Level: A2, B1

What did you do in 2020? What did you do during Lockdown? I think we all know that we spent a lot more time on our phones, on our laptops, or probably on Netflix!

But can technology do things other than provide entertainment? Can it actually help us learn another language?

Yes! 

Let’s look at 5 ways that technology helps English language learners.

-Easy Access

With a computer and an Internet connection means that anyone can find lots of websites focused on helping English language learners. Even on your phone, you can watch videos about pronunciation of tricky words from the bathroom or read about new grammar forms from the comfort of your bed! This means that you can access top-quality information about English, no matter where you live in the world! 

At Ingla, we love teaching people at our London school. We also provide our excellent teaching for anyone who can’t come to the school! Anyone can join a group class, or have a One-to-One lesson from whichever country they live in. Find out more here!

-Variety 

As the Internet is such a big network, there’s an amazing wealth of resources available to all language learners. 

Youtube has a fantastic range of videos that can help you improve your English – pronunciation tutorials, grammar explanations, listening exercises, as well as lots of vocabulary to be learned from watching videos about any topic! 

There are thousands of websites and blogs that are all about learning English. Some are written by English teachers, and some by people who have already learned English and now want to share what has helped them. On our Learning Resources page, we have lots of great learning resources for you for free!

-Fill your life with English

At Ingla, we want people to ‘learn, live, love English’. As experienced educators, we know that if your life is regularly influenced by English it will help you develop your love for the language, and of course your English skills! Where do you see English every day? Do you listen to English music? Or do you read articles in English while you’re on the bus? 

What about your social media? Do you see videos, pictures, or posts in English on your ‘feed’ or ‘wall’? We suggest that you follow, like or ‘heart’ pages that help you fill your life with English! You can follow Ingla on Instagram or like us on Facebook for daily posts in English about grammar, vocabulary, expressions, as well as insights into British culture. 

-Reading and Listening Practice

With the benefits of technology, you can now watch a huge range of TV shows and movies from around the world easily. And thanks to subtitles, you can actually practice your reading and listening skills at the same time!

As English teachers, we recommend that language students watch English TV or films with the subtitles (in English), especially lower level students. By doing this, you can hear and repeat good pronunciation, you can practice reading skills, and help to develop your listening ability. 

-Playing games

There is a fantastic range of attractive English Learning apps that you can download to your smartphone, or use on your computer. These brightly coloured interactive programmes can help you to learn new vocabulary, practice listening skills, work on your pronunciation and develop writing accuracy – and it feels like you’re playing a game at the same time! While an easy-to-use app can never replace the experience of being taught by a real teacher in a live classroom, apps can be a good way to remind you of what you have already learned, or learn some new phrases outside of the classroom. 

Some apps reward you if you use it for several days in a row. This is great motivation for you to keep practicing English every day, even for only a few minutes at a time. When you’re learning a language, we advise that you practice regularly – otherwise you will forget it all! 

So how will you use your technology? Someone once said that ‘Technology is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master’. – What do you think? How can you use the technology that you have in your life to ‘serve’ your English learner needs? What changes can you make today?