Practicing your English skills to enhance what you’ve learned during your IELTS classes is essential. With a little help, you can learn English while in Singapore and communicate flawlessly without having to live in an English-speaking country.
Here are some tips to help you learn and practice your English skills.
Create an “English” Environment
Since you are in Singapore, you don’t need to travel to the U.K, Australia or the U.S, to immerse yourself in an English environment. You can do it right here in the Merlion City.
Start by changing the home environment. If you have any décor or writings on the walls, change the text to English. If you want to write a note or a reminder to someone at home, do it in English. In fact, write all mundane communication in English. The same goes for other items like shopping lists, and recipes as well as reading materials such as newspapers and other media like TV and radio. Let them be in English.
As your environment increasingly becomes English, the more confident you will be when tackling the IELTS exam preparation or business meetings.
Reach out to and Make English Speaking Friends
Luckily, English is an official language in Singapore. That means many Singaporeans speak at near-native levels. Besides, Singapore is home to numerous expats and many hail from English speaking countries.
Reach out to English speakers in your neighborhood. Engage with them and find out what are your common interests. If you find it a little hard to approach someone directly, learn about where they hang-out and join the flock. It will allow you to interact with other English speakers apart from members of your class.
Find Fun Ways to Listen and Practice English
Do you like watching movies? Or are you a music person? You can improve your language skills by adding English content to your entertainment collection.
Listen to the songs or watch the movies carefully so that you can learn more about English expressions, and enhance your vocabulary. If you are a movies person, try to watch it without the subtitles. Then do a re-run with the subtitles on. Check how you’ve performed.
If you come across any new word. Write it on a post-it-pad and look up the meaning as soon as the movie is over. Don’t forget to use the word in a conversation or write up within two days of learning it.
Use the Internet
The internet is packed with learning programs, YouTube videos and sample tests to English learners. All you need to do is log on and find your match! There are specific sites which are specifically designed to help you not just learn the language but to also score well in English tests like the IELTS exam preparation.
But you need to counter-check with your English tutor if the material is credible. To conclude, these tips will help you learn and practice English in a friendlier and fun way. Thus, making it easy for you to improve your skills.