Three learning mistakes you should stop doing now

Everyone wants to improve their English, yet many students tell me that they are too scared or too discouraged from their previous study experiences to try again.

Scared. Stuck. Worried. Confused.

So many students use these words to describe themselves when it comes to #english learning.

Chances are, you are making one or more of the following mistakes:

1. Stressing too much about GRAMMAR

2. Not being ORGANISED

3. Avoiding making MISTAKES

Stressing too much about grammar

You might think it's for your IELTS exam, your university entry test, a job interview or simply to improve your communication skills, but the truth is you'll never improve your grammar level if you don't start speaking.

Grammar rules are certainly important, but how will you learn them if you don't use them?

Start practising as much as you can and use the feedback you receive as you speak to correct your grammar mistakes.

Not being organised

You think watching English movies, reading a good book or maybe scrolling through your social media and YouTube videos is enough to learn English? Think again.

Learning is a journey that - as many other journeys - needs to be organised: you buy the tickets, book a hotel, check your luggage, make sure you have all your documents, phone, camera, etc. You are ready to go.

Except if you don't organise your learning journey you are not ready. Not. At. All.

Indeed, to learn all fours skills (listening, speaking, writing and reading) it takes a fine balance of activities, corrections and mistakes that only an organised learning plan can guarantee you.

So, how can you plan your English learning journey?

First of all, set a regular study time. Based on your availability BE REALISTIC and set a weekly or monthly study time that you can allocate to learning English.

Secondly, be consistent. It's easy to get lost and lack motivation without seeing results ad these can only be achieved through persistency and consistency.

Thirdly, scrolling through your social media isn't enough, you need a well-rounded study kit: a notebook (digital or paper), a variety of resources (reading, writing, listening and speaking), activities and exercise to put into practice and test your knowledge and a pinch of patience. It takes time, I know. But if your goals are clear, realistic and organised you'll reach them.

Avoiding making mistakes

In other words, you prefer to listen, read and watch to actively use English. Why? Because you are worried people will judge you, make fun of you, think you aren't good enough, or simply won't understand you.

So, what?

Were you worried when, as a child, you were trying to get you parents' attention using your first words? Were you scared of trying? I bet you can hardly remember how it felt, but you tried anyways and today you almost certainly consider yourself a certain-language native speaker. Right? Right.

If you don't make mistake your teacher won't know how to help you, hence you'll never know what you were doing wrong and you'll never improve.

Make mistakes, it's good for you to learn where you need to focus your attention and for whoever is helping you to get to know you better and help you improve your English skills.

Hope this helps!

Sarah Catherine

#thelanguagebee