Question: Which of the following is the best way to learn English online?
- One-to-one lessons with a teacher?
- Group classes?
- ‘How to speak English’ programs on YouTube?
- By focusing on formal grammar?
- By focusing on informal, colloquial English, (stressing idioms and phrasal verbs, for example)?
Answer: There is no ‘best’ way of learning English online.
There are many ways to learn English because everyone learns differently. I have taught German students who prefer listening to English, Japanese students who like speaking English, Brazilian students who would rather write English and Chinese students who want to read English. Similarly, some students like one-to-one classes, while others prefer working with a friend or small group. Even though different students favour different methods of learning English, it is important to practice all four skills – reading, writing, speaking and listening.
The question you must ask yourself is: “Which way is best for me?”
How much time will it take?
Ideally, you should have two or three one-hour lessons a week, but some students are so busy that they only have time for one hour a week. It depends on how much time you have and how quickly you want to learn English.
Why do you want to learn English?
Is there is a specific reason why you want to learn English? For example, do you want to learn English to:
- study at a English-speaking university
- improve your career prospects
- travel
- because you are learning English at school, or
- general interest?
Students for whom English is not a first language – Brazilians, Germans, Japanese and Chinese, for example – sometimes wish to further their studies at an English-speaking university. This may require doing an IELTS* course. Alternatively, if you want to improve your English to go on holiday then a course which concentrates more on speaking and less formal language may be perfect. And if you need English for business because you have to communicate with business-people from foreign countries then a business English course that includes such topics as formal correspondence and how to write up the Minutes of meetings would help.
*IELTS - International English Language Testing System. IELTS assesses a learner’s level of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Following an IELTS test the learner is placed in one of nine ‘bands’. Band 1 means the learner is at the beginner level. Band 9 means that the learner is fluent in English. Most UK universities require that students for whom English is not a first language must be at least Band 6 or 7.
Can you motivate yourself?
Learning a foreign language can appear difficult. It is easier to motivate yourself when you meeting with a teacher who you like and the lessons are enjoyable and inspirational. The advantage of having one-to-one lessons online is that there is continual interaction between you and the teacher. Another advantage of working with a teacher is that each lesson is built around your needs.
As previously mentioned, a Japanese student preparing for the Olympics, a German working abroad, a Brazilian working in an international company and a Chinese person who plans to study at an English-language university, all have different goals and needs.
