example, here.

If you want step by step work, then feel free to purchase a paid course « English from scratch». After it, it will be possible to switch to grammar by purchasing a course « Grammar for beginners» . Also take a course « About yourself and loved ones in English». I am writing all this for those who do not know where to start the process here. I think you will succeed!

Another interesting and gaining popularity online tutorial - Lim-English. This simulator is aimed at the simultaneous development of listening comprehension, reading, writing and speaking. Study for 30 minutes a day and your English level will increase significantly! I tried it and I really liked it - now you - I'm sure you will enjoy and the result!

Currently, almost all books have electronic versions. Of course, they can be downloaded for free, but the world does not stand still. Everything is changing, revised and improved editions are coming out. Therefore, in my opinion, it would be a better decision to buy a textbook. You will receive high-quality material for a small fee and appreciate the work of the author. If you are not a beginner, choose audiobooks, they will improve your perception of foreign speech and pronunciation.

So, to the conclusions

Yes, tutorials can be used, you should especially pay attention to those that come with audio reinforcement. But be prepared for the fact that in the process of learning you will have a huge number of questions. And not all of them you can find answers on your own. And the search will take you too much time. Is it worth wasting so much time? After all, time, as you know, also costs money.

In my opinion, for productive and effective study, as well as the speedy achievement of results, the work on the tutorial should be combined . He will be able to monitor your learning once a week or two and purposefully lead you to a new level. By the way, I did comparative review of several online English schools- be sure to check it out - who knows, you may want to slightly change your English learning course from a self-taught teacher to a real teacher!

In any case, good luck to you!

P.S. Feel free to take a moment to look in the comments to this post and ask a question, write about your personal experience, or simply supplement the information with your best practices. This may be useful both for you and for other visitors!

Today, English is the universal means of communication. It opens up excellent career prospects. And you should not forget about access to a large information material. Thanks to the knowledge of the English language, you can watch your favorite TV shows at the time they are shown, and not wait until they are translated and adapted to the Russian language.

The advantages of knowing a second language, and as a rule it is English, are many and they can be listed for a very long time. Learning the language of Shakespeare is difficult even in England itself. But, everyone can comprehend the basics of a simple spoken language.

This does not require teachers and stuffy classrooms. Thanks to modern methods, self-study of English is an exciting and interesting activity. And not as difficult as it seems at first glance.

IMPORTANT: There are no people incapable of "languages". Yes, learning a foreign language can be easier for someone, and more difficult for someone. The main thing is to learn how to properly motivate yourself and find a course of study that is suitable for this.

Of course, if English is needed not for watching TV shows and reading your favorite blog, but for more serious tasks, then self-study is unlikely to help here. You will have to attend special, narrowly focused courses. But, you can reach them, starting with self-study.

Of course, learning any language from scratch, including English, is much easier by attending special courses and communicating with a "live" teacher.

However, such communication has a number of disadvantages:

• these activities cost money.
• need to fit in with the schedule.
• Missing one class can leave you far behind.

Of course, many of the disadvantages of such training can be minimized by training with Skype. But, if it is not possible to carve out several tens of thousands of rubles from the budget for such an activity, then the only way to learn English is to study it on your own.

How to learn English from scratch?

• In order to learn the language of JK Rowling from scratch, it is best to use a computer program or an audio course for beginners. With their help, you can understand the pronunciation of individual letters and words. By the way, the audio course in this has a lot of advantages.
• With its help, training can be carried out without looking up from other things. It can be turned on in the car when commuting to work. If you prefer to travel by metro, then download this course to your smartphone and listen to it on the way
• Of course, an audio course cannot replace the visual perception of the English language. But, there are special online trainings for this. Choose the course you need and start learning

IMPORTANT: From the first day of learning English, you need to try to speak it. If this is not done, then you will not be able to speak it even when the vocabulary and knowledge of grammar improve.

In order to learn English from scratch, first learn the alphabet, then move on to simple words - house, ball, girl, etc.

Choose a training where the study of new words is presented in the form of cards. The word in English should be written on it and what it means should be drawn. Scientists have long established the power of visual memory of information.

There is no need to try to remember a lot of words at once. At first, new information will come easily. Then, new words will be remembered easily, and old ones can be forgotten. In order to avoid this, it is necessary to pay more attention to the consolidation of new material. It is better to learn one new word a day, but reinforce all the old ones, than to learn 10 new words a day, but forget what has already been passed.

Where to start learning English?

• Usually they start learning English from the alphabet. This has its own reason, you can understand how this or that letter sounds. But, it is not at all necessary to memorize its correct order. You can remember the pronunciation of letters without the alphabet. Moreover, they do not always sound like in this list of letters from “Hey to Zeta”
• When you begin to understand the letters, try to read as many English texts as possible. It is not necessary to understand what is written there. Of course, interesting pictures in the text will make you want to understand what is written in it.
• Then you can use online translators. But, do not paste all the text into them. Translate one word at a time. This will allow you to learn the language even better and remember a few words.

After you get comfortable in English, get a dictionary

• Write down in it (just write down with a pen) all the unfamiliar words and phrases you encounter, and their translation
• In parallel with maintaining your vocabulary, you need to start paying attention to grammar. English has a very complex system of tenses. There are irregular verbs and other difficulties in the way of learning this language. They all need a lot of time. But it pays off handsomely
• Don't forget about pronunciation. Even a person who understands well what is written in English text will not always be able to make out what native speakers of this language are talking about. As a rule, they speak faster than teachers and teachers of language schools do.
• In order to make it easier to understand English speech, watch movies, series and documentaries without translation. It's a great way to learn this interesting language

IMPORTANT: Try to spend at least 30 minutes in English every day. To do this, it is desirable to select certain hours. So our brain will be able to “tune in” by this time and the learning process will go easier in a few days.

How to learn English easily: a method of teaching English?

There are quite a few methods of learning this foreign language. The most popular are:

• Method of Dmitry Petrov. A well-known polyglot in our country invented his own methodology and method of presenting information that fits in 16 lessons. Probably, many who were interested in learning English saw a series of TV shows in which Dmitry taught famous people. Thanks to this technique, you can quickly immerse yourself in the language environment and understand the grammar.
• Method "16". Another technique that allows you to learn the basics of the English language in just 16 hours. It is based on learning dialogues, having mastered which you will be able to understand English.
• Schechter's method. This system of learning English was developed by the famous Soviet linguist Igor Yurievich Shekhter. Unfortunately, this technique cannot be used for independent study of a foreign language. Moreover, a linguist teacher who will be allowed to teach using this method must himself undergo special training and pass an exam.
• Dragunkin method. A popular method of teaching English in our country, which was developed by the famous philologist Alexander Dragunkin. He built his system on the so-called Russified transcription. In addition, he deduced the "51 rules" of English grammar. By learning which you can master this language

The above list of methods for learning English can be continued for a long time. The above systems are well suited for self-learning this language.

But, the best way to learn English is Frank method

English learners using this method are given two texts. First comes the adapted passage. Usually this is a literal translation, often provided with lexico-grammatical comments. After reading such a passage, the text in English is presented.

The technique is very good, interesting, but has one significant drawback - it is more suitable for learning to read in English, rather than speaking it.

How to quickly learn words in English?

• There are many methods for memorizing words in a foreign language. The simplest of these is the traditional method. In the notebook you need to write down a few words in English (on the left side of the sheet) and their translation into Russian
• It is advisable to always keep the notebook open and in a conspicuous place. Read the words and repeat from. Try to remember and go about your business. Refer to your notebook several times a day. After a while, you can write down a few more words. It is advisable to do this on another sheet. So, to leave it in a conspicuous place and at any moment to throw your eyes on the sheet with words
• If you don't want a notebook, you can use the card method. To do this, cut sheets of cardboard into small cards. On the one hand, you need to write a word in English
• And on the second, its translation into Russian. Turn the cards over with the English or Russian side facing you and try to translate the words that are written there. Unfold the card and check the correct answer

The card method is very popular.

On the Internet, you can find online services where such cards are presented in electronic form. Thanks to the popularity of this method, today it will not be difficult to buy ready-made cards. However, it is better to make them yourself. After all, writing down something on paper, we write it down in our subconscious.

Do not immediately try to remember a lot of words. In the long run, this is not very effective. Words learned quickly are usually forgotten quickly.

How to learn English verbs?

In principle, the above methods of memorizing English words are suitable for both nouns and verbs. But, among this category of English words there are so-called "irregular verbs". Like the correct ones, they mean:

• Action - to speak (to speak), to come (to come)
• Process - to sleep (sleep)
• State - to be (to be), to know (to know), etc.

In school, such verbs are taught as follows. The students are given their list and the teacher asks them to learn as much as possible from it for the next lesson. This list does not have any structure that facilitates the study of such verbs. Therefore, few of us were able to master English at school.

Modern methods are very different from those by which foreign languages ​​are taught at school.

How to quickly learn irregular English verbs?

• As mentioned above, the “card method” can be used to memorize such verbs. But, unlike "simple" words, irregular verbs have three forms. What actually makes them wrong
• To make cards with irregular verbs, you need to write the first form on one side, and the other two on the second side. Moreover, the first form does not need to be provided with a translation. And on the reverse side, you need to not only write two forms of the verb with a translation, but also provide a hint. For example, "alternating irregular vowel verbs in the root from to [e]"
• The advantage of this method is that it is easy to use. Cards can be sorted out by hand, remembering first the main form, and then turn over and do the same with other forms. Such training can be carried out both at home and at work. Students can take such cards with them to the institute and repeat the verbs during the break.

Card example:

To make it easier to remember irregular verbs, they can be grouped by:

• the method of formation of the second and third forms
• repeatability or non-repetition of forms
• root vowel alternation
• sound similarities
• spelling features

All other verbs need to be structured not alphabetically, as in school, but according to the above principles:

How to learn tenses in English

Another pitfall for anyone who wants to learn English is the times. By understanding their use, you can take a big step forward in learning this language.

In general, there are three tenses in English:

But, the difficulty lies in the fact that each time has types. The first type of such times is called Simple (simple). That is, there is:

Continuous (continuous, long) is the second type of tense.

The third kind is called Perfect. Thus, there are:

There is also another type of tense that combines all the previous Perfect Continuous (perfectly extended). Accordingly, the times can be:

IMPORTANT: In the specialized literature on the English language, Simple can be called Indefinite, and Continuous can be called Progressive. Don't be afraid, it's the same thing.

• In order to use English tenses in sentences, you need to understand what action is happening? It is regular, it was yesterday, it is happening at the moment, etc. Simple tenses denote an action that occurs regularly, but its exact moment is not known. on Sundays - on Sundays (the specific time is not known)
• If the sentence indicates a specific time (at the moment, from 4 to 6 o'clock, etc.), then Continuous is used - a long time. That is, time that denotes a specific moment or a specific period of time.
• If the action is completed, Perfect is used. This time is applied when the result of the action is already known or it is possible to know exactly when it will end (but may still be going on)
• The Perfect Continuous construction is used least often in English. It is used to designate a process whose action is not completed, but it needs to be said at the moment. For example, "In May it will be 6 months since I study English"
• To study the tenses of the English language, you can also make tables, as for irregular verbs. Only instead of them enter linguistic formulas. You can use special literature. Better than multiple authors

Very well told about the times in Dmitry Petrov's method "Polyglot 16"

How to learn text in English?

• If you need to learn a text in English in a short period of time, then you can use several methods for this purpose.
• Before learning a text in a foreign language, you need to prepare. Namely, translate it. On the one hand, learning a text in English without knowing what is written there will not work. And on the other hand, while we are translating, something will already be written to the “subcortex”
• During the translation of the text, you need to reread it several times. If you do this during the day, then before going to bed, repeat this procedure. We will sleep and the brain will work
• In the morning, the text should be printed and hung in prominent places. Cooking, the text should be in the kitchen in a conspicuous place. Vacuuming in the living room, it should also be visible

The text in English is very well remembered if it is recorded on a voice recorder

Let's go to the store, headphones in your ears and listen, repeating every word to yourself. In the gym, instead of hard rock, you again need to listen to this text.

If the text is large, then it is better to break it into several small passages, and memorize each of them in turn. Do not be afraid, learning a text in English is not as difficult as it seems.

How to learn English in a dream?

At the end of the Soviet era, many “unique” methods of self-education poured into our country. One of them was to study foreign languages ​​during sleep. Before going to bed, a cassette with lessons was put into the player, headphones were put on and the person fell asleep. They say that this method helped some.

Everyone knows that sleep is very useful. According to researchers involved in this problem, sleep can improve mental abilities.

And in general, a sleepy person “absorbs” information better.

• But, for some reason, he absorbs it after sleep. English words from the player can only spoil the dream. So, worsen the perception of information the next day
• But, sleep can really help. But, only if you take the time immediately before it to study English
• After such a lesson, you can sleep, and the brain during this time will “process” the information and put it on the “shelves”. This method of learning foreign languages ​​has proven to be effective and is used by many people.
• And you can improve this technique if, immediately after sleep, you consolidate what was studied before bedtime.

Learning English: reviews

Kate. To learn a foreign language, you need to spend at least 30 minutes a day on it. Every day for half an hour. Even one missed day will have a very negative impact. I make sure to devote 30 minutes of English a day. Plus, if there is still time, then be sure to take a bonus.

Kirill. Now there are a lot of sites on the Internet where material is presented in a playful way. I am learning English through series. I watch serials in this language with Russian subtitles. I used to read subtitles all the time. Now I'm trying to understand myself.

Video: Polyglot in 16 hours. Lesson 1 from scratch with Petrov for beginners

Knowledge of foreign languages ​​is considered by many to be an incredible talent and almost a gift from the gods. But every polyglot knows that it's more about hard work and personal interest than natural abilities, and even more so a miracle. Anyone can do this if they choose the right training method. We will share tips on how to learn English for beginners today.

In the material, we will consider all the nuances of the educational process: from the motivational part to lesson plans and the transition to the next level. With us, you can 100% learn English from scratch on your own!

In any case, the most important thing is to take the first step. That is, it is not easy, for example, to spontaneously take and play 10 minutes in learning English words on a smartphone or practice grammar for half an hour. We are talking about purposefully starting to learn English, that is, conducting regular classes, doing exercises, repeating the material covered, and so on. And here the problem arises: how to force yourself to do this?

The solution is simple - to be genuinely interested in the English language. And setting goals will help develop interest in classes. Think about why you want to learn English. A variety of things can act as motivation, for example:

• Go on a trip;
• Make acquaintances with foreigners;
• Move to another country;
• Read books in the original;
• Watch movies without translation.

And even the most banal - a burning shame that everyone around understands at least a little English, but you still do not. This state of affairs needs to be corrected, right? So let this be your goal!

The main point in setting a goal is to understand that it is 100% important and necessary for you.

And as an additional motivator, before mastering English lessons for beginners, set yourself the desired reward for achieving a successful result. For example, every 5 classes carried out give the right to an extraordinary trip to your favorite restaurant or the purchase of some pleasant little thing.

The main thing is that skipping the next lesson should not become a reward, because. in no case should the regularity of the process be violated. In extreme cases, it is allowed to transfer the lesson to a free day, but not a complete cancellation.

The goal and encouragement are effective tricks for the psyche, which are very important to use at the initial stage of learning English. Thanks to them, after a few lessons, a program will be formed in your subconscious mind that learning English is very useful and profitable. Well, in the future, when you begin to understand the language culture and features of the language, on the basis of these partly selfish motives, a natural interest in further study will develop.

At what level to start learning English

Before you start learning English, you need to determine the level of your knowledge.

It's one thing if you have never come across this language and just now decided to choose a course for independent study of the basics of English speech at home. In this case, you are completely learning English from scratch: starting with the pronunciation of sounds, memorizing the alphabet, learning numbers, and so on. To master these skills, the Beginner level training program (initial) is used.

The situation is completely different if you have already studied some material in school lessons, university classes, or studied spoken English on your own. Then you probably know such basics of speech as:

• Sounds, letters, numbers;
• Personal pronouns;
• Uses of the verb tobe;
• This is/There are constructs.

If this is true, then you have already moved from the beginner class to the second stage of knowledge - Elementary (basic). With this level, you can learn English for beginners not from the very beginning, but with more complex topics, for example. Present simple, degrees of comparison of adjectives, practical exercises for tenses of the verb, etc. But, if you are not sure about the quality of your knowledge, then it will not be superfluous to repeat English from scratch.

How long does it take to master an elementary English course

We all learn English or another language in different ways. Some memorize vocabulary in 5 minutes, others quickly pick up the basics of grammar, and the third got perfect pronunciation. Accordingly, for each of the students, some lessons are easy, while others cause difficulties and require more time.

Affects the duration of the course of study and the chosen methodology. Classes with a teacher in a group are usually designed for 3 months. Individual lessons can reduce this figure to two or even one month: this result is achieved by daily and long lessons. For self-learning, the time frame is completely blurred.

Thus, the time spent on learning English is individual. On average, this period is from 3 to 6 months. And you can speak specifically only knowing the program of the training course and the abilities of the student. Our methodology, for example, suggests that beginners learn English from 0 on their own in about 4 months. Let's talk more about this tutorial.

English for beginners - lesson plan for the entire course

The section presents the curriculum for the English language course for beginners. This is a step-by-step timetable with English lesson topics for Beginner and Elementary students. The course is designed for 4 months, and ends with the transition to the next level of knowledge. If you plan to study the language on your own, then the material provided will be an excellent help in organizing classes.

General rules

Before we start studying the plan, I would like to dwell on the important points of the educational process. To obtain a positive result, the following rules must be observed.

1. Always speak English out loud . This moment is important not only as a study of the correct pronunciation, but also as a psychological factor. Be sure to say out loud all the letters, words and sentences, and then you will "get used" to speaking English. Otherwise, there is a risk of never speaking English at all. But why teach him then?
2. Do not skip "uncomfortable" topics. Yes, it happens that the material does not work at all, but this does not mean that it is necessary to abandon it. Just as it does not mean that you need to understand it for 3 years until you become a “pro”. If you feel that the topic is heavy, then try to capture at least its essence. The use of an "uncomfortable" construction in speech can be minimized, but you should know what it is about and why you are obliged.
3. Be sure to repeat what you have done. Repetition is indicated in the plan, and it is no less important than learning new material. Only thanks to the timely repetition of information is fixed in memory for a long time.
4. Keep your own grammar book. In the age of the Internet, many people prefer to learn the rules right from the screen. But handwritten writing is necessary, because this is how information passes through you, and is better absorbed and remembered.
5. Do the exercises in writing. Again, the more you write, the more you master in a “foreign” language: you remember the spelling of words, the order in the sentence and the construction of grammatical structures. In addition, the letter helps to focus more on the task and not make unnecessary mistakes.

4. Repetition of the studied vocabulary

Fourth 1. Building a dialogue

We use all grammatical combinations and studied vocabulary.

2. Working out dialogue by roles

If you practice alone, then just change the tone of your voice.

3. Singular and plural nouns

Ways of education, exceptions.

4. Numbers up to 100

1. Adjectives

General concepts and vocabulary (colors, characteristics).

2. Reading and translating text

Preferably with lots of adjectives.

3. Construction of sentences with adjectives and nouns in different numbers

For example, He is a good doctor. They are bad drivers.

4. New vocabulary

Weather, travel

1. Possessive case of nouns

education and use.

2. Listening

3. Special questions

Words and sentence structure.

4. Repetition of all grammatical structures

Compilation of a simple text with the maximum variety of combinations and vocabulary used.

Let's sum up the intermediate results. In just a month of not the most intense work, you will learn to read, listen to English speech, understand the meaning of popular phrases, and also make up your own sentences and questions. In addition, you will be familiar with numbers up to 100, articles, the basic grammar of English nouns and adjectives. Not enough already, right?

Second month

Now it's time to start the main work. In the second month of study, we actively learn grammar and try to speak English as much as possible.

A week	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
First	1. Verb Indefinite form and general concepts. 2. Prepositions General concepts + stable combinations like go to school, for breakfast 3. Vocabulary Common verbs 4. Listening	1. Repetition of prepositions 2. Verb have Forms and features of use 3. Exercises for working out sentences with to have 4. Reading and translating text	1. Making sentences with prepositions 2. Listening 3. Repeat constructions I like, There is/are, to have 4. Vocabulary Daily routine, work, study, leisure
Second	1 Present Simple Affirmations, questions, denials. 2. Working out the theory in practice Self-compilation of sentences in Present Simple. 3. Vocabulary repetition	1. Questions and negation in Present Simple Making mini-dialogues. 2. Reading and translating text 3. Repeating phrases with prepositions 4. Vocabulary Verbs of movement, thematic selections (in a store, hotel, train station, etc.).	1. Exercises for all the nuances of Present Simple . 2. Listening 3. Vocabulary review + new words
Third	1. Modal verb Can Features of use. 2. Time designation in English + repetition about the days of the week and months 3. Vocabulary Thematic collections	1. Repeat Present Simple Drafting a short text with all kinds of sentences. 2. Prepositions of time and place 3. Reading thematic text (topic) 4. Listening Dialogue + vocabulary	1. Writing exercises for the verb Can 2. Compilation of mini-dialogues on the topic of time What time is it, in what month were you born, etc. 3. Number repetition 4. Repeating forgotten vocabulary
Fourth	1 Present continuous Forms and features of use. 2. Practice Making proposals 3. New vocabulary Popular verbs, adjectives	1. Questions and negatives in Present continuous Working off for units and pl. 2. Learning numbers from 100 to 1000, writing and reading years 3. Countable and uncountable nouns	1. Exercises for using the Present Simple and continuous 2. Modal verb May Situations of use 3. Practice May 4. Repeat Expired/Unexpired nouns 5. New vocabulary

third month

We continue to master grammar, and bring more variety to our speech.

English for beginners (month #3)
A week	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
First	1. Past Simple Usage and forms 2. Practice 3. Reading and translating a topic 4. New vocabulary	1. Questions And Negative Past Simple and Present Simple Making sentences on do/does/did 2. Time in English Vocabulary repetition. 3. Listening 4. Repeat forgotten vocabulary	1. Modal verbs Must , have to Difference in use 2. Practice 3. Compilation of a story on the topic "My family" At least 10-15 offers 4. Listening
Second	1. Writing exercises for Past Simple 2. Drinking much , many , few , little 3. Listening 4. New vocabulary	1. Degrees of comparison of adjectives 2. Practice 3. Reading and translating a topic 4. Reuse of articles + special cases	1. The use of any , some , nothing , no 2. Writing exercises for adding articles 3. Modal verb should Situations of use 4. New vocabulary
Third	1. Exercises on the studied modal verbs. 2. Adjectives. Turnover as …as 3. Reading and translation 4. Repeat tenses of the verb.	1. Practical exercises to use present Simple /continuous , Past Simple 2. Compilation of the story "My hobbies" 3. Listening 4. New vocabulary	1. Exercises for adjectives. Degrees of comparison + as…as 2. Imperative mood 3. Practice 4. Repetition of the studied vocabulary
Fourth	1. Future Simple Forms and situations of use 2. Practice 3. Listening 4. New vocabulary	1. Questions and negatives of Future Simple 2. Written imperative exercises 3. Reading and translating a topic 4. Repeating prepositions	1. Listening 2. Exercises for all studied tenses of the verb. 3. Compilation of the story "My dreams" Use as many different tenses and combinations as possible 4. New vocabulary

fourth month

The final stage of the course "English for Beginners". Here we pull up all the shortcomings and finish mastering the grammatical minimum level.

English for beginners (month #2)
A week	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
First	1. Adverbs Features and use 2. Indirect and direct object Place in the offer 3. Listening 4. New vocabulary	1. Turnover to be going to Situations of use 2. Practice. 3. Adverbs of manner 4. Writing exercises Interrogative sentences of all tenses, combinations + special questions	1. Written exercises for the difference Future Simple and to be going to 2. Reading, listening and translation 3. Verbs that do not take continuous Features + vocabulary
Second	1. Practicing verbs without continuous 2. Listening 3. Adverbs of frequency 4. New vocabulary	1. Exercises for learned verb tenses 2. Cardinal and ordinal numbers 3. Reading and translating a topic 4. View adapted video Small and easy to understand video.	1. Tests for modal verbs and imperative 2. Writing a story on any topic Minimum 15-20 offers 3. Listening 4. Repeat forgotten vocabulary
Third	1. Exercises for adjectives and articles 2. Irregular English verbs What is it + vocabulary (top50) 3. Watch video	1. Reading, listening and translating the topic 2. Working out dialogues based on the studied text Self compilation 3. Repeating irregular verbs	1. construction like/love/hate + ing- verb 2. Practice 3. Watch video 4. Repeating a list of irregular verbs
Fourth	1. Exercises to test knowledge of irregular verbs 2. Repetition of prepositions and adverbs 3. Watch video 4. New vocabulary	1. Composing a story in Present Simple using irregular verbs 2. Tests for articles and prepositions 3. Reading, listening and translating the topic 4. New vocabulary	1. Making sentences for all verb constructions 2. Tests for 3 forms of irregular verbs 3. Exercises for adjectives 4. Exercises on missing/non-existing nouns + few , many , much , little etc.

Having mastered this base, you will advance immediately to the Intermediate level. And from here it is already within easy reach of fluency in the language.

An excellent selection of English videos for beginners for every day

Good luck with your studies and see you soon!

Learning any foreign language on your own is not an easy task. First of all, it is important to understand why you need a language. Maybe you need English for travel? Or do you need business English to get your dream job? Or just pull up the level for an assessment at the university?

That is, first you need to determine the goal, and then the tools that are suitable for achieving it. For example, Puzzle English has a course for beginners where you can start learning the language without knowing the alphabet.

First, if you are completely new to English, it would be nice to imagine how words are read. That is point number 1 - rules for reading words. Read and repeat words aloud, including drawing on examples from movies, TV shows, or songs. On Puzzle English, excerpts from them can be found, for example, in the "Video Puzzles" section. By repeating all this regularly, you will train both pronunciation and listening comprehension.

The second is the formation of a personal dictionary. It is not necessary to memorize all the words in the vocabulary from A to Z. As a rule, everything starts with general topics and simple words. Remember what words you most often use in everyday life, determine the range of topics that interest you. It is convenient to use an electronic dictionary, especially one that works offline. That is, if you are learning English for travel, start learning the vocabulary that you will need on the trip.

Third - grammar. To successfully use your vocabulary, you need to understand how words fit together, how to express a particular idea correctly. English grammar has a lot of rules and even more exceptions. But without her, nowhere. There are many tutorials to help you learn the rules. If textbooks are not to your liking, you can always pick up a convenient online resource. It is better to choose a course with feedback. This will give you the opportunity to quickly receive answers to questions that arise in the learning process. And there will definitely be a lot of them. For example, on Puzzle English you can watch a video with a detailed explanation of the grammar, and if something is not clear, you can always ask in the comments and you will be answered by experts in English.

So, there is a certain base. What's next? And then, so that the language does not remain just a passive baggage, you need to speak it. And to speak, you need an interlocutor. And in order to communicate successfully, you need to understand the interlocutor. Two more important components in language learning - speaking and listening which is usually the most problematic.

You need to get used to the sound of foreign speech. Do not rush to immediately watch films in the original, focus on your level. The ideal way out is to find a resource that will offer you videos of different levels, it is very good if it is a video with subtitles. Or, for example, the Puzzle English website has “Podcasts” - live conversations of native speakers with simultaneous translation.

Sing songs. It has been proven to be a very effective way to train speech and hearing at the same time. For music fans, Puzzle English has its own section, which is called “Songs”. Popular songs are sorted literally line by line and you will finally be able to understand what your favorite performers are singing about.

And finally, speaking. Who to talk to? You can train on others, you can talk to yourself. But what to do with the inevitable mistakes and a bunch of questions? To develop your speaking skills, you will most likely need not just an interlocutor, but a competent interlocutor who will correct your speech.

So, the goal is set, the means are chosen. It remains to understand how to motivate yourself and not give up halfway.

Make sure your goal is realistic and meets your needs. Start with the basics, do not try to embrace the immense and learn everything at once. Go from simple to complex. But do not set yourself very easy tasks, otherwise you will stagnate. The training should be a little hard, but still possible to complete successfully. So you will receive joy from your achievements, and not disappointment that you again failed or did not understand.

Choose the teaching method that suits you. Don't leave your phone? Install the appropriate application. Love to read? Read books. Of course, Shakespeare in the original is not immediately defeated. But it is quite possible to choose adapted literature in accordance with your level. Listen to music, watch movies. Learning a language is not boring cramming, but a process that can be enjoyed.