Do you think that the best way to study English is to use textbooks? Can you only become a good speaker by attending a class? The answer to both questions is, "Nope".
You can use a method I (and probably other people too) call 'Overheard'. This method helps you to discover vocabulary that you didn't know, but that is very useful. If native speakers use the vocabulary, then it must be useful!
It's pretty simple to do. If you are in an English speaking country, you can:
1) Listen to people on public transit. Don't listen to music for a while. Instead, listen to people having conversations.
2) Read advertisements. Ads often use idioms, phrasal verbs, and slang. Sometimes they even invent new English.
If you don't live in an English speaking country, that is okay. You can:
3) Use YouTube or Vimeo to watch English language videos.
4) Visit English language websites.
5) Borrow English language books from the library.
Whatever method you use, just listen or read and write down (or type into your phone) some words or phrases that interest you, but that you don't know the meaning of. Don't worry about spelling. When you get home, look the words or phrases up on the internet or ask an English speaker (like me) to help you.
Here are some examples that some of my students have found.
1) Idiom: To pitch in - This means to help do a job or some type of work.
Example: You look really busy cleaning the kitchen. Let me pitch in.
2) Idiom: To catch a break - This means to get lucky. If you can't catch a break, then you have no luck. If you finally catch a break, then you have gotten some luck after a long time without luck.
Example: A) "Have you found a job yet?"
B) "No. I've been to many interviews, but I can't catch a break."
If you are using an online dictionary, I suggest that you use a learners dictionary like the Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary. It gives definitions using much easier language.
For slang, it's best to use The Urban Dictionary. However, be careful. The Urban Dictionary has a lot of bad language as it is written by internet users and not professionals. It is very useful, but it can be insulting. It is not good for young children.
If you are losing motivation, we can fix that!
Matthew
englishispersonal@gmail.com
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