Everyday habits to improve your English

Summary

In this mmmEnglish video, Emma outlines four daily habits to enhance English proficiency: practicing pronunciation for clarity, absorbing English through various media, writing to solidify vocabulary, and engaging in discussions to apply language skills. She emphasizes the importance of consistency and finding enjoyable methods, such as using the International Phonetic Alphabet, watching English content based on personal interests, and joining active online communities. Emma also highlights the benefits of these habits for long-term language retention and fluency.

Takeaways

• 📝 Consistent daily practice is crucial for improving English, akin to a daily habit like brushing teeth.
• 🔗 Successful language learners integrate the language into their daily life, making it a routine.
• 🎓 Lingoda offers English lessons with potential for full refund if all classes are completed, encouraging commitment.
• 🗣️ Pronunciation practice should be daily to ensure clear communication, not just to eliminate accent.
• 👂 Learning the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) can greatly assist in correct English pronunciation.
• 🎥 Imitation lessons and recording oneself can help identify and correct pronunciation mistakes.
• 📚 Absorbing English through various media like podcasts, movies, or books enriches vocabulary and exposure.
• 📝 Writing daily, even just a few thoughts, helps to solidify vocabulary and provides material for self-editing.
• 🔍 Grammar checkers like Grammarly can assist in identifying and correcting writing errors.
• 🗣️ Engaging in English discussions based on personal interests can improve conversational skills and confidence.
• 📅 Establishing a regular schedule for language activities can help integrate them into daily life.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video by Emma from mmmEnglish?

The main topic of the video is four daily habits that can help improve one's English language skills.

Why is making English practice a daily habit important according to Emma?

Making English practice a daily habit is important because it helps integrate the language into one's daily life, making learning a consistent and natural process.

What is the Lingoda Language Sprint and how does it work?

The Lingoda Language Sprint is a program offering daily English lessons with a refund or credit incentive for completing a certain number of classes within a set period.

What are the two types of Language Sprints offered by Lingoda?

The two types of Language Sprints offered by Lingoda are the Super Sprint, which requires thirty classes a month for three months, and the Regular Sprint, which requires fifteen classes a month for three months.

What is the refund policy for completing the Super Sprint and Regular Sprint with Lingoda?

For completing the Super Sprint, Lingoda offers a 100% refund on class fees, while completing the Regular Sprint results in a 50% refund.

Why is pronunciation practice recommended daily in the video?

Daily pronunciation practice is recommended to ensure clear communication and to avoid misunderstandings due to accent-related challenges.

What is the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and how can it help with English pronunciation?

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a system that allows for the correct pronunciation of every single English word using the correct English sounds, which can help non-native speakers improve their pronunciation.

How can one practice pronunciation effectively according to the video?

One can practice pronunciation effectively by learning the IPA, following imitation lessons, reading out loud, and recording oneself to compare with native speakers.

What is the purpose of creating an opportunity to absorb English every day?

Creating an opportunity to absorb English every day helps in taking in new ideas, words, and expressions, and integrating them into one's language skills.

What are some ways to absorb English as suggested in the video?

Some ways to absorb English include listening to podcasts or audiobooks, watching English movies or YouTube videos, and reading books or blog posts.

Why is writing every day beneficial for English learners?

Writing every day is beneficial as it helps to solidify vocabulary, recall new words and expressions, and allows for self-correction and improvement of written English.

How can joining an English discussion group help improve language skills?

Joining an English discussion group helps improve language skills by providing a platform for active interaction, sharing ideas, and practicing real-time communication in English.

What are some tips for finding the right English discussion group?

To find the right English discussion group, one should consider their interests, join multiple groups to compare activity levels, and look for groups with engaging discussions.

How can one integrate the four suggested habits into their daily routine?

One can integrate the four habits by setting a regular schedule, such as practicing pronunciation in the morning, listening during commute, writing thoughts during breaks, and participating in discussions in the evening.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Daily Habits for English Improvement

Emma from mmmEnglish introduces four daily habits to enhance English proficiency, emphasizing the importance of integrating language learning into daily life as a habit. She suggests that successful language learners make their language a part of their routine, akin to brushing teeth. The four habits include pronunciation practice, listening to English content, writing daily, and participating in English discussions. Emma also mentions a partnership with Lingoda, an online language school offering daily lessons with a refund policy for completed courses, and encourages viewers to take on the challenge of the Language Sprint for intensive practice.

05:02

🗣️ Mastering Pronunciation and Listening Skills

The first habit discussed is pronunciation practice, which is crucial for clear communication. Emma advises against the goal of losing one's accent, but rather focuses on ensuring speech is understandable. She suggests learning the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) for accurate pronunciation and recommends her imitation lessons for practice. Additionally, she encourages reading out loud and listening to English content such as podcasts, audiobooks, movies, or YouTube videos to absorb the language. Emma emphasizes finding content that interests the learner to make language absorption an enjoyable part of their day.

10:02

✍️ The Benefits of Daily Writing Practice

Emma highlights the benefits of writing daily to reinforce vocabulary retention and improve language expression. She clarifies that this does not mean writing essays, but rather jotting down thoughts or ideas, which can later be reviewed and improved. She suggests using tools like Grammarly for grammar checking and a thesaurus for finding synonyms. Writing provides an opportunity to produce original sentences and reflect on language use, which can significantly enhance one's command of English.

🌐 Engaging in English Discussions

The final habit is joining English discussions on topics of personal interest, which can be done in person or through online communities. Emma assures that this does not have to be complicated and suggests finding active groups with engaging discussions. She advises identifying hobbies or interests outside of English to find relevant communities. The goal is to participate daily by commenting and sharing opinions, which helps integrate English into one's routine and provides a platform for practical language use.

Keywords

💡English Language Learning

English Language Learning refers to the process of acquiring the English language as a second or foreign language. In the video, it is the central theme, emphasizing the need for daily practice and habit formation to improve proficiency. The script mentions that 'learning any language takes time, and effort and dedication,' highlighting the importance of consistent daily engagement with the language.

💡Daily Habit

A daily habit is a routine activity performed regularly, often automatically. The video suggests that successful language learners incorporate English into their daily habits, comparing it to 'brushing your teeth.' The script encourages viewers to make English practice a part of their daily routine to foster consistency and improvement.

💡Pronunciation

Pronunciation is the way words are articulated when spoken. In the context of the video, pronunciation is one of the four daily practices recommended for improving English. The script points out that 'practising your pronunciation every day, consistently, it's gonna help you to make noticeable improvements,' and it's not about losing one's accent but ensuring clarity for better communication.

💡International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a system of phonetic notation used in linguistics to represent each distinct sound of a language. The video script recommends learning the IPA to 'correctly pronounce every single English word using the correct English sounds,' which is crucial for accurate pronunciation practice.

💡Imitation Lessons

Imitation Lessons are a method of learning where students mimic or copy the teacher's speech. The script suggests using imitation lessons to practice pronunciation by 'copying me and shadow me as I speak,' which involves following along with the instructor's speech to improve one's own pronunciation.

💡Absorb

To absorb in the context of language learning means to take in and understand new information, vocabulary, and expressions. The video script encourages creating opportunities to 'absorb English every day,' by engaging with various forms of media such as podcasts, movies, and books, which helps in acquiring new language elements naturally.

💡Grammarly

Grammarly is a writing tool that checks written text for grammatical errors and suggests corrections. The script mentions Grammarly as a free resource to help identify mistakes in one's writing, which is beneficial for learners to improve their writing skills and learn from their errors.

💡Writing Practice

Writing Practice involves regularly writing to improve one's writing skills and solidify language acquisition. The video emphasizes the benefits of daily writing to help 'vocabulary stick' and to create sentences using new words, which is a way to produce language actively rather than passively consuming it.

💡Discussion

Discussion in the context of language learning refers to engaging in conversations or exchanges of ideas, typically in a group setting. The script suggests joining an English discussion group to practice the language in a social context, which helps in applying language skills in real-life scenarios and improving fluency.

💡Online Community

An online community is a group of people who interact and communicate through the internet. The video script encourages joining an active online community to participate in English discussions, which provides a platform for daily language practice and exposure to different topics and perspectives.

💡Regular Schedule

A regular schedule refers to a set timetable for activities or tasks. The video script advises creating a regular schedule for English practice, assigning specific times for different activities like pronunciation, listening, writing, and discussion, to establish a consistent routine for language learning.

Highlights

Learning English or any language requires time, effort, and dedication.

Successful language learners integrate language learning into their daily life as a habit.

Emma suggests four daily habits to improve English proficiency.

Lingoda Language Sprint offers daily English lessons with potential full refund.

Lingoda is an online language school with Cambridge certification and free language tests.

Super Sprint is a challenge of 30 classes a month for three months with a full refund upon completion.

Regular Sprint offers 15 classes a month for three months with a 50% refund upon completion.

Pronunciation practice is crucial for clear communication, not just accent reduction.

Learning the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) can improve pronunciation accuracy.

Imitation lessons help in shadowing native speakers for better pronunciation.

Reading out loud is an effective way to practice and improve mouth muscles for English sounds.

Absorbing English through various media like podcasts, movies, and books enriches language exposure.

Finding content that aligns with personal interests makes English absorption enjoyable and habitual.

Writing daily, even in short bursts, helps solidify vocabulary and expression.

Using tools like Grammarly can assist in identifying and correcting writing errors.

Reviewing and revising written work over time can enhance language proficiency.

Joining English discussions on topics of interest fosters interactive language practice.

Participating in active online communities provides a platform for daily English interaction.

Creating a regular schedule for language habits helps in establishing a consistent routine.

Consistency in daily language practice leads to noticeable improvements in English.

Transcripts

Hello I'm Emma from mmmEnglish!

In this video, we're going to talk about four things

that you can do every day to improve your English.

I think we can all agree that learning English

or learning any language takes time

and effort and dedication.

But the most successful language learners, they find

a way for their language to become

a part of their daily life. It just becomes a habit

like brushing your teeth.

If you want to improve, your English practice should

become a daily habit.

To help you with this I'm going to share four things

that you can and you should be doing every day

to improve your English and yes, I am suggesting

that you do all four things every day but they're not

huge tasks

and we're going to talk about how you can make them

a bit of fun too

so come check it out!

Before I share these four things

that you should be doing every day,

I want to thank our friends Lingoda

who've partnered with us to bring you today's lesson.

In particular, I want to share how the Lingoda Language

Sprint offers you daily English lessons plus

up to a hundred percent refund on your lesson fees.

Lingoda is an online language school.

You take classes with qualified native speaking

teachers, class sizes are small

and all of the learning materials are provided. Plus

Lingoda are now Cambridge certified so you'll get free

access to the Cambridge online language test as well.

And in exciting news, the next Language Sprints

are starting soon.

The Super Sprint is the biggest challenge,

thirty classes a month for three months.

When I decide to do something, I like to go hard

and that is exactly what the Super Sprint

demands of you.

English classes every day for ninety days

but here's the thing,

if you complete every one of those classes,

Lingoda will give you your money back,

a hundred percent of your class fees refunded

or you can use the credits for even more

English classes. Now if that feels impossible for you,

then you can choose to do the Regular Sprint,

fifteen classes a month for three months.

If you complete all of those classes, you'll get a

fifty percent refund. So are you up to the challenge?

You can register for the Sprint promotion right now

but registrations close on the 24th of March.

The link is in the description below and if you use

this code JOIN1, you'll get ten euros off your deposit.

So the very first thing on my list is pronunciation.

Yes you should be practising your pronunciation

every day.

And it's not to try and get rid of your accent

but to make it clear enough that others

can comfortably understand you when you speak.

I can't tell you the number of advanced English students

I've had

who've had amazing grammar and vocabulary skills

but so much trouble communicating

because their accent makes it quite challenging

for others to understand them.

So of course, all of this affects smooth, positive,

comfortable conversation.

And depending on where you learned English,

your teacher may not have focused on pronunciation.

It may not have been the priority at the time.

You see, if you learned English at school,

your teacher's main aim was probably to get you

high marks in your exam. Pronunciation was

probably not their focus at that time

but in the real world when you're using English to speak

with other people, your pronunciation, your fluency

when you speak, it's so incredibly important.

Get into the habit of learning and using the correct

pronunciation today because it's going to save you

lots of headaches and confusion down the track.

Plus, practising your pronunciation every day

consistently, it's gonna help you to make noticeable

improvements in a short space of time.

So how can you start doing this?

I recommend that you learn the IPA,

the international phonetic alphabet.

If you've never heard of it before

or you don't know a lot about it,

then watch this lesson up here.

But learning the IPA will allow you to correctly

pronounce every single English word

using

the

correct

English

sounds.

Another great way to practise your pronunciation

is with my imitation lessons

so in these lessons, I help you to copy me

and shadow me as I speak.

They're really awesome, quick ten minute videos

that you can practise with regularly so add them

to a playlist and keep coming back to them

and practise with them often.

After you've practised a lesson for a few times

make a recording of yourself

and compare it to my voice.

Try to identify some of the mistakes that you're making

with your pronunciation.

I've added a link to my imitation lessons

in the description and I'll add one at the

end of this video as well that you can check out.

You can also simply read out loud to improve

your pronunciation.

Doing this every day will help your mouth muscles

to get working and creating English sounds

and get more comfortable doing it.

It's as simple as that

and it doesn't need to take you long

just five or ten minutes a day is plenty.

Just make sure you're doing it consistently.

You could even do it by singing English songs.

Create one opportunity to absorb English every day.

To absorb is to take in information

so you're like a sponge soaking things up, taking in

new ideas, new words,

new ways of expressing yourself

and you can do this in lots of different ways,

so many ways.

Listening to a podcast or an audiobook,

you could watch an English movie

or any video on Youtube.

Read a book or a blog post, In fact,

you probably want to mix this up during the week, right?

To keep things interesting.

A podcast on Monday. Read a book on Tuesday.

Whatever floats your boat.

Now again, this doesn't have to be a huge

time-consuming task but it's worth spending some time

searching for the right type of content.

It must be stuff that is interesting for you.

If you're into football or you love makeup tutorials

or romance novels or soap operas.

If you love the idea of sailing around the world,

I've been watching a YouTube channel called

Sailing La Vagabonde and they vlog about their life

sailing around the world on a yacht.

In fact, if you're interested,

I've added the link in the description below.

But the point is, find something that interests you

and excites you because

you need to look forward to doing it every single day.

It shouldn't feel like you're doing English practice.

So I have two little recommendations here.

Firstly, you need to find the time that you're going to

do it and declare it. That is your daily time

to absorb English so it could be on the bus

on your way to work or while you're eating breakfast.

I've always found that attaching an activity to the task

helps you to make it part of your routine.

And while you're doing it, just keep a notebook handy

so that you can write down expressions or new words

which you can look up and check later on.

Simple as that!

Writing every day has some amazing benefits.

But before I talk about that I want to make it clear,

I'm not talking about writing an essay, okay?

I'm just talking about writing a few thoughts or a few

ideas down. It only has to take a few minutes

and nobody ever has to see it.

It's just for you. So there's a few reasons why writing

every day is an excellent habit to get into.

It helps your vocabulary to stick.

Writing is one of the best ways to recall

new words and expressions that you've come across.

When so many of my students have asked me

"What is the best way to remember vocabulary?"

this is my recommendation.

As you're reading or watching TV shows or books,

you come across new ideas and words

and you write them down but

then you start to use them yourself.

You think of sentences and your own ideas about

how to use these words.

That way you're producing your own sentences

rather than just listening to other people's

and it helps it just stick in your mind.

And then you can improve it.

Once you've written something,

you can do so much with it.

You can copy/paste it into a grammar checker

like Grammarly to help you to identify some of the errors

that you're making.

So Grammarly is free to use,

I've included a link in the description below

because it's awesome.

It helps you to see the mistakes that you're making

like maybe you're using the wrong preposition

or

you don't need to use an article when you've written one.

So I really recommend that you take a look to help you

see and realise the mistakes that you're making

and you can also review your own work.

Once you've finished writing, leave it for a few days

or a few weeks, come back to it.

See if you can make any improvements

or if you can use a thesaurus

to look up synonyms and replace some of the words

with more advanced ones.

These are just a few ideas but getting into a daily

writing practice creates so many opportunities for you

to apply what you've learned or what you've seen

or what you've experienced in English

and then review it and improve it.

Lastly, join an English discussion

about stuff that interests you.

Now this sounds serious and may be complicated

but it's not, I promise. I'm just talking about joining an

active group or online community

where there are people interacting.

They're sharing their ideas, they're giving opinions

and you're able to respond.

So you can comment and actually be part

of the discussion as it happens.

Now this could be in person but it can easily

be as part of an online community.

Plus that makes it, you know, even easier to create

a daily habit around it

because it's simply about checking in

and seeing what everyone else has been talking about

and giving your two cents worth.

So how do you find these places?

It takes a little work. You can't just Google 'cooking'

and join the first group that you find.

Join a few different ones, see which one is the most

active, which one has really interesting discussions

happening in it.

Sometimes nothing gets posted in these groups

for days and that's not really helpful for you, right?

So I would start by writing down

your top five hobbies or interests.

Don't start with English language.

What else are you into? Are you into

politics or yoga or marketing,

photography, sports. I mean you probably already follow

people or a part of groups that are like this.

So all you need to do is commit to checking in

once a day and write a comment.

It's not more complicated than that.

If someone shared something and they're asking

for opinions, don't keep scrolling.

It's an opportunity for you to share so stop,

think of a way that you can contribute.

Now I'm gonna add some great, really active

and interesting groups in the description below

just to give you a few ideas of what I'm talking about

but I want to know if you're already part of some

lively Facebook groups or other online communities.

What kinds of things do you discuss

and do you ever contribute?

So if you can bring those four things

into your daily routine in some way,

you will absolutely, without a doubt

improve your English.

Remember that it takes a little bit of time to create

good habits. It's not as simple as

deciding you're gonna do it.

So I've got a couple of extra tips to help you get started.

Do your research first.

Find a blog or a TV series that will keep you

interested so you don't have to look for something to do

okay? Give yourself a week or so to find the right

type of community to join and be part of the

discussions with.

Then create a regular schedule to help you get started

and really I just mean decide when you're going to do

these four things so for example,

pronunciation practice might be in the bathroom

for five to ten minutes every morning

as you're getting ready for work.

Then listening to your favourite podcast

on your way to work and you're writing down

your words on the bus.

On your lunch break, might be the time to check a

Facebook group and write a group comment.

Then spend ten minutes at the end of your day

writing about what you did

or what you learnt before dinner

and simply put that on repeat.

Very quickly you'll realise that English has become

a regular daily part of your routine.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

You can connect with me

on Instagram and my Facebook here.

I hope that you found all of these ideas

and these suggestions useful.

Let me know if you're doing some of these things

already or if you're planning to put any of them

into practice, let me know how it goes.

And as promised, here is one of my imitation lessons

to help you work on your pronunciation.

I'll see you in there!