Tailored tips to go from intermediate to advanced English
1. Listen to more English content
Remember this dialogue?
“I wish I could, but I don’t want to.”
This is a famous dialogue from our favorite character Phoebe in the web series ‘Friends’.
We remember the dialogue because it was delivered by a character we admire. We have talked about the same to our friends numerous times and repeated it.
The more we heard and repeated it, the more it got imprinted in our brains.
It is a scientifically proven fact that we are more likely to retain what we have heard than what we have read. This is the reason why our brains retain things more easily when we have heard or seen them.
Hence, listen more.
Moreover, make sure you not only listen to English content but recite and repeat it too.
2. Read
While you watch and listen to English content, also read and start storing the new words learned in your journal or notepad.
These will help you in the technique of spaced repetition further discussed in this article.
3. Search for the meaning of words that you already know
Has this ever happened to you?
You know a word, you notice a lot of people in your circle using it all the time but you don't know its meaning?
Or you are familiar with the term but due to a lack of knowledge of its meaning, you just can’t use it in sentences?
Do this.
Next time you encounter a familiar word but don't know its meaning, Google it right then. Learn its meaning so that you don't end up using it incorrectly.
Furthermore, don’t just search for meanings, learn their usage too.
4. Practice pronunciations
While it is important to know what to use in your conversations, it's equally important to know how to pronounce them.
Most of the time, your insufficiently trained vocals hinder your confidence to use certain words in conversation.
Googled the meaning of a word?
Good.
Now click on the pronunciation icon and see how your Google assistant pronounces the word. Repeat.
5. Have a realistic role model
Now, this is important. You can't mindlessly aim to achieve something you don't have any idea about. Set a role model for yourself.
Search for people who have impeccable English and try imitating them. Try speaking the way they do, notice the intonation in their speech and try to copy the same.
Setting a role model will help you achieve better fluency in a shorter span.
Don’t believe me? Try it yourself.
6. Spaced repetition is important
You can learn thousands of new words every day, but chances are, they will slip your memory.
Further, we can't retain things for a longer duration. This is where the effective technique of spaced repetition steps in.
As the name suggests, in this technique, you need to ensure that you go through the new words you learn more frequently initially and less frequently later when you start recalling them.
The process to practice this trick is simple.
As you surround yourself with new words, record them in your journal(or a book).
Once you have jotted the new word learned in a book, give them a look every week. After some time, start recalling them every consecutive month and later, every alternate month, and slowly reduce the frequency. In this way, they get impressed in your memory forever.
7. Speak
As you have learned the words, the best way is to speak and use the words in your sentences. Speaking not only trains your voice, but it is also the best way to learn the language in a short time.
Hence, speak regularly.
Conclusion:
In this article, I shared how you can take your English from a basic to an advanced level. Moreover, the tips discussed in this article aren’t only helpful for those who want to take their spoken English skills to an advanced level but also for those who want to gain fluency in the language.
