One could endlessly list all the spheres of life in which a modern person cannot do without knowledge of English. According to statistics, 90% of young professionals start learning English: some want to improve the knowledge acquired at school and university, others start learning "from scratch."
Let's look at what methods of learning a language are available today. And what is better: to study English on your own, or to seek help from a tutor.
English on your own: conditions and advantages
To independently master all the intricacies of the English language, you will need:
• a great desire;
• the ability to organize your time;
• a computer, preferably with an Internet connection.
First, you need to correctly determine: what do you need the language for? If you want to communicate freely on everyday topics, it is better to choose a program focused on conversational language. If you plan to translate specialized literature, you will need to pay more attention to vocabulary and grammar. For each sphere of business and science, special thematic dictionaries and collections of the most popular and demanded phrases and sentences have been developed – the choice is yours.
Advantages of self-study of English:
• Saving time. You study in your free time when it is convenient for you.
• Saving money. You don't need to spend on travel, course fees, or tutor services. Most of the necessary manuals and textbooks are available for free online.
The main disadvantage of self-study of English is the lack of conversational practice and possible incorrect pronunciation of sounds, since English phonetics is the main difficulty at the initial stage. This problem can be quite easily solved if you find a program for free English via Skype.
Free English via Skype: it is effective and convenient
With Skype, you can communicate with native speakers. Sometimes it is free communication that allows you to learn the idioms that English abounds in, get acquainted with modern slang, or learn some formulas, such as greetings and introductions.
Free English via Skype helps many overcome such a common phenomenon as the language barrier. It often happens that a person, even knowing the grammar and vocabulary perfectly, finds it difficult to speak English. The reason here is purely psychological, and free communication via Skype will give confidence and teach you to overcome the barrier of uncertainty.
There are special programs designed for learning English via Skype.
Learning English with a tutor: benefits and disadvantages
• A professional tutor will help create an individual language learning program based on your information perception characteristics. It is no secret that some people understand and remember better when reading text, others perceive information better by ear, and still others need to see an image. And only a professional can correctly select the techniques and methods of language learning that will be most effective for you.
• The second advantage is the timely correction of errors, especially regarding phonetics. It is known that it is easier to learn than to relearn.
• The third factor is related to time management. Lessons with a tutor oblige you to follow a schedule, which ultimately has a greater effect, since regular lessons will lead to success faster than scattered lessons, even if they are lengthy in time.
Among the disadvantages of this method of study, one can only mention the risk of choosing not a professional but an amateur dilettante. But that is a topic for another discussion.
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