Can I Learn English By Myself?

Learn English By Yourself - GiveMeSomeEnglish

he simple answer to this question is: “Yes! Of course you can Learn English By Yourself!” Thousands of people have done this before. In fact, many people who Learn English this way, actually learn more quickly & efficiently than those who go to a traditional language school to Learn English.

nd if they can do it — then YOU can do it too! But almost-certainly, every single one of those people had help along the way. If they learned predominantly from a book — then there were probably more than one book. Or they also learned from watching videos and listening to audios as well.

So How Is That More Efficient?

t may seem counter-intuitive that learning from many different sources would be MORE efficient. But that is only because of the way that most of us have learned throughout our time in school. In schools, we usually have to submit to some rigid structure, which does not allow for any sort of free thinking.

ut when a person is learning “On Their Own” — they are not being “Held Back” by the other people in the class (due to their lower level) — or by a teacher who was learned to TEACH in a very rigid way — and, there-fore is not able to cope with free and open thinking.

ut worst of all — it is very common that the teacher actually has a significantly lower IQ than yourself. And so the language that they teach, and the way they teach it, will be reflected by their lower IQ. You can almost always tell if a person is smarter or stupider than yourself, by the language they use… So why would you learn English from someone who is less intelligent than yourself?!?!?!

Dumbass Teachers - GiveMeSomeEnglish

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Notice! — This is EXACTLY why — when you ask a traditional teacher to explain something that they are clearly just repeating from their “Teacher’s Guide” — they will not really have a good answer for you… Because — either they are very inexperienced at teaching… Or they simply do not know. Unfortunately, this is basically the “standard” for traditional language schools. Good English teachers do exist… but they are very rare. 🤷

nfortunately — there is not much that can be done about this, because the way that the ESL world is structured is that — the only native English-speaking people who are available to teach English courses, are only doing it to get a visa to live in another country for a year, before getting what they consider to be a “Real Job”. In other words… They think of teaching English very-much on the same level as they would a “summer job”… In other words — they don’t really take it seriously.

his is made worse by two other things: 1. They do not realize (until it is already too late) that teaching English is actually a “Real Job”, which requires a LOT more than simply being an English speaker. And 2. Since the job does not fit in with the vision they had of having fun in another country — (and since they do not take the job seriously)… They quit. Very often. Very suddenly. And very frequently.

nd — since teaching English pays FAR BELOW the minimum wage of every country that a Native-English-speaking person would come from — this provides VERY little motivation to put forth even the bare minimum amount of effort.

And So…

ecause of the problems explained above — along with the fact that — even though the local English teachers are still there, and are usually much better teachers… They are not as-much desired or in-demand, because they do not have “Native” pronunciation. (Even though they usually have a FAR greater knowledge of English grammar.)

he fact is — people want to have classes with a “Native” English speaker. And they usually want that teacher to be from America. (Not always — but usually). But then you might ask:

“What good are they, if they are all so inexperienced & irresponsible?”

That’s A Great Question. And The Answer Is…

hey really aren’t any good. At least the vast majority of them are not. They might be very nice people who genuinely want to help. But if they are in-experienced with teaching — if they do not know English grammar intuitively — if they are clearly not as smart as you, or have as much life experience as you… Then they will be of very-little benefit to you.

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However! — If you are able to get to know the teacher on a social level — then you will probably learn FAR more English words, phrases, pronunciation, and authentic communication if you go out to a pub with them. After a couple beers, they will drop the “teacher” role, and just be themselves. And if you feel a little “tight-lipped” in class — then after a couple of beers, you will probably loosen-up to speak more freely as well. (Just make sure to take the teacher out as a group — with other students in the class — so there is no confusion about the purpose for going to have a few drinks together.) 😉

So How Can I Learn English By Myself?

esides taking your teacher out for pints after class — there are a few things you can do to learn English “By Yourself” or “On Your Own”. And this is the same routine that I would recommend for any person.

ost people who would be reading this probably had English class in their school. There — they probably learned the basics of grammar — but got almost nothing of Speaking & Writing. Also — their teacher probably told them a lot of things about common phrases that are just not true… This is “normal”. But the grammar is essentially the same everywhere.

o if you need extra help with Grammar — the structure of the language — take a course with a local teacher who actually has an English degree. That way they can explain things in your native language if something needs further clarification.

Then…

hen you want to learn the Vocabulary & lexis of English that “Native” speakers use — First, choose which form of English (British, American, etc.). Then — follow the common advice of using videos & audio to help you with Vocabulary & Pronunciation.

ut always remember that: “The Language That A Person Uses Reflects Who That Person Is”… If you want to sound intelligent — then don’t learn English from watching Hollywood movies, or Youtube “Influencers”.

inally — if you want to make sure that you are using the language correctly — then you should DEFINITELY have regular sessions with a Native English Speaker, who has YEARS of teaching experience — and MUCH Life experience. AND who is an expert in the language, and who will tell you HONESTLY if the language you are using suits you and your needs. (And if necessary, how to change it so that your language DOES reflect who you are, and what you want to communicate to others.) 😉