Do I Need a Teacher To Learn English?

Do you need a teacher to learn English? 

If you are learning English, you have a lot to consider.  Why am I learning? What is my goal in learning? What is the best way for me to learn English?  How much will it cost to learn English? These are all questions that you will need to ask yourself before you start learning.  

One of the most common questions we get from ESL learners is, “Tutors cost a lot of money, do I need a teacher to learn English?”.  While it can be much easier to learn if you have a tutor, self-study can be done effectively! Sometimes it’s not possible to get a teacher.  Tutors can be expensive and hard to find in some areas.  Here are a few tips and ideas that can help you if you are trying to study English for free or by yourself.

1. Read children’s books

If you have a library nearby, you have so many resources at your fingertips!  Most libraries have a large space for kids books.  Start reading as many of these books as you can.  Keep a journal and write down words that you don’t know.  Draw a picture to help you remember the word and write the definition.  A lot of books will have free resources you can use to help you learn. We have a lot of great suggestions here.

If possible, find books that have audio books online that allow you to listen and read along at the same time.  This can also help you improve your pronunciation.

2. Listen to podcasts, music, and audio books. 

There are so many great options for listening practice.  Find a podcast that you find interesting and start listening everyday.  A lot of podcasts also have YouTube channels and transcripts that will help you.  Read along as you listen to the audio.  Highlight words that you don’t know and start a vocabulary journal.  When I am teaching, I like to play YouTube videos at .75 speed if my students are having trouble with a particular phrase.  It can also be good to play the audio at 1.25 speed for a fun challenge! Listening to popular music can be a good way to learn slang or regional language.  Find an area in the world that you are interested in and look up popular music in that region.  Super Simple Songs is a great YouTube channel that is for young learners, but I think it’s a good resource for people of all ages.  

3. Language learning apps

Language learning apps can be an effective tool on your learning journey.  These days, there are so many apps to choose from!  Just remember, these apps should not be the only way you learn, but they can be a good resource for you.  They are convenient to use and offer a well structured lesson plan.  The basic plan for most of these apps is usually free, so it can be a cost effective way to supplement your learning.  I have used a lot of these apps over the years for learning other languages and they do help!  Overall, these can be a great way to introduce a new language, and can be a great way to help you. 

4. Language exchange

The biggest problem I often see with self-study learners is the lack of real world experience they have.  It is so important to be practicing with other learners as you go.  Language exchange is a great way to do that.  If you have not heard of language exchange, the idea is simple.  Two people who want to learn another language meet.  Let’s say I want to learn Korean and you want to learn English.  I would need to find a native Korean speaker to do my language exchange with.  You teach me Korean and I teach you English.  And it’s free!  This is a great opportunity to practice your speaking and listening skills! 

5. TV shows or Movies

I have been teaching ESL for a long time.  I have taught many, many people who learned English by watching TV shows.  Watching TV shows and movies is a great way to practice your listening skills.  This is the method that I like to teach.  First, find a show that you like.  Make sure that it has subtitles in your native language.  Then, watch an episode while using your native language's subtitles.  Next, watch the episode again with subtitles in English (or your target language). As you watch, use your journal to write down words that you don’t know.  You will have to pause a lot, so keep the remote close! Finally, listen again without subtitles.  Write down any other words that you missed or pause the show to read your definitions again.  You will have to watch each episode three times.  As your English gets better and better, you won’t have to write down so many words and you will start to understand more and more.  This is a great way to practice your reading and listening.  I made another post here about how to practice speaking skills using this method.

So, do you need a teacher to learn English?  Try these methods and decide for yourself!   There are many other ways that you can study by yourself, but the ones I’ve listed here can get you started and should help you improve your English. Just remember, improving your English is a slow process! It may take longer than you want it to.  Be patient and keep working! 

If you feel like you've tried all of these methods and you still aren't improving, it may be time for a teacher.  Try one of our classes!  Our experienced teachers will be glad to help!

If you have any questions, DM us on instagram at eslwithhanandmorris 

Thanks for reading,

Tyler