What is the best way to learn English? - Mr Duncan answers your questions ( A very useful lesson)

I receive many questions from you, my viewers,

concerning not only the English language itself,

but questions concerning the action of learning English as a subject.

Today I will look at some of those questions in detail and try to answer them as best I can.

I can. First of all, I am often asked what the best way to learn English is.

As I have mentioned before.

There are many ways of learning English,

but I would also say there  are many ways of learning 

English that may not be suitable for you.

I always say that learning is an activity

that can be described as individual.

That is to say, each person will have a slightly different experience

when learning something.

What might seem easy for one person could prove to be difficult for someone else

learning in exactly the same way.

My advice is always to take your time whilst learning

and give yourself plenty of time to practice without feeling any pressure.

This will prevent you from feeling tired,

and also it will help you to work out whether 

or not that method of  learning is suitable for you.

Some people prefer listening and repeating whilst learning English.

Others would rather read and write down the words that they are interested in learning.

Both of those methods are very good, but they might not be suitable for everyone.

The advice I'm giving here relates to the basic learning of English words and phrases.

Sometimes the most relaxing form of learning can also be the most effective.

Simply listening to something being recited or read out loud

can also help you to learn another language.

Feeling relaxed whilst  learning is always important 

no matter what the subject is being studied.

Some people enjoy listening  to an English audio book 

or video lesson in the evening.

This allows the student to both relax and learn at the same time.

They have in the past, been  long discussions by experts

over whether or not it is possible to learn whilst sleeping.

Some people believe that it  is possible to learn anything 

if you are listening to  that thing being explained,

whilst you are unconscious.

It might actually be possible to pick up or absorb certain words or phrases

whilst in a relaxed state.

Although not everyone believes it is possible to do that.

Another question I'm often asked refers to the amount of time it takes to learn English,

and be able to use it at a certain level.

At the risk of repeating myself, I will say it again.

Learning anything takes time and patience.

Learning a new language is something that has to be done over time.

It cannot be rushed.

It cannot be done in a hurry

and however much you are told that it is possible...

there are no magic tricks or secret methods to help you to learn English fast.

If those methods did exist, then of course we would all be using them,

but sadly they do not. In  general life, there are rarely 

any shortcuts to anything we  want to do, obtain or learn.

The old fashioned sit down and study is still the best method to learn most things.

Of course, it is possible  to have fun whilst learning.

There are many good ways of doing this.

A good example of course, is this actual YouTube channel.

My video lessons are designed to be useful but also fun as well.

Learning should be a fun experience.

Yes, of course there will be times when you have to concentrate

and spend afternoons and evenings studying hard,

but that should not stop you from having some fun along the way.

Being able to listen and become involved with the subject of English by listening,

reading and of course commenting on my videos as well.

Captions and subtitles will help you to read new words,

learn new expressions, and as you go along, pick up some of those horrible grammar rules.

Once again, it is worth mentioning that all this takes time.

It cannot be done overnight.

There are no shortcuts or quick fixes when it comes to learning English.

The final question that I would like to cover

concerns one of the biggest worries that most people learning English have.

Of course, I am talking all about the most important thing of all that we all need

when we are doing anything.

That particular thing is confidence

and the feeling of being at ease or relaxed when using the language verbally.

We often refer to this as the practical side of using English.

Something practical is done for real.

Quite often in the form of an action.

During most English examinations there will be a practical test.

This is carried out as a way of testing your ability to communicate,

and to be able to use English in daily conversation.

It is not enough to simply understand English.

You must be able to use it in a practical way.

To do this, you will need to not only know the language,

but also how to use that language skill and put it into practice.

Many English tests will be carried out

as a way of observing just how well you can process English,

up here in your head.

Questions will often be asked, and answers from you will be required.

Confidence is part of this particular section of the exam.

How fast can you answer the questions?

By that I mean how long does it take for you to reply?

How clear is your answer?

How confident do you sound giving your answer?

And I suppose the most important thing of all...

does your answer make any sense?

In your day to day life you will need to be able to use English in many different situations.

Having the ability and the confidence to do it are both very important parts

of learning and using English.

The words are important.

The grammar will help you to be understood

and the clarity of your voice will also be judged in the test.

When speaking, it is always tempting to talk fast.

From my own experience of teaching English,

I always say that it is more important to be understood

than to sound like your favourite character from a Hollywood movie.

You might not even realise this,

but people who speak slowly and with purpose are often seen as confident and self-assured.

There is no need to talk at such a fast pace in an English test.

You might even find that you are marked down for speaking too quickly.

As I always say, the most important part of speaking English is being understood.

That is the whole purpose of using any language, including English.

I really hope you have enjoyed today's English lesson.

And I really hope it has been useful to you.

If you have a question or comment you would like to leave,

then post it in the comments below this video.

And of course you can also give me a lovely like as well.

This is Mr. Duncan saying thanks for watching.

See you soon. And of course…

Ta ta for now.