Introductions! I will introduce myself I want you to introduce your neighbor! What is their name? What did they do this summer? What are they looking forward to (excited about) this semester? What are they afraid of this semester? Tell me something unique (special) about yourself? This is my friend Anna. She stayed home this summer and worked a lot. She is excited about learning more about verb tenses this semester. She is afraid she will not be able to write an essay in English. She is unique because she speaks two languages already and is studying a third language.

How do you learn a new language?

It’s important to train your ears to hear the language. The only way you can do that is by listening and listening a lot. The more you listen, the easier it will be to understand. You might not understand much at the beginning. That’s okay. You will if you keep practicing. You can’t understand if you don’t let your ears hear the language.

The first step is…… Immerse yourself in English. Swim in it! Listening! Just listen Listen to news Listen to the TV Listen to the Radio. Music is a great way to learn! Listen, listen, and listen Immerse yourself in English. Swim in it!

-Find a podcast online -Watch a TV show with no subtitles -Call a friend who speaks the language you’re learning -If you can, listen at work -Put on an audio-book, or the TV in the background while you do other things, so your brain can hear the language -Write down words that you know when you listen -Listen for new words -Watch TEDTalks (ted.com) -Listen in the car -Listen while you clean -Listen to other people talking while you’re shopping

The second step is….. To speak Speak, speak, speak, as much as you can Listen, then repeat, mimic! The more you use it, the more you learn it! Go to a shop and talk! Volunteer at a library or some other place Practice is key. You have to use what you learn so you don’t forget it. Practice will help you improve and get better at what you know..

-find people to talk to -talk to yourself in the language you’re learning -keep a journal -record yourself talking and listen for mistakes -find practice websites -take a class -make an Italki account and chat with people (italki.com) -set your phone to the language you’re learning -watch Youtube lessons

The third step is….. To read The more you read, the more you learn to speak, understand and write in English. Read, read, read!

Reading is a great way to improve in a new language Reading is a great way to improve in a new language. You can learn so much from reading. You get to see grammar in context, new vocabulary, spelling, and expressions. It can also be a really entertaining way to practice. Just find a really interesting book. Try some of these ideas: -find an interesting novel to read that you can’t put down -make a Newsela (newsela.com) account and read news articles (you can change the difficulty level) -read online and use the clickable dictionary lingro.com -keep a list of new words -practice guessing the meaning of a new word from the context

The last step is to write…. Write in English Write a word, write a sentence Writing is born from reading. The more you read, the better you write! Write, write, write Write a book : )

-think about what you learned -dedicate time to studying Dont forget to study You can’t learn a language if you don’t study it. The more time you dedicate to studying, the quicker you will improve. Try some of these ideas: -take a class -take notes -review your notes -think about what you learned -dedicate time to studying -make flashcards -download the Studyblue app -download and use Duolingo -put sticky notes with words around your house

Be Patient, but be persistent Young children don’t become fluent in their native language until after months of just listening, then months of babbling, then years of practice. Learning a language takes time. You will make many mistakes. You will be confused, and you will sometimes or many times feel frustrated. But don’t give up. Be persistent. Keep trying. Don’t stop. You can do it. Try some of these suggestions to help you when you feel like giving up. Don’t feel bad when you make a mistake because making mistakes is a part of learning another language. When you make a mistake, learn why you made it and keep working. Think about why you’re learning the language and the benefits of learning it. What is your goal?

DO NOT….. Translate Hola = Hello Translating makes it harder to learn English. Guess the meaning through clues and context. Only memorize grammar. Stop trying. Speak only your native language.

How long does it take to learn English? If you spend eight hours a day studying English, you can go from beginner to advanced in two years. If you spend four hours a day studying English, you can go from beginner to advanced in four years. If you spend two hours a day studying English, you can go from beginner to advanced in eight years. The more you speak your native language, the more English you will loose!