How to learn English from scratch for adults

Learning a language is a challenge for anyone, young or old. No matter when you begin studying a language, there will always be opportunities to learn more and improve your skills. In this article, we provide useful tips on learning English for adults, including how to address any challenges that arise. 

The prospect of learning English for adult beginners can be daunting. Some people might tell you that you can only learn languages when you are young. However, we know you can learn English no matter how old you are!  

The advantages of learning English as an adult are: 

• More developed cognitive skills. Adults have greater logic, pattern finding, and problem-solving skills, which can help them to learn a new language quickly. 

• More focus. Adults tend to have a greater attention span than children, allowing them to spend more time learning without getting distracted. 

• More learning resources. Adults have access to online English classes for adults, books, films, self-study exercises – and they can also travel abroad! 

• More experience with languages. As an adult, you may have already studied several languages in your life. You are also likely to have a stronger command of your native language, meaning that you can quickly identify any patterns and similarities with English.  

The following tips will all come in useful if you are learning beginner English for adults.  

It is easier to learn when you have a clear reason or goal: What is your reason for learning English? Perhaps your goal is to study abroad or get a job at an English company. Maybe you want to travel the world. Or perhaps you just want to learn more about English culture. Whatever your motivation, write it down somewhere you can easily see it for a daily reminder of why you are learning.  

When you start learning English from scratch, there are hundreds of new words and phrases to learn. This can quickly become overwhelming without a system to remember them. We suggest writing down any words you do not know in a notebook or on your phone and look up their meaning in your native language. Spend a couple of minutes every day trying to remember the words from the previous day, until you remember them off by heart. To make this easier, think of ways to use them in a sentence.  

Although it can be hard to feel confident when you start learning a new language, you can only really learn a language by speaking it. EF English Live’s English courses will get you  speaking from day one by practicing real-life scenarios – just like learning in an English-speaking country. You will quickly improve your speaking skills and grow your confidence. Ask friends, family, or colleagues to practice conversations with you – or copy what you see and hear on TV and podcasts.  

It is hard to learn when you do not find the content engaging. For this reason, we suggest integrating English learning into your hobbies and interests. For example, if you love cooking, why not try following a recipe in English? Or if you like going to the cinema, watch your favorite film in English, or put English subtitles on. Making your English learning a part of the things you love in life will help you learn almost without realizing.  

Whether you download the dictionary as an app or have a physical one, have it next to you when you are watching series in English. Every time you hear a new word, look it up in the dictionary and then write down its definition in a notebook. Once the episode is over, look at the list of new words, and write a sentence per word. This will help your brain put the new information in context, which helps make it stick.  

It is true that adults often have busier lives and more commitments than children, leaving less time to learn a language. This is why regularly dedicating small amounts of time to your learning is key. Do you commute to work? That hour spent on the train could be the perfect time to learn some English! Do you have a couple of hours free in the evening? Book a private English class! The more you practice, the quicker you will learn.  

We hope this article has given you some inspiration on how adults can learn English from scratch. Remember that language learning takes time, so be patient. It also takes commitment, so you will need to find your reason to be passionate about learning. 

If you want to get started as soon as possible, EF English Live offers a range of different courses for all English levels, from Business English to General English. Get in touch today to learn about your options.