Best Ways to Learn English

Knowing the best ways to learn English can make it that much easier to master the language and achieve success. Whether your goal is to get your dream job, settle into your new home, or make real connections with people in your community, speaking English can be the difference between struggling and thriving in your new life.

But where do you start? With so many English courses and learning methods, it can be overwhelming. Well, don’t worry — we’re here to help!

Read on to discover the best ways to learn English and how Busuu can help you achieve your goals.

What are the best ways to learn English?

There are countless methods for learning English — some more effective than others. Here are some of the best ways to learn English.

1. Use an app.

People like to talk about the best way to learn English. But, let’s be honest, the best method of learning is the one you can stick to. You need a Study Plan that fits in with your busy schedule, that you can squeeze in between work shifts or dropping the kids off at school, and that you can use on the go.

This is where Busuu shines. Take your English learning wherever you go with the Busuu app. Fit it into your schedule and study at your own pace. Busuu’s bite-sized lessons and videos are perfect for busy language learners. And they mean you can make meaningful progress whether you can commit to 5 or 50 minutes of study per day.

2. Read a lot.

Reading might be the most effective — but least glamorous — way of learning a language. It boosts your language knowledge, motivation and brain health.

Extensive reading (reading a lot of simple and fun texts with a focus on meaning) or intensive reading (reading fewer more complicated texts with a focus on language form) are proven ways to learn English.

Whichever reading method you choose, make sure you read authentic materials. With the Busuu app, you get access to a library of authentic texts like this reading activity taken from The Economist newspaper.

3. Practice communication.

Do you know what makes learning English even better? Doing it with friends. Communication should be your number one goal when you learn a language. But to communicate, you need friends and partners.

Luckily, Busuu’s got your back — the Busuu community has over one million language learners and native speakers. So you can always find someone to practice speaking with.

4. Get support from your peers.

Sometimes getting input from a native speaker can be a big help. English pronunciation can be difficult — oftentimes the spelling and the pronunciation don’t seem to match. (I’m looking at you, “queue” and “asthma”!) So, you won’t always know how to say a new word just by looking at it. You need to guess.

Well, with Busuu you can take the guesswork out of your learning. Busuu’s huge online community is full of native-English speakers who are happy to help with your pronunciation (and grammar, vocabulary, and so on). You never have to go it alone.

5. Access advanced AI tools.

Sure, you can learn vocabulary and grammar the old way by writing endless word lists and notes. But to make the process more convenient and efficient, you can use AI instead.

Busuu’s AI algorithms know which words you can use confidently and which words you struggle with. It uses this data to prompt you to review the words you need to review when you need to review them.

What are the benefits of learning English?

Learning English is a challenge. It can be a long and bumpy road to fluency, but the benefits you gain make the hard work worth it. Here are five reasons you should learn English.

1. English is the number one language in the world.

It’s not the language with the most native speakers (that’s Mandarin Chinese). But it is the language with the most overall speakers. Estimates say around 1.5 billion people speak English — that’s almost 20% of the world. So, master English, and you can communicate with people in every country on the planet.

2. English improves your career prospects.

If you want to work in international business — or in an English-speaking country — English skills are vital. But even if you stay in your home country, English skills are a great addition to your CV and make you even more employable.

For example, if you can serve English-speaking visitors in your home country, you become valuable to businesses. And the more valuable you are to employers, the better your work conditions will be.

Read our in-depth guide about how to add English skills to your resume so you can start wowing recruiters.

3. English gives you access to the best education in the world.

Many of the best universities in the world are in English-speaking countries. So, if you want to get into these world-class institutions, English skills are the key to the door. High-level proficiency in all skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) is essential if you have ambitions of studying and living in an English-speaking country.

4. English boosts your communication skills.

Learning English gives you access to different ways of thinking and expressing yourself. You learn how to communicate a message clearly and efficiently. And you learn how to explain complex topics in simple ways.

These communication skills spread into your native language too. Master English and you can communicate in professional, social, and academic settings with confidence.

5. English takes you all around the world.

English is the most widely spoken language in the world. Almost 90 countries from Oceania to North America use it officially or culturally. And because it's the most common second language in the world, no matter where you go, you’re never far from an English speaker.

Whether you learn English for business or pleasure, English opens doors for you all around the world.

Basic business English vocabulary

When you start Busuu’s English for Business course, you’re setting yourself up for success and preparing to boost your career prospects. Let’s take a look at some of the words you’ll be learning in Busuu’s English for Business course.

Learn English today with Busuu

Busuu is the language learning app that can help you get your dream job, settle into your new community, or access the world’s best education. With bite-sized lessons for every level and topic, you can fit the English you need into your schedule. You learn at your own pace in your own way with the support of a thriving online community and advanced AI technology.