Ways to learn EnglishWe learn a foreign language through regular exposure to and production of that language. The language teacher can provide his student with an accurate model of the target language, and act as the recipient or interlocutor of the language they produce.
Most students who learn from an English teacher, do so through one or two hours of lessons a week. Some students worry that this is not enough time to acquire the language effectively and make real improvement in their English ability.
It is of course true that the more regular and consistent the production of and exposure to the target language is, the more quickly and effectively the learner will acquire the language.
Unfortunately for most learners of English, and this certainly applies to those living in Japan, time is a highly valuable and incredibly scarce commodity.
One can highlight the ideal situation of constant exposure to and production of the target language (such opportunities are provided to those living and working within a native-speaker environment), but to do so does not acknowledge the pragmatic constraints of time, money and lifestyle which apply to the vast majority of English language learners.
The best advice a teacher can give to a student whose goal is to acquire a foreign language, without actually living in the immersive environment of the target language, is to increase their exposure to and production of that language as far as possible within the constraints imposed by their own living conditions.
What follows are some ways to increase exposure to (listening and reading) and production of (speaking and writing) the language.
Certainly, for any student, an hour or two a week of English study with a qualified teacher is an invaluable chance to increase acquisition of the target language. It is my hope that such students can further bolster the chance for acquisition using the following resources.
Reading
| This website is an online encyclopedia. It is similar to the main Wikipedia site, but uses simpler English to help English language learners. |
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| These are books designed for learners of English, and include a wide variety of stories, both fictional and factual; classical and modern. |
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| This is a good publication to practise reading about Japanese news in English. |
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| This is another good website for reading about Japanese news in English. The language level is a little easier than the Japan Times. |
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Writing
| By far the best free language writing exchange on the internet. Write a diary in English and have it corrected by native speakers in exchange for correcting the entries of those users attempting to learn your first language |
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Listening
| BBC news is a good source for practising listening skills, however it may be more suitable for higher level English learners. |
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| There are many, many English language podcasts available now, and a particularly good selection designed for learners of English, including my own! |
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Speaking
| Another alternative is real life interactions with native speakers! With enough courage and determination, it is possible to engage in conversation with native speakers in Japan outside the English classroom. For adult learners, a good source of native speakers is British or American pubs where native speakers tend to congregate. One well known chain of English pubs in Japan is The Hub. |
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Vocabulary
| The website uses unique technology and methods to help you acquire and retain English vocabulary, idioms, and phrases. |
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