Learning English is for a lot of people a life changing experience as it can help them find better jobs. Learning English can be expensive though for those who need it the most. So here are a few websites you can checkout to learn English for free.
- YouTube
- Listen to Podcasts
- Join Facebook groups
- Join forums
With modern technology and access to the internet, they are so many ways to improve your English for free. In this article, I’m going to list some of the ways which I believe are best to improve your English for free.
Many or all of the methods I’m going to suggest below have 1 problem in common. Despite the methods below being awesome to improve specific skills, they do really provide you with the opportunity to have your spoken English corrected. Speaking a language is an active skill which needs to be practiced and practiced over and over again. You can read as many books, listen to as many songs as possible or watch or watch all the films in the world, but if you don’t actually practice your speaking you will most probably not become fluent in English.
In my opinion, there are 2 ways to really improve your English speaking skills. 1) study at an English institute, 2) Go to an English speaking country for a while. But both of those options can be quite expensive so I have made a list of things below to help you improve your English for free.
1. YouTube
YouTube is awesome for videos and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of videos out there which offer free grammar, vocabulary, and listening lessons. I’m sure you know that already. But I think there’s a better way in addition to watching about learning English. Follow channels about stuff you like. For example, if you’re into photography, follow photography channels in English and improve your photography while listening to English. If you love cooking, watch cooking channels and do the same.
2. Listen to Podcasts
This is one of my favourites. Too many people trying to improve their English forgot how important it is to just focus on the listening part of the language and podcasts are awesome for that. Similar to following YouTube channels you enjoy, you can find podcasts about any topic. Find something you enjoy whether it’s politics, cooking, journalism, or fantasy stories and listen as often as possible. Try to listen for at least 5 minutes every day; while driving, cooking, cleaning or whatever you’re doing.
Here are some great Podcasts apps
For iPhone:
For Android:
Pocket Casts (My favourite)
3. Join Facebook Groups
Again, think of something you enjoy talking and learning about and find a group about it on Facebook. This is great as you to exchange ideas with other people from around the world. Now it does have a few downsides when it comes to learning. A lot of people are not careful with their spelling and grammar when using social media so try not to learn that way. Use Facebook groups more as a means to communicate ideas with other people.
4. Join Forums
This is very similar to joining Facebook groups. By joining online forums you get to communicate with people. Ask questions, reply to questions, participate, look at how people use the English language. Find a forum about a topic you enjoy and be active in the discussions. The more you exchange ideas with people the more you will see the different ways of using the English language and the better your English will get.
So there we go! Above are 4 ways which I think are great to improve your English for free. However, as I mentioned above, remember that learning a language is something which is different for everyone as we do not all learn in the same way but one thing is sure when learning a language, it is an active process which involves you using all four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) constantly. If you don’t practice all four skills on a regular basis, your learning process with be slow.
Speak English Institute has new online community where you can chat and ask questions about the English language. Check it out here. It's 100% free so go ahead, sign-up today.