How to Learn English Fast

So you want to learn English fast? That’s fantastic! Learning English can help boost your job prospects and connect you with more people around the world. English is, after all, one of the world’s most spoken languages.

Whether you’re learning for work or travel, this guide will give you tips that you can put to work right away to help you reach your English goals sooner. You’ll learn the best methods for learning English – and find out why Busuu is the best app to learn English right now.

Let’s not waste any more time talking about it. You want to learn English fast! So, here’s our advice for how to learn English, with a need for speed in mind.

Discover the fastest ways to learn English

How long does it take to learn English? That depends on a lot of factors, including why you study, how you study, and how motivated you are to push through when you hit a rough patch in your learning.

With that in mind, here are 15 top study tips and tricks to help you learn English fast.

1. Choose the right course

If you want to speed up your English learning, you’ll need a structured online English course. Learning at your own pace online means you can learn as quickly as possible – no need to wait for a weekly class.

And if you already speak some English, you’ll want to choose a course that lets you test into the right level. That way, you don’t need to waste time relearning things you already know.

That’s why Busuu’s Complete English course, with lessons designed by language learning experts, includes an optional placement test! With Busuu, you can learn for free at your own pace, quick as you like.

2. Set specific goals

Creating specific, achievable goals and giving yourself a timeline is the best way to make real progress. This isn’t just true of how to learn English – it’s true of just about any skill.

That’s why Busuu Premium includes the Study Plan feature, which lets you set goals and figure out how to reach them. With a Study Plan, you can decide what level of English you want to reach and how often you want to learn. The planning feature can help you set times to study and figure out how long it’ll take you to reach your goals. A Study Plan can also send you reminders to help you stay on track!

3. Keep learning on the go

It’s easier to learn more when you can learn from anywhere, whenever you have a free moment. If you want to make progress in English as soon as possible, it’s important that you be able to learn not just from home or your desk but from a hotel, a bus, anywhere. With flexible learning tools like the Busuu mobile app, you can learn offline, on the go, anytime. That means you can keep working toward better English no matter where the day takes you, even when you’re out of Wi-Fi range.

4. Watch TV (no, really!)

TV and movies can be a huge help when you want to learn a language fast. Passive listening helps you absorb language and get a feel for the rhythm of a language and its quirks. It can also help you learn different English accents. Just be sure to look up any new words you don’t recognize!

Pro tip: Want to supercharge your learning from your couch? Try watching a favorite TV episode with and without subtitles, in your native language and in English, until you can recognize every part of the episode without help.

5. Memorize poems and music

If you want to build your vocabulary faster and become more flexible with how you use English, a great tip is to try memorizing poems and songs. It’s a great way to work on your English pronunciation and linguistic things like linking. Just be smart about the songs you pick and how you use any new words you learn!

6. Study in writing – the analog way

Research has shown that handwriting notes helps with learning. The motor skills required to write help us remember and synthesize new information. Take advantage of this to learn English fast by studying and reviewing what you learn on paper.

7. Get the news and read in English

Reading in English is another great way to build your vocabulary. You can master new words and learn to discuss new topics by reading newspapers and magazines and reading books of all kinds. Books and historical writings can even help you see the differences in how English has been used over time! English has tons of classic literature and excellent works to read, from Shakespeare to Sherlock Holmes to Maya Angelou.

Reading is also a great way to learn about another culture and can help you get into the nitty-gritty of how different people think and express themselves. If you learn a new language in the context of that language’s culture and media, you can start to understand what’s being said on a deeper level.

When you learn English with Busuu, you’ll learn with readings and lessons from renowned English-language publications like The Economist and the New York Times.

8. Find your motivation

One of the best things you can do to give your English learning a boost is think about why you want to learn English.

Is it for a job? Friends or family? Travel? Your future goals?

Whatever your motivation is, keeping it in mind will help you learn faster on the good days and get back up and keep learning when the going gets tough. If you find yourself struggling while learning English, remind yourself of your motivation and use it to keep you going.

9. Create a habit

How can you learn English fast? Make learning part of your routine. Creating a habit can help you fit English lessons into your day-to-day life, so you can make progress toward your goals.

One of the best ways to make English learning a habit is to tie your lessons to something you already do every day. For example, you could decide to always do a lesson while you have your morning coffee, on your commute, or during an afternoon break at work. Whatever you choose, make it something you can do consistently and that already works with your schedule. If you turn learning into a habit, you’ll be more likely to remember to do it daily, even when you don’t have time for a longer study session.

10. Have fun with learning

Don’t forget to have some fun while learning English!

Be sure to celebrate your successes. Applaud yourself when things are going well! Celebrate hitting your goals and pat yourself on the back when you maintain a habit or remember to study.

Don’t beat yourself up too much if you find yourself struggling, and do give yourself credit when you do well. English can be difficult! Train your brain to associate learning English with good feelings and you’ll be more likely to reach your goals sooner.

Associating learning with a little treat – whether that’s a cookie or a dance party – is a great way to motivate yourself to continue.

Another way to make learning fun? Turn it into a game! With Busuu, you can earn points as you learn, work to beat your personal bests with learning streaks, and motivate yourself to succeed by competing against other learners on Leaderboards!

11. Practice speaking

Lots of people ask, “Is English hard to learn?” The truth is that English can be complicated. To learn English fast, one thing you’ll definitely want to work on is your English pronunciation. English famously has some tricky spellings and inconsistent pronunciations, so make sure you work on speaking English out loud. And if you want to put the English you’ve learned to work as soon as possible, you'll need lots of English conversation practice.

12. Make lots of mistakes

Another English-learning trick backed by science is to make lots of mistakes! Studies show that the best way to learn a language is to approach learning like a child. Meaning, don’t be afraid to speak out loud, and don’t be afraid to put your new English skills to use. Even if you don’t get it exactly right, you’ll learn more from trying and stumbling than you will from not trying at all. If you want to learn English speaking, be prepared to get things wrong sometimes.

13. Keep track of what challenges you

When you’re learning a language, it’s easy to focus on the things that you do well. However, you’ll learn more if you spend more time on the things that you find difficult. Keep track of what trips you up while learning English and make sure to review topics and vocabulary words that you find difficult.

Busuu’s Smart Review automatically collects words and grammar that you’ve struggled with in the past for you to revise and strengthen those weak spots.

Pro Tip: When you learn with Busuu, you can use the Smart Review feature to review grammar and vocabulary in an instant. Smart Review automatically captures questions that have stumped you. It puts together relevant lessons for you to review and generates quizzes to help you practice. It’s like flashcards tailored just for you, on autopilot.

14. Get feedback from native English speakers

Learning is more fun when you learn with a community. That’s one of the things that makes Busuu the best app to learn English!

Sure, there are lots of great things about learning with Busuu – the Study Plan, the Smart Review features, the bite-size lessons designed by experts, and the ability to learn offline, but one of the very best things about Busuu is the Community feature.

When you’re learning English, one of the most important things you can do is make contact with actual native English speakers. On Busuu, you have the option to send some of your written and spoken exercises to native English speakers for feedback. And the best part is, they’re also learners using the app, so they know exactly where you’re coming from. You can even help other community members as they learn your language!

When you learn with help from native English speakers, you can discover how the language is really used and get encouragement as your skills grow. That means, when it comes time to actually use English in your day-to-day life, you’ll have the confidence you need to take the leap and start chatting.

Many language learners find the leap from learning a language to using it in the real world scary. The Conversations and Community features on Busuu are designed to help you bridge the gap between learning and real life and start speaking with confidence.

15. Make learning social

Learning English doesn’t have to be a slog. You can learn online with help from others – and most importantly, you can learn while having fun! There are tons of great resources on social media to help you boost your English studies. For example, take a peek at the Busuu TikTok. Learning is more fun when you learn with others, and when learning is more fun, it’s easier to do more of it, so don’t be afraid to use the power of the Internet to give your learning a lift.

Now you know how to learn English fast

Learning English can help you land a job, work abroad, and make new connections. With these 15 ways to speed up your English learning, you have what you need to reach your goals sooner.