Be Careful Who You Learn English From (Don't Learn The WRONG Way!)

If you're studying English on your own, you're going to want to read this article!

Lately, I've been talking a lot about two of most fundamental areas you should improve if you want to improve your English communication skills and fluency: speaking practice and getting out of your comfort zone.

If you haven't already read these articles, I recommend reading them first:

• The Top Reason Students DON'T Become Fluent In English! (Never Make This Mistake!)
• The One Thing You Must Do NOW To Become Fluent in English!
   

Without these two elements, you will NEVER become fluent in English. It's just not possible.

But there's another important piece of the puzzle! 🧩

Before you start to memorize or study anything in a language, you need to make sure you that the information you are studying is correct!

I'll be honest... there's lot of BAD information available on the internet. 

It's absolutely true that technology gives us a huge advantage in 2024... but it also comes with downsides!

It's hard to know what's right and what's wrong. 

Sometimes I'm SHOCKED at how much blatantly incorrect information there is online! 

I won't name any here, but I have seen several large ESL blogs, YouTube channels, and courses openly teach incorrect prepositions, poor grammar, bad pronunciation, idioms & vocabulary that nobody actually uses... and the list goes on! 😱

Now, what's the big risk with learning and studying bad information?

Learning bad habits! 

Bad habits are so difficult to break! 

(This is a concept called "fossilization". Imagine a fossil, stuck in stone for millions of years, not changing!)

Today, I want to explain what I mean and give a couple examples.

Mistake #1: Incorrect use of prepositions

Quiz time! 

Which prepositions go with the word interested?

❌ Interested into something

❌ Interested on something 

✅ Interested by something 

✅ Interested in something

What about the phrase to put effort ___ something? 

❌ Put effort on something

❌ Put effort for something

❌ Put effort with something

✅ Put effort into something

Unfortunately, there are often no rules when it comes to prepositions like these!

The only way to learn them is to memorize them. 

That's just one of the annoying things about the English language. 

But remember: the first time you learn them, you need to learn them correctly!

Otherwise, you risk "fossilizing" these errors and forming bad habits that are nearly impossible to break in the future. 

When you're studying on your own, or with a teacher or from a source that isn't trustworthy, it's SO common to learn or be taught the wrong way.

These mistakes could have easily been avoided if you had studied with a knowledgeable and trustworthy teacher in the first place! 

Learning them the right way will save you tons of time and energy. 

Mistake #2: Idioms and vocabulary that make you sound unnatural 

"It's raining cats and dogs" 

You've probably heard this idiom before. 

Maybe it's even the first idiom you learnt in English! 

And yes, it is a real idiom. 

The problem? 

Nobody really uses it... 

Maybe 80 years ago they did, but nowadays, it's just not in common use anymore. 

If you use it, people will still understand you. There's nothing "wrong" with this idiom, and it's completely correct in standard English. 

But if you want your language to sound natural and up-to-date, then I would not recommend using it!

Again, it's not wrong. Just something to keep in mind. 

So, what point am I making here?

Be careful where you learn English, or who you learn English from!

Always verify that the English you are learning is correct, natural, and actually used in real-world, everyday speech.

That's it for today!

-Your teacher Michael