Learning English: A guide that doesn’t involve books

People have almost always believed that reading books is the ideal way one can learn or improve their English. However, forming a reading habit can prove to be difficult at times. Getting through ten pages of a book can feel like a grueling task. However, learning can be a lot more effective if you enjoy the process. So, here's a breakdown of a few other ways you can boost your English skills.

Movies and TV shows

Visual media like movies and TV series could serve as a better alternative to reading books as they require less effort to consume. Watching such forms of media is a good way to understand how to use certain expressions, expand vocabulary, and learn proper pronunciation in English.

However, it's worth noting that dialects, speech patterns, and expressions can vary across genres and time periods that these movies and shows are set in. Pronunciations also vary to some extent, especially between American and British shows. Therefore, if you're learning English by consuming visual media, be aware of these details.

Podcasts

Podcasts are a great way to intuitively learn how to speak English. You can multitask while keeping one on since they don't require that much attention to understand. They also offer a varied range of content. Serialised stories with intricate dialogues can teach you how to recognise good writing, while casual conversations between people on the most random topics can demonstrate how English is spoken in informal settings.

Comic books

A lot of the time, we need something a bit more immersive for it to have any real effect. Something requiring more direct engagement could be more effective, and for those who have a hard time visualising written stories, comic books are perfect.

While not all comic books are created equal, if you know where to look, you'll find strikingly well-written stories and characters. Since the medium relies so much on dialogue and artistic depiction, you'll be able to grasp the exact emotions certain words, sentences or expressions evoke in characters.

Video games

While video games are the most engaging items on the list, you'll have to be especially careful about what video games you're playing when it comes to figuring out the language. Video games that feature a lot of story elements are the best option since they're focused on dealing with communication between characters. The sense of involvement we feel in a game's story can captivate us more than other mediums can. Additionally, video games usually feature more colloquial speech, which is much better for learning to speak in a casual manner.

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