Learning English doesn’t have to be difficult when you create a plan and you know WHY you want to learn English. The first question to ask yourself is WHY do you want to learn English? Do you want to learn because you want to improve your career, travel, go to university or just for general everyday conversation and improving your confidence.
It is important to know your WHY as knowing this can help you to know WHAT type of English you need to study.
Let’s delve deeper into the reasons for learning English as they are different for everyone according to your purpose and how you intend to learn to achieve your goals:
1. University
If you want to attend university then your focus might be on learning academic English that will help you with building your knowledge on writing essays in an academic style and terminology for your specific topic. Academic English is different to general English and there are teachers that specialise in academic English.
2. Exams
If you want to complete the IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC or PTE exam, you will need to find a specialised training program. A teacher with knowledge of these types of exams can help you decide which training program is right for you according to your requirements. Your teacher can help you to learn and develop the skills necessary for the exam, this type of English learning is different from general English.
3. English for specific purposes
You might want to learn English to improve your knowledge in speaking with other international professionals in your career. For example, if you are an engineer, doctor, a nurse, accountant, psychologist or any other type of detailed profession. You may be able to find a teacher or trainer that has specific knowledge in your area and you can focus on learning the terminology for conversations in your job.
4. Business English
Learning business terminology is popular to improve your career if you need to focus on presentations, emails and using business English to build good working relationships with your clients. You will need to find a teacher that can help you improve your particular area for your business English skills. Some teachers have changed careers and already have a background working for corporate companies.
5. General English
If you want to improve your communication with native speakers, then finding a teacher to have general conversations in English can help you. For example, you can have conversations about travel, shopping, booking a restaurant and building conversation for a specific topic and goal. You might want to travel to an English speaking country and you need to learn English within a certain time.
Achieving your goals
There are many reasons why you might want to learn English. Once you know your main reason, the next step is to decide how you want to learn English and how much time you are willing to spend learning during the week to reach your goals. Do you want to go to a language school and learn English with a group of other students or do you want to learn English online? If you choose to learn English online, that can save you time and you can learn from the comfort of your own home.
There are many teachers online and you will have a lot of options to choose a teacher that you feel can help you with your specific goals. If you have the time and resources available, there can be opportunities to study English overseas for a few months if you feel that it will be the best option for your situation. There are many opportunities and you just need to think about and find the best option that feels right for you. No one can make that decision for you, choose wisely.
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
Albert Einstein