English

[capriciousduck]

Guys are there any good sources or channels to kickstart my English language abilities? I am a non-native English speaker. I haven't spoken in English for a very very long time. Now I feel like I forgot the language. I'm fine with reading and writing but very bad at speaking. I feel like my mind's processing speed became too slow. And I'm sure it's not because of the translation from my native language to English. I mean words don't come to my mind when responding to the other person. But while writing I get a few quick responses. I am certainly not asking you for a magic pill. I just want to know where should  I start.

Does constantly revisiting a few hundreds of mostly spoken words will solve my problem? And do you know of any good language forum? And is speaking good English possible without learning grammar rules? (I mean if I have a basic understanding of forming a sentence)

[Forestluv]

If you are most interested in improving speaking skills, iTalki is a great online community. They have certified teachers and uncertified tutors at a reasonable price. As well, native English speakers learning your native language will skype with you for free. Half the conversation is in English, half the conversation is in your native language. 

I’d also recommend choosing native English speakers. There are many many people that speak English as a second language without full fluency. This is no big deal in casual conversation. Yet when learning a foreign language, I’ve found native speakers that speak clearly and use correct grammar to be most helpful. 

[UnconsciousHuman]

@capriciousduck Read books in english and look up words you dont know, and also chat up some english people online. goodluck

[UnconsciousHuman]

@modmyth Yeah totally agree with that. If you throw yourself in deep water and you got some basic swimming skills, you will eventually learn to swim like a fish. 

I remember back in High school I needed to catch up and learn 1 and a half years worth of Calculus In just 3 months, I threw myself right into all the complexity and came out an A student. Its a really good way to learn, although I cant quite put a finger on the reason that is so.

[capriciousduck]

@modmyth What do mean by immersion-type experience? You mean just start talking in English?

[danilofaria]

Try Duolingo. It is a fun little language learning app that can serve as a good introduction and help you form a foundation. 

[Calcifer]

@capriciousduck Basically the fastest way is full immersion. That´s pretty much the foundation for fast learning, nevertheless there are still some interesting details that can greatly boost your language learning capabilities. Just research a bit about "hyperpolyglots". The term itself means that you are fluent in about 6 or more languages. Some people though managed to be fluent in over 40 languages.

Here are some research leads, if you want to do delve a bit deeper into the topic.

Good luck on your language learning journey

 

[shokoman]

@Calcifer  Thanks for videos