We know that learning English isn't always easy. So to make it easier for you two of our students have come up with helpful tips to improve your English. Read on to hear Lorena Gracia and Maite Zorroza's top tips.
- Try to join up with Irish people, in your free-time
o Make the most of speaking with your host family
o If you share a flat do it with people from other countries
- Read every day
o Newspapers: Metro is a free newspaper that you can find every morning in the Dart Station (Bray). You also can buy others like: The Irish Independent, The Sunday Times.
o Magazines: the topic is not important, it's important to read and understand it.
o Books: In ATC`s library you`ll find different levels.
- TV & Radio
o Movies: You can borrow from ATC School a large variety of films (DVDs), at first you can choose the option with subtitles and step by step you will be able to understand pieces of the movie without reading the subtitles.
o Radio: especially for songs in English.
- Internet
o BBC learning English - http://www.bbc.co.uk/
- Grammar, vocabulary, listening, news...
o Habla mejor ingles - http://www.hablamejoringles.com/
- Every week this teacher solves the most common mistakes of Spanish people
o Método Vaughan - www.vausys.com
o Oxford University Express - www.oup.com
- Exercises
o Word reference - www.wordreference.com
- Vocabulary
- Also, you can meet Irish people and do a language conversation exchange then, you can improve your English and the next time you will speak your mother tongue. In Trinity College (Dublin) you will find posters about this, ask in the Student’s Union House 6.
- Speak English always, even if you don`t know the word try to explain it.
- Every Wednesday you have the opportunity to attend a class called “Business English”, it`s free and there you will learn how to prepare an interview, how to make a presentation or how to do your CV or cover letter.
- Sing, sing, sing! Try to understand the lyrics of songs which you hear, and after you can check on the internet.
- To learn a new word repeat it over and over again
- Be patient
*Original work edited for publication
