Do you know what mobile phones, TV shows, video games and books have in common?
If used together, they can all be great tools to help you learn English or other foreign languages
faster and more efficiently.
So, if whenever you think about learning English you only picture yourself
hunched over a textbook, keep watching.
Today, I'm talking about why and how you should use multiple tools to learn English.
There are two great advantages to using multiple tools to learn English or any other foreign language.
The first is that switching up your learning resources will help you work on all of the skills
you need to master a new language: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
When you only study with one tool, you're usually denying yourself that possibility.
The second main advantage is that when you turn things that you enjoy doing into learning opportunities
it's way more likely that you'll enjoy learning.
You'll stay motivated and you'll avoid getting bored and giving up.
So, let's take a look at the best learning tools you can use
and why you should incorporate each of them into your language learning routine.
Experience total immersion
We'll start with a tool you're using right now!
YouTube videos are a great learning resource that you really don't want to miss.
And to make the most of it, subscribe to the MosaLingua channel and turn on your notifications.
This way you'll be the first to know whenever we publish a new video
that might help you learn English or another foreign language.
Of course, our channel doesn't have to be your only destination whenever you head to YouTube.
Videos are a great learning tool and you should really take advantage of their "all in one" nature.
Videos can help you practice your listening skills, build up your vocabulary
and even improve your pronunciation if, for instance
you use the shadowing technique that we talked about in another video.
And videos can be suitable for learners at all levels.
If you're a beginner, you can choose ones that are aimed at learners
and that have subtitles – just like ours!
Once you've made some good progress
you can start watching videos about your own hobbies and interests
from chocolate chip cookie recipes to... rocket science...
As long as you do it in English.
Watching movies and TV shows is another smart way
to take advantage of the power of audiovisual content.
And if you're learning English, it's extremely easy to find something you'll like
since there are tons of options to choose from.
If you still haven't watched Luca's video about how to use TV series and films
to improve your language skills without leaving your couch
I recommend watching it next! I'll put the link in the description for you.
Keep your English teacher in your pocket
But the sad truth is even if you hear new expressions in videos or your favorite TV shows
you won't magically learn them.
If you want to incorporate all the new interesting words and expressions you hear
into your active vocabulary and be able to use them correctly
you'll need to go that extra mile.
That's why another tool you should really add to your learning routine
is a vocabulary focused app, whether it be web-based or mobile.
A good learning app will help you improve your vocabulary
learn the basics of a language's grammar, and work on your pronunciation.
All that on the go! Whenever and wherever you have a few minutes of spare time.
If you haven't found an app that you love yet, I encourage you to try ours.
With the MosaLingua app, you'll learn everything that I just mentioned
and you'll also focus on the most common and useful "everyday" English.
Plus, you'll get all of the advantages of the Spaced Repetition System
the most effective vocabulary memorization system out there.
Start interacting in the most fun way
Once you're ready to move on to a more interactive experience, you can try playing video games.
Just like with movies and TV shows, video games are a particularly interesting tool for English learners
because of the wide variety of games that are available.
There are many advantages of using video games as learning tools
starting from the fact that, once you find the right one for you, you'll enjoy spending time playing.
And, without any extra effort on your part, you'll have a truly immersive language experience.
It's even better if you pick a multi-player game
since you'll use English to communicate with your teammates.
Some of my "best" students, who felt most comfortable speaking in English
and who sounded the most natural doing so, were hardcore gamers.
Pick up language structures effortlessly
Although books, articles, magazines, comics and other reading materials
are the last English learning tools I'll talk about today
that doesn't mean they're the least important.
Quite the opposite.
Reading is actually a wonderful way to not only improve your vocabulary
but also to get a better understanding of different sentence structures.
Plus, they have that extra advantage of making something that's fun, educational...
or making something that's educational, fun!
The trick is knowing how to choose the best reading material for your current level.
If you're an absolute beginner, read the subtitles on YouTube videos and TV shows
to make sure that you learn each new word along with its correct pronunciation.
If you're about an A2 student and already have a basic understanding of English
move on to comic books, newspapers and online articles about subjects you're familiar with.
And, once you have a little more experience under your belt
you can move on to reading material written for native speakers.
From that point on, the sky is the limit.
To find out what to read to improve your English or another foreign language
watch the video Luca recorded about that topic.
I'll put the link in the video description for you.
Happy learning and take care!
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See you next time!