How to learn English as an adult? 0 to fluency (Resources, Methods and Study Plans)

Summary

视频讲述了Zoe如何通过自学计划在一年内提高英语水平，从而在国际学术领域取得成功的故事。她分享了自己的学习方法和资源，包括评估英语水平、改进发音、词汇和语法学习、以及通过影子练习提高听说能力。Zoe鼓励观众采取行动，利用她提供的工具和方法，为自己的英语学习之旅制定清晰的目标和计划。

Takeaways

• 🌟 学习英语的动机：成人学习英语的目的是为了提升或重拾英语能力，以便在国际环境中更好地交流。
• 🎓 Zoe的背景：Zoe是一位会说七种语言的多语者，尽管她的母语是中文，但她从未在国际学校学习或在英语国家生活过。
• 📈 学习系统的不足：Zoe指出中国学校的英语学习系统过于注重词汇和语法，而缺乏实践，导致“哑巴英语”现象。
• 📝 自我评估：在开始学习英语之前，通过在线资源如剑桥测试或英国文化协会的‘EnglishScore’应用进行自我评估，了解自己的英语水平。
• 🎧 发音与口音的区别：发音是指字母的发音方式，包括单个音和语调，而口音是指因地区和背景不同而变化的说话方式。
• 📚 提高发音：通过观看视频、使用Reverso或Google Translate等工具来改善发音，并注意记录音标符号。
• 📖 词汇学习：不推荐死记硬背单词，而是通过上下文学习，使用Anki或Quizlet等工具进行学习。
• 📱 学习应用：使用Busuu等应用进行结构化学习，并通过闪卡和迷你课程学习英语短语、词汇和语法。
• 📊 语法练习：每天专注于改正一个语法点，使用‘Essential Grammar in Use’等资源进行练习。
• 🎥 影子练习：通过模仿发音、语调和节奏来提高听力和口语技能，每天至少练习15分钟。
• 📺 观看英语电视节目：通过观看英语电视节目和系列剧来提高英语水平，使用Reverso插件来检查和保存新词汇。
• 🎓 高级学习资源：对于高级学习者，推荐TED Talks、Coursera课程、纪录片频道以及‘The Economist’等资源来提升英语能力。

Q & A

视频的主讲人是谁？

视频的主讲人是Zoe，她是一位能说七种语言的多语者。

Zoe的母语是什么？

Zoe的母语是中文。

Zoe在学习英语的过程中遇到了什么问题？

Zoe在学习英语的过程中发现，尽管她的英语成绩不错，但是她不能流利地讲英语。她意识到学习系统过于注重词汇和语法，而缺乏实践。

Zoe是如何提高自己的英语水平的？

Zoe通过制定自学计划，在一年内提高了自己的英语水平。她通过观看视频、使用应用程序和字典来纠正发音，积累词汇，并通过复习语法点来提高英语能力。

Zoe推荐了哪些资源来测试和提高英语水平？

Zoe推荐了剑桥测试和英国文化协会的'EnglishScore'应用程序来进行英语水平测试。她还推荐了Reverso和Google Translate字典来帮助纠正发音，以及Anki或Quizlet这样的应用程序来学习词汇。

Zoe是如何定义语言学习的最终目标的？

Zoe认为语言学习的最终目标是有效沟通。如果能够清晰地传达意思并被理解，那么就已经走上了正确的道路。

Zoe推荐了哪些方法来提高发音和词汇？

Zoe推荐了观看关于英式发音和美式发音的视频，以及使用Reverso或Google Translate的音频录音来提高发音。对于词汇，她建议通过上下文学习新单词，并使用Anki或Quizlet这样的应用程序。

Zoe建议的学习方法中，什么是'shadowing'？

'Shadowing'是一种练习方法，即在听别人说话的同时重复他们所说的内容。这是一种非常有效的方法，可以提高对语言的敏感度并建立正确的发音和语调的肌肉记忆。

Zoe推荐了哪些资源来提高听力和口语技能？

Zoe推荐了BBC的讲座播客、'Learn English with TV Series'频道以及'To Fluency'频道来进行'shadowing'练习。此外，她还推荐了使用Tandem或HelloTalk应用程序与母语为英语的人练习对话。

Zoe为高级英语学习者推荐了哪些资源和活动？

对于高级英语学习者，Zoe推荐了TED Talks、Coursera以及'The Economist'杂志和YouTube频道。她还建议通过写摘要和评论来练习写作技巧。

Zoe在视频中提到了哪些具体的学习计划？

Zoe在视频中提供了两个具体的学习计划样本，分别针对中级（B1-B2）和高级（C1-C2）英语学习者。这些计划包括了每天的学习目标、使用的材料和推荐的活动。

Zoe在视频中提到了哪些关于学习英语的建议？

Zoe建议学习者在开始学习之前评估自己的当前水平，明确自己的学习材料和方法。她还强调了发音的重要性，并推荐了一些提高发音、词汇和语法的资源和方法。此外，她还建议通过'shadowing'练习和观看电视节目来提高听力和口语技能。

Outlines

00:00

📚 英语学习者的新起点

视频开头介绍了针对那些在学校学习过英语但未能流利交流的成年人，如何重新开始或提高英语水平。主讲人Zoe分享了自己作为一个会说七种语言的多语者的经历，尽管她的母语是中文，但她从未在国际学校学习或在英语国家生活过。她意识到中国的教育系统侧重于词汇和语法，而缺乏实践，导致了所谓的“哑巴英语”现象。Zoe在法国攻读硕士学位时，为了未来的国际学术生涯，设定了在开始博士项目前流利英语的目标，并在一年内通过自学计划实现了这一目标。她分享了自己的学习资源、有效方法和学习计划。

05:04

📈 英语水平自测与提升策略

Zoe建议在开始学习英语之前先进行自我评估，以确定当前水平。她推荐了一些在线资源，如剑桥测试和英国文化协会的“EnglishScore”应用程序进行30分钟测试。她强调在开始口语练习之前，应关注发音纠正、词汇积累和语法复习。Zoe解释了发音和口音的区别，并强调清晰的发音对于有效沟通的重要性。她还分享了自己如何通过观看视频、使用Reverso或Google Translate等工具来改善发音。对于词汇学习，Zoe推荐在上下文中学习新单词，并使用Anki或Quizlet等工具进行复习。此外，她还介绍了使用Busuu应用程序进行结构化学习的方法。

10:10

🎯 针对不同水平的学习计划

视频的最后部分，Zoe为不同水平的英语学习者提供了详细的学习计划。对于中级水平（B1-B2）的学习者，她建议加强听力和口语练习，特别是通过影子练习（shadowing）来提高。她推荐了一些有用的资源，如BBC讲座播客、TED演讲和Coursera课程，并建议记录自己的讲话以检查错误。对于高级水平（C1-C2）的学习者，Zoe建议沉浸在英语环境中，尽可能多地阅读、写作、说话和听英语。她推荐了TED Talks、Coursera以及一些纪录片频道和播客，如“The Economist”。此外，她还建议使用Reverso插件从字幕中学习新词汇，并练习通过写摘要来提高写作技能。

Keywords

💡英语学习

英语学习是指非英语母语者为了提高英语水平而进行的各种学习活动。在视频中，Zoe分享了她自己作为成年人重新学习英语的经历和策略，旨在帮助观众提高他们的英语能力。

💡自我评估

自我评估是指个人对自己的能力或水平进行评价的过程。在英语学习中，自我评估可以帮助学习者确定适合自己的学习材料和方法。

💡发音

发音是指在说话时音素的发出方式，包括单个声音和语调。清晰的发音对于英语交流至关重要，因为它使别人更容易理解你的意思。

💡词汇量

词汇量是指一个人所掌握的单词数量。在学习英语的过程中，扩大词汇量是提高语言能力的关键因素之一。

💡语法

语法是语言学的一个分支，涉及语言结构的规则系统。在英语学习中，掌握基本的语法规则对于正确表达意思非常重要。

💡影子练习

影子练习是一种语言学习方法，涉及听某人说话并实时重复他们所说的内容。这种方法有助于提高语言的听力和发音，以及建立正确的语音和语调记忆。

💡学习资源

学习资源是指用于辅助学习活动的任何材料或工具，包括书籍、应用程序、网站等。在视频中，Zoe分享了她自己积累的学习资源列表，包括书籍、网站和应用程序。

💡学习计划

学习计划是指为了达到学习目标而制定的一系列学习活动和时间安排。在视频中，Zoe根据英语水平的不同阶段提供了不同的学习计划。

💡有效沟通

有效沟通是指能够清晰、准确、有目的地传达信息和理解他人信息的过程。在英语学习中，目标是能够进行有效的沟通，而不仅仅是模仿母语者的口音。

💡学习策略

学习策略是指为了提高学习效率和效果而采取的方法和技巧。视频中，Zoe分享了她的学习策略，包括如何通过不同的练习和资源来提高英语水平。

💡动机

动机是指驱使个人采取行动的内在或外在因素。在英语学习的背景下，动机可以是个人对提高语言技能的渴望或对使用英语的需求。

Highlights

视频旨在帮助那些在学校学习过英语但从未真正说过，现在想作为成人提高英语水平的人。

主讲人Zoe是一位会说七种语言的多语者，尽管她的母语是中文，但她从未在国际学校学习过，也没有在英语国家生活过。

Zoe意识到中国的学习系统侧重于词汇和语法，但缺乏实践，导致了所谓的“哑巴英语”现象。

Zoe在法国攻读硕士学位时意识到，如果想要有一个更国际化的学术生涯，她需要流利地说英语。

Zoe为自己设定了一个目标：在开始博士项目之前流利掌握英语，并在一年内通过自学计划实现了这一目标。

Zoe分享了她自己建立的学习资源、有效方法和学习计划。

在学习英语之前，推荐先通过在线资源测试自己的当前水平，以便选择最合适的学习材料和方法。

在开始说话练习之前，应该关注发音的纠正、词汇的积累和语法点的复习。

发音和口音是两个不同的概念，发音是指字母的发音方式，包括单独的音和语调，而口音是指人们说话的方式，这可能会因地区和背景而异。

语言学习的目标是有效沟通，如果能清晰地传达意思并被理解，就已经走上了正确的道路。

通过观看视频、使用Reverso或Google Translate等工具来改善发音。

不推荐通过死记硬背大量单词来学习词汇，而应该在上下文中学习。

通过Busuu等应用程序进行结构化学习，每天只需30分钟或在公共交通上15分钟。

中级学习者应更多关注听力和口语，这是学校系统经常忽视的技能。

影子练习是提高口语和听力技能的最佳练习方式，通过实时重复说话者的话来进行。

高级学习者应该沉浸在英语中，尽可能多地阅读、写作、说话和听英语，不要满足于基础对话或简单话题。

推荐TED Talks和Coursera等平台，这些平台提供专家在多个领域的演讲和高质量课程。

Transcripts

hey guys welcome to the new video

If you're like me, someone who studied English at school but never really spoke it

and wants to pick up or improve your English as an adult, this video is for you.

My name is Zoe, and I'm a polyglot who can speak 7 languages.

Chinese is my mother tongue I've never been to an international school

or lived in an English-speaking country. I did quite well in English at school in China,

but I couldn't speak it fluently. I realized that our learning system was very

focused on vocabulary and grammar but lacked practice, which led to the phenomenon known

as , we say in Chinese "哑巴英语", we say we can understand, but just can't speak.

Then, I noticed that my friends from France, Iran, Turkey, Japan, Italy, or other countries

had the same problem. When I was doing my master's degree in France,

I realized that if I wanted to have a more international academic career in the future,

I needed to speak English fluently. So, I set a goal for myself: to be fluent

in English before starting my Ph.D. program. I made a self-learning plans and improved

my English in one year. Now, I'm happy to be able to write and present

conferences confidently in English. to be honest My English isn't perfect, but

I understand the struggles of learning or relearning English as an adult outside of

the school system. I've built up my own list of learning resources,

effective methods, and study plans, which I will be sharing with you guys today.

Let's get straight into the video! First,I would recommend testing yourself to

evaluate your current level before beginning to study English.

Many people are already familiar with English to some extent.

Being aware of your own level can help you identify the most appropriate learning materials

and methods. There are a lot of online resources available

for self-testing, including the Cambridge Test.

You can also use the app "EnglishScore" from the British Council to take a 30-minute test.

What you should focus on before jumping into speaking exercises, were:

Correcting the pronunciation Building up the vocabulary

Reviewing grammar points

Pronunciation

Pay attention! There is a difference between

pronunciation and accent.

Pronunciation refers to the way letters are pronounced, including individual sounds and

intonation. On the other hand, accent refers to the way

people speak, which can vary depending on the region and background.

It's important to have clear pronunciation when speaking English because it makes it

easier for others to understand what you're saying.

Sometimes people judge someone's English level only based on whether they can speak like

a native or with a "native accent." This is not fair because there are various

English accents, even in the UK or the US, There are different accents in different regions!

so Remember, the goal of language learning is effective communication.

If you can convey your meaning clearly and be understood, you're already on the right track.

To improve your pronunciation, you can check

out videos like this one for a more British pronunciation or this one for a more American accent.

Personally, I've watched about two short videos

per day to fix my pronunciation. I used to pronounce everything like in French,

such as "festival" and "structure" If you're not sure about the pronunciation

of a word, dictionaries like Reverso or even Google Translate have audio recordings available.

One tip: I always note down the phonetic symbols for future reference.

For vocabulary, I don't recommend memorizing

a bunch of words without understanding how to use them, like we used to do in China.

We used to have long vocabulary lists and had to repeat and memorize 50 words per day,

then use spaced repetition to review them. This method was super boring, overwhelming,

and ineffective. Learning words in context is the best way

to go. There are a lot of Anki or Quizlet decks with

examples and pronunciation available. All you need to do is set a goal, such as

learning 10 to 20 new words per day. You can also use an app like Busuu, which

offers well-structured lessons for different levels.

The great thing is that they have real people speaking in videos.

Most of the activities use flashcards and mini-lessons on English phrases, vocabulary,

and grammar. Another thing I like about Busuu is that they

break language learning into chunks. You just need to stick to your daily learning

routine, for example, 30 minutes in the morning or 15 minutes taking public transport.

This is completely applicable even if you have a full-time job. If you're interested

in Busuu, please check out the link in the description box.

To combine pronunciation and vocabulary exercises, you can listen to videos of essential word

pronunciations while driving or walking. Grammar

I've noticed that some of my friends can speak English but they still make basic grammar

mistakes, such as incorrect verb conjugation. Actually, fixing these mistakes is not difficult.

All you need to do is to put “fixing one grammar point” per day in your program.

You can use “Essential Grammar in Use ” by Cambridge to do grammar exercises.

I used to do one lesson per day with this book.

Or websites like the British Council, which offer online exercises such as this one for

A1-A2 level grammar Another helpful resource is the "6 Minute

Grammar" podcast, which I used to listen to every day on my way to the gym.

You can also study with one grammar video per day on the channel like “BBC Learning

Enlgish”, “English with Lucy” or “Speak English With Vanessa”

taking notes and creating sentences on your own.

The key is to incorporate these activities into your daily routine and make sure to do

them every day.

Here are two sample study plans for reference.

Intermediate B1-B2

ok now If you feel that your grammar is still too weak, you can integrate grammar exercises

with "English Grammar in Use" into your learning routine.

i even found a free related Anki Deck Besides the basic exercises I mentioned before,

for this level, please focus more on listening and speaking

These two skills are often overlooked in school systems.

Most schools focus on grammar and writing which can cause problems later on when it

comes to scoring high on tests or understanding what someone is saying without being able

to speak. The best exercise to improve your speaking

and listening skills is shadowing. Shadowing is an exercise where you listen

to someone speaking and repeat what they're saying in real-time.

It's a really effective way to develop a better ear for the language and build muscle memory

for correct pronunciation and intonation. and you can do it alone

To practice shadowing, you can start by finding videos or podcasts with the accent and content

you like. You can break the recording down into smaller

segments and repeat each segment several times before moving on to the next one.

If you have watched my other videos, you must know that I have listened to a BBC lecture

podcast and shadowed a couple of paragraphs every day.

I used a total of six months to finish shadowing all the episodes.

During the first listening, I printed the script and highlighted the pronunciation mistakes

I always make with phonetic symbols. During the second listening, I repeated what

the speaker was saying as closely as possible, pausing and repeating sentence by sentence.

During the third listening, I repeated right after the speaker, matching their rhythm,

intonation, and stress patterns. The point of this exercise is to do it less

but consistently, only 15 minutes per day. After several weeks, you will see obvious

improvement. You can find a channel you like, such as “BBC

Learning English”. You can also discover their podcast, which

has a lot of great content! Shadow one video per day.

You can learn vocabulary and grammar, it´s a win-win exercise.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn English by watching TV, the channel “Learn English

with TV Series” might be your perfect channel. The presenters show clips from famous English

language TV series, and explain the expressions, words and technical vocabulary.

Another great channel for this level is is "To Fluency", its channel for people who are

interested in language learning strategies. His video speed and content are great to do

shadowing exercises. You can start to find a tandem partner to

practice speaking with. Apps like Tandem or HelloTalk are great to

connect with native English speakers. Aim for at least two study sessions per week,

not less than 30 minutes per session. I assume you have built up a large vocabulary

count and a good grasp of basic to intermediate grammar.

I suggest integrating more TV shows, series, movies, and music on YouTube or Netflix.

There's a large variety of choices, and this is the easiest resource to obtain

I personally like science fiction and documentaries. how about you

At this level, you may still need subtitles, but you should be able to understand most

of the things. You can use the Reverso add-on to check and save new vocabulary from the

subtitles. Another awesome way to practice speaking and

reading is to use lyrics apps. You can sing along with your favourite songs. a bit like

karaoke Another new way to practice your English is

to chat with "the Chat GPT." One tip is to give Chat GPT the order to correct your grammar

mistakes while you chat. It's better to set a topic every time you

practice, but I personally prefer to talk to real humans - it's still different.

Here are two study plans for reference. Advanced C1 to C2

For this level, all you need to do is immerse yourself in English. Read, write, speak, and

listen as much as possible. Step out of your comfort zone and don't settle

for basic conversations or simple topics. If you need academic English like I do, you

can check out the book "Academic Vocabulary in Use."

You can also find a more advanced level vocabulary list on Anki or Quizlet.

I still recommend doing the shadowing exercise, but this time with more complex topics.

One channel I highly recommend is TED Talks, where you can find presentations by experts

in many fields. You can find TED Talks on science, philosophy,

self-help, education, and much more. For this level, you don't need to pause sentence

by sentence. Just repeat after the speaker to gain fluency.

Another good tip is to record a one-minute video of yourself talking about a topic.

For example, after watching a TED video, you can make a video discussing your opinion on

this topic. The great thing about this exercise is that

you can check the mistakes you make in detail and focus on them the next time.

Another platform I recommend is Coursera. It partners with universities and other organizations

around the world to offer high-quality courses and programs.

The courses are typically structured as a series of video lectures, reading materials,

and assignments. It's the best way to train all your English

skills, and you can also learn vocabulary and information in the field you're interested

in. you guys know I'm a big fan of documentaries.

Here are the documentary channels I recommend: For listening, in addition to all kinds of

radio, you can listen to audiobooks. Choose contents that you really enjoy.

Recently, I've been using Audible and listening to "The Language Instinct" by Steven Pinker.

For reading and writing, I highly recommend "The Economist."

It has a very high level of English writing, and you can also read the articles out loud

or use the "Read Out Loud" add-on to listen to the text.

Keep up the healthy habit of highlighting new words and adding them to your study sets.

A good writing practice for this level is to write a summary of your conclusions about

the article or book you read. Write about what you thought and how it made

you feel. You can even write criticism if you have any!

I also like "The Economist" YouTube channel and podcast.

They are the best resources to practice listening and gain advanced vocabulary.

Here are two study plans for reference. This is the end of the video. I have shared

everything I have accumulated over the past years, and I hope that they are helpful for

you. It's a way to show you the whole picture of the journey and offer you useful tools.

The rest is up to you! Time to take action guys!

I would be happy if you feel motivated and have a clearer vision for your English learning

after watching this video. If you found this video helpful, don't forget

to give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe. If you have any questions, please write them

in the comments, and I will do my best to answer them!