Author: Angelica Darryn Gonathan

In this day and age, the English language has been widely spoken by over two billion people worldwide and has become a staple standard of international communication by people coming from different ethnical and linguistic backgrounds. English itself has been the norm for technical and scientific terms such as Hard Drive, Network, Photosynthesis, etc. As a global language,  English can help many people gain further insights and access to unlimited information. However, not everyone has the privilege to learn the language due to limited resources and not everyone wants to.

The impact that English has had on each individual has distinctive advantages. Being fluent in English allows you to access more information online as it is the universal language commonly used on websites. Whether it’s to confirm an exercise answer or to look up article references, Eversince the pandemic, students have been browsing the net on a daily basis. The majority of detailed information is usually presented in English. In addition, Obtaining English skills also allows bigger job opportunities . For instance, individuals with English skills will be given a higher priority by the government when it comes to exit permits and visa grants. Furthermore, learning English makes it easier to communicate with people from other countries. Through platforms such as social media, you are able to communicate with anyone from all over the world.

“We are all capable of doing anything. The only thing that stops us is our reluctant nature.”  People are hesitant to learn English for a variety of reasons. Some people believe that learning a new language in their adulthood is too late because they feel that they have been too far behind. On the other hand, other individuals do not have access to English resources due to financial constraints and limited environmental support. Communicating plays a huge role in improving an individual’s fluency. One of the factors that affects an individual’s performance is not having a speaking companion to practice with. Learning  a new language can be difficult and time-consuming. People typically only do conventional learning, which focuses solely on the formation of sentence structure, vocabulary usage, and grammatical errors. Thus, they will find it boring to study for a long period of time. Apart from this, confidence is an essential determinant factor in enhancing one’s fluency. Individuals often feel insecure when conversing with someone who speaks better English. As a result, some people avoid practicing speaking English in public because they are afraid of making mistakes.

“Be part of the solution, not the problem.” Here are some great ways for people to improve their English skills.

Age-based instead of level-based

Courses taken by English learners are generally categorized based on levels. This is not wrong. However, this isn’t very useful for adults who are just starting to learn English, especially for the novice. Therefore, it’s believed that learning together with someone in your age group will be more comfortable and suitable. Creating age-based clubs can be beneficial for those who want to learn English in a unique way.  Adults who are struggling to keep up would feel more at ease when mingling with people their age. Another solution is optimizing the benefits of learning clubs. Clubs are organizations that consist of people who share a common interest. Members of the club can gather twice a month to participate in an activity. There are numerous activities you can conduct. English is a widely used language. In the club, an individual can share an English book that they like or retell the plot of a favorite movie. Furthermore, utilizing social media can also be part of the success keys of language learning. They can communicate and plan activities using social media platforms such as Whatsapp, Facebook, and Instagram.

Be-English

Some people might not have the time required to learn English due to working full time. A practical idea to facilitate them to learn English is by hosting a Be-English program. Be-English is a weekly road show in which a television crew visits public places to host a short program of free English courses. Be-English is a combination of the words “beginning” and “English” which implies the notion that this is the time for you to begin your English learning journey. This TV show is created to pique the interest of non- English speakers to study English. There will be teams in charge of organizing various aspects of the show. For example, ‘Be-English goes to the office!’ is a visit program run by the crew in which they provide free English classes to people in the office. The television crew can contact the office’s manager ahead of time to give information about the show’s details. During the visits, the teachers will provide free English classes or work-related materials.

English Relay Learning

Other people, such as students, face challenges in developing their language skills due to financial constraints and a lack of material resources. It would be tough to make progress if you didn’t have any learning resources or someone to guide you. English Relay Learning could be the answer. English Relay Learning is a peer-to-peer teaching system in which students guide each other in learning the English language. Relay is a racing competition in which a group of people race by relaying sticks. The term relaying refers to the act of receiving and passing. Therefore,the system starts with someone willing to sponsor an individual taking English courses. The condition is that they must relay the information that they have learned to other people outside the tuition in order to pass the knowledge. This would benefit the other party too because, by teaching, we will have a better understanding of the topic.

Organizing Learning for Fun

One should not learn English to focus solely on academic advancement but to discover a new culture and ways of seeing the world. Actions such as watching a new movie, choosing new books to read, and trying exotic foods are a few examples that we can experience when learning a new language. Organizing interactive workshops is a good idea since they are suitable for learners who want to develop a new perspective on language. Workshop is an educational program that is usually organized by a committee. Instead of using books, they tend to promote practical skills of an individual by conducting interactive activities where everyone is required to participate. Scrabble is a well-known, classic game. It is a really versatile game that requires spelling skills, creativity and time management. Word spelling games like scrabble can help individuals improve in multiple aspects of the English language. Furthermore, there are other similar games like anagrams and hangman that let players hone their skills and broaden their vocabularies with different sets of rules.

Dare to make mistakes through online chat!

“Take chances and make mistakes, That’s how you’ll grow.” Confidence is a huge factor in improving one’s fluency. It would be difficult for someone to improve their English if they are afraid of saying the wrong word. Online chat platforms like Omegle allow you to communicate anonymously with random people from all over the world. Having a private conversation  with a random person will put you at ease because you have never met them and will never meet them, thus,  you will feel more relieved to communicate more and not be embarrassed. Watching daily English content will also help you advance a step further in your fluency improvement.

Becoming a fluent speaker of any language can be difficult, but that doesn’t mean that it is impossible. Individuals must overcome several obstacles ​in order to achieve something greater. Furthermore, we can incorporate existing learning methods into our own ideas, such as creating an age-based club, hosting a Be-English weekly show, sponsoring English relay learning, Organizing Learning for fun, and last but not least, daring yourself to make mistakes through online chat. It is crucial to recognize the significance of learning English because learning English leads an individual’s life to the front door of a radiant future as it opens a new prospect of life.

References:

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/English-speaking_world#:~:text=Over%20two%20billion%20people%20speak,by%20number%20of%20native%20speakers.

https://images.app.goo.gl/WTtGrh5AnRUsSLjm9

https://images.app.goo.gl/LEmsjVPgARko9FG67

https://images.app.goo.gl/gow8b42NzNgrFarg6

Saya generasi muda yang peduli literasi! Artikel ini ditulis sebagai bentuk serta EF Literacy Day Competition 2021: https://www.ef.co.id/writing-competition

Article Source: https://pos.sch.id/ultimate-ways-to-empower-english-learners/