5 Top Tips for Getting your English Beyond Usual

1. Find something new to talk about. One useful way of doing this is to start a reading group with friends. Each month, arrange to read a different book (preferably in English) then have a meeting to discuss it – in English. Make sure you choose a variety of different books so that you have to learn some new vocabulary each time.

2. Meet new people. If you only speak English with friends, you will probably use the same, informal language all the time. By joining a new club or going to events where you know English will be spoken, you will need to use a different register of English. If this isn’t possible, forming a drama club can help you to create opportunities for using English in different ways.

3. Activate what you know already. Even in our first language, we all know or understand more words than we actively use.Try to test your knowledge by ‘brainstorming’.Think of a topic and give yourself 5 minutes to write down all the words you know related to that topic.You may be surprised by how many you can remember.

4. Vary the programmes you listen to. For example, if you only listen to sports programmes, you will limit the vocabulary you learn to sport-related words.The wider the variety you listen to, the wider your vocabulary will become.

5. Set yourself some new learning goals.You can now express your ideas – but what would you like to be able to do next? By setting yourself clear goals to achieve over the next month, you will be able to revitalise your approach to learning English.