If you are learning English as a foreign language you are almost certain to have come across the problem of finding an answer to a straightforward grammar question. For example, when to use 'that', or 'which', or where to put apostrophes. Is it 'it's', or 'its'? Sometimes it takes hours to find exactly what you want.

The first way to deal with this is to keep an English grammar notebook and record every new rule you learn so that you can find it quickly. It will save lots of time.

Where spelling is concerned, it is very difficult to use a dictionary if you can't spell a word to start with. Here again, keep a note of the difficult words that you might need to look up again. Record the rules of spelling and the meanings of words that are new to you, or that you find particularly difficult.

Don't be put off learning English by all the exceptions to the rules you have already learnt, or by words that seem to have two alternative spellings, like 'mediaeval' and 'medieval', or even three options like 'yogurt', 'yoghurt', or 'yoghourt'.

Words that sound the same but are spelt differently are confusing too. Take for example, 'bear' and 'bare', or 'their', 'there', and 'they're'.

This can all get quite stressful but that's where the services of a tutor can come in useful. You can find out which spelling to use and how to use the words. You will also find that some of these words actually have slightly different sounds when you hear a native English speaker using them. You can't learn that from a self study course.

Self study will help you to learn the basics of English grammar and you should be able to teach yourself to form simple phrases and sentences but if you want to speak English fluently you will certainly need some conversation training. This does not have to be intensive, or expensive. Ideally you should use English in conversation every day and if you have no one to practise with the services of a tutor will help immensely.

Don't practise with a tutor for too long or you will get tired and stop learning. Then you will make mistakes and this can quite easily take your confidence away. If you can find a tutor who will allow you to buy blocks of time and then use them as you wish for short conversation classes, or longer more intensive learning sessions, that's the best way to do it.

Most of all, you need to enjoy your study. If you have fun learning it will be much easier and you will come to love the English language as much as your lessons.

Copyright: Louie Jerome 2008

Louie Jerome is a UK writer, editor and publisher.
Writer Soup is a monthly internet magazine for writers and readers.
http://www.learn-english-now.co.uk