Recently, English has developed into one of the most important elements in business and education. However, English that is learned in Japanese education is mainly grammar and writing, and there are few opportunities to study the skills actually needed in situations where English is used, such as speaking and listening. Even in such an environment, I think there are many people in Japan who are trying to improve their English skills. “Study Abroad” and “Travel Abroad” are among the best ways to improve your skills, but it is not an easy way for anyone to do right away. I have studied abroad for three years in Canada when I was in high school, but I would like to share some of the simple tips for improving my English that I gained in that experience.
You have to change the way to study English based on your level
The best tips for improving listening are watching foreign dramas, overseas programs and foreign movies on video sites and DVDs. At first glance it seems to be the way many people are doing, but if you take several steps while watching you can improve your English skills more.
Step 1: English voice + Japanese subtitles
Step 1 is to set English voice + Japanese subtitles. It is very important to adjust your ears to the native speaker’s English. It does not mean that you will be aware of what you are saying right from the beginning, but as you continue in the long run you will be able to pick up words one by one in places.
Step 2: English voice + English subtitles
And set it as English voice + English subtitles as step 2. I’m good at writing, but I also recommend it to people who lack listening skills. Even words that can not be picked up just by listening can be made easier to recognize by combining the letters. In addition, people who remember most lines in Japanese in their favorite films etc. can hear English grammar and conversation more naturally by combining it with the information.
It is also important to choose the genre of the video!
It is important to be aware of the genre of video you watch. If you want to study familiar English used in your life, I recommend that you choose a genre suitable for it. For example, in genres like fantasy and science fiction, old language such as period drama in Japan is used, and expressions and words that are not often heard in real life may be used.
Use English to speak up for practice!!
Speaking can be said to be the category that Japanese people struggle with when learning English. Because in English there are a lot of pronunciation that is not in Japanese. Before I went to Canada, I attended English lessons, repeated my favorite phrases while watching foreign dramas and practiced speaking, but I still went to Canada when I went to Canada. I struggled a lot in the conversation part. First of all, I repeated the long process of translating the words (in English) said by the other person (English) into Japanese → thinking about what I wanted to say in Japanese and translating it into English into words.
I actually use it in words
If you want to improve your speaking ability, you will be able to gradually understand Japanese as you speak Japanese by talking with native people using English. It is very important that you actually use it in words, and if there are no friends or acquaintances from around the world, you can improve your English conversation by joining the English-speaking community, such as joining an English-like community. connect.
The pronunciation improvement is also effective karaoke
People who want to improve not only “speak” but also “pronounce” skills are recommended to practice with native speakers. If you are a karaoke lover, you can also practice pronunciation by singing English lyrics. It is a strange event that you often experience overseas, but there are some foreign students from other countries who can not use English pronunciation and conversation skills but can use native pronunciation perfectly when you start singing. Such people seem to hear the word as “sound” rather than “pronounce”.
Get some opportunities to use English
In this way, by gradually incorporating English elements into your daily activities, you can naturally increase the chances of interacting with English. Among these various methods, the most important tip that can be said to be No. 1 is “Learning while having fun”. No matter how hard you try and practice, there are no former and no children who have suffered.
Let’s start with something you like
If you like Western music, listen to a lot of songs from overseas and try to sing, if you like to talk, try actively participating in places where you can communicate with people from overseas, or a method that suits you By working on the English language, you may be more active and be interested in different methods of study. I think many people find it difficult to ask “school subjects” and “business qualifications”, but by incorporating the method I mentioned this time, more people will feel “English” familiar. I hope you are interested.
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