Study Tips Part 1 Study Strategies

Hi, I’m Martina and I’ve been studying at the Liverpool School of English for three months. I really wanted to improve my English quickly so I found some strategies that helped me get better day by day.

1- 

The most important thing for me is the organisation of my notebook.

During the first two weeks I wrote all the vocabulary in my book without any order. It was really confusing and difficult to study.

I found it really useful to divide my notebook into colours related to my different classes (yellow for General English, green for English for Business and pink for IELTS).

I also added some drawings, maps and tables because when I think about the picture it helps me visualise the vocabulary. It is like a photo in my brain!

2-

A friend told me about a great idea to remember and review vocabulary!

After my lesson I write the most important and difficult words on different post-its and put them on the wall of my apartment. Each room of the flat has a different topic and every time I go there I read it. If I go to the kitchen to cook, for example, I have some post-its on the fridge and I read the vocabulary when I close the door. This method really helps me remember lots of different vocabulary.

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For listening I have three main activities that I do every week.

I watch short videos on social media every day; it helps me with vocabulary as well.

It’s a good idea to watch short videos instead of long ones because you can rewind and listen to the difficult parts again and again to help you understand. I also try to watch films or TV shows once or twice a week with subtitles (sometimes without, if I want a challenge!

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For reading, what helped me the most was following profiles of famous people or teams that I’m interested in on Instagram. When I was in Italy I used to just look at the picture but now I read the posts and comments too. Since doing this, I’ve really started to see improvements in my reading. A little bit of practice each day really helps!

5-

The last and best strategy for me is the social programme. It is a good opportunity to have fun, meet new students and local people and keep practising and improving my speaking. It is also a great chance to review the vocabulary from the morning class.

I have a competition with my classmates to see who can use the most new words. The winner gets a free drink! This is a fun way to encourage everyone to think about their new vocabulary and use it