English learning plan for beginners. Personal language learning plan: an A to Z guide

Welcome everyone to my blog dedicated to learning English!

Today I would like to talk about studying it on your own. Perhaps everyone will agree that mastering a foreign language is not an easy thing, even with a teacher who controls literally every step you take. Is there a program for learning English on your own, and is it realistic to create it yourself? What are the pros and cons of such training? What you should pay attention to? Read more in this article.

The first step to mastering a language

So, you decided that you definitely need to learn English. Not someday later, tomorrow, next year, but right now. Wonderful! After all, goal setting is one of the most important things in learning a foreign language.

This is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process, so you will need a clear plan on how to go towards your goal. It must be limited in time and divided into stages. You must clearly understand what result you want to get in 2 months, in six months, etc. And then think about how each activity you do for yourself will help you achieve it.

Learning a foreign language, unless you are a linguist who takes on new languages ​​just for fun, cannot be an end in itself. You're probably learning English to pass, get a promotion at work, or afford to travel to. In fact, this is great because having a specific goal will motivate you and push you to take action even when you would rather be idle. Motivation is a guarantee of success, so it’s worth thinking about what exactly will inspire you, even on days when you’re tired or not in the mood, to open a book or website and study no matter what.

Make an action plan

Thus, based on the time frame and learning goals, you need to make a plan for yourself. In addition, you need to consider your financial capabilities. You can buy yourself a high-quality one from numerous English language gurus, or even allow yourself to live for a month or two in the country of the language you are learning to experience the language environment for yourself. Or you will prefer free sources and watching training videos on YouTube. It's up to you to decide, an expensive method does not mean effective.

Remember that in learning any foreign language we Focus on four aspects: speaking, listening, reading and writing. Depending on your needs, you can spend more or less time and effort on some of these goals. For example, if you need a language for travel, focus on communication: you need a lively and fluent language, as well as developed listening comprehension skills. If you are learning a language to study abroad, you will need to pay more attention to grammar, since in most foreign universities students regularly do a lot of written work, as well as enrich their vocabulary. When preparing for an international exam, such as or, use specialized textbooks containing practice test versions, vocabulary and grammar material required for the exam.

You need to allocate time in your schedule to study English, because in this matter self-discipline is important. Learning languages ​​is a lot like playing sports. It is very important for beginners to exercise regularly so as not to lose shape. But at the same time, too much workload only demotivates and can create a desire to quit everything. Find the strength and time to fully engage as often as possible, especially if the result is needed urgently. No one can force you to study 6-7 days a week, but this would, of course, be an ideal option.

pay attention to duration of the lesson. Sitting over a textbook for two or three hours is not only tiring and boring, but also ineffective. The human brain is capable of fully perceiving information continuously for 30-45 minutes. And then he needs rest and a change of activity.

Changing activities is generally a great technique for learning English. Don't cram every day. Undoubtedly, it will be useful to you, but language is much more than endless rules and verb conjugations. One day, focus on listening by watching or listening to something that interests you. In another, pay attention to the vocabulary. Depending on your curriculum, you can write essays or speak. Online, it’s easier than ever to find native speakers who, for example, learn your language and, in return for help, are willing to communicate with you in their native language and check your essays.

Educational materials

Bonk N.A. English step by step

I would like to start with the classics. And this tutorial is precisely a time-tested classic: they learned from it from scratch also our parents. Many note the serious presentation of the material and the good grammatical and lexical base that this textbook provides. English words are given gradually in dialogues and exercises and are organized into a clear system. The authors of the textbook promise that by going through all the lessons in order, you will eventually get everything you need to understand speech and communicate in English. In addition, this textbook pays great attention to pronunciation; each sound is accompanied by a detailed explanation. There are audio files to control pronunciation and practice the material.

Matveev S.A. English for children. Great tutorial

This large, colorful publication is intended for primary schoolchildren. With its help, the child will learn to read his first English words and remember them with the help of pictures. Such a textbook is suitable as an addition to a school English course to interest a child and show him that learning a foreign language is fun and interesting. However, in my opinion, in most cases, children still require adult help in mastering English, not only in terms of knowledge, but also discipline.

Macmillan, Longman, Cambridge University Press etc.

I have combined all these publications based on the principle of their “foreignness” or authenticity. The textbooks of these publications differ little from each other, since they are built on the same principle and are aimed at preparing for passing exams for certificates confirming proficiency in English at a certain level.

All of these textbooks are more suitable for when you already understand most of the information, but would like to clarify some points in grammar, get rid of annoying mistakes and expand your vocabulary with frequently used modern vocabulary.

Thus, the Macmillan publishing house offers textbooks for preparing not only for foreign exams, but also for OGE And Unified State Exam . They practice all the necessary skills in listening, reading, writing and speaking, and organizing tasks “like on the Unified State Exam” helps you get used to the format. You can study them yourself and test yourself using the answers at the end of the book.

By the way, these international publishing houses also produce excellent reference literature. A good dictionary is always worth keeping on hand when learning a foreign language. Fortunately, they are available online, such as the Cambridge Dictionary. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/. Here you can see not only the translation of the word into Russian, but also its explanation in English, the so-called English-English dictionary. Looking up the meanings of words in English and then trying to find their equivalent in Russian yourself is a much more effective method of memorizing new words.

Murphy R. English Grammar in Use

This fairly thick textbook is extremely good, so don't let its size put you off. Each lesson consists of two pages, on one side there is a rule, on the other there are exercises for it. With regular training, you won’t even notice how significantly you will enrich your knowledge. This textbook allows you to bring your knowledge of grammar to complete automation. The main thing is to periodically return to the material you have covered to refresh your memory. The advantage of this book is that much of what is presented here is simply not found in Russian-language textbooks. It is constantly republished, so the examples and exercises in it are truly relevant and as close as possible to colloquial speech.

English in 16 hours

This video tutorial course is developed by for beginners polyglot Dmitry Petrov. After completing the course, you will be able to talk about yourself, communicate on simple topics and learn 500-1000 of the most common words and basic grammar. Of course, only 16 lessons are too few to fully master the language. However, they provide a good basis for communication and inspire new achievements.

Lingualeo

Today, apps and websites for learning English are very popular. The most famous of them is Lingvaleo. Originally appearing as a website, it is now available as an application on Android and iOS. You can use it completely free of charge, receiving a daily dose of English based on modern videos and texts. Unfamiliar words can be added to your personal dictionary and translated with one click. In addition, for a fee you can get unlimited access to the platform’s capabilities and special courses, for example, conversational English course or to study irregular verbs . This kind of interactive learning has many fans around the world, but in my opinion it is more of an addition to the main curriculum to reinforce the material in a fun and entertaining way than a stand-alone program.

Card method

To quickly increase your vocabulary, it is extremely effective to use cards . Once upon a time they were made from an ordinary sheet of paper. The English word is written on one side, and its translation on the other. This method of repeated repetition allows you to reliably memorize words or transfer them from passive vocabulary to active vocabulary. The difference between them is the same as between understanding a foreign text and the ability to formulate your thoughts in another language.

Today you can use cards that are sold in bookstores. They look beautiful and provide the necessary minimum vocabulary, but are quite expensive. A good replacement for them are online cards. Ready-made kits can be found, for example, here: http://englishvoyage.com/english-cards or do it yourself here: https://quizlet.com/. Both services are free.

PC programs

Learning English using computer programs is very convenient, especially if you are not ready to devote a lot of time to it and spend hours delving into dictionaries. Download such a utility to your computer - and you are ready to get started! Here best programs, which are also free.

+DP+

This product was developed by a Russian teacher. It has everything you need: a vocabulary and grammar trainer, communication skills. All unfamiliar words can be translated by hovering the cursor. It's great for beginners. An additional advantage is the availability of audio files for developing listening comprehension skills.

Busuu

This foreign platform allows you to communicate with native speakers and train your skills, devoting very little time to it. Suitable even for children. The service provides free access to some materials and has a nice design and friendly interface. However, even the paid option is not at all expensive.

That's all for today! As you can see, dear readers, there are a lot of options for learning English on your own. And new tutorials and applications continue to appear every day! I hope I helped you understand a little about how to organize this process and what materials to choose.

Before you start learning a foreign language, you should draw up a lesson plan.
It is important to approach the process thoroughly: a clear program will help you learn the language more effectively and avoid common mistakes.
Without a plan, you're likely to start haphazardly trying to learn as much as possible, and quickly become confused.
With a plan, you will move gradually, track progress and notice even the smallest successes.

You need to start drawing up a plan by setting a goal.
Perhaps you want to learn how to speak on everyday topics, learn a minimum vocabulary for traveling, or watch films in the original language.
Or do you have a more global task: prepare to pass an international exam, move to another country, interview for your dream job.
Think about why you need a language, how you will use it, where, with whom and what you will talk about in it.
This will form your global goal.

The next step is to break the big goal into subtasks.
For example, you want to learn how to read English literature in the original.
Start with short stories tailored to your level.

Subtasks might look like this:

• read 1-2 pages of a book or one short story a day;
• write out new words and expressions;
• memorize 5-10 new words a day;
• strive to read without a dictionary.

It is important that the goal is specific and understandable so that you want to work towards achieving it.
It is also important not to overestimate your strengths.
Allocate exactly as much time in your routine as you are willing to devote to the language.
Don't try to learn everything at once: move gradually, keep your studies short but regular.

Further actions depend on your level of English proficiency.

Plan to learn English from scratch

If you have never learned English, you need to start from the very basics, by studying the structure of the language.

1. Alphabet and reading rules.

To learn to speak and read English correctly, it is important to understand the letter and sound composition of this language.
At this stage you can watch children's video and listen songs with the alphabet.
And don’t be confused by the manuals for children: they clearly pronounce sounds and letter names, and explain pronunciation simply and clearly.
At the initial stage of language learning, this is exactly what you need.

1. Vocabulary

Make a checklist of the topics you want to learn to talk about first.
Distribute topics from simple to complex.
At first, this will be the necessary lexical minimum: greeting, introduction, names of objects and actions.
Be sure to check the pronunciation of words, record the transcription and remember the translation.

1. Grammar

Make a list of grammar topics and rules that you will be introduced to.
The main topics can be taken from the table of contents of the textbook you will study from.
As with vocabulary, you'll start with the simplest structures and gradually move to more complex ones.

Remember that you will not just have to read the rules, but also learn, remember and practice them.
Therefore, stock up on a collection of exercises, or better yet several.
Grammar needs to be practiced until it becomes completely automatic, and the more exercises you do, the better you will remember all the structures and the more competent you will be to speak and write in English.

1. additional information

Learning English is not just about endless rules and grammar exercises.
You need to learn to understand the speech of native speakers and speak this language.

So include additional resources in your plan:

• podcasts;
• lectures;
• news;
• books;
• films or cartoons.

These resources will help you learn to understand English and enrich your vocabulary.
The main thing is to choose resources that are suitable for your level.

Don't overload yourself: read one page of a book or listen to a podcast for 5-10 minutes a day.
It is important not to stuff yourself with knowledge to capacity, but to learn to hear, listen and speak the language.
And of course, enjoy the process of studying it.

English language learning plan for intermediate students

If you have already started learning a language and want to continue, first determine where you will start from.
You can take a test to determine your English proficiency level.
This knowledge is essential for lesson planning so that you can avoid mistakes in choosing learning materials (too easy or too difficult) and understand where you have gaps.

It is worth starting to draw up a plan with these gaps.
Write down all the topics that you found difficult during the test.
This could be about grammar or vocabulary - it is important that you recognize your weak areas and work on them.

Then set a new goal.
For example, your level Pre-intermediate.
You set yourself the task of moving to Intermediate.
Take educational materials for Intermediate, make a study schedule and start studying.

At any level, it is important to maintain interest in the language, so do not forget to dilute your classes with podcasts or lectures, start watching films in the original, and analyze the lyrics of your favorite songs.
You can include English in your daily life: change the language in your phone and PC settings, make shopping lists, make entries in your diary.
You can also take training courses on any topic that interests you, not in your native language, but in English.
They can be found, for example, on the online platform Skillshare.

To truly speak English, you need a language partner.
This could be your friend or relative who is also learning the language.
Agree to speak only English for half an hour to an hour a day, watch your speech and gently correct each other if you notice mistakes.
It's ideal if you find a native English speaker, even better if he doesn't know a word of your native language.
You can find a language partner on the website InterPals, in applications HelloTalk, Tandem, Speaky and others.

See if there are conversation clubs in your city, and ask your local university about exchange students. Take every opportunity to speak English and don't be afraid to make mistakes.

Learning a new language is hard and painstaking work, including learning vocabulary, grammar, acquiring language perception skills, writing and reading. In order to make the learning process more effective and somehow facilitate it, it would be a good idea to sketch out a study program for yourself that will help you purposefully follow the intended path towards knowledge and distribute your time with maximum benefit.

What is the lesson program?

It's simple. A lesson program is a plan drawn up in advance, which indicates exactly how much time is allocated for English classes and what needs to be learned during this time. And so day after day, week after week. This is especially recommended for those students who study online, because such a plan helps organize their day so that there is time for both work and personal life.

How will this help?

Google shortcode

Whether you take a tutor, lecture, or study online, a lesson plan like this can have a number of benefits. By creating a program to stick to, you'll be more able to get motivated to study, set goals for yourself, and track how well you're achieving them. A program like this will help you become more organized, manage your time more effectively, stay on track, and stay motivated to study.

How to create a lesson program

Step one - think ahead

If you want to maximize the effectiveness of your planned lessons, you need to think about why you are learning English in the first place. Determine for yourself exactly the goals that you need to achieve for each lesson or for a certain period of study, say, a month. Once you decide on this, you can create a plan or program that will help you achieve your goals. If you have tests, interviews or exams coming up, this will be a great incentive to study hard.

Step two - be realistic

There is no need to set unattainable goals for yourself and create an overly intensive training plan. If you are determined to study for six hours straight without breaks, you will very soon realize that this is simply impossible. Also remember that it is unrealistic to start studying right after a long and tiring day at work, a hard workout at the gym, etc. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the individual biorhythms of a person. Some people are most productive in the morning, while others can’t wake up until noon. You need to start your classes with a clear head and full of strength - then they will be fruitful, so try to plan your classes taking into account these recommendations.

Step three - review your to-do list

You need to create a detailed schedule of your daily activities. Think about how long it takes to get home from school, or home from work, and when you usually eat and sleep. This will help identify free time that can be devoted to study and cross off unnecessary things from the list that you don’t need to do.

Step four - your training program

All that remains is to correctly distribute the free time indicated in the schedule of daily tasks, but you should not take on everything at once in one day - and end up doing nothing at all: on Monday, do written work (exercises, tests), on Tuesday, do reading, new words and retelling the text, etc. - this will be more productive and interesting.

Step five - take a break

As already mentioned, you should not practice for several hours in a row - it will not be effective at all. In fact, we learn better at the beginning of a class and at the end, so it's best to study in periods of 20 to 40 minutes, with short breaks long enough to reflect on what's just been learned, do a five-minute exercise, have a snack and a drink. water, call a friend or listen to some music. Five to ten minutes of changing classes will help you start learning the language with renewed vigor.

Step Six – Run Tests

At certain points in your course, you will need to deviate slightly from your syllabus to make time for assessment tests, so plan to review the material you have covered and what will be included in the exam for a while instead of studying as usual.

Step seven - use special applications

Of course, you can create a study program with pen and paper, but in our advanced age of smartphones and tablets, no one does this anymore, since special applications have been created, such as MyStudyLife, with which you can create excellent programs for your studies, set goals and monitor how successfully they are achieved, and identify weaknesses. Try downloading an app like this on your computer or phone and all you have to do is fill it out. Electronic applications are suitable not only for students, but also for teachers who want to make their work easier, because... You can save your schedule, homework, exam list and much more in them.

To paraphrase the classic we can say:

“If you don’t develop a plan in the morning, you’ll do something stupid in the afternoon.” (Voltaire)

Quite a fair expression. Therefore, I decided to create my own English language learning plan and developed some rules for beginners. English according to plan Let me immediately note that it is much more difficult for beginners to learn a foreign language on their own. You will need maximum effort and self-discipline. Unlike specialized courses, where you are the learner. When learning independently, you must be an active learner.

Before moving directly to the plan and rules, it is necessary to determine a set of tools that will help a beginner master the language:

• Tutorial for your taste
• Website “Learn English from scratch”
• Phrasebook
• Dictionary
• Grammar reference
• Mobile applications

My English learning plan

Follow the plan strictly and you will succeed! Tested for yourself!

Rules for learning English

rules of the English language In addition to the plan, it would also be a good idea for beginners to remember the following rules for learning English:

• Motivation. Decide why you need English - work, study, self-development, travel
• Constant classes. You need to study regularly. You can’t study for two weeks and rest for two. Exercise every day
• Class time. Study time should be at least 1 hour and no more than 3 hours. “No matter how much you pour into a liter jar, you can’t fit more than a liter”
• Repetition. Regularly review the material you have covered and apply the acquired knowledge in practice, talk to yourself, repeat phrases in transport to yourself, etc.
• Word - context - life situation. A word out of context is neither interesting nor effective for memorization. Therefore, study the word in context and imagine a living situation, bring the words to life!
• Immediately apply your new acquired knowledge in practice. Feel free to speak and write in English, you will be appreciated and your shortcomings will be corrected

Well, not everything is as difficult as it seemed! Is it true?! Simple plan and simple rules!

Practice communicating as much as possible and hone your English language skills.

I wish you success!

In my last year at university, I started working part-time as an English tutor (I studied at the Dobrolyubov NSLU, majoring in theory and methods of teaching foreign languages ​​and cultures). But my lessons didn’t seem to be as successful as they could have been, and I didn’t have a clear answer as to why this was happening.

After graduating from the institute, I started working at a language school, where I began to devote much more time to methodology and for the first time thought about the importance of planning. Then I realized that by doing sosecretthe ingredient needed for a successful lesson islessonplan.

Now I can definitely answer the question why plan a lesson:

• The lesson acquires integrity. It's like a journey from point A to point B. Without a plan, you will be tossed around like you're on a ship on the high seas in a storm, and students will wonder, "What was that?"
• Control over the lesson. You know where to start, how to move from one activity to another, what possible questions students might have, what to do if you finish early, etc.

Before planning a lesson, it makes sense to develop template, a template that is visually convenient for you (I use it), which will include all the lesson elements you need.

Include the following elements in the template header:

1. date
2. Lesson duration
3. Student name/group number + level
4. Lesson topic
5. The purpose of the lesson
6. Materials to be used (textbook, additional materials, question cards, photographs, etc.)

In the main part, indicate:

• Introduction
• Main part
• Conclusion
• Homework
• Comments

This form will help you not to forget anything when planning a lesson.

Stages of working on a lesson plan

Target

The first step is to determine the purpose of the lesson. A goal is always an answer to a question “What new knowledge will my students leave the lesson with?” This way the lesson takes on meaning, and all its elements are tied to one goal.

Introductory part

Having determined the goal, you can proceed to the introductory part of the lesson - warm up. It serves to get students talking, arouse their interest, intrigue them and smoothly lead them to the topic of the lesson.

What is important to remember:

• The optimal warm-up time is 5-10 minutes
• Variety - each lesson should have a different warm-up, so try not to start all lessons the same way with the usual “How are you?”

Main part

A key component of the lesson, which is aimed at presenting and practicing new material.

The content of the main part should be directly related to the purpose of the lesson - then each task takes on meaning. Remember, the main thing here is not the quantity of tasks, but their quality. Despite the variety of materials, books, textbooks and activities, it is important to dose the assignments and get the most out of what you give to your students.

The second thing to remember is the variety of tasks. Whether you're working with children or adults, it's important to make your lesson as varied as possible to maintain student interest and engagement.

Alternate fill-in-the-blank activities with flashcards, pair activities with group activities, move students around, have them write on the board for you, and create a dynamic and stimulating learning environment.

Conclusion

Spend 5-10 minutes on the final part of the lesson. Don't plan anything new, don't introduce new grammar or vocabulary. By this point, the students (no matter how interesting the lesson was) were already tired.

This is the perfect time to play a little, summarize the lesson, give homework and answer any final questions that students have.

8 life hacks for planning your dream lesson:

# 1. Please indicate approximate amount of time, which will take to complete each task.

# 2 . Think over and write down in your plan how you will present the rules to students completing tasks. The explanation must be clear, concise and understandable.

# 3. Write down any questions/difficulties students may have. Think about how they could be solved

# 4. Think and Write down how you will move from one task to another. The transition should be smooth and logical.

# 5. Opposite each task indicate the source- page and number of the exercise in the textbook; if we are talking about additional materials, indicate the serial number of the task, for example, activity 1)

# 6. Always keep the plan handy.

# 7. Prepare an additional task in case the lesson ends early.

# 8. After class analyze your plan and note which tasks worked and which did not. Think about how you can avoid similar problems in the future.

Planning a lesson is necessary and very important! At the beginning of a teaching career, lesson planning can take a lot of time and the plans themselves can be very detailed. There is nothing wrong with this, on the contrary - if you are just starting out, write everything down! Over time, planning a lesson, as well as filling it out, will be much faster.