Friends, many of you probably had a desire to start studying English language for free without outside help and any paid educational courses.

And that's great! After all, learning a foreign language expands human consciousness, opens up opportunities for travel and communication with people from other parts of the world. Believe me Having mastered another language, you will begin to think and perceive the world around you differently!

However, judging by the experience of most students, some people give up trying to learn English due to a lack of self-discipline and simple laziness! And indeed, an abundance of all kinds of rules and bad memories from school curriculum training discourages all desire to learn!

We decided to help everyone learn English on your own and prepared 7 the best ways to master it. These methods significantly save time and simplify understanding of grammar, and most importantly, they are free!

Using these methods and devoting at least 1 hour a day to studying, in a few months you will master basic principles, expand your vocabulary and be able to speak freely on general/simple topics with native speakers.

1. Dmitry Petrov's method

Dmitry Petrov is a famous linguist, translator and public figure, who speaks more than 15 languages. He developed a course of 16 video lessons that can be found freely available on the Internet (episodes of the “Polyglot” program on the Russia TV channel). You can watch video tutorials.

In addition to the course of video lessons, there is a free mobile application for learning English using the method of Dmitry Petrov.

The effectiveness of Dmitry Petrov's method: the material is presented in a very simple and understandable form, which quickly dispels fear of tenses, verb forms, etc. For short time You will gain communication skills, plus you will practice basic language algorithms until they become automatic.

2. Duolingo.com platform

A free international language learning platform without premium packages, advertising or webinars, which was launched in 2011. The training system is built in the form of interesting lessons based on gamification, during which students help translate websites, articles, etc.

The basis of training is Dualingo skill tree, through which users advance by completing tasks and earning experience points. The platform has many functions, such as completing tasks against time, etc. In addition to the web project, Duolingo has a mobile application. On Dualingo you can learn not only English, but German and French, and soon Spanish and Swedish will also be available.

Duolingo efficiency: According to research, 34 hours of Duolingo training provides the same reading and writing skills as a semester of study (130 hours) in higher education. educational institutions. Currently, many teachers in schools use the Dualingo program. The project provides excellent skills for speech recognition and translations.

3. Movie mania with subtitles

The method is based on watching your favorite films and TV series with double subtitles, but in English dubbing. It turns out that you simultaneously hear English speech and see the writing and translation.

The main point is making the right choice series and films. Beginners need to watch films in which simple dialogues and there is no use of specific words. Many people call the famous series “Friends” ideal for watching with double subtitles.

Efficiency of the method: quickly remember new words and phrases, master pronunciation. However, to feel the effect, you need to watch quite a lot of episodes or films.

4. Ilya Frank method

This method involves learning a language by reading books in English without a dictionary. You read and remember due to the repetition of words in the text of books.

In addition, for interesting reading, it offers explanations with translations of each sentence. Just download Ilya Frank’s books and read them at any time convenient for you. You can see what the text in the book looks like in the picture below.

The effectiveness of Ilya Frank's method: Frank's learning is ideal for memorizing words. You read a book and as you learn, you begin to skip the explanatory inserts. According to reviews it is said that if you read 1-2 hours a day, then in a year you will be able to read without problems english books in the original.

5. Alexander Dragunkin method

Alexander Dragunkin developed his own method of teaching English, in which he abandoned the traditional classical study of the rules of reading words, replacing it with Russified transcription.

In his method he also developed 53 “golden” grammar formulas, which differ from the classic ones. Dragunkin offers his vision of language learning and understanding of grammar, which will be simple and understandable for beginners.

To get started, we recommend watching the 3-hour video tutorial, under which you will find a link to many teaching materials and Dragunkin tables to help with learning.

The effectiveness of the Dragunkin Method: the main advantage of Dragunkin’s method is that the material is presented in a very accessible form for “dummies.” All the material (tables, rules) by Dragunkin is systematized, making it easy to remember.

6. Dr. Pimsleur Method

Dr. Pimsleur's method is based on listening, when the student listens to dialogues, constructs phrases and reproduces them from memory. Course of Study consists of 3 parts, each of which contains 30 lessons(audio material + text).

The important point is that learning using the Pimsleur method requires great concentration. In particular, it is impossible, for example, to combine training with being in public places, because Often, as part of training, it is necessary to repeat after the speaker.

The effectiveness of Dr. Pimsleur's method: training using this method is perfect for those who have poor pronunciation. The course according to Dr. Pimsleur’s method perfectly develops memory and promotes good recognition English speech(especially dialects).

7. YouTube training

In addition to the above methods, we will leave for you several excellent YouTube channels for learning English. Each of them has its own training program that will help you master English.

Puzzle English- an excellent channel with a wide variety of grammar lessons, language learning tips, lessons on correct pronunciation, etc.

English like clockwork is an entertaining channel where language learning is carried out through jokes, games, music, films, etc.

OXANA DOLINKA— a channel of the user of the same name, where a girl teaches English and focuses on live modern language, as well as the nuances of spoken English when traveling.

English at Steve Jobs School- a channel where short lessons touch on certain topics of the English language, as well as dialogues in films, talk about metaphors in English, etc.

Albert Kakhnovskiy- a channel where English is taught by the famous Raymond Murphy.

Efficiency of the method: learn English in youtube channels simple and fun. Studying does not oblige you to anything and you can devote as much time to studying as you wish.

Learn English on your own not easy! Most people note that it is often difficult to overcome their laziness, remember this! Do not succumb to the provocations of your consciousness to abandon your studies!

– Where to start learning English on your own?

This question can be asked by two categories of people: very, very newbies and those who have some kind of weathered base from their school days. So let's immediately separate: newcomers - to the left (more precisely, read on in this article), and those who have studied - to the right and . Because the recipe will be different for you.

Now I’m addressing only you, beginners: this article is dedicated to your route from beginner to elementary levels. Together with Olga Sinitsyna, head of the methodology department, we described each step in detail and collected all the necessary links. This is the most complete article on the topic. Precisely for those who want to do everything themselves.

Contents of the article: teaching English independently from scratch

1. Alphabet: learn English from scratch on your own and for free

Pay attention to the patterns and differences of the sound system as a whole: in English there are almost no soft consonants, there are long/short and wide/narrow vowels, etc. To understand all this, .

3. First words: learn English on your own from scratch for free online

Since sounds need to be learned as part of a word, at the very first stage you will learn your first english words. You need to start with simple words that are used in everyday life.

6. Learn English grammar for beginners

In parallel with reading and studying entire phrases, you need to understand grammar. But not in theory, don’t delve into it by itself - learn useful English phrases and using their example, delve into the essence of grammatical rules. How it works, .

Also watch the video on how to properly teach grammar to a beginner

Let's look at what exactly needs to be understood and remembered at the initial level:

Articles. They are not in the Russian language at all. An article is a function word that is used together with a noun:

an apple (apple)

Here we have used the indefinite article an, because the word begins with a vowel. If a word begins with a consonant, then the article will be - a.

a dog (dog)

But besides indefinite article, there is also a certain - the. This video will help you understand articles:

Plural. Learn the rules of education plural in nouns. This is usually done by adding the suffix -s:

a cat – cats (cat – cats)

Word order in a sentence. In English it is strict: the subject comes first, then the predicate, then the other parts of the sentence:

I love my job. (I love my job)

IN interrogative sentence the word order is different and an auxiliary verb is added:

Do I love my job? (Do I love my job?)

It will help you deal with these subtleties.

There must be a verb. Without a verb English sentence it simply cannot exist. And where there is no verb in Russian, .

I am a doctor. (I am a doctor or I There is doctor, literally)

Features of the time system. The English language has three tenses, just like ours: present, past and future. But each time has four forms, and those who study them are constantly confused. You don't need to immediately plunge into this chaos.

Imperative – when you tell another person what to do. In English it is formed simply:

Love me! (Love me!) Do it! (Make it this one)

And other topics: degrees of comparison of adjectives, regular and irregular verbs, turnover there is – there are. Full list of topics. And so you and I will gradually get to elementary.

7. Comprehensively, from all sides: how to learn English on your own from scratch

All this - words, phrases, grammar - needs to be improved from 4 sides: listening, writing, speaking and reading. We have collected and described for you independent exercises and materials for working on each skill:

– Your level now is zero or beginner. On average, it takes 90-100 hours of study to reach the next level. Decide right away how many hours a day you are willing to study? If it’s an hour, then in 3 – 3.5 months you should reach elementary level. If it’s half an hour, then multiply the time by two. So set this period as a deadline for yourself.

– Now break down this huge goal of “reaching the elementary level” into specific and very clear tasks like “learn to express thoughts in the present tense”, “learn the 100 most common words”, “read a book in English”. Also plan these tasks according to specific deadlines.

Be sure to read it! Or watch the video:

9. What then? How to learn English on your own at home from scratch quickly

Learn English on your own online from scratch

Now you have a clear action plan. Everything is in your hands. If you need simulators to practice English, then. When registering, we will determine your English level and choose a goal together. And after that, the service will provide daily exercises for practice: vocabulary and grammar training, short stories for reading, video and audio for beginners. Let's break through together. 🙂

This article will help everyone who wants or has been trying to learn English and more. I have made a selection of various applications, courses and programs for learning English which I used myself. They can be used both on the road and at home, mobile phone or netbook. If you cannot decide on the required course, then leave comments with questions below, I will definitely answer and help you with your choice. So let's get started.

Duolingo: Learn languages ​​for free

"Undoubtedly the best free application for learning languages." -The Wall Street Journal

Description

Rosetta Stone Course and Totale Copanion (mobile versions from Rosetta Stone on Android OS)

Now you can practice learning a language with Rosetta Stone on devices with Android OS. If you need an analogue of the PC version, which is described above, then your choice is Rosetta Stone Course. Just register and you can get access to free lessons. Not to be confused with Totale Companion, as it is a specialized application that will also help you learn new language when you're on the road or away from your computer. The application is free, but only subscribers of the Totale course can use it, which is a huge disadvantage of the application, for the entire duration of their subscription. Full version Rosetta Stone Course is paid, but there are also free lessons for several languages. If you are interested in this program, then look for it in the Play Market.

English according to Dr. Pimsleur's method for Russian speakers (90 lessons, full course). Audiolingual course from Paul Pimsleur

Year of manufacture: 2005
Dr. Paul Pimsleur
Course type: audiolingual
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Format: mp3

Course Description:
You don't need any tutorials! There is no need to cram anything! The basis of the course is the perception of English speech and pronouncing phrases out loud. Dr. Pimsleur's language programs are the only form of language learning that includes an original, patented memory training technique that ensures you remember what you learn. The course was created specifically for Russian speakers learning English. It consists of 90 lessons recorded in mp3 format. You hear explanations and comments about what you are studying in the course in Russian, and the speech is in American English.

Download Paul Pimsleur's course

ABBYY Lingvo Dictionaries

• Year of manufacture: 2012
• Genre: Dictionaries
• Developer: ABBYY® Lingvo®
• Interface language: Multilingual
• Platform: Android 2.2+
• Interface: Russian
• Additionally: The program supports installation on SD (OS 2.2 and higher)
• Installer type: apk

Description. Perhaps the most popular dictionary for mobile devices based on operating system Android and more. The application provides fast and accurate translation of words and phrases without an Internet connection. It is worth noting the application's ability to search for translations of words and phrases in several dictionaries at once, as well as high-quality content from the world's leading publishers. With this dictionary you will have access to more than 250 translation, explanatory and thematic dictionaries for 30 languages, from which the user can easily create a vocabulary set to solve their problems. The most necessary thing for us is translation from Russian and back: Russian - English, plus Spanish, Italian, Latin, German and French. Thanks to the functionality of ABBYY Lingvo for Android, it will become an indispensable assistant when traveling, studying or at a business meeting. Thematic dictionaries are available for purchase from the application. These dictionaries will allow you to find a more accurate translation of words and phrases, as well as get additional information: other translations, transcriptions, synonyms, examples of use and correct pronunciation from native speakers.

Key features:

• Detailed vocabulary material with many meanings, examples of word usage and tables with word forms
• Pronunciation of words, voiced by native speakers (in terms of dictionaries)
• A single vocabulary card with articles from several dictionaries
• Hints when searching for a word or phrase
• Search for words in any grammatical form
• Quick translation of words from the clipboard

Installation:

Move the “Lingvo” folder from the archive to the ABBYY folder on the phone’s internal memory (sdcard0) and install the *apk file through your device’s file managers.

Self-studying English is a rather labor-intensive, but inexpensive way to master the language, which has its pros and cons. In this case, you choose the main source of information - it can be the Internet, educational games, an English language tutorial, a phrasebook, books (adapted or in the original), songs. There are many online services for beginners and intermediates.

Perhaps, but this type of training has its own characteristics that must be taken into account. Language acquisition includes 4 components: reading, writing, speaking (speaking) and listening (listening).

Reading

Reading- one of the types speech activity, a complex process of symbol decoding aimed at understanding text. One of the forms of linguistic communication between people using printed and handwritten texts. Also, reading can be considered as a wonderful tool for mastering a language, because in texts there are many unfamiliar words and words already familiar to us. Some words are ambiguous and their meaning is easier to remember in context. All this allows you not only to increase your vocabulary, but also to repeat previously learned grammatical structures. In order to ensure that working on the text does not turn into an impossible task, it is very important to select the text in accordance with your language level.

Letter

Letter- this is one of the types of speech activity, symbolic fixation of speech using special symbols (letters, hieroglyphs, drawings). Mastery of written language occurs gradually. To practice writing, you can use the following: forms of work:

• Rewriting text;
• Training dictations;
• Writing letters, essays.

Reading and writing are interconnected types of speech activity. Writing is a kind of encoding of information using symbols, and reading is the decoding of these symbols.

Oral speech

To master oral speech, you must have skills in voicing expressions, skills in using lexical units and grammatical skills for correct design proposals. In other words, in order to say something, you need to know the words required by a given situation, be able to pronounce them correctly and construct a sentence in accordance with the rules of the language. In addition to words, there are speech patterns, set expressions, which are often used in oral speech. Therefore, to master oral speech, you need not only to remember a certain amount individual words and expressions, but also to bring their use to automatism.

Listening to speech (listening)

Listening is the process of listening and understanding spoken expressions. The mechanism of this process includes:

• Perception of streams of sounds and recognition of words, sentences, paragraphs, etc. in them.
• Understanding the meaning of words, sentences, paragraphs. If you already have a certain speech experience, then this process is enhanced by predicting the content of what was said.

To understand English by ear, you need to listen as often as possible! You can communicate with other people in English (preferably with foreigners), talk on the phone, listen to music, watch videos, TV series.

Learning a foreign language not only develops memory and thinking, but also increases IQ level.

Where to start learning a language on your own?

When learning a foreign language on your own, your success will directly depend on the correctness of the chosen approach to learning.
It is necessary to adhere to the correct sequence of studying the material - from simple to complex. It is recommended to study topics in the following order:

• English alphabet (sounds and letters of the alphabet).
• Transcription.
• Reading rules.
• Vocabulary by topic (accumulation vocabulary).
• Grammar.

Each of these components is important, so you cannot miss anything, because all these points are closely interrelated. Remember that without correct pronunciation it will be difficult to understand you. Even after learning the entire dictionary, you will not speak, because sentences are built according to certain rules, and to construct them correctly, you need at least basic knowledge of grammar, because speech is not just a set of words.

When studying on your own, it is very important to check the correctness of your pronunciation. This can be done using online dictionaries. Click on the "horn" to hear how the word is pronounced. For example, you can use the sites Lingvo.ru or Howjsay.com. If you are working on a text, then use Google translator to listen to the entire text.

In learning vocabulary (replenishment of vocabulary), you should also adhere to a certain order. Start learning vocabulary with simple and more commonly used words and expressions on a specific topic. To do this, you can use the Englishspeak.com service (100 lessons with vocabulary by topic and the opportunity to listen to it), the Studyfun.ru service (vocabulary by topic and the opportunity to listen to it), a phrasebook (be careful - transliteration (English words in Russian letters) does not reveal the features English pronunciation!), self-teachers (their advantage is that in one lesson there are exercises on pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary for the lesson, texts for reading, colloquial phrases by topic). News lovers can use the news portal Newsinlevels.com, where the presentation of information depends on your level of English. It is important that each news is accompanied by an audio recording.

Knowledge of grammar is no less important than vocabulary. If you really want to, you can learn any rule, but so that working on the rule does not seem overwhelmingly difficult, your task is not to learn (memorize) the rule, but to understand it. If this rule is related to the use of tenses, passive voice, conditional sentences etc., understand the rule in your “native” language. For example, change the same sentence so that it corresponds to the tense forms of the English language, but compose the sentence in Russian (you can make changes). Then in English:

• In the summer we love to sunbathe on the beach (in general we love it - the present simple tense).
• Now we are sunbathing on the beach - (present continuous tense).
• - You look like boiled crayfish! - Of course, I was on the beach all day! (looks like a crayfish now because I was on the beach – simple perfect tense).
• We have been sunbathing on the beach since three o'clock (we have been sunbathing for 3 hours and are still going on - present perfect continuous tense).
• When we were little, we loved sunbathing on the beach (past simple tense).
• Yesterday we sunbathed all day (past continuous tense).
• When he came to us, we were already on the beach (two actions in the past, one of which happened earlier - past perfect tense).
• We sunbathed on the beach all day until he came! (the action lasted until a certain point in the past).
• Tomorrow we'll go to the beach! (future simple tense).
• And tomorrow at the same time we will already be sunbathing! (action in the future that will take some time - future continuous tense).
• In a week I will definitely finish writing my essay about summer! (the essay will be written at a certain moment in the future - future perfect tense).
• I will play volleyball on the beach until my parents follow me! (an action that will last in the future until a certain moment - future perfect continuous tense).

A good start doesn't always guarantee good ending, therefore, you need to approach the organization of independent classes responsibly. Remember that you need this first of all, and all control over the progress of the enterprise and its results rests with you!

1. Exercise regularly.
2. Depending on the results you want to achieve and the time frame for achieving them, set for yourself a mandatory duration of classes (for example, at least an hour and at least 3 times a week).
3. Everyone’s work speed is different, so you set the ideal learning rhythm for yourself (for example, 30 minutes a day).
4. Choose tasks of your level to avoid disappointment in yourself and your abilities. If you already have some knowledge, you can rewrite short texts, translate texts or articles, find yourself an interlocutor (on the Internet or real life) to practice skills colloquial speech(or written, for example pen pal).
5. All acquired knowledge should be immediately applied in practice, while trying to use all words and grammatical structures in oral and written speech.
6. Learning a foreign language is mostly cramming, which is hated by many, but you can’t do without it (for example, learning vocabulary)! But even in cramming you can find logic - for example, some words are international, so memorizing them based on the similarity of their sounds in your native language will facilitate the process of memorizing them.
7. Repetitio est mater studiorum (Repetition is the mother of learning). Be sure to take the time to review the material you’ve covered until it’s stuck in your head... forever. You will not be able to achieve the desired result by saving time on repetition. After all, repetition is one of the main conditions for memorizing and mastering material. Repetition specifically affects long-term memory, helping to retain information for a long time. Correct repetition of learned material improves its retention and facilitates its subsequent reproduction.

What can interfere with independent language learning?

« False" motivation, or lack proper motivation. Ask yourself the question “Why am I learning a language?” If the answer is for yourself, it’s fashionable, to get a job, then you are unlikely to achieve significant results. Why? Because you may (and most likely) won’t need it for yourself, and learning a language is a labor-intensive process; it’s fashionable – fashion changes, and so do languages. To get a job, the employer needs a qualified worker now, and not necessarily in you, when you learn the language.

Formulate specific goal, preferably of a practical nature, even if a trip abroad is not in the cards in the near future. For example: learning a language develops my intellectual abilities, by learning the language I develop my personal and communication skills, I can expand access to the information I need, because there is more of it in English; I want to watch movies and TV series in English, I want to communicate with foreigners, etc.

Typical beginner mistakes are:

Kato Lomb (8 February 1909 – 9 June 2003)- a famous Hungarian translator and writer who has worked as a simultaneous interpreter since the 1950s.

She spoke, read and wrote fluently in Hungarian, Russian, English, French, and German. She could express herself and understand Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and Polish. With a dictionary I read in Bulgarian, Danish, Romanian, Slovak, Ukrainian, Latin, Polish languages. She is a physicist and chemist by education, but already in her youth she was interested in languages, which she studied on her own.

Kato Lomb outlined her method of learning foreign languages ​​in the book "How I learn languages".

Kato Lomb summarized her approach to learning languages ​​in the 10 Commandments:

1. 1. Practice your language daily. At least 10 minutes, even if there is no time at all. It is especially good to exercise in the morning.
   2. If the desire to study weakens too quickly, do not “force” it, but do not give up studying either. Come up with some other form: put down the book and listen to the radio, leave the textbook exercises and look through the dictionary, etc.
   3. Never cram, never memorize anything in isolation from context.
   4. Write out of turn and memorize all the “ready-made phrases” that can be used in maximum quantity cases.
   5. Try to mentally translate everything that is possible: a flashing advertising sign, an inscription on a poster, snatches of accidentally overheard conversations. This good exercise, allowing you to keep linguistic thinking in constant tone.
   6. It is worth learning firmly only what is absolutely correct. Do not re-read your own uncorrected exercises: when reading repeatedly, the text is remembered involuntarily with all possible errors. If you study alone, then learn only the ones you know are correct.
   7. Write down and remember ready-made phrases and idiomatic expressions in the first person, singular. For example: “I am only pulling your leg” (I’m just teasing you).
   8. A foreign language is a fortress that needs to be stormed from all sides at the same time: by reading newspapers, listening to the radio, watching undubbed films, attending lectures in a foreign language, working through a textbook, correspondence, meetings and conversations with friends who are native speakers.
   9. Don’t be afraid to speak, don’t be afraid of possible mistakes, but ask them to be corrected. And most importantly, don’t be upset or offended if they really start correcting you.
   10. Be firmly confident that you will achieve your goal no matter what, that you have an unbending will and extraordinary ability for languages. And if you have already lost faith in the existence of such things - (and rightly so!) - then think that you are simply enough smart man to master such little things as foreign language. And if the material still resists and your mood drops, then scold the textbooks - and rightly so, because there are no perfect textbooks! - dictionaries - and this is true, because comprehensive dictionaries do not exist - at worst, the language itself, because all languages ​​are difficult, and the most difficult of all is your native one. And things will work out.