Stop Daydreaming and Start Learning English

Thinking about learning a language and actually learning a language are not the same thing. Seems obvious, right? But consider this…

I know many people who dream about speaking English well. They can easily imagine the life they would have if they spoke fluent English: a great job, friends around the world, confidence in other countries. However, if those people never put in the work and actually work on their English, they will never progress. They dream about English, but don’t study English. It really doesn’t make much sense, when you think about it. It’s like someone who plans a trip to Italy but never actually goes. It’s fruitless and a waste of time.

Daydreaming about being a good English speaker is not the same as working on your English. What does that mean? It means that when you sit and think about how you wish you spoke English well, you’re not actually doing anything concrete to achieve that goal. I love daydreaming as much as the next person, but if I never actually work on my dreams, they won’t become a reality.

When was the last time you read a book in English? When was the last time you practiced your English with a native speaker? When was the last time that you conjugated verbs that you’re not comfortable with? If it’s been a while, then it’s time to get started.

Here are 10 quick ways that you can get to work on your English right now:

1) Make vocabulary flashcards and study them.

2) Sign up for an English course.

3) Write a fictional story in English.

4) Choose a classic English novel and read it. Here are a few of my favorites: Catcher in the Rye, Pride and Prejudice, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

5) Watch videos about meanings of English idioms.

6) Watch videos on the meanings of phrasal verbs.

7) Join a social site, devoted to learning English, such as My English Club.

8) Change the settings on your computer to English, so you’re forced to use English to do anything on your computer.

9) Make videos of yourself speaking English, and then link me (youtube.com/eslbasics) so that I can comment on your pronunciation.

10) Work on your pronunciation with tongue twisters.

BONUS: Read a book about learning English. I am bias, but the book 21 Ways to Jumpstart Your English Skills is a great book for taking your English seriously.

Daydreaming is sometimes necessary to build up desire to learn, but daydreaming is not enough. You have to put in the work if you want to grow your English skills.

Comment below with what you’re doing to grow your English.