General Advice for English Language Learners

1. Define Your Purpose and Goals

First, you must determine why you want to learn the language. If your primary goal is to speak (communication), it would be highly beneficial to begin with activities focused on conversational practice right from the start.

2. Utilize Online Resources

There are excellent channels on YouTube that explain the English language very well. You should definitely check out the recommended ones and discover others on your own.

3. Prioritize Pronunciation and Listening

The challenging aspect of English is that words are often not pronounced as they are written. Therefore, you are obliged to learn every word along with its pronunciation. For this reason, I believe great importance should be placed on listening exercises from the very beginning.

If you are learning the British Accent (or any specific accent), you must try to articulate the words as native speakers do. Seeing and hearing is crucial. By observing the movements of the mouth, it is even possible to master the accent.

4. Dedicate Consistent Time to Practice

If English is your first foreign language, you might struggle a little. Hence, you should dedicate time to the language in every bit of free time you find.

It is essential to engage in listening, reading, and speaking practice during your lunch break, before going to sleep at night, and after the morning prayer (or first thing in the morning).

5. Avoid Excessive Grammar Focus

English has an abundance of verb tenses, but we do not use all of them when speaking, nor do we require much grammar in conversation. I absolutely do not recommend a grammar-heavy curriculum, because the more you dwell on grammar, the more impossible it becomes to truly learn the language. Instead, reading and listening exercises are far more important.

6. Establish a Regular Vocabulary Routine

I recommend learning between 5 and 15 new words daily, consistently, along with their pronunciations. For this, I suggest using the Anki program. Anki is a program utilized by linguists that presents vocabulary to you at optimal spaced intervals (Spaced Repetition System).

7. Start with High-Frequency Words

It is highly beneficial to initially learn the 500 most frequently used words and 100 verbs. However, if you are following a textbook (which is probably the best approach), you will naturally learn these words in context.

Therefore, do not overexert yourself, but be aware that vocabulary is the most difficult part of the language. While the grammar can be learned in a few months, mastering the vocabulary and the various contexts in which words are used will take a long time.

8. Understand the Role of Dedication and Perseverance

Above all else, I want you to know that language learning is a matter of divine facilitation (nasip). But reaching that facilitation is also within our control. If we ask for it in our prayers and work practically (ameli) and diligently, it is possible to learn quickly in a few years.

Often, during the initial intensity of learning, the language is the first thing to be sacrificed, but it would be much better if we didn't do this. Language is one of the most effective paths that will open doors for us and allow us to surpass our competitors globally.

9. Read Extensively and Contextually

You must not neglect reading graded readers (storybooks) appropriate for your level. If you memorize 10 words, make sure you see these 10 words at least a few times in the text you are reading. Learning vocabulary through context by reading texts is the best method.

10. Be Mindful of Multiple Word Meanings

Do not assume that every word has only one meaning. The same word might have a different meaning in the field of History than it does in Philosophy literature. Or, a word might have a different meaning within the same field. You must always check if there is another meaning when a word appears nonsensical in a certain place.

11. Final Thoughts

These are my humble suggestions for those who wish to learn English. It is also a fact that the responsibility ultimately falls on the student (talebe) who seeks to learn and acquire knowledge.

Ozan Dur

Türkiye Based Language Researcher

Translated by ia