Introduction

What is the difference between effective and efficient? Let's say

you had to travel from Rome to Paris; what means of transportation
would you use? You could walk, run, ride a bike, drive a car, use a
motorcycle, take a train, or fly (by plane). All of these methods of
transportation are effective, they work; you will get there. But, which
methods require the least amount of energy and accomplish the job in
the shortest period of time? These methods are the most efficient. I am
sure you would agree that traveling by plane is more efficient than
riding a bike although Lance Armstrong might not agree.
Learning English can be broken down into two areas: input and
output. Input consists of reading and listening while output consists of
writing and speaking. Clearly, in order to have good quality output, you
must have a lot of good quality input. Think of how long a child listens
before beginning to speak. As adults, we are not going to wait two
years before attempting to speak, but the more input we get, the more
output we can produce. The same applies for reading and writing. The
more you read, the better you write. I can even say that the more you
read, write and listen, the better you speak.
My advice to all serious English learners is to approach your goal
with a sense of urgency. That means you need to work effectively, but
more importantly, you need to work efficiently. Based on my years of
teaching and studying foreign languages, I have put together what I
consider to be the most effective and efficient ways to develop each
area of language.
Input
Reading
Learn at least five new vocabulary words every day. My suggestion
is to use index cards with the word on one side and the definition on
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the other. Keep the cards in a box and review them frequently by
saying the word and trying to give the definition. Keep the definitions
as short and concise as possible. Five to seven words is best. If you
learn five words a day, thats 1,825 words per year. Considering that
the average high school student probably has a vocabulary of 5,000 to
6,000 words, in a few years your vocabulary should be sufficient
enough to understand nearly everything written in English.
Listening
Listen to talk radio. The objective of listening to English is to hear
as many words as possible in as short a period as possible. The more
times you hear a word, the better you will be able to use that word.
There is no more efficient way to do this than talk radio. The
vocabulary is very diverse and there are no periods of silence because
unlike television, visuals cannot be used to keep an audiences
attention. The key is to listen as often as possible. Maximize your time
by listening to talk radio when doing other activities such as driving,
walking, cooking, eating, getting dressed. If you can, try keeping the
radio on while you go to sleep so it's the last thing you hear while
falling asleep and the first thing you hear as you wake up.
Output
Writing
Keep a journal and write at least 500 words per day. By writing every
day you will be reinforcing everything you have learned. It will also
force you to question the accuracy of what you are writing. This
process of intense concentration will help organize the vast array of
information you have in your subconscious mind. Write about whatever
you want, but be sure to challenge yourself with new vocabulary and
various grammar structures.
Speaking
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Read aloud. Reading aloud allows you to practice perfectly. Remember

that it is perfect practice that makes perfect. By reading aloud you are
speaking grammatically perfect English. If you have a typical
conversation, errors will be made. Not just for English learners, but for
native speakers as well. If errors are repeated continually, it becomes
increasingly more difficult to correct those errors. Also, you will be
using vocabulary words that you would not normally use. In a typical
one hour conversation, you might speak for 30 minutes with a number
of errors, but if you read aloud, you can speak for one hour without any
grammar mistakes using new vocabulary words.
1. Divide Your Learning Material Into Small Pieces
Which would be easier to memorize?
1. 1000 words of a story
2. Ten short stories of 100 words each
The answer is number two, as you might have been able to guess. People
learn excellently by taking in little snippets of information. We then
organize them internally into what we perceive to be sensible ways, then
establish externally what we have understood. As we incorporate
additional pieces of information the mind will link, collate and correlate
this information into what has been previously learned.
2. Combine The Natural And Methodical Learning Approaches
This is actually not a complicated task if handled efficiently, and despite
what you might think, learning a language does not need to be expensive,
although it can be if you have the means. The speediest way to learn a
language is certainly by going to the particular country that speaks that
language, but not everyone can do this. There are still many ways to
improve your learning without taking a costly trip abroad.
Children have the ability to learn a number of languages. There is a
common idea at the moment that if we can only learn to immerse
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ourselves in the same way that our children do when confronted with the
daunting task of learning a language, then we will learn more efficiently.
This is the natural method. It is how everyone learns language when they
are young. In contrast to this is the methodical learning approach, which is
how we are taught in school, in classrooms with direct instruction.
Each individual will have a different learning style that he or she prefers,
so by integrating both kinds of learning, you can put yourself at an
advantage. You can learn naturally, by purchasing a course that promises
immersion or by speaking to native individuals, and methodically by
enrolling in a traditional class.

3. Always Carry A Dictionary!

This can be a bit of a hassle, and you might need to get a hold of a slightly
larger bag than what you are used to, but it is certainly worth it. A pocket
dictionary, or even a phrasebook/dictionary combination if you really dont
have the space, can conveniently slip into a bag or a pocket.
If you are travelling, and you come across a word or a phrase you dont
know, take out your dictionary and look up the word. Linking the place to
the phrase will concrete it much more firmly into your mind. It seems like
a

simple

thing

to

do,

but

it

really

works.

You can also apply this to walking around your local area. You can pick
random items or places and look up how to say them in the language that
you are learning. This links the object or scenario you are looking at with
the word itself, and is invaluable in forcing your mind to fluently combine
the word with the item. You can also carry a notebook around to record
your freshly learned words.

4. Go To The Cinema!
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Watching foreign films is one of the easiest ways to immerse yourself into
a culture without actually travelling to that country. It might be difficult
locally for you to find films in the language that you want to learn, but
there are plenty of websites where you can purchase these quite easily,
such as the BFI website.
However, do not put the subtitles on, even if you are not able understand
anything at all yet, because you will begin to concentrate solely on the
subtitles and will not achieve anything from the experience. You will be
surprised at how quickly you will pick some words up, and if you are really
having difficulty, watching in a group can be a great way to learn as you
will all be watching and trying to deduce the language. It can make a
difficult task a little more fun.
However, subtitles can sometimes be helpful for learners who already
advanced their learning and desire to learn the precise idiomatic
meanings of some sayings. Being able to notice the discrepancies in
language is part of what is wonderful about being able to speak fluently.
This is a great tool in increasing your listening comprehension. Begin with
a small part of the film. Listen very well and then repeat the scene over
and over again until the time you comprehend every word. The next step
is to imitate exactly how the words were spoken, and voila! You have your
very own mini language course, and you didnt have to pay more than the
price of a movie for it!
5. Read Newspapers
There are various ways to acquire literature in foreign languages, and
many papers will have their own websites for you to buy from. Libraries
are also a great place to find archived material of this kind.
If you find newspapers to be a little difficult, try a magazine. If you find a
magazine to be a little difficult, try a comic book. Comic books are
excellent since they are very conversational, and aimed at a younger

audience. Still, once you feel you have mastered comic books, progress
your way up to newspapers, and always keep your dictionary on hand.
6. Write Letters
If you lack the confidence to write to an actual person, writing letters is
still a great way to practice a more relaxed tone of voice. You will need to
know new words and to think about how best to say things in the
language. As soon as you begin writing the everyday things that happen
as you would do in a diary, you will able to look back on how you are
progressing. Your writing will enhance if you stick with it, and it will be fun
to look back on how much you have progressed when you have become
fluent.
7. Think In The Language
Try to think as much as you can in the chosen second language. It sounds
like a pretty difficult task, but bear with it. This is greatly important as one
of the greatest issues when studying to speak a foreign language is the
habit to actively translate from your language to another, instead of
thinking automatically in the other language. This will ready you to
become more confident and comfortable when faced with the chance to
actually speak in the other language. If you will practice it regularly, it will
gradually become much more natural to you.
8. Flashcards
These are very effective in studying another language. A mere ten
seconds of your spare time is enough for a quick exam; pick a card and
memorize the word for a term. Return to it at intervals and see how long
you can remember it for.
There are many ways to prepare flashcards, from pictorial to just the
words in your native language that you will then have to translate. You
can buy flashcards, but the act of making them yourself is also beneficial
to learning.

Dont tell yourself that you cannot make time for this because its just so
easy to do! Keep in mind that the next moment you go online, at the
grocery store, bank, doctors office or anywhere, you can make sure of the
words that you have learned. Even if you dont have time for a class or to
learn at home, you can certainly do this.
9. Read read read!
While magazines and newspapers are constructed to be grammatically
correct, books can often focus more on speech between characters,
colloquialisms and practical knowledge about a culture. Read everything,
from websites to signs to poetry to books, and you will soon find that the
skills you are picking up in the lessons are being transferred to your
reading ability. However, you should be interested in the content. Its
much easier to focus on something that you enjoy, than something you
feel is boring.
10. Audio
If you have a language course that does not contain an audio component,
then you should acquire one. That sounds a little prescriptive, but people
respond very well to listening to a language. Listening to the language is a
critical aspect of studying if you plan to actually speak it. This is also one
of the easiest ways to become comfortable with a language; even if you
cant understand what is being spoken, you will still be picking up
pronunciation and inflection.
11. Online Radio
When you follow the mentioned tips, give yourself some time to absorb
the latest language you learned. Radio will provide you the chance to be
exposed to the latest vocabulary and new content on a regular basis. Do
not overdo it with your single audio CD, but combine your present audio
with other kinds of sources like radio. Not only will you start to pick up the
language a little easier, but you can get involved with the culture via nonverbal ways, such as discovering what music is popular at the moment.
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12. Regular Contact

This is potentially the most important rule when studying different
languages, and in a sense what most of these tips are about. You must be
able to expose yourself to the chosen language daily if you have time.
Learning for 10 minutes daily is better compared when you cram for 1
hour, once or twice a week. Frequent reviews of your learning, even for
just a few minutes at a time are some of the most helpful things you can
do for yourself.
13. Pen pals
There are many pen pal services for foreign language speakers that you
can join up to these days, as well as the immense social tool of the
internet for engaging with speakers of other languages, so you can easy
practice your writing skills AND make sure that you are comprehensible to
a native speaker. They can assist you, and in return you can help them to
learn a little of your language, if they would like. There are various free
websites and forums that are accessible for you to discover other
individuals that will be glad to help you.
14. Study with Other Individuals
Practice with other peers so you can get their feedback and interactivity.
You will not be able to get this personal interaction when reading only
books and listening to audio software. Most people find that a slight
element of competition, combined with the actual ability to speak out loud
to another person in a language, can really help your learning. You can do
this with local classes, or even using online tools such as Skype. Dating
sites that offer friends only options can also be a great way to meet other
people studying the same way you are.
15. Have Fun While Learning

This might seem like a little bit of a vague point, but thats because it
really does depend on the individual. Even if you yourself have chosen to
learn a language, forcing yourself to study alone for an hour a day, just
repeating the same phrases over and over, wont do anything to help you
appreciate the language. Putting language learning aside for a moment,
ask yourself what you find enjoyable. Is it music? Try listening to songs in
the language you are learning. Is it being active? Try going for a run with
the audio playing on your mp3 player. Do you enjoy puzzles? Look for
websites with free language games. You have to ensure that you are
enjoying the time when you are studying another language. Be sure that
you are having fun while learning!

16 Mistakes Are Good!

Dont be stressed out if you cant recall, or misspell, some of the phrases
or words that you think you have learned. Mistakes are a positive part of
learning, and are absolutely necessary in order to advance. In fact,
sometimes learning from a mistake instead of learning the word the first
time, will make that word stick a little easier in your head because you
have spent more time on it. Gradually, everything will fall into place!
17 Take your Time
Assign enough time to study another language. Set the number of hours
that you will use during the week for studying, and stick to them! If you
are still in school, or you are working in an office, you just dont the
pressure on yourself. Take the time to learn slowly and steadily, and this
new language will be something positive you can keep for the rest of your
life.