When you learn a new language, the only way to get better is to practice, practice, practice. However, it can often be boring to continue studying with books, so I would like to recommend some interactive learning methods and resources, all using the Internet.

Chat your way to a better Français

Chatting with others, whether they are native or non-native English speakers, is a great way to practice your writing skills in a stress-free, uninhibited environment. This is a particularly good method if you’re embarrassed to speak English, as it will allow you to remain anonymous online and increase your confidence to eventually speak the language face-to-face. By joining a chat room like TheChatPage.com, you can discuss any topic of special interest you want or write posts on the forums. Having an email friend can also be a fun and effective way to practice English and make friends.

Grammar exercises online

For a more fun and interactive approach to practicing grammar exercises, try one of the many online grammar exercise sites available on the Internet. You will find varied exercises and quizzes for most grammar points where you will be given corrections to your answer and helpful explanations. Joining an EFL community will also give you access to volunteer EFL teachers who are available to answer all your grammar questions. Being part of a community like EnglishForums.com is also a great way to meet and communicate with other English learners.

radio online

Understanding native speakers and their accents is often one of the most difficult parts of learning English according to students of English as a foreign language. A great listening exercise, particularly for advanced EFL students, is to listen to English radio stations online. Radio announcers often speak quite quickly, which makes this exercise quite difficult; however, this will help improve listening skills and will be great practice for phone conversations or meetings with native speakers. It’s also a great way to learn new words and learn about a variety of cultural topics.

podcast

If you don’t have constant access to the Internet, downloading podcasts is a great alternative to listening to the radio. The advantage of a podcast is that you can listen to it whenever you want until you feel that you have fully understood the topic. You can also pause the audio while you look up new words or take notes on the topic. There are some excellent sites available that offer podcasts specifically for learners of English as a foreign language. Podcasts often come in manageable 15-20 audio files, complete with full transcripts, additional vocabulary, cultural explanation, background notes, and sometimes comprehension questions. This additional information means that podcasts are effective language learning tools, even at a lower level of English.

These resources should allow you to practice your English in a more inventive way instead of relying on books and class time. Face-to-face interaction is of course very important, but these are excellent alternatives and will help you become more fluent and confident in your abilities.