Your Mini Guide to Becoming an Ace ESL Learner

Learning a new language is a tough job. In the beginning, it might seem like knowing a language means knowing just how to write, read and speak the language, however, it is just the tip of the iceberg. To truly master a language, it is essential to understand the heart of the language and the people who speak it, their culture, history, society as well as politics.

Think about how your language is influenced by a plethora of factors. Think about how the geography, politics, and culture of where you come from influence and shape your mother tongue.

Do you think it will be possible for someone who is not a native speaker to learn it without understanding all the components that shape your language? The answer is NO. This is exactly why ESL Learners have a lot to work on. At times this might feel overwhelming, however, this is why it is fun and adventurous as well!

Who is an ESL Learner?

English has emerged as THE global language with the dawn of the 21st Century. People from all around the world, from different countries, cultures and backgrounds must learn English because of the official and global importance that it has gained as a medium of communication. This is why most of the people who learn English are ESL Learners, I.e., they learn it as a second language.

4 COMMON MISTAKES YOU MAKE AS AN ESL LEARNER AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

1. Too much focus on the theory

ESL Learners might concentrate their focus on the theoretical and grammatical parts of English a little too much. That ends up making your writing and speaking sound robotic, uptight and dry. It also makes language learning harder as one tries to learn the language as a set of rules and information instead of treating it as a medium to express and communicate.

So, the next time you try to learn English or a foreign language, try to use the age-old method of imitation. Every child learns their mother tongue through the process of imitating the people around them. Therefore, listening to how a native speaker talks, reading literature, listening to music and just spending some time every day putting practical use to the language is essential.

2. Writing long and complicated sentences

ESL Learners tend to form very long sentences with unnecessarily complicated words. This happens primarily because of three reasons. Firstly, not being able to understand how to choose words according to different contexts. Secondly, thinking that using tough words betters the quality of language and thirdly, a lack of vocabulary.

Thus, trying to learn more words and improving your vocabulary is a must. Then, try reading and listening to native speakers and shorten the length of your sentences to make it easier for the readers. Long sentences are hard to understand and confusing. Understand that the quality of language does not depend on bombastic words but rather on how effectively and easily you are able to communicate with others.

3. Frequent grammatical errors

Grammatical errors are a common and obvious problem in language learning. This is normal and can be solved very easily.

Try paying attention to what type of grammatical errors you are making and keep track. Focus more on the areas that you find problematic and try resolving them. There are a few areas of English grammar that ESL Learners often struggle with, such as tenses, prepositions, gerunds and infinitives. So, try to improve in these areas if you are struggling.

4. Practice, Practice, Practice

Learning a foreign language is not a theoretical discourse. It is necessary to practice a language as much as possible throughout the day. It is almost impossible to learn a language by studying it as a school subject.

Therefore, practice, practice and practice a little more and you will become an ace ESL Learner before you even realize it. Do not think that you are struggling alone and never feel ashamed to ask for help. You’ve got this. ALL THE BEST!