English is the most spoken language in the world. It is also in the top five easiest to learn. In addition to simple grammar, it is also distinguished by the incredible beauty of sound. How to quickly learn to read English on your own, we will discuss today. However, be prepared for the fact that without the supervision of a teacher, you will not be able to develop the correct accent.
Learning to speak English is easy. But the first thing you need to do is start with the basics. That is to get acquainted with the English alphabet. It, like most Romano-Germanic languages, consists of 26 letters.
The English alphabet is based on the Latin alphabet. It includes 6 vowels, 20 consonants and 44 sounds. It is easiest to learn it for those who studied English at school, as they already have basic skills. But if you are not even familiar with this language, feel free to take on its study.
Learn the English alphabet
How to learn to read in English? You can learn the alphabet using the following method:
- Cut 26 paper squares, labeling eachone of the letters of the English alphabet. Move the squares to form simple words.
- Pay attention to every letter. Pick up a few simple words that start with her. For example, when studying the letter "A", words such as bag (bag), lamp (lamp), bad (bad) will help you master it.
- How to learn to read English from scratch? Do not neglect transcription. Write the transcription next to the letter you are studying and learn them in tandem. After all, it is transcription that allows you to read the word correctly. You can find transcription examples on any site dedicated to the topic of how to learn to read in English.
This is how, somewhat intimidating, the transcription of some letter combinations looks. However, in fact, learning it is quite simple. You don't even have to memorize each character - just understanding how they sound is enough.
Work on your pronunciation. Many sites offer not only the translation of words from English into Russian, but also a recording of its pronunciation. As you learn the alphabet, speaking out the simplest words will help you pronounce them correctly
Spelled and pronounced differently
But just knowing the alphabet will not help you learn to read English from scratch on your own perfectly. This is because its spelling system is based on a historical principle. That is, the spelling of the word corresponds to historical traditions and it is pronounced differently than it is written.
For example, 500 years ago the word "knight" (nait) onceit was pronounced the same as it was written. That is, the deaf letters "k" and "gt", ignored by us now, were previously pronounced. However, over time, the sound side of English has changed significantly, while the spelling has remained the same.
However, knowing the rules for reading English words, you can learn to read correctly.
Difficulties in English
There are many letter combinations in the English language. Vowels, depending on the location, convey a variety of sounds. They form diphthongs (there are 8 of them) and even triphthongs (there are only 2 of them). Consonants also form letter combinations.
Let's consider an example:
- "Th" gives the sound [h] or [s]. They sound like you're lisping a little. To do this, stick out the tip of the tongue, holding it between the teeth, and make a sound.
- "Sh" - [w] (ship - ship).
- "Ch" - [h] (cheap - cheap).
- "Ea" - [and long] (beat - to beat).
- "All" - [ol] (wall - wall).
- "Ck" - [to] (sock - sock).
Of course, these are not all letter combinations of the English language. But you will remember them much faster if you learn the words in which they occur.
In order to memorize these words, you can apply the following method. Write them down on pieces of paper (on the one hand, a word in a foreign language, on the other, its translation). Throw them in a box and repeat what you have learned every day in the morning. Gradually, everything will accumulate in your box of knowledge.more new words that you will quickly memorize.
You can't read in English just by memorizing the alphabet and the basic reading rules. One diphthong can have many sounds, depending on the location. Therefore, for a start, experts recommend learning the types of English syllables. They will help you learn to read from scratch in English.
Types of English syllables
The grammar of the language divides words into 4 types.
- I type. An open syllable ending in an unreadable vowel: make (meik), date (deit).
- II type. Closed syllable ending in a consonant: will, land.
- III type. A syllable with an "r" consonant following a stressed vowel. For example: girl, turn.
- IV type. "re" follows a stressed vowel - fire, care.
In English, only one letter "A" can be read as "ee" (name, rain), "e" (animal, family), "o" (saw, law), "ea" (air), "a" (ask). However, only vowels differ in such a variety.
Passive reading
There is a method of so-called passive learning. It consists in reading the text in the target language for half an hour. You need to read aloud. It is a technique of visual and auditory perception.
Don't worry that most of the words you will pronounce wrong. It's not the most important thing. This method will allow you to quickly learn the alphabet and the necessary letter combinations. It can also be used withprepare for a more in-depth study of the language. Over time, learning new words will become much easier.
You may find the following tutorials helpful:
- B. Plokhotnik and T. Polonskaya "English" (Grade 1).
- A. Narrow "Rules for reading English words".
You can also download or purchase literature for children with the simplest possible text. There are no complex grammatical structures, everything is simple and easy. Over time, you will be able to read more complex literature. But in this case, you will need to learn English grammar.
How to effectively learn words and their pronunciation?
Listen to songs in English. This will allow you to quickly master soft English pronunciation. It is better to choose easy songs with the simplest possible lyrics. You will quickly learn the pronunciation of words and their translation. However, it is important that you like the song. Otherwise, it will be poorly remembered.
What songs do experts recommend students listen to? Many recommend listening and memorizing along with the translation of the song by Frank Sinatra, the Scorpions, John Lennon.
In addition, you can listen to songs by artists such as Avril Lavigne, Evanescence, Lara Fabian. Their songs will help you learn the words and pronounce them correctly.
However, remember that many singers often swallow letters and put the stress in the wrong place. Be sure to check the pronunciation of the word you are studying with the online translator. Also, for many popular songs, clips are created with lyrics, and sometimes with translation.
LearningEnglish with video and audio
They will allow you to quickly master English pronunciation and even teach you how to speak basic phrases. But since learning to read English is your basic goal, you first need to find a video with a description and sound of each letter of the alphabet. Recordings for children with illustrations and easy words for learning are especially well remembered. Many students claim that information presented in the form of a game is remembered better.
Today, on the Internet you can find a series called "Extra English", created specifically for teaching beginners. It will help you learn how to read and understand English. Actors pronounce the words as clearly as possible, which allows you to hear their phrases. Also, their conversation is completely transmitted in writing with the help of sub titles. Write down words you don't know so you can learn them later. With the help of this video you will be able to develop your reading and comprehension skills. But understanding a language is 45% of success in learning it.
Educational audiobooks are a great way for those who want to learn to read and speak English from scratch. Listen to the ideal, correctly delivered speech of the announcer. Repeat after him. Gradually, the words you repeat will be memorized by your brain. Ideally, the announcer should voice the translation of the words.
How to learn to speak English on your own?
Mastering the basic grammatical structure of the language is very easy. To do this, you will need knowledge of 500-600 words, which are most oftenused in everyday speech.
You will also need to learn the basics of English grammar. To get started, learn just 3 times. For basic skills, this will be enough. The polyglot Dmitry Petrov will help to master this concept. His course "English in 16 hours" will effectively learn 3 basic tenses - Present Simple, Past Simple, Future Simple.
And remember: in order to successfully learn a language, you need to love it.
