English is the native language of more than 360 million people around the world, and further 1.5 billion people use English either as a second or foreign language. That means that nearly 1 billion have or are studying English. This is a considerable amount of people around the world who want to study English for many reasons.
If you study English, this will enable you to communicate with people over the world. Whether this is for pleasure or work, we can see that English is essential wherever you live.
Studying English means, for many people, a better chance of being successful both professionally and socially. I'm not saying that you need English to be successful, but speaking English opens a lot of doors for people in some countries. With the rise in the number of people leaving their home country to immigrate for professional purposes, more and more people globally have found the need to be good at English. People who study English and who work hard to become good at English have a significantly better chance of getting a job abroad compared to those who speak English less well. Let's say, for example, that someone from India is applying for a job in Dubai. If this position has 20 applicants with the same qualifications and experience, who will the position be given to? The candidate with the best English is definitely in the favorites in this situation.
But how does studying English help people's social lives? Similarly to the example above, never have we traveled so much before. We have easy and cheap access to flights meaning we can be the other side of the world is less than 24 hours. With the rise of international tourism, many countries now rely on English to communicate with tourists. So wherever you live in the world, you're more or less guaranteed to have tourists visit your country/city. Studying English gives you the ability to meet and socialize with tourists, allowing you to discover new cultures, people, and ways of life.
There are so many ways each and one of us can study English. Some are better than others, while some approaches suit some people, and other methods don't.
Study English at a language Institute. When you join a language institute to study English, you have the professional support of teachers and a company whose mission is to help people such as yourself study English in the best way possible and to achieve each students' goals. Another advantage is the social aspect of studying English at a language institute. You get to meet people who are the same situation and yourself, and this can boost a learner's morale and confidence. It also allows you to go out with your fellow students giving you extra practice using English in a natural environment. The downside of studying English in a language institute is the cost. Depending on where you live in the world, this can be an expensive option.
Study English Online. With today's technology, there are hundreds of websites available to study English online. From free to paid, you can find good and bad. The advantage of studying English online is the flexibility it offers. Wherever you are the world, as long as you internet access, you can find many resources online to study grammar, vocabulary, expressions, listening, writing, and much more. Sometimes it can be difficult to filter all the online information. Too much information can be distracting and counterproductive to your studying. If you decide to study online, you need to be focused. Choose 2 or 3 websites you like and stick to them. Don't go off looking for something better. The time you spend searching and trying is time you have not spent studying English. If you have a budget, sometimes paying for a course will force you to focus on it and dedicate time to it. However, if you do not want to pay for a course, then there are hundreds of websites where you can learn English for free. The downside to studying English online is however, that it's challenging to practice your speaking skills. A language is meant to be spoken, and therefore online studying is not always the best way to go as the opportunities to practice speaking are limited and unnatural. If you follow the following approach to studying English, which is with friends, then online studying can be a great addition to your studying.
Study English With Friends: This is not so much studying but more the opportunity to practice speaking English. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, studying English with friends is a great way to put what you've learnt online into practice. If your friends do not speak or do not want to speak in English, then look for a local Meetup group. Meetup is a website focused on events in cities around the world. Most big cities already have Meetups set up for people who practice their English. Just got to Meetup.com, choose your city and type English. This will filter all the events happening where you live, which will be in English.Study English With Books: This might sound a little old fashioned to some of you, but sometimes you can't beat a good grammar book. Technology is excellent, but sometimes taking a pen and writing can have tremendous positive results on your studying efforts. From grammar to vocabulary, there are many great books out there which can help you improve your English. Below are some of the best selling books for studying English. Below are three great books for studying English. If you would like more recommendations, get in touch with us.
To make this "Comprehensive Guide To Studying English", we will detail below some of the best places for you to get started with studying English online. We will continue to regularly update this as and when we find new resources we think are worth sharing. If you know of a website for studying English online which deservs to be on this list, just let us know and we will add it.
Cambridge English Online: A great website full of resources. Study English through stories, with grammar sheets, and a lot more. Visit website HERE