British School academia de inglés en Tarragona

British School 5 steps to success 6 week checklist -- Today we start week 6 of our course at British School, which is a good time to take a look at how you’re doing until now and ask whether you’re making the most of your studies.



Have a look at our 5 steps to success – are you doing as much as you can?




1. Read and listen every day.

There’s no excuse for not listening to or reading something in English every day. Think of your daily routine – are there any times when you could be listening or reading?

Good students:

- listen to podcasts or the radio on the way to work or university.

- read a novel or British newspapers on the bus or train.

- keep an English novel or book of short stories in the bathroom or read in bed.

- watch films and series in English without subtitles.

- set the TV to original version by default.





2. Do your homework.

Your teacher will set you homework every week. Estimate how much time you think you’ll need to do it and double it. Homework is for your benefit so find a time and a place where you can concentrate and do it as best you can. If you’re not sure of something, investigate. Use your course books and the internet to find the correct answer. 



3.  Revise what you did in class.

Look at what you did last class, last month, last year. Do you still remember/understand what you did? 

Do you use the language you studied in your writing and speaking? If not, what was the point of doing it in the first place? 

Repetition is the key to committing anything to long-term memory.



4. Think about English.

How much time in a typical day does English occupy your thoughts? Get into the habit of trying to translate things that you hear and say in your own language into English. If you can’t, find out why not. Good students come to class with questions about things they’ve seen or thought about since their last class.



 
5. Be an active learner.


This is the most important point of all. 

You are responsible for your own learning. 

Your teacher will do everything she can to help you but if the only time you spend thinking about English is when you come to class, your progress will be minimal.

How much you learn depends on how much time and effort you devote to English.

That doesn't mean doing endless exercises in a book.

 It means:

- recording language in a way that makes sense to you and your brain.

- writing your own examples of new words and structures which show meaning and which are relevant and memorable to you.

- identifying your most common mistakes and eliminating them one by one.

- being aware that every time you speak or write you have an opportunity to use new, better language and making a conscious decision to do so. Don’t relax! Think about what you’re saying and think how you could say it better.



So, think about the last 5 weeks and ask yourself if you’re doing everything necessary to make this course a success. 


If you're not, start today!