Learning English as a second language is difficult. Your native language may come from a completely different family, possibly with a different alphabet. Work, school or life obligations may also leave little time to improve your English skills. This blog contains a few tips to build your language skills while managing other time-consuming tasks.

Practicing through the Internet and Using Apps

There are several ways to practice English using the internet. Duolingo is a popular language-learning app that allows users to select one of many languages of instruction to learn English. Its structure helps users learn vocabulary and sentence structure, which can be helpful for early learners. But some advanced learners say that they would like to study more complicated aspects of the language.

The internet in general is a good place to practice one's English. From articles to videos, one can find a wide range of resources to practice English at one's own level.

Mauril is an app made jointly by CBC and Radio Canada, Canada's national English and French broadcasters, respectively. French speakers can use to app to practice English using video clips, articles and audio files. These sources were all used publications. This allows for a more authentic learning experience. Unfortunately, Mauril cannot be used with other languages of instruction.

Listening to the Radio

Listening to the radio is a great way to hear native English speakers discussion relatively simple topics. Journalists often repeat news headlines throughout the day, and this repetition can help better understand details.

The radio is a good resource to listen while driving or doing tasks at home.

In Lindsay, is on 98.7 FM. Most news stories that are said over on CBC are also printed online at CBC.ca/news. These articles are in simple English and often contain links to learn more about the topic. 

Reading other online articles is also helpful. For example, Wikipedia articles are written in simple English and available on a wide range of topics. This allows users to find topics they are familiar with. While articles in different languages are not one-to-one translations, switching the language for an article allows you to understand the content in your native language and then returning to the English version to focus on reading.