What is a phonemic chart and how will it help my English?

The ‘phonemic chart’ is a set of symbols that represent all the sounds in spoken English. Although the most common phonemic charts are based on Received Pronunciation and therefore don’t include all the sounds needed for different accents, they give us a good idea of what any wo

Three board games that might help you improve your English

A popular pastime in the UK is to play a board game, especially on a cold, rainy day. Board games can be a great way of having fun with friends and if you pick the right one, it might even help you improve your English too. Here’s the EF English Live pick of three board games tha

How you can learn English from reading

We all know that reading books is a great way to learn English [https://englishlive.ef.com/en/]. What about if you don’t like books, though? Reading a whole book can be tough and time-consuming, especially if you aren’t interested in reading books in your native language. So, wha

Top English learning tips for busy students

One of the best ways to learn English is to practice it every day. I understand that life gets busy and on some days it can seem difficult to find the time to log into your EF English Live account and take a class or complete a new lessons. However, there are many other simple wa

How singing can improve your English

Whether you’re a karaoke hero or just sing secretly in the shower, singing is a great way to improve your language skills. Here’s why: It’s great for pronunciation. I’m not suggesting that you should sing all the time when you speak, that may seem a little odd. It really is good

How to gain more confidence when speaking English

When you’re learning a language [http://www.englishtown.com/en-gb/] there is always unfamiliar territory to navigate and new situations arising. New situations can often make us feel nervous and it’s only natural for nerves to affect our confidence. This is especially true when i

Spend just 10 minutes a day to improve your English

Who says learning English is all work and no play? Try these 10-minute English learning activities daily, and you will improve your skills and have fun! 1. Are you interested in what’s going on in the world? Go to an online news source and be sure to read the world news editions

Top tips for learning English when you don’t have much time

We all have busy schedules these days: working, cleaning, running errands, taking care of the kids, making time for friends, visiting the family – the list goes on! How is one supposed to learn a new language effectively with all these other tasks? Keep on reading to find out som

Why you shouldn’t be afraid to speak English

When I was learning languages at school, I was always afraid to speak in class. I think it was because I was worried that people would laugh at me if I made mistakes. I got OK grades in French and German, but was never able to speak fluently. Later in life, when I needed to lear

15 tips for learning English faster and more easily

These days we are so busy with work, children, shopping, running errands, making time for friends, and visiting family. We all want to know the easiest, quickest, and most effective way to learn English. But what if we do not have much time to sit down and learn?  Check out our t

Five ways to feel happy learning English

Are you an optimist or a pessimist? There’s an easy way to check. Take a look at a glass with water up to the half-­way point. Does it look half­empty or half­full? If it’s half­empty, you are a pessimist. If it’s half­full, you are an optimist. Whether you are normally an optim

Spelling mistakes and how to avoid them

Spelling mistakes can ruin what would otherwise be a great piece of writing. They are easy to avoid and here are some ways to do just that. Switch your spell­checker to English Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Lots of people forget to do this, though. Having a spell­checker set to a

How to take notes in English

There are two common English expressions using the word ‘notes’. We often say ‘to make notes’ or ‘to take notes’ but what’s the difference between the two? The phrases are often used interchangeably but there is a slight difference between the two. We generally use ‘take notes’

Top tips to help you ace your English speaking exam

As we’ve seen before, there’s a wide range of English exams available for you to check your level or prove you abilities with. Although all exams are slightly different, these speaking tips will help you to score highly in the speaking portion of any exam. 1. RESEARCH THE STRUC

Is there an easy way of learning English fast?

One of the main questions teachers get asked in class is: > “How can I learn English fast?” Normally, a child learns their first language surrounded by that language, they are immersed in it, and step by step they also get schooled in various aspects of their language over the