Welcome everyone to my exploration blog. English language!

Today I would like to talk about studying it on your own. Perhaps everyone will agree that mastering a foreign language is not an easy thing, even with a teacher who controls literally every step you take. Is there a program for learning English on your own, and is it realistic to create it yourself? What are the pros and cons of such training? What should you pay attention to? Read more in this article.

The first step to mastering a language

So, you decided that you definitely need to learn English. Not someday later, tomorrow, next year, but right now. Wonderful! After all, goal setting is one of the most important things in studying foreign language.

This is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process, so you will need a clear plan on how to go towards your goal. It must be limited in time and divided into stages. You must clearly understand what result you want to get in 2 months, in six months, etc. And then think about how each activity you do for yourself will help you achieve it.

Learning a foreign language, unless you are a linguist who takes on new languages ​​just for fun, cannot be an end in itself. You're probably learning English to pass, get a promotion at work, or afford to travel to. In fact, this is great because having a specific goal will motivate you and push you to take action even when you would rather be idle. Motivation is a guarantee of success, so it’s worth thinking about what exactly will inspire you, even on days when you’re tired or not in the mood, to open a book or website and study no matter what.

Make an action plan

Thus, based on the time frame and learning goals, you need to make a plan for yourself. In addition, you need to consider your financial capabilities. You can buy yourself a high-quality one from numerous English language gurus, or even allow yourself to live for a month or two in the country of the language you are learning to experience the language environment for yourself. Or you will prefer free sources and watching training videos on YouTube. It's up to you to decide, an expensive method does not mean effective.

Remember that in learning any foreign language we Focus on four aspects: speaking, listening, reading and writing. Depending on your needs, you can spend more or less time and effort on some of these goals. For example, if you need a language for travel, focus on communication: you need a lively and fluent language, as well as developed listening comprehension skills. If you are learning a language to study abroad, you will need to pay more attention to grammar, since most foreign universities Students regularly perform a lot of written work and also enrich their vocabulary. Getting ready for international exam such as or, use specialized manuals containing training options tests required for the exam vocabulary and grammatical material.

You need to allocate time in your schedule to study English, because in this matter self-discipline is important. Learning languages ​​is a lot like playing sports. For beginners, it is very important to train regularly so as not to lose shape. But at the same time, too much workload only demotivates and can create a desire to quit everything. Find the strength and time to fully engage as often as possible, especially if the result is needed urgently. No one can force you to study 6-7 days a week, but this would, of course, be an ideal option.

Please note duration of the lesson. Sitting over a textbook for two or three hours is not only tiring and boring, but also ineffective. The human brain is capable of fully perceiving information continuously for 30-45 minutes. And then he needs rest and a change of activity.

Changing activities is generally a great technique for learning English. Don't cram every day. Undoubtedly, it will be useful to you, but language is much more than endless rules and verb conjugations. One day, focus on listening by watching or listening to something that interests you. In another, pay attention to the vocabulary. Depending on your curriculum, you can write essays or speak. Online it’s easier than ever to find native speakers who, for example, learn your language and in return for help are ready to communicate with you in their native language and check essays.

Educational materials

Bonk N.A. English step by step

I would like to start with the classics. And this tutorial is precisely a time-tested classic: they learned from it from scratch also our parents. Many note the serious presentation of the material and the good grammatical and lexical base that this textbook provides. English words are given gradually in dialogues and exercises and are organized into a clear system. The authors of the textbook promise that by going through all the lessons in order, you will eventually get everything you need to understand speech and communicate in English. In addition, this textbook pays great attention to pronunciation; each sound is accompanied by a detailed explanation. There are audio files to control pronunciation and practice the material.

Matveev S.A. English for children. Great tutorial

This large colorful publication is intended for junior schoolchildren. With its help, the child will learn to read his first English words and remember them with the help of pictures. This textbook is suitable as an addition to a school English course to interest a child and show him that learning a foreign language is fun and interesting. However, in my opinion, in most cases, children still require adult help in mastering English, not only from the point of view of knowledge, but also discipline.

Macmillan, Longman, Cambridge University Press etc.

I have combined all these publications based on the principle of their “foreignness” or authenticity. The textbooks of these publications differ little from each other, since they are built on the same principle and are aimed at preparing for passing exams for certificates confirming proficiency in English at a certain level.

All of these textbooks are more suitable for when you already understand most of the information, but would like to clarify some points in grammar, get rid of annoying mistakes and expand your vocabulary with frequently used modern vocabulary.

Thus, the Macmillan publishing house offers textbooks for preparing not only for foreign exams, but also for OGE And Unified State Exam . They practice all the necessary skills in listening, reading, writing and speaking, and organizing tasks “like on the Unified State Exam” helps you get used to the format. You can study them yourself and test yourself using the answers at the end of the book.

By the way, these international publishing houses also produce excellent reference literature. A good dictionary is always worth keeping on hand when learning a foreign language. Fortunately, they are available online, such as the Cambridge Dictionary. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/. Here you can see not only the translation of the word into Russian, but also its explanation in English, the so-called English-English dictionary. Looking up the meanings of words in English and then trying to find their equivalent in Russian yourself is much more effective method memorizing new words.

Murphy R. English Grammar in Use

This fairly thick textbook is extremely good, so don't let its size put you off. Each lesson consists of two pages, on one side there is a rule, on the other there are exercises for it. With regular training, you won’t even notice how significantly you will enrich your knowledge. This training manual allows you to bring your knowledge of grammar to complete automation. The main thing is to periodically return to the material you have covered to refresh your memory. The advantage of this book is that much of what is presented here is simply not found in Russian-language textbooks. It is constantly republished, so the examples and exercises in it are truly relevant and as close as possible to colloquial speech.

English in 16 hours

This video tutorial course is developed by for beginners polyglot Dmitry Petrov. After completing the course you will be able to talk about yourself, communicate in simple themes and learn 500-1000 of the most common words and basic grammar. Of course, only 16 lessons are too few to fully master the language. However, they provide a good basis for communication and inspire new achievements.

Lingualeo

Today, apps and websites for learning English are very popular. The most famous of them is Lingvaleo. Originally appearing as a website, it is now available as an application on Android and iOS. You can use it completely free of charge, getting a daily dose of English on the material modern videos and texts. Unfamiliar words can be added to your personal dictionary and translated with one click. In addition, for a fee you can get unlimited access to the platform’s capabilities and special courses, for example, conversational English course or to study irregular verbs . This kind of interactive learning has many fans all over the world, but, in my opinion, it is rather an addition to the main one. training course, to reinforce the material in a fun and entertaining way than a self-contained program.

Card method

To quickly increase your vocabulary, it is extremely effective to use cards . Once upon a time they were made from an ordinary sheet of paper. The English word is written on one side, and its translation on the other. This method of repeated repetition allows you to reliably memorize words or transfer them from passive vocabulary to active vocabulary. The difference between them is the same as between understanding a foreign text and the ability to formulate your thoughts in another language.

Today you can use cards that are sold in bookstores. They look beautiful and provide the necessary vocabulary, but are quite expensive. A good replacement for them are online cards. Ready-made kits can be found, for example, here: http://englishvoyage.com/english-cards or do it yourself here: https://quizlet.com/. Both services are free.

PC programs

Learning English using computer programs is very convenient, especially if you are not ready to devote a lot of time to it and spend hours delving into dictionaries. Download such a utility to your computer - and you are ready to get started! Here best programs, which are also free.

+DP+

This product was developed by a Russian teacher. It has everything you need: a vocabulary and grammar trainer, communication skills. All unfamiliar words can be translated by hovering the cursor. It's great for beginners. An additional advantage is the availability of audio files for developing listening comprehension skills.

Busuu

This foreign platform allows you to communicate with native speakers and train your skills, devoting very little time to it. Suitable even for children. The service provides free access to some materials and has a nice design and friendly interface. However, even the paid option is not at all expensive.

That's all for today! As you can see, dear readers, there are a lot of options for learning English on your own. And new tutorials and applications continue to appear every day! I hope I helped you understand a little about how to organize this process and what materials to choose.

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 language learning app." -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 functionality ABBYY Lingvo for Android 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 obtain additional information: other translation options, 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.

Are there people among us who speak English at any reasonable level? If there is, then that's great! However, even professionals in a foreign language do not sin from time to time to improve their language skills - language skills. It’s not for nothing that it’s been said: live forever and learn. Surely there are many people among us who want to become a little better in English!

The day of a modern person is often scheduled minute by minute. Work, career, various household matters, family matters... In short, a thousand things to do! And everything needs to be done in time. And preferably quickly. Because tomorrow there are even more things to do. And so, if not all your life, then at least a significant part of it. After all this, at the end of the working day, you clearly don’t want to educate yourself, you want to relax on the couch. And it’s hard to blame you for that!

Photo: shutterstock

When, then, should you study English if you always don’t have time? Don't despair, because there is a way out. Today, thousands of applications have been created for smartphones and tablets that will allow you to learn a foreign language in mobile mode: for example, on the way to work on the subway or during a boring planning meeting. The main thing is to devote at least 10-20 minutes a day to this, and after a few months the result will be accurate. Today we will tell you about the 10 most popular and effective, and most importantly, free applications that can easily be installed on any of your devices, be it Android or iOS. Let's go!

1. LinguaLeo

This application is one of the most popular in the world. The secret of “Language Leva” is in an interactive, or even playful, form of learning. Your “curator” in the game is a cute, cute lion cub who wants to eat and you have to feed him (analogous to the famous Tamagotchi). However, you won’t be able to feed the handsome guy without taking an English lesson or two! Cool, isn't it? By the way, it’s perfect not only for you, but also for your children.

Another big advantage of LinguaLeo is the huge amount of audio and video materials that allow you to learn the language more clearly. In general, try it, you won’t regret it!

2.

This is one of the most advanced and convenient applications on the Internet for learning English (in App Store it has an average rating of 4.8 based on 8.71 thousand reviews!)

The application can synchronize with all the products that the school has: a browser extension and the online platform on which all classes are held. In the application you can do homework, communicate with teachers, and manage your class schedule. It should also be noted that learning new words during training is based on a special scientific approach that helps to better assimilate information.

If you already have excellent English skills, Skyeng has a separate program for teachers. You can teach English and make money from it without leaving home!

On at the moment Skyeng has 4,640 teachers teaching and 34,900 students studying!

The main advantage of Duolingo is that it is not only absolutely free, but also does not contain any advertising, which is so annoying, distracting and simply infuriating in any situation. free applications. How And in "Lingvoleo", learning happens V form of a kind of interactive: at you There is pet, on this once - charming owl. Her need to feed, passing levels, thereby improving your language skills. Carefully, for incorrect answers You You can lose and lose your game life!

4.Words

Apple considers Words to be the most... best mobile application For studying foreign language. We assure you, this is not just like that. At Words help You you can do a great job your language skills! More 40 thousand words V dictionary applications, more than 3 hundred lessons - this is a truly systematic Job! True, despite the general freeness, Words still there is a built-in paid content.

5. Easy ten

If you are an incredibly busy person in life, but still want to become a little better in English, then this application is just for you. Its essence, as the name implies, is in the daily relatively easy learning of just a dozen new words and guessing simple tasks for consolidation. Thus, you can learn up to 3 hundred new words per month! And this, for a minute, is almost 4 thousand a year! Not a little, isn't it?

This application is deservedly considered one of the best in its genre. Memrise is based on a special scientific method, according to which you can master up to 44 words in just an hour with the help of... memes. Yes, yes, Internet memes. It has been proven that memes allow you to better remember and learn material. In addition to directly memo-learning, Memrise boasts a solid media library.

7.Anki

AnkiApp boasts a technique no less successful than the previous application. Its essence lies in special cards with foreign words that you will have to memorize. They are structured into various topics and subsections for convenience. You can, for example, focus on one topic: for example, everyday life or recreation. Comfortable!

With this application you can communicate online with real native speakers of English (or any other) language from all over the world! What could be better than live conversation? And so you don't get confused, the application will correct your spelling and pronunciation errors.

This application is good for beginners. It invites you to take a test that will determine your knowledge and prepare a training program for you. You can also choose which language to practice: British or American English. It's very convenient!

10.Hot8

An excellent application for those who can devote no more than 10-15 minutes a day to English. There are no heavy topics here, but there is an abundance of vocabulary on everyday topics that will allow you to learn words and expand your vocabulary.

P.S. Well, as a bonus, we are publishing another interesting application.

As you may have noticed, media libraries and various multimedia files greatly facilitate and brighten up the process of learning a foreign language. FluentU has taken this into account: here you have talk shows, videos on YouTube, clips, news, and anything else! For now, the application is only available to owners of iPhone devices, but an Android version is coming soon!

As you can see, learning a language is actually not that difficult! Sometimes 10-15 minutes a day is enough for this: you, of course, will not become a super pro, but you will definitely improve your skills a little and strengthen your knowledge. Go for it! Everything will work out!

Here you can download free programs for learning English. Programs for learning grammar, memorizing words, etc.

Computer programs:

Memorizing words

Memory program English words, using associative pictures.

WordsTeacher 1.0

The WordsTeacher program is designed for learning foreign words, phrases, short expressions, without interrupting the process of working on the computer.

Association 1.0

A program for memorizing foreign words using the method of phonetic associations. Allows you to easily find associative keys to foreign words using a dictionary of 90,000 words of the Russian language.

BX Language acquisition

The BX Language acquisition program is designed for learning foreign words.

English Grammar

Another great program to learn English grammar. Thanks to the presence of a Russian thematic index, the textbook will not only teach you to understand English, but will also help you express your thoughts in English.

ETrainer 4800

Trainer-examiner of English language skills. Tasks for translating sentences are given and a grade is given. You can set the number of tasks in the exam, limit the thinking time, and also keep a detailed protocol.

ETrainer 5000

Mini version. Trainer-examiner of English language skills. Tasks for translating sentences are given and a grade is given. You can set the number of tasks in the exam, limit the thinking time, and also keep a detailed protocol.

FVords 1.11.22

Program for students of English and German: Longman tips, tests, dictionaries for originals, parallel texts, prompter mode, settings, search, printing, statistics and much more.
The “download” link is a distribution package of the program without a database (the necessary databases will need to be downloaded separately. By the way, the program databases are constantly being updated.

Grammar

A program for learning English grammar. The grammar in it is given using examples from spoken language, which significantly replenishes vocabulary trainee. The abundance of examples and illustrations for them helps to remember and better understand certain grammatical structures.

Repeng - English Tutor

A program for training your vocabulary. Working with the program is carried out by selecting the correct translation option from several proposed ones.

Word Translation Trainer WTT 1.15

Designed for learning the spelling of words in English. Testing is carried out in both directions using statistics on the success of the translation of a particular word.

Sentence Exerciser

You can really improve your English level by solving many different grammar problems.

Android Applications:

English with Lingualeo

Free English classes
- Suitable for any level of language proficiency
- Practical exercises
- Thematic courses
- English language practice: text, audio and video materials
- Possibility of learning English offline
- Automatic synchronization with the web version of the service
- Prompt technical support

Develop your listening comprehension of English, expand your vocabulary, improve your reading and writing skills in one application! Useful for those who know the alphabet and basic vocabulary.

The Teacher Method is a program for sequential learning of English: from beginner to advanced. Watch and listen to the teachers' explanations, take training after each lesson and an exam after each topic.

The app includes over 200 spoken English lessons, which includes the following:

Listening to improve your listening comprehension
- Questions to help you understand English better
- Conversation practice feature to improve your speaking
- Conversation recording tool to track your progress

A polyglot is a simple and quick way learn English.

In just a few minutes a day you will learn how to write sentences in English.

We have specially optimized the lessons for mobile devices. Information is given in a compressed form, then, through repeated repetition, it is consolidated in memory.

In a short time, you will learn how to correctly construct simple expressions in English, and without noticing it, you will learn many new English words.

Everyone knows the folk wisdom - During his life, a man must build a house, plant a tree and raise a son. For some reason, all my life I had other goals - to learn to play the guitar and learn English.

As a result, I built several houses, raised three sons, and the trees were not saved from me - I planted a lot of them, but I still don’t play the guitar, I don’t speak English.

What am I talking about? I'll tell you today how to learn English using a computer, I will list a whole list of small and lightweight computer programs for this purpose.

The free computer programs for learning English listed below are mostly very small ( mini programs), simple and easy. I won’t describe each one - I’ll just briefly characterize...

List of programs for learning English

1. Association (544 kb) - remember foreign words using the method of phonetic associations.
2. Business Letters (508.5 kb) - thanks to this program you will learn the structure business letter and rules for writing such letters.
3. BX Language acquisition (47.2 MB) - learning English words.
4. English Test (5.1 MB) - will show you the real level of English language proficiency.
5. EnglishCheck (340 kb) - displays a sentence in English and offers several answer options from which you need to choose the correct one.
6. EnglishWord (420 kb) - we compose our own lessons and courageously teach them.
7. ETrainer 4800 (27.2 MB) is a program that examines English language skills and gives grades.
8. ETrainer 5000 (1.4 MB) - mini version of the previous program.
9. EZ Memo Booster (1 MB) is a free computer program that will help you quickly and effectively expand your vocabulary while learning English.
10. Exerciser (177 kb) - a set of exercises to strengthen your knowledge of the English language.
11. English Grammar In Use (735 kb) - English grammar course, consisting of 130 lessons.
12. FVords (505 kb) - has 10 main modes, 30 different topics, 15 training texts, about 30,000 words, expressions and articles in the databases, about 70,000 words in the English-Russian and 40,000 in the Russian-English dictionary.
13. Hangman (31 kb) is a game program based on the principle of guessing words or expressions in English.
14. Irregular Verbs (23.9 kb) - a program for learning English irregular verbs.
15. Language Memory Bomber (2.3 MB) - we use visual images and distracting techniques, there is a built-in speech synthesizer that allows you to hear the pronunciation of words.
16. Language Study (509 kb) - displays English words with their translation on top of all windows.
17. Lex! (540 kb) - vocabulary trainer.
18. Repeng is an English language tutoring program.
19. Selfln (1.1 MB) - memorize English words using the method of repeated repetition.
20. WordsTeacher (760 kb) - we study foreign words, phrases, short expressions, without interrupting the process of working on the computer.
21. Word translation trainer (230 kb) - learn the spelling of words in English.

Just in case of emergency (suddenly some official website of the program dies), I collected these training utilities (except for the two fattest ones) into one archive and uploaded them to Yandex.Disk...

Download archive with programs

The size turned out to be 43.2 MB. (20 programs)

These are, of course, not all existing programs for learning English, but only those that I found on the Internet this morning. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to check absolutely everything - write if something is wrong, but don’t be rude or kick me.