What language are you learning? (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter Martin
- Start date
Partly off-topic but not quite irrelevant! I was about to post it in Movie thread whereas it's not even a movie but a serie. A friend of mine who has smooth accent and fluent in English suggested me to watch "Maid" serie mainly for improving my accent.
I have a lot of books and often take the time to read them, plus a few speech clips.
I'm thinking about spending my time watching this series. I'm not sure about series because of the number of episodes and how long they take my time.
I have a lot of books and often take the time to read them, plus a few speech clips.
I'm thinking about spending my time watching this series. I'm not sure about series because of the number of episodes and how long they take my time.
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@JuveJay @mjromeo81
I’m curious about what materials and books native English speakers like you read at school. What books would you recommend for a non-native English learner?
Currently, I mainly focus on TV series, movies, and English speeches to improve my listening skills and work on my accent.
This book is one of my favorite resources for learning English, along with English Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy and Practice Makes Perfect: English Conversation by Jean Yates. I also use AI tools to learn certain topics. Recently, I’ve been reading and watching job interview resources to prepare myself for upcoming job interviews abroad.
I’m curious about what materials and books native English speakers like you read at school. What books would you recommend for a non-native English learner?
Currently, I mainly focus on TV series, movies, and English speeches to improve my listening skills and work on my accent.
This book is one of my favorite resources for learning English, along with English Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy and Practice Makes Perfect: English Conversation by Jean Yates. I also use AI tools to learn certain topics. Recently, I’ve been reading and watching job interview resources to prepare myself for upcoming job interviews abroad.
At school, we read a lot of stories, novels, short essays, and plays. As native speakers, we learn grammar indirectly through reading and writing, rather than by studying grammar books. Because of this, the focus is less on memorising rules and more on meaning, style, and expressing ideas clearly.
Some of the books I read at school:
- Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
- 1984 (George Orwell)
- Animal Farm (George Orwell)
One resource I recommend (although it is expensive, there's always https://archive.md/) is The Economist. In my opinion, it's excellent for advancing your English. The writing style is concise, formal, and internationally neutral, which is especially useful for professional contexts and job interviews. Even reading one or two articles a week can noticeably improve your vocabulary, sentence structure, and confidence in handling complex ideas.
Since you're preparing for job interviews abroad, I recommend practising "story-based answers", such as the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). At least in Australia, this is the standard way interview answers are expected to be structured.
You're already on the right path, my friend. It's genuinely inspiring to see your dedication. Keep up the great work!
Some of the books I read at school:
- Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
- 1984 (George Orwell)
- Animal Farm (George Orwell)
One resource I recommend (although it is expensive, there's always https://archive.md/) is The Economist. In my opinion, it's excellent for advancing your English. The writing style is concise, formal, and internationally neutral, which is especially useful for professional contexts and job interviews. Even reading one or two articles a week can noticeably improve your vocabulary, sentence structure, and confidence in handling complex ideas.
Since you're preparing for job interviews abroad, I recommend practising "story-based answers", such as the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). At least in Australia, this is the standard way interview answers are expected to be structured.
You're already on the right path, my friend. It's genuinely inspiring to see your dedication. Keep up the great work!
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Language Transfer is a well known method for listening practice that many English learners, including myself, use for self study. Personally, I prefer AI tools over traditional methods. If used properly, AI can deliver better results thanks to its modern capabilities and advanced features.
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The first step to learning a language properly is through official sources and academic materials, not through native spoken English. Relying on native speech can sometimes be misleading for language learners.
casual native speech and movies should be the next step for beginners. Academic materials give a proper structure and clear patch to follow.
casual native speech and movies should be the next step for beginners. Academic materials give a proper structure and clear patch to follow.