Overcome the language barrier. Lack of training system

Instructions

It is worth remembering that the inability to overcome the language barrier is, first of all, a purely psychological problem that arises from various reasons, the main one being the fear of looking ridiculous.
To overcome such a phobia, you can deliberately laugh at it, saying to yourself something like “Yes, I used this word incorrectly - that’s it, everything is gone and life is over” or “Yes, I couldn’t pronounce this word correctly - now they will throw stones at me and start pouring water on me.” dirt."
By uttering such phrases, a person brings the problem to the point of absurdity and, as a rule, this helps to get rid of the root cause of fear.

If the first method does not work, the language barrier can be broken down by training in front of a mirror.
To do this you need to come up with some kind of problematic situation(for example, you don’t know how to get to street N) and think through in detail all the phrases and addresses that you could use in the dialogue. After you can recite them confidently and with the correct intonation, you need to demonstrate your skills to someone you know - for honest, objective assessment your his emotional state when talking.

If this does not help, then you can play on honesty - honestly admit to your interlocutor that you are very worried. In this way, you will win over the foreigner and, by speaking the problem out loud, relieve your tension.

Before your trip, try to immerse yourself as much as possible in the language environment you need, asking your loved ones and acquaintances to communicate only in the foreign language that you need.

The most ideal way to quickly and easily overcome the language barrier is to listen to songs and watch films in the foreign language you need. The brain itself will remember the correct pronunciation, and when you hear an unfamiliar word in the actors’ speech, you can independently find the translation in the dictionary.

Video on the topic

Tip 2: Which pilot was the first to go over the top? sound barrier

To overcome sound speed required not only skill, but also personal courage - no one knew how the plane would behave in extreme conditions, what loads the pilot will experience. An American pilot was the first to break the sound barrier in horizontal flight and return to base.

Officially, US pilot Chuck Yeager was the first to overcome supersonic speed. The record was set on October 14, 1957 on the Bell X-1, which was specially designed for this purpose at the beginning of 1946 by Bell Aircraft. The aircraft was manufactured by order of the military, but had nothing to do with the conduct of hostilities. The car was literally crammed with research equipment. Externally, the Bell X-1 resembled a modern cruise missile.

Test pilot Chuck Yeager

Pilot in 1923 February 13. After graduating from school, the young man immediately entered a flight school, after which he had to fight in Europe. At the very beginning of his flying career, the pilot managed to shoot down a Messerschmitt 109, but later he himself was defeated in the French skies and was forced to jump with a parachute.

The pilot was picked up by partisans, but counterintelligence suspended him from flying. Indignant, Chuck secured an audience with Eisenhower, the commander of the Allied forces. He believed the young man and, as it turned out, not in vain: the brave pilot managed to shoot down 13 more planes before the end of the war.

Yeager returned home with an excellent service record, characteristics, awards, and with the rank of captain. This contributed to the pilot’s enrollment in a special team of testers, who at that time were selected as carefully as astronauts. Chuck named his plane “Captivating Glenys” in honor of his wife. The aircraft was equipped with one jet engine and was launched from a B-52 bomber.

The pilot set speed records more than once with the winged aircraft: at the end of 1947, he first broke the previous altitude (21,372 m), and in 1953 he managed to accelerate the aircraft to almost 2,800 km/h, or 2.5 M (the speed of sound is measured in “mach”, named after the German philosopher; 1 M is equal to 1200 km/h). Yeager retired as a brigadier general in 1975, having served in the Vietnam War and fighting in Korea.

The USSR could not remain aloof from attempts to break the sound barrier; several design bureaus at once (Lavochkin, Yakovlev, Mikoyan) participated in the preparation aircraft, which was supposed to be faster than sound. This honor fell to the La-176 aircraft, from Lavochkin’s “company”. The car was fully prepared for flights in 1948, in December. And on the 26th, Colonel Fedorov overcame the notorious barrier, accelerating in a dive. Later the pilot received the Hero of the Soviet Union.

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Who else, dear students, knows how difficult it is to overcome the language barrier, how to speak the desired language without hesitation, and how to avoid making mistakes in speech. This article will be devoted to the so-called language barrier and school online learning English will help you cope with all difficulties.

Facing a language you don’t know is like returning to your infancy when your mother tongue used to be a foreign language to you

Coming across a language you don’t know is like going back to infancy, when your mother was that foreign language for you.

The language barrier is the most common communication barrier that creates misunderstandings between people. Let's try to figure out what the essence of such a barrier is: the reasons for its occurrence and ways to overcome it.

The language barrier can become a serious problem in communication between people.

Reasons for the language barrier

Language differences

No matter how trivial it may sound, most languages ​​are very different from each other and this main reason language barrier .

Since childhood, we get used to certain language forms and having mastered them quite well, we no longer get hung up on some grammatical phenomena and don’t really think about how to formulate this or that thought - we just talk. Why doesn't it work out so easily with another language?

The main reason, of course, fear of making a mistake. We are frightened by everything new, unusual to us; another language appears to be a Chinese script.

Accents, dialects and pidgin languages

Very often, even people living in the same territory, in the same state, have different accents and dialects. Although technically the language is the same, but under the same meanings people use different words or create new ones, which can lead to various misunderstandings.

For example, if a Scottish farmer talks to a man from London, they will both not understand most of the words, even though they both speak English.

As for the pidgin language, it is a simplified language used by several people who do not speak English. common language. However, the consequences of the words and phrases of this invented language can give rise to the same misunderstandings.

For example, the abbreviation LOL originally used for chatting with meaning Lots of Love(With great love), which eventually turned into Laugh Out Loud(laughing out loud).

So you need to choose your words carefully so that you are understood correctly. Use abbreviations and similar linguistic phenomena according to context and necessity.

Blurred speech

People who speak quietly and unintelligibly are difficult to understand. Such people can tell something, but the information from their lips can be perceived in a very distorted interpretation, even if people speak a common language. Similar can become a significant barrier to communication.

Speech is unclear in English can also be explained by the fact that many sounds are pronounced very differently in the speaker's native language. It takes some getting used to

Be sure to take into account the native language of the interlocutor. It will be easier for you to adapt to his speech

Use of jargon and slang expressions

Jargons are technical words, used in communication, which vary across different professions, specialties and different areas human activity. For example, the vocabulary used by doctors and lawyers is very different from each other.

If they start speaking professional themes, they will be completely misunderstood by each other. For example, let’s take words such as “adjournment” (legal transfer, postponement (of court hearings); “BP” (medical) blood pressure) and so on. Words like these can make it difficult to understand.

Choice of words

The choice of words must be treated with extreme caution.

Words with multiple meanings, homonyms (skate (glide on ice) and skate (the fish)), homophones (merry, marry, and Mary), homographs (bear (verb) – to support or carry; bear (noun) - the animal ) try not to use, as they can distort the meaning of your words and be interpreted in a way that is not what you intended.

Literacy and linguistic skills

Some people may have enough low vocabulary, while for others it is quite high.

For example, if a person with a rich vocabulary and good linguistic skills talks to a person who cannot boast of the same, then he simply will not understand many words, which will lead to misunderstanding.

But these problems can be solved. You just need to never stop there, even in your native language, and constantly expand your vocabulary by reading books.

Here the main reasons for the emergence of language barriers in communication. However, there are also others, such as speech difficulties, noise, distance, i.e. not psychological or linguistic problems, physiological physical ones.

Some barriers can be overcome by practice and similar methods (for example, by translation, interpretation, attending language courses, visual methods, etc.), others are some kind of personal problems of the person and they require other methods.

let's consider the most effective strategies to overcome the language barrier.

Ways to overcome the language barrier

Speak slowly and clearly

Concentrate on speaking clearly and slow down even if you are in a hurry. Misunderstanding or lack of understanding of what was said to you is of no use.

If you rush, you will simply spend extra time explaining what you have already said or correcting the speech confusion that has arisen. If your interlocutor speaks quickly, just politely ask him to speak more slowly and they will definitely accommodate you.

To be understood correctly, speak slowly and clearly. You can use gestures (only those that will reflect a better understanding of your words)

Ask for an explanation

If you are not 100% sure of the correct meaning of what was said, kindly ask you to explain this or that word or phrase.

Avoid just skipping words, which you do not understand, immediately stop on them. Otherwise, it may lead you to a dead end at the end of the conversation.

Check understanding periodically

Check how much you understand everything that has been said. and how clear others understand what you are saying. Practice reflective listening to check understanding, such as using a phrase like “So what I hear you saying is...” and repeating what the other person said.

Also use questions that allow different answers, the so-called “ open questions" For example, instead of “Is it clear?” (Everything is clear) say “What’s your understanding of this process / problem / issue?” (How do you understand this process/problem/question?)

Be careful with language phenomena.

The richness of a language is determined knowledge of various linguistic phenomena such as idioms, phraseological units, metaphors, jargon and so on. If you can give examples of similar things in a foreign language, that's great.

But be careful! It is not necessary that your interlocutor will be familiar with them. Don't embarrass him or yourself, otherwise you'll have to explain what your words mean.

Especially do not try to literally translate these phenomena into foreign language from your own! It won't be what you have in mind.

In custody

It's no secret that all our problems are the vigorous activity of our brain and imagination. We often imagine situations that may never even happen to us as completely real.

We imagine ourselves speaking English, but we make some mistake and a native speaker begins to laugh at us and make fun of us. Of course, all this is a figment of our wild imagination. The real reason The language barrier lies deep in the subconscious.

Everyone must simply decide for themselves what is more important for them - to stay where they are and cross out all the years spent learning the language or take that very difficult first step towards interesting world who speaks a foreign language.

What is a language barrier? When they say that, I immediately read the subtext: I don’t know anything, I don’t want to teach, I want to talk! And I remember a good old film, the Russian fairy tale Sadko. Just as they hit the Phoenix bird on the head, and it began to sing sweet trills, so here, with some kind of help, hit such a student on the head so that he starts talking. There is such a magical English club, they claim that people come to them and immediately start talking, and only then do they begin to understand why they say that. I have no idea how they do it, I only know that they take at least A2 level. All the teachers there are expats, they communicate only with them in the language... And so on, let's try to figure out the reasons for the language barrier.

Reasons for the language barrier

Usually the reason is a shortage speaking practice, but there are others:

• fear of saying the wrong thing
• lack of active and necessary vocabulary,
• incorrect approach to speaking (for example, the desire to literally translate a phrase into English),
• difficulties with
• absolute ignorance or absence of convenient structures (, manage to, want to, I’d rather, you’d better, I + Past S/Past Perf, etc.).

In short, the language barrier is not a myth.

How to overcome the language barrier?

To fight it, you need to “treat” the cause 🙂 There is not enough vocabulary and constructions - we study with examples and work on them, problems with pronunciation - we become a little bit of speech therapists, fear of making mistakes - we listen carefully to strange phrases, praise, correct only those things that make balls roller-coaster they come in, explain and work out the correct option...

Psychology of this phenomenon

The article would not be complete if we did not consider the opposite point of view. Many people don't believe this is a linguistic problem. Psychological, rather, and it can be solved more successfully by a psychologist than by a philologist. By the time people first find themselves in an English-speaking country, they cannot open their mouths for the first three days. They are terribly afraid to do it, although they have no objective reasons for fear.

By doing psychological work on yourself and training in front of a mirror, you can gradually relieve discomfort when communicating with carriers. Hence the conclusion is that the problem is not an ephemeral language barrier, but a banal fear of making a mistake, and it is much deeper than many people think. What does language have to do with it? Only complexes and fears. And a person can only cope with them on his own. Not without the help, perhaps, of a psychologist, a teacher, a friend... But the teacher only opens the door, the student himself must enter ©.

P.S.. Watch the clip The group Lonely Island "Shy Ronnie 2: Ronnie & Clyde (feat. Rihanna)". Can shyness be called a language barrier? Is there a language barrier in your native language? I look forward to your comments!

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote: “The only luxury I know is the luxury of human communication.” Do you allow yourself the luxury of communicating in English or are you afraid of having to speak a foreign language? This article is addressed to those who want to learn how to overcome the language barrier in English and start communicating with foreigners freely.

Reasons for the appearance of a language barrier

The language barrier in English is the difficulties that arise when speaking in a language that is not our native language. Almost every person studying a foreign language has experienced this unpleasant phenomenon. A barrier can arise not only for beginners, but also for people with good knowledge. Moreover, it’s especially offensive for the latter: you know grammar well, you calmly read articles in English, watch “Theory big bang"in the original, but when it comes to conversation, you can hardly squeeze out a couple of sentences.

How to overcome the language barrier? You need to know the enemy by sight, so let's see what this phenomenon is and how to deal with it.

Psychological component of the language barrier in English

1. Fear of the unknown

It often happens that when we need to say something in English, we fall into a stupor. This may happen because we find ourselves in a situation that is atypical for ourselves: we need to talk to a stranger in a non-native language. In addition, we do not know how such a conversation will turn out: what topic the interlocutor will talk about, what phrase he will say next, etc.

2. Fear of mistakes

Of course, the main enemy in speaking English is the fear of “blurting out something wrong.” When talking with an English-speaking interlocutor, we are so afraid of seeming stupid or funny that we prefer to remain silent or say only Yes or No. Psychologists explain this fear by saying that we have become accustomed to it since childhood: we are punished for mistakes. Therefore, even adults subconsciously try to avoid mistakes, so they prefer to keep their mouth shut in the literal sense of the word.

3. Shyness caused by an accent

Some people are embarrassed by their accent in English. Moreover, this psychological problem sometimes takes on universal proportions: a person cannot achieve perfect British pronunciation, so he prefers to remain silent and communicate using gestures. This is because we are afraid to show that we do not belong to a given society; we do not know how others will react to our speech. In addition, it seems to us that they will laugh at our accent; we are afraid of looking stupid. At the same time, we completely forget how much we like it when foreigners try to speak Russian; their accent seems cute to us and does not interfere with communication at all.

4. Fear of speaking slowly

Another common phobia goes something like this: “What if I take a long time to choose my words, speak slowly and with pauses. A foreigner will think I’m stupid.” For some reason, we think that the interlocutor expects us to speak at a speed of 120 words per minute, and not to have a normal conversation. Remember, when speaking Russian, we also pause, sometimes we take a long time to find the right words, and this is perceived quite normally.

5. Fear of not understanding your interlocutor

The final phobia combines all the previous ones: “I may make a mistake, I speak too slowly and with an accent, and I may not even catch some words of the interlocutor. All this will prevent him from understanding me.” At best, this fear makes us speak too loudly to a foreigner (we think that they will understand us faster), at worst, it keeps us from even trying to speak English.

So why is it difficult for us to speak English and perceive non-native speech by ear?

• Poor vocabulary. The larger your vocabulary, the easier it is for you to express your thoughts to your interlocutor. equal conditions. If you have a narrow vocabulary, it will be more difficult for you to express yourself and understand the words of an English-speaking friend.
• Poor knowledge of grammar. Of course, even knowing the times of the Simple group will already allow you to communicate on some simple themes. However, if you want to convey your thoughts more accurately to your interlocutor, learning more complex grammatical structures cannot be avoided. Moreover, in order to perceive English speech by ear in full, you need to understand all the subtleties of English grammar.
• Lack of practice. If you speak English only a couple of hours a month and practice listening for half an hour a week, the appearance of a language barrier should not surprise you. For the systematic development of any skill, be it speaking or listening comprehension, regular “training” is needed, that is, English classes. Based on the experience of our school, we recommend studying with a teacher at least 2-3 times a week for 60-90 minutes and studying English independently every day or every other day for at least 20-30 minutes. Remember how people learn to drive a car: to feel confident behind the wheel, you need to constantly practice. One lesson per week or month will not bring the desired result.

My father taught me that the only way you can make good at anything is to practice, and then practice some more.

My father taught me that the only way to get good at something is practice, and then some more practice.

How to overcome the language barrier in English

1. Calm down

First tip - main step for those who want to overcome the language barrier. Just accept the fact that first conversations with foreigners can be difficult. At the same time, remember: it’s difficult not only for you, but also for him. Your interlocutor is similarly embarrassed and afraid of being misunderstood, so he will make every effort to make your conversation successful. In addition, foreigners always have a favorable attitude towards those who learn English, so even a simple dialogue will seem to the interlocutor great achievement, and he will help you in every possible way to carry on the conversation.

Does the call to calm down seem banal to you? put forward a hypothesis according to which a person experiencing negative emotions has a deterioration in language abilities. That is, if you are nervous or upset, you will find it much more difficult to express yourself in English than when you are calm, in fact your language abilities are partially “switched off” during times of extreme anxiety. It's like being afraid public speaking: You can know your speech by heart, but from excitement you completely forget everything.

2. Give yourself permission to make mistakes.

A somewhat strange but important recommendation: allow yourself to get rid of perfectionism. Remember how, as a child, you learned to write the letters of the Russian language: someone wrote them in a mirror image, someone forgot to draw “loops” or “tails”, someone wrote so crookedly that teachers recalled the joke about a chicken paw with a smile . And, despite all these “failures”, as a result we learned to write Russian quite passably, and some even legibly (doctors don’t count :-)). The process of communicating in English will be exactly the same: at first you will make mistakes, but the more often you practice colloquial speech, the faster you will get rid of them. So don’t be afraid to accidentally lose an article; native speakers will forgive you for this mistake; after all, you are not an ambulance doctor or an airport dispatcher, so your mistake will not have harmful consequences.

3. Don’t be afraid to “sound” wrong.

Of course, we must strive to pronounce sounds in English clearly and correctly, but do not be afraid to speak with an accent, otherwise it will be difficult to overcome the language barrier. English is taught in all corners of the world, and each country has its own “peculiarities of national pronunciation.” By and large, a foreigner will be able to understand even our notorious “zeriz/zera,” so don’t be shy about your accent, it’s not a defect, but a feature of your speech. At the same time, work on your pronunciation, for example, using the techniques from the articles "" and "". Keep calm and fake a British accent!

4. Take your time

Of course, we all want to speak quickly from the very first English lessons, without thinking about the words. However, in reality it turns out differently: the transition from the native language to the target language is not easy. Be prepared for the fact that at first you will speak slowly, pause, and choose your words for a long time. There is no need to force yourself: speed will come on its own as a result of practice. At first, focus on speaking correctly rather than speaking quickly. Speak slowly, but build your sentences correctly and choose the right words. In this case, your speech will definitely be understood, but speed does not contribute to understanding.

5. Try to get the point across

To understand your interlocutor's speech by ear, it is not necessary to catch every word, you need to grasp the essence of what was said. A common mistake: you hear an unfamiliar word in a speech and “get hung up” on it, without listening to what is said to you next. In this situation, you will definitely lose the thread of the conversation and will not be able to understand what was said to you. Try to grasp the meaning of what was said without thinking about unfamiliar words, then it will be easier to overcome the language barrier. Teachers give exactly the same advice before international exam: when passing the Listening part, you should not dwell on unfamiliar words, the main thing is to grasp the essence, then you will be able to complete the task.

6. Repeat your words

Did your interlocutor not understand you the first time? Nothing bad happened: repeat the sentence again, reformulate it, try to simplify it. You are just learning to speak English, so your interlocutor does not expect eloquence from you.

7. Ask again

Don't be afraid to ask your interlocutor again. If a foreigner speaks too quickly and you do not have time to catch the words, ask him to repeat everything more slowly. Do you still not understand what the other person is saying? Without a hint of embarrassment, ask him to explain everything to you more in simple words. Remember, your request will be accepted adequately, because any person understands how difficult it is to understand a non-native language by ear.

How can you ask your interlocutor to repeat what he said:

8. Keep it simple and people will understand you.

If this is your first time speaking to a “living foreigner,” try to simplify your speech. For example, in a restaurant, simply say: “Tea, please”, do not complicate your life with long constructions “I would like ...” / “Could you please ...”. A simple sentence will definitely be understood, and this will give you confidence. To prevent simplified speech from sounding rude, do not forget to add the polite words please and thank you, they are appropriate in any conversation. In addition to simplifying the construction of sentences, also use simple vocabulary. At first, do not try to use all the idioms and slang expressions you know in a conversation. Firstly, you can get nervous and get confused in them. Secondly, some expressions may not be used in some territory or may be used with a slightly different meaning. Therefore, we recommend that everyone who is interested in how to overcome the language barrier first speak as simply as possible. At the same time, try to gradually complicate your speech, add words, “build up” sentences. In this case, your speaking skill will develop systematically and without psychological trauma.

9. Increase your vocabulary

A large vocabulary will allow you to speak more accurately, select new words faster, and at the same time better understand your interlocutor. Good fluent speech can only be achieved by a person with a wide vocabulary. Read our article; from the 15 techniques outlined in it, you will definitely find something useful for yourself. In addition, remember that in a conversation a native speaker may use various phrasal verbs, idioms, etc. To understand what they are trying to tell you, try to learn different words, including popular figurative expressions.

10. Learn phrases

Try to learn not individual words, but entire sentences or excerpts from them. This way, vocabulary is remembered better, and useful phrase patterns will remain in your memory. From such templates you can “construct” your appeal to your interlocutor.

11. Listen to audio materials

To avoid worrying about whether you can understand English by ear, develop your listening skills. How to overcome the language barrier using audio materials? To do this, you can watch news, films, TV series in English, listen to podcasts on topics that interest you, etc. In addition, take into account 11 tips from the article “”. Try to listen to something in English for at least 10-20 minutes a day. Do not stop your studies, even if at first you cannot understand half of what is said. Your ears need to get used to the sound of unfamiliar speech, gradually you will adapt and be able to understand everything that is said to you.

12. Learn grammar

Even though you won't use it in every Present sentence Perfect Continuous, but knowledge of grammatical structures will allow you to specifically and accurately express your thoughts in English, as well as correctly understand what exactly a foreigner is telling you. To understand grammar, take one of them and read the articles of our teachers in the English grammar section.

13. Find someone to talk to

Remember the saying, “They knock out a wedge with a wedge”? You will overcome the language barrier in English only if you have constant speaking practice. The more often you practice your speaking skill, the faster you will improve it to the level you need and the less embarrassment you will feel when you need to use English in communication. You can find a teacher to talk to on our website, in which case you will not only “have a conversation,” but also increase your vocabulary and also understand grammar. In addition, you can find a conversation partner among other English learners like you on one of the language experience exchange sites. And if you have a friend who is learning English, try talking to him in English sometimes. You won't be embarrassed or afraid to make a mistake and will be able to practice having a conversation in English.

14. Speak everything in English

During self-study in English, you can also practice speaking. To do this, just say everything out loud. Read a book - read aloud, do grammar exercises - pronounce what you write, watch a movie - repeat the phrases after the characters. Such simple actions will bring tangible benefits in overcoming the language barrier. Many English learners note that words spoken out loud are remembered better than those learned silently. In the article “” you will find 14 more simple and working techniques for developing oral speech.

15. Smile

It's time to dispel the stereotype about “gloomy Russians who never smile.” Abroad, a smile is almost required condition for normal communication. A benevolent, smiling interlocutor will be helped faster than a nervous and frowning one.

Now you know how to overcome the language barrier in English and why it occurs. Remember, there are no insurmountable obstacles, there is little desire to overcome them. Our 15 tips will help you overcome any barrier and forget about your fears of speaking your target language. We wish have a nice chat in English!

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What do English tutors think about the notorious language barrier? The expert shares his thoughts on the causes of “foreign dumbness” and tips for overcoming it.

What do English tutors think about the notorious language barrier? Expert Vladimir Prokopovich shares his thoughts on the causes of “foreign dumbness” and tips for overcoming it.

The most different people come to me with the same complaint: “I have a language barrier, I can’t speak.” As a rule, these are not schoolchildren, but adult students who have managed to try different methods and approaches to learning the language. Analysis of classes for this request helped to formulate three, in my opinion, main reasons why many people have such a hard time speaking English.

A university teacher, a cheerful student, a native speaker - who would be the best tutor for you? Before looking for a teacher, clearly formulate the task: why do you need a foreign language?

Reason number 1. Banal ignorance of words and expressions

For example, almost no one knows the simplest words like “iron” or “dry cleaning.” In a rare student it occurs in vocabulary the phrase “replenish your account”, etc. Interestingly, every third person believes that their problem lies in poor knowledge of grammar in general or verb tenses in particular.

Such false reflection is almost certainly caused by numerous previous attempts to master the language on your own or with less than professional assistants.

• Error. Instead of seriously and deeply practicing spoken English and lexical units, people endlessly perform exercises on tenses, modal verbs and other topics - almost always in isolation from context and real life.
• Solution. Study the same verb tenses using current material from modern news or a topic close to you. This will immediately give the classes an applied character and involve emotions, which is the number one factor for natural memorization of words and expressions - as opposed to dull cramming.

Reason number 2. The habit of thinking in Russian

Many students are too dependent on translation; it is important for them to translate every English word into Russian. They do not grasp the meaning from the context of the sentence until all new concepts acquire a Russian “twin”. This habit equally inhibits listening and speaking. As a result, people speak “Russian English” and do not understand “English English”.

• Error. How do my students “speak” at the beginning of our lessons? Mentally compose a beautiful phrase in Russian, then select the correct grammatical structure and English words. This pattern makes speech very slow and unnatural, and it is also full of errors. The situation is even worse with listening. While the listener follows the usual chain of “heard - mentally translated - understood,” the speaker runs far ahead.
• Solution. Practice understanding foreign speech without relying on your native language, from context, using already familiar words. This is where multiple viewings of popular TV series and/or documentaries on a topic that interests you can help. When speaking English, do not translate into Russian first - compose simple phrases, explain new concepts using words whose meaning you know.
  At the same time, pay close attention to cases of striking differences between the way Russians and the British express this or that thought. For example, the phrase “It so happened that I was late for the train” in English will sound in Russian literal translation “I happened to be late for the train” - I happened to be late for the train.

Reason number 3. Lack of openness and sociability in communication in Russian

It's simple. To learn to speak, you must speak! But if you prefer to remain silent in conversations in Russian, you are unlikely to actively maintain a conversation in the company of English-speaking people.

• Error. Reluctance to share your opinion, discuss anything - no matter what topic the tutor suggests.
• Solution. Talk, talk and talk some more, especially in class. And if the teacher “speaks” too much and you don’t perform enough, insist on redistributing roles.

Of course, I have listed only the most common reasons what prevents people from speaking English. There are other obstacles to high-quality and free communication; they can be very individual. But this is a topic for another conversation and individual lessons with a tutor.

How to memorize English words

Most people are lazy (I'm no exception, no way) spanish grammar I haven’t mastered it, I’ve tried more than one approach) and they simply don’t practice words. I deliberately avoid the word “teach”, since each teacher puts his own meaning into it.

For me personally, “learning words” is, first of all, memorizing them in context, inside a phrase or even a small but very vivid sentence.

This is especially important in the case of stable phrases like heavy rain. If you try to remember it separately, there is a risk that the literal translation will remain in your memory - “heavy rain”, whereas in Russian, of course, it is “very heavy, pouring rain”.

However, most of the so-called methods come down to memorizing individual words - even the notorious stickers on objects in the house, unfortunately, fall into this category. And this is fundamentally wrong. Imagine that you know the noun “button”, but do not know the verbs “fasten” and “sew”, you know the verb “sit down”, but do not know the noun “carriage”. This is a 100% guarantee of a language barrier!

• Remember words in context. I like to give students a “magic” example by asking them to complete the sentence “Close behind you...”. Naturally, everyone says “door”, convinced of the benefits of the advice to remember words in context.
• Find analogies- for example, the word reserve is easy to remember through “reservation”, as well as associations: truce (“truce”) and “coward” - cowards are the first to agree to a truce.
• Connect your emotions. Pass the expression through yourself, make it relevant to your life, and the likelihood of remembering it the first time will increase significantly. Compare. It’s one thing to write and try to remember an impersonal sentence: “Ironing a wrinkled shirt is long and boring.” Another is to write down: “Yesterday I ironed my wrinkled shirt, and my two year old son looked with guilty eyes, since it was he who crushed it.” The brain reacts much more actively to the original situation. Pros: firstly, you will immediately practice new words, at the same time being surprised that the noun “iron” and the verb “ironing” are translated by the same word. And secondly, you can use a set of ready-made phrases (stock phrases) when you tell funny incidents from your life.