Learning a new language apart from your native tongue can be overwhelming at first, but there are definitely many ways you can benefit from it.
For instance, picking up a new language can help improve brain activity, boost memory, enhance decision making, explore new worlds and cultures, and ultimately, land new career opportunities if that is your goal.
If English isn’t your native language and you have started your English language learning journey, there are even more ways you can improve your lifestyle.
Benefits of Learning the English Language
English is the second most widely spoken language in the world after Mandarin, and there are presently over 400 million speakers worldwide. That’s a lot of people you can communicate and build relationships with!
If Mandarin is your native tongue, then English is the perfect choice for a second language.
Additionally, English is also the language of science, computers, aviation, diplomacy, and tourism. Being able to speak English will allow you to travel the world and communicate with ease.
If that isn’t enough, speaking English will open up a world of opportunities when it comes to your professional career because it is currently the official language of 53 countries! This is perfect if you are dreaming to move to another country and live the life you want.
English Language Learning Methods
Like learning a new skill, there are many steps you can take to learn English.
People commonly turn to books and audio CDs and start learning the language on their own. While this might work well for some people who are comfortable with self-studying, this might also be unproductive for others who learn more with an actual mentor present so they often opt for an English language class instead.
English language classes are some of the most effective methods to fluency. Each session will have a mentor or teacher, textbooks to work on, and peers you can practice with. However, it can sometimes be costly, and not widely available in some developing countries.
Apart from those mentioned, there are tons of ways you can learn and improve your English language skills. We have compiled 101 Ways you can do to learn English, so feel free to browse our tips and ideas and be on your way to be the next Shakespear!
Make use of the sorting feature of the master list we have provided below according to your preference by clicking on the mini up and down arrows beside each criteria. You can also click on an idea to read more about it.
What is your favorite method to use in learning English? Let us know in the comments below!
| Image | Brief Idea | Summary | Cost (Lower is Better) | Difficulty (Lower is Better) | Popularity (Lower is Unique) | Effectiveness (Higher is Better) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Believe in Yourself | Increase your own personal confidence in all areas of life so that you don't get discouraged when you have difficulties learning English. | 2 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
 | Use English in Daily Life | Use english in your daily life as much as possible. | 1.6 | 2.7 | 4.2 | 4.9 |
 | Less Native Language | Use your native language less. | 1.8 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 4.4 |
 | English is Weird | Accept that English is a weird language, and the rules just don't make sense. | 1.4 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
 | Learn Idioms | Learn English idioms: they can be difficult to memorize, but they are great fun to use, they’ll make your own English more colourful, and you will understand them when others use them. | 1.7 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 4.4 |
 | Make Mistakes | Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, as people can only correct your mistakes when they hear you make them. | 1.5 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 4.7 |
 | Free Sites | Practice English online for free using sites such as UsaLearns.org or Edx.org. | 1.5 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
 | Listen to the Radio | If it's broadcast in your area (or online), look for good English radio stations to play in the background throughout your day. | 1.5 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 4.3 |
 | Relaxation | Keep calm, don't worry about anything, and before you start your learning strategy, just fully relax so your mind can learn new English. | 1.2 | 1.9 | 3.7 | 4.2 |
 | Newspapers | Find an English newspaper and look for at least one new word each day in the news. | 1.8 | 1.9 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
 | Get Help | If you don’t understand something, you should have a willing partner that you can turn tun for help such as a teacher, classmate, friend, or family member. | 1.7 | 2 | 4.2 | 4.4 |
 | Be Grateful | Be grateful for the English you already know, since there are many people who will never learn as much as you already have! | 1.4 | 1.7 | 3 | 3.2 |
 | Root Words | Learn Root Words which are essential building blocks of many other words. Also this is a part of building better readers and speakers. | 1.3 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 4.5 |
 | Graded Readers | Get some special "graded readers" books that are fitting for your current level. | 2.7 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 4 |
 | Keep a Journal | Keep an English diary or journal by writing a few sentences each day or by tracking new words or phrases your learn over time. | 2 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 4.7 |
 | Brainstorm | Brainstorm as many new ideas and thoughts as you can, and if you find some we don't have listed here let us know! | 1.4 | 2.3 | 3 | 3.6 |
 | Punctuation | Keep an eye on your punctuation as it can totally change what you’re trying to say. | 1.6 | 2.6 | 4 | 4.5 |
 | Sing English Songs | Learn English songs and sing along with them to improve fluency and intonation. | 1.4 | 1.7 | 4.1 | 4.6 |
 | Record Yourself | Record your voice and listen to your pronunciation and intonation compared to a native English speaker. | 2 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 4.5 |
 | Dictionary | Always keep an English dictionary handy and use it often, as it will help you to keep thinking in English and not translating. | 2.3 | 2 | 4 | 4.6 |
 | Guess Meanings | Your dictionary should be an aid, not your main teacher: Try to guess the meaning of words rather than going straight for your dictionary. | 1.8 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 3.6 |
 | Cue Cards | Carry cue cards with you throughout the day. Cue cards are small cards which you can write new words, phrases or sentences on for easy reference. | 2.2 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 4.2 |
 | Post-it Notes | Use post-it notes around your home, and use them to label things in English for practice. | 2 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 4.5 |
 | Debate | Join a debate group to help improve the fluency of your English to a higher level. | 2.1 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 4.1 |
 | Socialize with English Speakers | Make the effort to frequently include English speaking friends and acquantances in social activites (even if they are not native English speakers). | 2.4 | 2.6 | 3.7 | 4.5 |
 | Learn Grammer Later | Don’t panic about your grammar too much early on, instead focus on basic English words, pronunciation and phrases as perfect grammar can wait. | 1.3 | 1.8 | 3.3 | 3.9 |
 | Tongue Twisters | English toungue twisters are hard even for native English speakers so you can impress your native English friends by mastering a few of these fun phrases. | 1.5 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 3.6 |
 | Story Telling | Roughly translate a story from your own language or culture into English and read it to your friends or family. | 1.9 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 4.2 |
 | English Youtube | Subscribe to interesting Youtube channels that have creators with good pronunciation that speak clearly on camera. | 2.1 | 1.6 | 4.1 | 4.4 |
 | Travel Abroad | Go abroad and visit a country with mostly English language natives such as the USA and UK. | 4.8 | 4 | 3.6 | 4.3 |
 | Ask Questions | Memorize common questions you might have in English, and put yourself in situations where you'll need to ask those questions frequently. | 1.4 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 4 |
 | Full Sentences | Study the differences between full sentences and partial sentences (also called fragments). | 1.5 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 3.9 |
 | English Movies | Watch English movies with lots of great dialogue. | 2.6 | 1.4 | 4.3 | 4.8 |
 | English TV Series | Watch English TV series. | 2 | 1.6 | 4.1 | 4.8 |
 | Context | When you come to a word you don't understand, take a moment to observe the contextual usage the word or phrase before looking it up in a dictionary. | 1.3 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 4.1 |
 | 24 Hour English Challenge | Challenge yourself to only speak English for a whole 24 hours. | 1.7 | 3 | 3.3 | 4.7 |
 | Paid Online Classes | Enroll in a paid online class such as classes from uDemy.com and iTalki.com. | 3.7 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 4.2 |
 | Study Plan | Identify why you want to learn English and Find or make your own custom study that lays out your long term strategy for perfecting your English. | 1.7 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 4 |
 | Formal Tests | Read through the TOEFL or IELTS descriptions and reviews to see what kind of questions are included in those tests, and take one (or several) to guage your own progress and skill. | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 4.3 |
 | Chat Online | Register with forums or other online communities and meet chat mates that will practice English with you. | 2.2 | 1.9 | 3.6 | 4.2 |
 | Stuttering | Complete your idea before speaking, so when you start speaking, you can avoid stuttering and losing your train of thought. | 1.4 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 4.5 |
 | Grammatical Rules | Grab a notebook and fill it with grammatical rules you want to remember, such as the Subject-Verb Agreements. | 1.5 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 4.1 |
 | Intonations | Study the accents and intonations of the English variation you want to master (American, British, Canadian, Australian). | 2.1 | 3 | 3.3 | 4.1 |
 | Write Poems | Write an English poem and challenge yourself to make it rhyme. | 1.3 | 3 | 2.8 | 4.3 |
 | Phonetics | Study and use phonetics for early recognition of alphabet: that leads to reading. | 1.6 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 4.4 |
 | Write Essay | Think of an interesting topic and try to write an English essay about it. | 1.4 | 2.8 | 3 | 4.3 |
 | Create Study Group | Create a study group in your circle of classmates, friends, and family who also want to learn English. | 1.9 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 4.1 |
 | Flashcards | Make your own set of flashcards and run regular flashcard drills to improve your vocabulary. | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 3.7 |
 | Accept Corrections | Accept corrections and criticisms from people (especially natives) with regard to your English language usage and don't take it personally. | 1.3 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4.4 |
 | Schedule Time | Set aside time each day to implement the ideas you decide upon, so that you don't feel rushed. | 1.3 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 4 |
 | Exchange Student | Apply in an Student Exchange Program with an English speaking country. | 4.6 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
 | Translating | Do some English translations from your native language, such as taking an article in your native language and translating it to English. | 1.7 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 4.4 |
 | Word Games | Play English word games such as Hangman, Crossword, Bookworm, or Scrabble. | 1.9 | 1.6 | 3.7 | 4.3 |
 | Rewriting Lyrics | Listening to a non-English song and rewriting the lyrics into English. | 1.6 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 3.6 |
 | Music Videos | Watching music videos with english subtitles. | 1.7 | 1.9 | 3.6 | 3.5 |
 | English Cartoons | Watching cartoons that have subtitles. | 1.8 | 2 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
 | Public Speaking Club | Joining speaking clubs like Toasmaster’s to improve your courage in front of crowds. | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3 | 4.3 |
 | Language Settings | Change all language settings on devices and websites to English. | 1.4 | 1.8 | 3.9 | 4.4 |
 | International School | Enroll in an international school where most of the curriculum is in English. | 4.7 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 4.8 |
 | Book Course | Get some special textbooks courses that are fitting for your skill level. | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 4.3 |
 | Paid English Tutor | Find a paid private English teacher to help you. | 4.2 | 2.7 | 4 | 4.7 |
 | English Camp | Attend an English Camp for new learnings. | 3.2 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 4.4 |
 | English Interface | Make sure all computer and device interfaces are in English. | 1.4 | 1.9 | 3.7 | 4.1 |
 | Read Magazine | Read good English magazines. | 2.4 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 4.3 |
 | Read Novels | Read English popular or exciting fictional novels. | 2.3 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 4.5 |
 | Children's Story Books | Read story books intended for very young audiences – the benefits are virtually endless. | 2 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 4.1 |
 | Watch Gameshows | Watch English TV game shows, as the excitement can help retention. | 1.7 | 2.1 | 3.9 | 4 |
 | Podcasts | Listen to English podcasts on topics that interest you. | 2.1 | 2 | 2.9 | 4.4 |
 | Slow Audio | It can be helpful to slow down an audio or video clip so that you have more time to understand the words. | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.7 | 4 |
 | Read Comic Books | Select some popular English comic books to help learn simple words and phrases in context. | 2.2 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 4 |
 | Conversation | Simulate a full conversation and repeat that same conversation several times over the course of many days or weeks to get a better feel of English conversational flow. person/persons you are talking to. | 1.4 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 4 |
 | Think in English | Practice thinking in English (instead of your first language) until it becomes normal. | 1.4 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
 | Formal Setting | Observe conversations held in a formal setting vs an informal setting, as there is a definite difference in speaking English in an office meeting and just shooting the breeze with your pals in a coffee shop. | 1.6 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 4 |
 | Imitate | Listen to others you want to mimic, and imitate their pronunciation again and again. | 1.5 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 4.2 |
 | Language Exams | Take language exams once in a while – I try to take online exams and some courses in English not only for my resume but to sharpen my skills. | 2.4 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 4.4 |
 | Grammer Checker | You’ll know that you are getting good at English when MS Word or Grammarly accepts your writings as being error-free. | 1.8 | 1.9 | 3.7 | 4 |
 | Teach Family | Teach your family english, and ask them to teach you English in return! | 1.4 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 3.7 |
 | Watch TV News | Reading and watching news Watch International, English speaking news shows a little bit, but not too much becaus you'll become afraid of the whole world. | 1.5 | 2 | 2.7 | 3.5 |
 | Read Articles | Do a search on Google or Facebook for your favorite topics, and read some good articles in English. | 1.6 | 1.8 | 4 | 4.7 |
 | Penalty Jar | Start a penalty jar, where you need to drop a coin whenever you say a word that is not in English. | 2.6 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 4.3 |
 | Role Model | Pick one person you want to emulate who will be your Role Model and learn English from them. | 1.5 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 4 |
 | Custom Word Lists | Build custom word lists of words that you yourself want to learn. | 1.3 | 2.3 | 3 | 4 |
 | Children | Find children and spend lots of time talking to children in English as they won't critizise you harshly. | 1.7 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 3.6 |
 | Specialty School | Go to a specialty school to learn English intensively for a year. | 4.1 | 3 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
 | Picture Books | Use picture books written in English. | 2.2 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 4.1 |
 | Gradeschool | Go to a good gradeschool with Good English teachers. | 3.1 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 4.3 |
 | Reading Sessions | Have a group reading session, maybe with an English teacher or English Native, or just with your friends. | 2.1 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 4.4 |
 | Write Short Story | Write a short story in English about a random topic. | 1.5 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 4.3 |
 | Book Report | Write a book report in English. | 1.7 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 4.2 |
 | Work Policy | Enforce an English-only speaking policy in your work or study area. | 1.5 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 4.5 |
 | Seminars and Workshops | Join seminars or workshops that are in English. | 2.8 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 4.2 |
 | Get Job | Get a job where you are forced to speak in English daily, and work on your accent. | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.5 |
 | Pencil Note | When you are reading a hard copy book and you come to concepts you'd like to investigate more deeply later on, take brief pencil notes in the margins, then continue reading. | 1.5 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 4.2 |
 | Share Questions | When you are reading something online and you come to something you don't understand, copy the entire text of the article into a Google doc and add comments with your questions so it it super easy to share your questions with someone else online to get answers and a better understanding. | 1.4 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 3.9 |
 | Implement Ideas | Use this list to sort through all the other ideas and find 5 or 10 of your favorite ideas, then pick 2 or 3 ideas you are going to implement immediately. | 1.6 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 3.5 |
 | Marry | Marry an English speaking person. | 2.8 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 4.5 |
 | Teach | Teach someone else the English you already know. | 1.6 | 1.8 | 3.3 | 4.2 |
 | Mixing | Try to avoid mixing languages or being lazy with English structure. | 1.5 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 4 |
 | Positive Associations | Build positive associations with English by having lots of fun, especially for the first several times you engage in English activities. | 1.6 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 4 |
 | Consistency | Be consistent over time - never skip a day. | 1.4 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 4.7 |
 | Positive Friends | Surround yourself with supportive people, who tell you that you can learn the language. Negative people will only make you too scared to speak or learn. | 1.5 | 2.3 | 3.5 | 4.6 |
 | Documentaries | Watch informational English documentaries on subjects you love, with or without subtitles. | 1.8 | 2 | 3.7 | 4.4 |
 | Jargon | Learn English terms or jargon for any hobbies or past times you have. | 1.5 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 4.4 |
 | Thesaurus | Buy an English thesaurus and use it often. | 2.4 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 4 |
 | Vision | Build a strong vision in your mind of how much better your life will be once you can master the English language. Make it your Mission. | 1.4 | 2 | 3.3 | 4.3 |
 | Multilingual Pride | Take pride in being able to speak more than one language well. | 1.4 | 2 | 3.6 | 4.2 |