How about doing something productive at home? If you are in Ireland to improve your English, go beyond your daily English classes and take your self-improvement to a new level!
Have a look at what we have prepared for you and start today!
- LISTEN TO PODCASTS
There are a lot of language learning podcasts that will not only help you improve your listening skills but your vocabulary as well. A great thing about them is that you get to listen to native speakers chat with one another. Also, you will definitely hear some useful slang and everyday expressions that you can use in your daily life!
Check out my favourite podcasts:
– BBC 6 minutes grammar
Literally, you will learn a new key area of English grammar in six minutes. I love it! Especially to practise my listening, discover new words and improve my grammar!
Every day an American person and a Brazilian girl talk about a different topic to help improve your English in a fun and effective way.
Improving your English and staying up to date with the news around the world is a great idea!
– Think Fast, Talk Smart: Communication Techniques
Whether you are making a toast or a presentation, communication is critical to success in business and in life.
- KEEP A JOURNAL
Writing down your thoughts regularly is very healthy. But writing them down during the quarantine is the best thing you can do for your well-being!
Why wouldn’t you start keeping a journal in English? You will know how to put your new knowledge into practice!
To help you start your first text, I will suggest some ideas:
Write about your day: what did you have for breakfast, what did you learn in your English class, what was the best thing that happened in your day, etc.
Write about your experience of living in Ireland: when did you start your journey here, how were your first days in the Island, why do you believe living in a foreign country is important for your development, etc.
Write about your family: how much do you love them, say something about your brothers and sisters, describe your mother and father, or even write a letter in English and send it to them! I guarantee this practice will really help you to improve your writing skills.
- PLAY LEARNING GAMES
Why not learn while you are having fun?
Playing games has proven to be a very useful language resource! It is so effective because you learn and have fun at the same time. Perfect combination, isn’t it?
Find some games you can start playing with a partner or alone, whatever you choose:
Pictionary: a super simple game that only requires a pen and paper! You are provided with the game board, a timer, two dice and cards with words on them. The aim of Pictionary is to guess what is on the card by identifying what the player is drawing. Once you guess correctly, you can advance across the game board and the first to reach the end wins!
-> Learn how to play Pictionary by watching this video:
Scrabble: a word game in which two to four players score points by placing tiles, each bearing a single letter, onto a game board divided into a 15×15 grid of squares. The tiles must form words that, in crossword fashion, read left to right in rows or downward in columns, and be included in a standard dictionary or lexicon.
-> Learn how to play Scrabble by watching this video
Bananagrams: addictively simple, and simply addictive, BANANAGRAMS is the fast and frantic word game enjoyed by millions! Players and their opponents aim to use all of their letters to build a word grid in a race to the finish. The first player to use all of their tiles is crowned “Top Banana”!
-> Learn how to play Bananagrams by watching this video
Quiz your English – App: a fun way to practise and improve your English. Go head-to-head with other players from around the world, challenge your friends through social media, and test your English language skills! It is a free game which you can download on Android and iOS.
- WATCH VIDEOS IN ENGLISH WITH SUBTITLES IN ENGLISH
Understanding the language as it’s spoken is a very important aspect! The more you listen to videos in English and put the subtitles in English as well, the more you will improve your language skills!
Start watching TV series, films or videos on YouTube in English always with subtitles in English and give yourself a boost!
I hope these tips can be useful for you and, of course, they can really help you improve your English! If you have a different way to develop your studies, leave a comment below!
