English Practice: A great resource for English fanatics

How do we effortlessly speak the complex structures of our language? As an ESL educator I am always looking for new ways to refine the English skills of my students. While searching for effective strategies, I came across the website English Practice. The articles found here were full of suggestive strategies to practice English. What I found especially interesting was that many are strategies native English speakers have used and continue to use; we just never considered them strategies.

Articles like Learning English Through Watching Television and Practice Speaking English by Talking to a Friend  are full of approaches that involve modeling and practice; strategies all humans have practiced since exiting the womb. We observe and interact with our environment on a daily basis to learn new words and to apply them in context.

Don't just take the article titles as face value for the author's advice; read on. For example, in Practice Speaking English by Talking to a Friend, you could make the mistake I did and assume the strategy requires speaking to a native English-speaking friend. Reading further finds the strategy can be applied by practicing with another non-native English speaker, so long as the friend knows the learner is practicing. Even if the friend needs translation, the learner is working through the process of the language. By not relying on my assumptions, I was able to expand my knowledge and add new ideas to my bag of tricks on teaching my students how to practice English. 

Under the Video section, learners have an opportunity to view embedded Youtube videos ranging from "The History of Language" to "The Future of the Language". Some videos use captions, others use humor. These videos are interesting for English language learners, educators, and others who are simply fascinated by the language. 

Language is a process we all engage in. English Practice is a great website for resources that not only help English language learners, but enhance the knowledge of native English speakers as well. Take time to read one of the articles, or watch one of the videos and report back what you found interesting or helpful.