The most important thing you need to do when trying to improve your English is have enough patience. When you are patient, you will be more persistent. And this is exactly what you need when on such missions.
(Courtesy: Ucaards)
So, if you want to improve your English, you need to have patience, be persistent and work extremely hard. Now, moving from this, there are a handful of practical steps that will help you in your mission.
(i) Read as much as you can: This is literally one of the most effective ways. But sadly, it’s also highly underutilized. If you want to speak and write proper English, you need to understand how English sentences are formed, how expressions in this language are made, how messages are conveyed. This means you need to read as much as you can. Even when you don’t understand what the hell you’re reading, and you don’t see any evident result, it’s imperative that you continue. See, reading on a regular basis impacts your subconscious. Your brain automatically starts interpreting how English sentences are made, what words to use where, and how to use punctuation. This goes right into your subconscious. This, then, basically helps in bringing result in reality. Start by reading the newspaper every day. Make it a daily habit. Start your day by reading the newspaper. Then start reading books. Pick your favorite genre and then casually read the books. Try to finish one book every month. Then move into finishing one book every week.
(ii) Watch English movies: This is another extremely effective way to improve your English. Watch English movies. Again, if you’re a very beginner, you might not necessarily understand what they are saying. And you might not be able to follow up. In such case, it’s best you read the synopsis of that movie first and then watch it. You would understand the movie plot better even when you have no clue what they are talking about onscreen. Watch English movies, with subtitles. Again, this will sit in your subconscious and eventually you will have a basic idea about how to speak in English. So, pick your favorite genre and watch the movie. Over the months, you will see a positive result.
(iii) Think in English: This is going to be tough, but you’ve got to start sometime. Our brain is constantly thinking something; it’s dealing with countless thoughts every single second. If you want to improve your English, you’ve got to start thinking in English. Start slow. Even when it’s broken English and you’re having a hard time processing your thoughts fluently, stick to English. It will take a lot of time and you will face some trouble in the initial stage but keep on. Over a period (6 months, take or less), you will get a hang of it!
These are 3 simple ways how you can improve your English. Keep on working, and you will definitely see a good result in the next few months or a year. Other things you can try is speaking in English in front of the mirror, conversing with others in English, reading the dictionary and learning new words every day.
Remember, improving English won’t come easy. So, you’ve got to work hard and be consistent. And above all, just have patience.