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Agata Sobieraj

Agata Sobieraj

Language Tutor/Translator

Foreign languages have always been my true passion which I devote myslef to every single day. Professionally, I work as a translator and interpreter, English language tutor and an author of language blog. Personally, I pursue my passions through travelling, reading and learning other foreign languages (Italian ♥)

Individual classes require a lot of independent work. We meet the teacher usually once a week. Lessons are very intense but what about the rest of the week? Are we sitting with folded arms? Well no! In fact, language progress depends very much on self-study and what we do apart from of class and homework.Here are some tips on how to increase your learning efficiency:The most important thing is to study step by step over the whole week, devoting to it about 15-20 minutes every day.

• vocabulary; in each class, you learn new vocabulary by reading articles in English, listening to recordings or watching videos. The teacher should draw your attention to new, more demanding words and make sure you foster them during the class. However, whether the words will stick in your head for longer depends on your work at home. After class, spend at least 15 minutes learning new vocabulary. Try to form an example sentence, think about how you can use words at work or among your English-speaking friends.It's best to do it on the same day and then come back to the new words in 2-3 days to repeat them. You can do this by reading the text in which they appear or, as I've mentioned, try to arrange a sample sentence so that it is put in context. Learning words, expressions, and preferably linguistic collocations is the most important element of learning a new language.Find more tips on how to consolidate your vocabulary on the blog: https://linguaaddict.com/skuteczna-nauka-slowek

• homework; if you have homework to do, such as writing an essay using newly learned vocabulary, doing a grammar exercise or a vocabulary practice, do it after you have got familiar with the vocabulary or the grammar problem. Take a chance and prove yourself. Learn new things first, then start doing your homework without looking at your class notes. Don't be afraid of making mistakes. You will clarify any doubts during classes with your tutor :)

• grammar; if you are at the beginner or intermediate level, review one grammar topic once a week; it should take you around 15-20 minutes. At the A1-A2 or B1-B2 levels, it is important to come back to the topics discussed earlier and review grammatical structures.

• reading; I recommend reading in the language you learn at all levels, no matter how much you understand from the text you are reading. Of course, for your own satisfaction, start with the easier, understandable ones, slowly increasing the difficulty level. However, don't worry if you don't know all the vocab in the text. Try to guess the meaning of the words from the context. It is a very linguistically developing exercise. Thanks to this, you practice understanding the written text, consolidate previously learned words, and supplement your vocabulary with new expressions. However, I do not recommend working with a dictionary while reading an interesting article and checking every single word. This can be frustrating and takes away the joy of reading. If you feel that you don't understand the text at all, just choose something easier.

• listening; if you like podcasts, find one that interests you and spend at least 15 minutes once a week to listen to it. If you do not like podcasts, turn on the video you are interested in on YouTube or watch a fragment of the movie / series without subtitles!

• take a rest; one day off learning won't hurt; it's best when it is a day of classes with your tutor, where you can show off the effects of your self-work, learn new vocabulary and grammar issues :)Let your classes with teacher become an opportunity to explain any doubts you may have and be a chance to use the acquired vocabulary and practice grammatical structures in conversation :)Each class should introduce new vocab and discuss grammar topics. Therefore, don't worry if you don't understand something. This situation allows you to grow linguistically. And remember - you have your "mentor" so that you can always learn something new!