Sendi's Land: Tips and Advices to Improve Your English

So, is that true that English influence our life? If yes, how? Well, my answer is simple. Yes, especially in our life for now on. In this global advance, in this technology era, everything is full of English. We can’t refuse that.

Well, as I told you in my previous article, I’m gonna make articles for the same purpose. To do my schoolwork and to open your mind about English. And this time I will share tips and advices that maybe will be useful for you to learn and improve your English. Well, actually… these advices are also mean to me. Because I’m not an expert. I also need to improve many things for myself. So don’t ever think that I have been doing all of these advices in my life. But, of course I’m trying hard to do it. Because I’m also learning. So let’s learn together.

Ok, let’s start from my first advice.

If you want to be able to speak English, first thing that you have to do is practice. Yeah, PRACTICE. You have to INSIST yourself to speak English, although only one word. Because if not, you’re not gonna be able to speak English.

You know? From my little observation, most people can’t speak English well, in fact they have learned English for five years, seven years, or even since they’re little! That prove us that the term we learn English won’t guarantee we CAN speak English. WHY? Here, let me explain it to you. There are four elements in English, reading, writing, listening, and speaking. And most people learn the reading and writing first in English. Right? They didn’t realize that the most important thing from those elements is SPEAKING. Because our MAIN purpose in learning English is to be able to speak English, right? For example, babies, they learn to talk and listen first. And after they’re expert in speaking and listening, they start to learn to read and write.

So, you have to PRACTICE it.

Next, you must start to READ English text, like story, brochure, newspaper, articles, etc. If you refuse and say, “I can’t read English. I even don’t understand those words!” That is bullshit. Hellooo wooorld??? What is the function of your DICTIONARY heh? Why don’t you just use it that lay it on your table. So, start from now on to read English text. You can start it by the light reading. Like comics, fairy tales, or even thin novels (This advice I got from my guiding teacher. He always ask us to bring our dictionary everywhere we go, to install English dictionary in our phone, and to read and read and read English everyday. And you know? He really does those advices in his life. Everyday. Amazing. Every time I saw him, he always been reading English stuff. He has many English dictionary, from thin until the thickest and biggest dictionary that I ever saw. I have to be like him. To learn and learn and learn, and never stop learning).

From reading English text, you will get many new vocabularies. And that will make you understand many words.

This one is the easiest advice. Start to WATCH movies. Of course the language must be in English. From here, you can learn how to pronounce a word, how to speak it, and how to improve your accent. For myself, I prefer the British accent. It’s a beautiful accent.

Try to SING English songs. Singing is an enjoying thing, so just keep it easy. Think that English is fun to learn. This will make you practice more in pronouncing words and to add your vocabularies. You can sing the lyrics if you didn’t memorize it.

The last but not least, ask your Mom or Dad, brother or sister, friends or teachers to speak English with you. It will built your confidence in speaking English. if you’re too afraid speaking face to face—like me, you can start it by chatting with friends in English. or you can invite foreign friends from all over the world to chat in English, it can be by facebook, twitter, e-mail, etc. I usually do that. Somehow, we actually don’t have to be afraid to speak English face to face. We’re not supposed to be scared if we talk wrong. Because English IS NOT our native language, right? If we’re not pronouncing English very well, so what? People don’t have any right to laugh at us!