English is currently considered a lingua franca, a common language used to communicate between people who don’t share the same native tongue. Many popular websites and social media platforms are mainly in English, many popular television programs and films are in English, and while it’s not always possible to learn every language you’d need to know to travel around the world, you can typically find at least a few English speakers to help you out on your journey.
While many countries nowadays have English as a subject you can begin studying as a child, it wasn’t always this way. People who move to an English-speaking country as an adult or who just want to learn it to assist in their travels may have not had the luxury of learning English as a child. They can still learn, though! English lessons for adults are available in many forms. Studying English, or any language, as an adult isn’t impossible and can, in fact, be a fun learning experience.
Study English Online
Depending on where you are in the world, you may have a variety of options available to you when it comes to studying English. Universities may offer classes or there may be private language schools available for people of all ages. You can find native English speakers living in many non-English-speaking countries, especially in cities, and many of these speakers work as English tutors or as teachers in language academies. If you are self-disciplined enough for self-study, you can even purchase textbooks and workbooks to study English on your own.
What if these options don’t work for you? Maybe you live in a remote area that doesn’t have a language school or university nearby. Perhaps you have access to a tutor or class but don’t have the funds necessary to pay a private tutor or attend a class. Buying a few books and studying by yourself is usually more cost effective but this method can be difficult for some people, as you are studying entirely on your own and don’t get the chance to practice speaking English with anyone else. Perhaps you just don’t have time in your busy schedule to attend a regular class but you still want to get some practice.
Studying online is always a good option if you are worried about the cost of traditional lessons or are having problems with scheduling or access to a class. There are many options out there, one of them being italki. italki was started with the idea that anyone, anywhere, should be able to have access to learning a foreign language in a way that will actually help them to achieve fluency. They do this by connecting people to teachers and native speakers who can have actual conversations with them in their target language. Thousands of teachers are available, so you’re sure to find somebody who you enjoy speaking with and who teaches in a way that works for you.
Study More Effectively
italki is one of the fastest ways to learn English and they can back this statement up with a study performed by a professional research team. While you would need to study on Rosetta Stone for 55 hours or use an app like Duolingo for 35 hours to meet the requirements of one semester-long language course at a university, you can (on average) achieve the same amount of learning in only 19 hours on italki. This doesn’t just mean that you’re blowing through content without learning anything, though. Over three-quarter of students in the study improved their proficiency in both writing and speaking. Half were even able to move up at least one semester course level.
Why is being able to move up a level or two important? If you are someone who wants to attend an English-speaking university, increasing your proficiency even by one level could mean the difference between having to take remedial English courses and moving right into the courses you need for your degree. Moving up a level could also mean you are able to perform better on English proficiency tests. Even if you intend to take English classes at a university, using a site like italki can save you money by allowing you to start with more advanced classes and avoid paying university rate for introductory classes.
Read the reviews and you’ll see that italki isn’t just effective but that it is easy to use and the lessons are both fun and interesting. If you’ve studied English (or any other language) before and were bored by uninteresting grammar lessons or got left behind by a class that moved too quickly, italki may be a better option for you.
Learn Your Own Way
The way italki works is simple. If you want to learn English, you select English from the extensive list of languages available. You can then look at teacher profiles and find the right person for you. Each teacher on italki has a detailed profile that includes information about their teaching style, who they are as a person, as well as what levels they teach and whether they offer specialized language learning such as Business English or Medical English. Each profile also lets you know if the person is a native speaker or non-native speaker and what level of fluency they have in English, as well as a badge that tells you if they are a Professional Teacher or Community Tutor.
Pricing and scheduling availability for each teacher is also available on their profile so there will be no surprises once you select a teacher and begin setting up your first lesson. If you are worried about not being able to find a teacher within your budget, don’t be! There is a wide range of hourly rates and anyone should be able to find one that works for them. Not sure you want to commit to a full lesson yet? Many teachers even offer 30-minute trial lessons so that you can test them out and see if you are both a good fit for one another.
The great thing about having so many different teachers available is that you can find one to suit your personal needs and your learning style. Are you an advanced English learner who just wants conversation practice? You can find a teacher who will be more than happy to converse with you about any topic you like. Do you work better when you have homework assignments and grammar worksheets to focus on after a lesson? Many teachers have PDF files they can give you so you can continue your studying once the lesson is over. You can also take quizzes from your teacher, get flashcards, or go over articles and short stories with them. The type of lesson material each teacher offers is on their profile, making it easy to find the type of course content you need.
If you are looking for a formal course, you can find a teacher who has a specific program with a lesson plan set up in Introductory English, Business English, Medical English, English for Traveling, etc. You can also find informal classes where you help lead the class and you let the teacher know what exactly it is you want to focus on. The whole point of learning on italki is that you get to choose what areas of English language learning you want to study. If you are already conversational in English but need help with grammar and writing, you don’t have to sit through a bunch of lessons on vocabulary and pronunciation before you get to what you need, you can take lessons solely on writing in English. If you have a firm foundation in grammar but want to develop your speaking skills, you can find a conversation partner to speak with you in a natural, fluid way. Learning your own way, at your own pace, with a teacher who you can really get along with is what italki is all about.
Many people have a problem becoming fluent in English and it isn’t because they are too old to learn it or are just not good at it. It’s because they haven’t found a class or a teacher that works for them on an individual level. Everyone learns differently and everyone has different needs when it comes to language learning. Someone who spends a lot of time on the internet interacting in written English doesn’t need a grammar-intensive course, they need oral conversation practice. A person who vacations in English-speaking countries frequently and is used to speaking with people may just need a little extra help with formal writing. A nurse working with English-speaking expats is going to want to know medical-specific vocabulary so they can interact with their patients. English lessons for adults need to be as varied as the adults themselves. By using a site like italki, you are guaranteeing that you’ll learn what you need when you need to and that you’ll even have some fun along the way.