Top 6 Daily Habits to Improve Your English

Speaking fluently is what every language learner is out for. We usually define fluency as “speaking quickly and easily in a given language.” But how can you reach this level??

IT specialists have learned English for years, yet the most common level of proficiency among students is B1-B1+ or the intermediate level. This means they can understand core concepts of the language, speak and write clearly regarding familiar topics, and rely on their understanding of the language to put words together (they call this “intuition”). Overall, they have no trouble ordering food, getting directions, explaining what they did, and planning to do at work.??

These students can speak at length, rather confidently and relatively smoothly, with occasional hesitation in search of words. So, they ARE fluent. Yet most of them are unsatisfied with their language proficiency, and those who get their level assessed might get disappointed and discouraged when they hear “intermediate.”??

Why? Well, the most obvious reason is the quality of the language you speak—intermediate students still make many mistakes, aren’t very confident with grammar and idioms or slang, and experience difficulties communicating shades of meaning. Most IT professionals are confident discussing work-related issues but experience a lack of vocabulary in other topics.??

Learning a language requires time, patience, and lots of practice. Practice makes perfect, but just being busy with learning doesn’t mean you’re making progress. You need better strategies. ?

So, what should intermediate language learners do to boost their proficiency????

1) Immerse yourself: create an English language environment to get exposed to a good language???

One of the major problems is that you use the same words… a lot. Perhaps these habit loops are even pointed out by your colleagues, teacher, or even clients.???

It can be quite frustrating and belittling to know there’s a whole world of rich, detailed, and nuanced words and phrases out there while you’re stuck with the same old ones. To fix this and achieve remarkable improvements, you should expose yourselves to materials designed for native speakers—blogs, news, novels, movies, TV shows—and try hard to use a similar vocabulary when you speak.????

2) Push yourself?

Students need to create challenges for themselves and then tackle them. Learning is hard work sometimes. It’s not supposed to be only fun and pleasure. So, stop limiting yourself to language domains where you feel comfortable discussing only familiar topics.???

For instance, you can’t skip writing or grammar because you don’t like it. Sooner or later, topics you avoid will become necessary. Change your routine—do challenging activities such as writing an essay, acting out a dialogue, or participating in a debate.?

3) Build your discipline?

Although most language learners are pretty motivated, they also need discipline to overcome the days when motivation is simply not enough.?

Create a language study plan which will keep you focused and consistent on what you want to achieve. Design a rock-solid daily learning routine that fuels your motivation. Maintain that routine over a long-term period, even in the face of more significant challenges.?

4) Target your specific weaknesses?

A wide variety of courses is available online or in-person—the important thing is to find one that caters specifically to your intermediate level and your needs. You should complete a language knowledge test first to identify what you don’t know and proceed with a course to fix it.???

Also, consider taking private lessons with a tutor you can find online. It might be especially helpful at an intermediate level as they allow you the flexibility to target materials and topics you’re struggling with.?

5) Make learning fun and interesting to stay motivated?

Admittedly, the learning process can get boring, but only if you choose too dry or too easy activities. Fortunately, there are many ways to make learning languages effective and fun! Learners use a vast number of media and entertainment English sources to diversify their experience. Here is a short list of the most popular activities with some tips on how to make your learning more productive:??

1. Watching movies and TV shows?

• Watch with your native language’s subtitles first, then rewatch it with English subtitles.?
• Pause and add new vocabulary in a flashcard app like Quizlet to repeat new words and phrases later.?
• Practice your pronunciation with videos: try recording yourself saying a phrase you’ve heard.?
• Listen to the original recording and compare your pronunciation to see where you can improve.?

2. Watching videos on YouTube?

• Switch your YouTube language to English and your location to the USA, Canada, or another English-speaking country.?
• Turn on subtitles to understand pronunciation better and learn new vocabulary. Pause videos to write down what you hear.?
• Choose the most inspirational channels with big audiences, like TED or Discovery.?
• Find educational YouTube channels for learning English (my favs are Bob the Canadian , Rachel’s English , English with Lucy , engVid , and Learn English with Papa Teach Me ).?
• Find short videos explaining the exact points you need (e.g., grammar parts you’re struggling with).?

3. Reading?

• Read online articles, news, blogs, comics, forums, and other sources that interest you to expose yourself to up-to-date vocabulary.?
• You can quickly find short-form English content based on your interests through newsletters—simply google “Best [subject] newsletters.”?
• Switch your phone and search engine settings to English so that every Google search is in English too.?

4. Listening to music?

• Learn and research lyrics to enrich your vocabulary while enjoying the music.?
• Print out and read song lyrics first or try to write them down yourself and then compare words with the original.?
• Use apps like Lyricstraining to learn English with music.?

5. Listening to podcasts?

• Pause podcasts and take notes on new vocabulary.?
• Listen closely to sounds and rhythms of English, repeating along with the podcast.?
• Find podcasts on different topics to help you learn specialized vocabulary (e.g., science, politics, business, psychology, or self-improvement).?
• Listen to podcasts that contain English language tips.?

6. Using language learning apps to revise vocabulary?

• Get creative with your own flashcards by drawing or recording audio.?

7. Playing online games?

6)?? Practice “output” skills more???

There are four main domains in language learning or four core skills that you should learn. Reading and listening that are receptive or “input” skills, and speaking and writing that are productive or “output” skills. Some students tend to focus more on “input” skills claiming this is how they learn vocabulary. But to help your new vocabulary stick, you must also practice the output skills. So, practice your writing and speaking skills as often as possible.?

A great way to mentally prepare to speak confidently is to learn writing first. And as you build your confidence with writing, you can move on to speaking. Write your language diary where you can use new vocabulary and phrases you’re learning to know how to use them in context.?

Speak regularly—you can’t learn how to speak from reading and listening. Yes, it sounds funny, but talk to yourself out loud and habituate yourself to “think” in English. Whatever you want to talk about or have talked about, you can “repeat” in your head in English. You will see what vocabulary or grammar you struggle with if you “rehearse” your speech.?

Talk with your peers and people whose English is better, with friends who also study the language, classmates, colleagues, and tutors. Interact with native speakers you know or find one through language exchange sites.?

Speaking to a native is by far the best way of learning and practicing, especially if a person can correct you whenever needed or politely point out that “you can also say this a different way.”?