How to acquire English skills even if you don’t want to. 2. My method of studying English unaided 2-2 How to study in your 20s 2-2-3 Use of memorized example sentences
Now it is time to try to actually use the example sentences you memorized. (Practice of writing, speaking, reading, and listening)
Writing: Write your blog or diary both in Japanese and in English, or switch them to English only. If you encounter English words you don't know, make it a rule to look it up in a dictionary up to 10 words at a time, and write the rest in romaji. It is effective to continue writing in English for a long time.
Saying: Do English plays where you play two roles in a loud voice. It may seem strange to others, but you don't have to worry about it because it doesn't bother others.
Speaking: Find friends on Skype, etc. Exchanging languages with foreigners who want to study Japanese, and who are from Asia or Oceania where there is little time difference, is often mutually convenient. If you like each other, you can make a time commitment and improve your practical conversation skills for a long time.
Reading: Get into the habit of reading English newspapers, or English news on the Internet, starting with content that interests you. When you encounter difficult words, you can either skip them or look up all the meanings. If the content is of interest or concern to you, reading while guessing the meaning can be effective.
Listening: Concentrate on listening to English language broadcasts on the radio or TV, or TV or radio broadcasts on the Internet for a set amount of time (say 15 minutes). Since it is impossible to concentrate for too a long time, you can hear the rest as if it were a background music while doing something else.
If you find it difficult to practice all of these skills at once, start with the ones that you can select at random. It's a long road ahead to go, and it will last a lifetime.
Serially posted in English every Tuesday.
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