We’ve all heard a thousand times that the only way to really learn English is to be totally immersed in the language, completely surrounded by it everywhere you go. But we wanted to go deeper than that and find quick and easy ways to start getting immersed. So our research team put together 10 steps that you can follow, in this order, to make learning English faster and a whole lot more fun.
1: Find some English radio stations and podcasts in iTunes
在iTunes上找一些英语广播台或播客
There are tons of podcasts about all topics imaginable these days: entertainment, politics, news. A good way to find one is to look for a podcast from a TV channel you usually watch in your cable TV. Look for one that interests you and listen to it in your car while driving. You’ll train your ear that way!
2: Most of them are hilarious! It will be so worth it. Try looking at the comments to pick up some words and sentences you aren’t familiar with, but be careful there is all kinds of bizarre stuff in youku comments.
When you are alone at home, or of course in the shower, start talking! Sing a song in English the way it sounds to you, talk about the weather or any other topic. Do this frequently and your pronunciation will drastically improve – guaranteed!
4: Do you have an English-speaking idol? Go to youku and watch all of his/her interviews in English
你有膜拜的英语大神么?去看看他所有的英文访谈吧
You can spend hours doing that listening to interviews and it sure won’t feel like studying. But it is! It helps you a great deal.
你可以花很多时间来看这些访谈,绝对不会让你有学习的感觉,但这真的是一种学习哦!能大大地帮助到你。
5: Sit near people who are speaking English on the bus or in the park. Listen in…
公车上或公园里,不妨做得离老外近一点,听一听呀
Okay now don’t be a creepy eavesdropper! But, see what words you can pick up and listen to the flow of the conversation. How much did you understand? What general topic were they talking about? Did you hear an interesting word you might want to look up after?
6: Pay attention to billboards, signs, advertisements, magazine stands and establishment names
关注一些榜单、标示、广告、售报亭和企业名称
Look and think about what these ads mean. How many words do you recognize? Did you see that same word elsewhere? Make up sentences about what you’re seeing.
看看想想这些广告的含义。哪些词你是认识的?你还在哪里看到这个词?用看到的词造个句呗。
7: Love music? Try figuring out the words/lyrics of your favorite songs
爱音乐?研究下你喜欢歌曲的歌词
Watch video clips with lyrics on youku and sing along. Read the translation and build up your vocabulary. Listen to “clean” versions of songs and try to figure out what dirty words were taken out. It’s fun!
8: Watch TV clips, episodes or soap operas in English
看英语原声的电视片段、剧集和肥皂剧
It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand what they’re saying, watch anyway! Try to understand why something is funny or sad . If the joke is related to the word itself, then maybe that is why the joke does not make sense in your native language. What would be the best translation into your language then?
9: Engage in a conversation on Fb with friends who post in English
和英语国家的朋友在脸谱上交谈
When you have English speakers in your timeline, you see their posts daily and get inside information about news and viral videos in English. Your friends can be your teachers! Their timeline basically sort out the best material for you to study.
10: Produce, produce, produce. No matter how shy you are or how much you don’t “get” English, force yourself to speak
说出来说出来说出来。无论你多么内向,英语多烂,逼着自己去说
Help out a tourist who looks lost. They won’t mind you struggling with the language while you’re doing them a favor! After class, talk to your teacher about how things are going and what you need help with in English. When traveling, ask around for directions in English, even if you don’t need them! Try purchasing things online and by phone, or using customer support in English.
It does not matter if you talk slowly, you are learning, that’s only natural!
说的慢没关系,关键在于你是在学习!
BONUS TIP: When seeing a new movie look up the original title on IMDB.com
最后的小建议:如果在IMDB网站看到新的电影,不妨你看看原版的名称
The translation sometimes does not correspond directly to the original. Find out what the original title really means. Ask yourself how the translation makes sense. What is the relation to the movie? You will never forget a new word that once it’s associated with an unforgettable movie. Works every time!