How not to learn English

Learning any foreign language is a difficult journey that requires some effort and time. English is no exception. 
Very often students ask the question: "Why have I been studying for more than a year, but I don't get the results I want? What am I doing wrong?". 

Common mistakes when studying English

• Lack of motivation

You need to have enough willpower to just pick up and sit down at textbooks. "You can't do without English in this life" is not a goal, but more often than not, just an emotional rush that comes on after watching another commercial or talking to a neighbor who just got back from a trip to the British Isles.

• Long breaks between classes

It is not recommended to take long breaks in training (2-3 months), because the acquired knowledge is gradually forgotten, especially by beginners. You will have to spend a lot of time on repeating the material or even learn it all over again. 

• Trying to speak fast

Having mastered the skill of constructing simple phrases and sentences, some begin to imitate foreigners, trying to speak quickly. The result is illegible speech with mistakes. And what matters is not speed, you need to be understood by the person you are talking to!
Reject the incomprehensible

In books and movies there are a lot of new expressions, which are often idiomatic. Students do not always understand their meaning and leave them out. 

Complicated constructions are a good exercise for the brain. In addition, "linguistic" curiosity is an opportunity to get one step closer to understanding another's language, and to accumulate new knowledge.

• Don't do your homework and don't repeat practiced topics

Doing your homework is not only a way to review what you've learned. In the process of doing your own work, you can discover what seemed simple and easy in class, but turned out to be quite difficult in reality. 
Your English teacher will always help you figure out the tricky parts and give you the right answer. If you don't do your homework, you can only find out about your mistakes after a while. Repetition of old topics is also very important, repeat the material from time to time. 

• Focus only on grammar

Concentrating only on grammar in English is quite risky. It can have a negative impact on your speech skills. 
During a live conversation there is no time to recall hundreds of memorized rules. Try to communicate more with foreigners and listen to classical English speech. The grammar of the foreign language will improve on a subconscious, intuitive level.

• Unwillingness to read English literature

Reading magazines and books requires assiduity and free time. In this process, it is important to understand the overall meaning of the text and to be able to determine the meaning of words by context. Regular reading will not only help you increase your vocabulary, but also help you learn dozens of English grammar rules. 

• Rely solely on tutors

Many students learning English put all the responsibility on teachers or language courses. This is wrong! 
Everything depends on you. A good English tutor only guides and provides the help you need. You need to practice every day, even if you don't have homework today. 

• Don't apply the skills to your home and life

Once you reach a certain level, you should constantly use your knowledge, otherwise all your hard work will be in vain. Language takes practice, especially if you don't live in an English-speaking country. 

Recovering a skill is easier than starting from scratch. You can simply maintain your English by reading, watching TV shows, meeting or talking on Skype with friends from other countries.

• Skipping classes

Missing classes and constant teacher changes are not conducive to fast and quality learning. It is necessary to plan your own time, taking into account the peculiarities of your personal schedule. If you have a desire to study English on your own, try to have lessons at least 4 times a week, and better every day. 

Write down the days with the exact time of the beginning and end of classes. It is desirable to outline short-term goals. Be sure to stick to the established plan and do not skip classes.

• Do not be guided by the results achieved

Do not get upset and give up if after two months of training you are not fluent in English. Pay attention to the results you have already achieved. If before you didn't know how to introduce yourself in English, now you can speak in simple sentences and translate simple texts. 

Compare it with what you had! Even native speakers make mistakes in their speech and do not always express themselves quickly and correctly.