how?

[Edo]

I don`t know if there was the topic like this, but i want to know how did you learn english, and how much can you improve your english by watching a films? and do you know some way of improving english but not to go to teachers? sorry about my bad english

[magtrut]

Watching films is useful, but you can't learn English only by staring at the TV. You can find some great on-line English lessons, buy English grammar, ask for help someone who knows English... There are many ways, but the best one to reach your goal is to speak with someone whose mother language is English, or with someone who doesn't speak Montenegrin, but speaks English. You just have to keep trying...

[simm]

First, go through books like "English in 50 lessons" etc, where you start with simple sentences and simple grammar structures. Gradually you improve both your vocabulary and your sense for grammar. Start with a good bidirectional dictionary, like Morton-Benson. And try to talk in English with someone who can correct you.

Second, get a good Oxford or Cambridge dictionary (with pronunciation!).

Third, get one of those good grammars with exercises.

Practise is the only way to learn a foreign language. The most important is to exercise every day, even 20 minutes is enough.

When you feel that you can understand quite a bit, than you can start with movies. Chose ones with English subtitles so you can compare spoken and written words. I did that with old animated movies, where one can hear a good and correct pronunciation without slang.

It is a long way to have a good knowledge of English, and I am still far of that.

[m_a_r_k_o-___---]

Don't listen to folk music only , expand your horizon

[rossio]

or wtaching south park at MTV

[Mary_]

There are many ways, but the best one to reach your goal is to speak with someone whose mother language is English, or with someone who doesn't speak Montenegrin, but speaks English. .

I agree with this! I had friend from America and he help me a lot.

[shrek]

and how much can you improve your english by watching a films?

a lot! it s the best and at the same time the easiest way to learn any language!

btw. u shouldnt focus only on movies... tv shows, documentaries, video clips or anything else where english is spoken is useful too!

[Brajo]

a lot! it s the best and at the same time the easiest way to learn any language!

btw. u shouldnt focus only on movies... tv shows, documentaries, video clips or anything else where english is spoken is useful too!

I agree! And not only that, now when we have Cable TV Network, everyone who wants can watch strange TV stations like EXPLORER, then DISCOVERY, NAT. GEOGRAPHIC, ANIMAL PLANET, HISTORY and etc.

But I also think that listening news is also one of the best ways to learn english, of courswe if you want to watch BBC, SKY, CNN, Euronews, etc.

In every case, watching films, listening TV stations, and listening strange music, and for few months your english will be perfect.

[if_the_shoe_fits]

Read books! Not books on gramnar, but novels. If you run into a word which you don't know you can look it up in a dictionary. Besides learning new words you will also learn grammar and "the flow" of the language.

[Bad Boy]

First of, movies really do help a lot! If you like to mix the fun with the purpose, watch movies with subtitles, that helped me a lot. You try to understand the movie by reading english subtitles, and if you can't understand a patr, just switch the language, and so on. I'm a kind of person who would watch the same movie over and over. I know it's weird, but I think this particularly helped me with specific words and phrases. Anything with English on TV helps, but I do maintain that subtitled movies and documentaries are the most effective for the matter.

Courses, CDs, dictionaries, books, reading material - It all actually works if done properly. A top notch dictionary is a must have. I have several, of which I use a Benson on daily basis.

And here's an interesting story... My father, who was 62 years old at the time, decided that he needed basic knowlage of English in order to comunicate with people on airports, shops, hotels etc., sinse his business trips to English speaking countries became more frequent. I got him those 'New discoveries' books that we use in primary school and 'Pons' CDs for beginers, and of course a dictionary. After a month or so, he asked me for my high school books. After some 4 months of diligent work, he actually could speak English as well as an avarage high school student! Now, he only uses ditionary and - me . He tries to learn one new word (or a phrase) every day, and we talk for about 10-15 minutes daily. And I have to say that progres is stunning! Of course, his accent is almost hopeless, and I'm trying very hard to get him to speak like the Russians do, with no accent whatsoever. But, the point is, at the young age you only need time and a lot of willingnes to do it. If you have enough money - go to some of those courses we have. Those help a lot. I know 8 graders who speak almost as good as me, and I learned the language in the USA.

And that brings me to the ultimate answer for the question. If you have the posibility - go and study abroad. I was on several scholarship programs in the States, including one where I actually studied in an American high school for a while. One academic year in the USA for a high school student costs about 8.000 euros (considering all expences - travel, program, money that you need to live there), and several agencies offer such programs. If you have the means (money), this is a must - do in my oppinion, because it is a worthy investment.

[rossio]

Bad Boy, I agree...

and here is a very important URL: http://esl.about.com

I´m learning English at Berlitz now. The teachers are from different country's like the US, Canada, Britain oder Uruguay. It´s the total immersion in a strange language. Talking in our mother tongue (German) is not allowed in the class. And we are learning a lot about foreign culture.
Of cause to get a better grammar I have to read a lot. I usually do it in the Internet. It works.

[RiddicK]

I agree! And not only that, now when we have Cable TV Network, everyone who wants can watch strange TV stations like EXPLORER, then DISCOVERY, NAT. GEOGRAPHIC, ANIMAL PLANET, HISTORY and etc.

But I also think that listening news is also one of the best ways to learn english, of courswe if you want to watch BBC, SKY, CNN, Euronews, etc.

In every case, watching films, listening TV stations, and listening strange music, and for few months your english will be perfect.

"Strange TV stations" heheh,nice said

[leimontenegro]

The best thing is reading books(if you cant afford studing in english speaking countries),nespapers(you have most of them on-line)... But you have to do it on daily basis,at least couple of hours every day otherwise wont be any effect.
I remember my first book I read in english,it took me ages to read it(with distionary of course) but after second one it was much easier.Watching movies with subtittle is good idea as well,it can help a lot.

[Bad Boy]

"Vijesti" has that special edition of the New York Times every monday, if I'm not mistaken. Giving yourself the task to read every single issue of it is a good way to stay in shape, and even improve. Topics are interesting and up to date. Reading some random material can be rather boring, so I recon that Vijesti every monday can help and be interesting in the proces. You can get even more scientific if you translate every article by using a dictionary, so you can have like an extra homework for every day of the week. Trust me, these thing help. And if get yourself to translate articles from Vijesti (Pobjeda, Dan, etc., or other material for that matter) from Montenegrin to English... well, let's just say that one day you will be a pretty damn good English language speaker.