Hello everyone! Today I'll be sharing with you how I improved my English.
This is a highly requested video
A lot of you know that I'm a CBC (Canadian born Chinese).
But you might not have known that I actually lived in Hong Kong for a long period of time.
I'll start from the beginning.
I was born in Toronto, but moved to Hong Kong right after.
I lived in Hong Kong until the end of grade 5, then moved back to Canada.
Then I've been in Canada from grade 6 until now (in university).
While I was living in Hong Kong, I studied in a local, Cantonese-speaking school.
My older siblings went to the Canadian International School (English-speaking).
That's why I've always spoken a mix of English and Cantonese at home.
When I was younger, I thought my English was slightly better than my fellow Cantonese-speaking classmates.
It wasn't until I moved back to Canada when I realized my English wasn't as amazing as I had thought.
So today I will be sharing 5 tips I used to improve my English.
I know a lot of you plan on going overseas to pursue your studies, or just want to simply improve your English.
These tips aren't just applicable for learning English, but other languages as well.
If you've seen my older Cantonese-speaking videos, you would have seen that my Canto was really bad.
Since then, I've definitely improved my Cantonese.
I used these 5 tips to teach myself how to speak and read Chinese.
Let's get started right away!
I hope you guys are doing this tip #1 already.
When you watch youtube videos, turn on the English captions (if available).
All my Cantonese videos have English subtitles available (typed by myself).
Although this tip might seem really simple, it's actually very helpful!
By doing this, you'll subconsciously pick up on new words and phrases.
Tip #2 is catered towards those who plan on moving or studying overseas.
If you plan on going to Toronto to study, for example, you are bound to meet other Cantonese speakers.
Becoming friends with fellow Canto speakers isn't a problem.
However, you should ensure that you also converse with the locals in English
You might feel awkward with a heavy foreign accent, but you'll never improve unless you actually speak it!
When I was in grade 6, I was the only Asian at my school.
My English speaking skills were fine and I could easily talk to others.
I was telling my friends that I have an older brother and sister, so I said...
My classmates started to laugh at me and I was confused because I was positive that I said it correctly.
They corrected me and told me I said "bro-der" instead of "bro-ther"
Though I was embarrassed that they laughed at me, it helped me realize I've been saying "brother" wrong.
The third tip is actually taught by my mom.
Although I didn't need to take the SAT, my mom told me to memorize one new SAT English word per day.
Beisdes simply memorizing the definition of the word, it's important to know when,
and in what context, you would use it.
For example, I would Google "paramount in a sentence".
Then I'd look at different examples in which that word was used.
It's also important to know if the word has a positive, neutral, or negative tone.
It's important to also use the word when you speak to people or type an essay.
I find that you won't memorize the word until you actually use it.
Even now that I'm in university, I still learn a new word on a daily basis.
My mom bought me a massive calendar to stick on my dorm room wall.
I would add a new word to the calendar and make an attempt to use it in my daily life.
I actually mentioned this fourth tip in my 50 facts video.
Keep a notepad on your phone to jot down words or phrases that you don't know.
Then when you get home, search up the definition in Chinese and write it beside the English word.
I used this exact method to learn how to read Chinese from scratch.
This fifth tip is so cringeworthy and cheesy.
I still have to say it though. Do not give up!!
No matter how many people laugh at you, it's not a big deal to say something wrong.
As long as you correct yourself and improve, then it's okay!
If you have any questions about studying in Canada, feel free to leave a comment below.
Hope you guys found this video helpful!