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The world is changing faster than ever before in history. Perhaps we are on the eve of new changes that will be even faster than today. However, change also brings with it a great competition, and those who constantly renew themselves gain a competitive advantage by stepping forward in every subject. In this context, it would be meaningless to state how important learning a foreign language is in a period when technology and artificial intelligence have developed so much. Also, while we are talking about foreign languages, it should be noted that English is now the language of technology and artificial intelligence. At this point, we wanted to touch on the common mistakes in English made by everyone who wants to learn this language.
The issue of mistakes made while learning English is a common issue or problem for both those who have just started learning this language and those who have reached a certain level. If we can overcome these problems, we will have transformed the subject of learning a foreign language from a boring lesson into an enjoyable entertainment. Remember, the human brain learns much faster when it is having fun. This way, mistakes are reduced. If you want, let’s list these mistakes together first. Then, let’s analyse them separately and look at the solutions.
Common Mistakes in English Made While Learning:
– Lack of motivation
– Getting stuck on grammar
– Just Memorizing Words
– Listening Without Consciousness
– Reading Without Comprehension
– Being Embarrassed to Speak
– Trying to Translate in Our Head
Common Mistakes in English
Motivation: It should not be forgotten that learning is a journey and a process. In other words, our motivation decreases or increases during certain periods. The important thing here is to manage this process well. We should work harder and more efficiently during periods when our motivation is high. Similarly, if we do not feel ready, it will be difficult for us to understand what we are working on. In this context, one of the most common mistakes in English made while learning is to start the process without sufficient motivation. The person thinks that he is actually working at that moment, but in fact he is only deceiving himself.
At this point, let’s list the things that will increase our motivation to study English.
- Our salary will increase when we learn English.
- If we are a student, we make an investment in the future.
- It contributes to a better and more comfortable life.
- We expand our social circle.
- We understand what is going on in the world.
- Maybe we will find our future spouse abroad 🙂
Any item may be important or unimportant for you. The valuable thing here is to find a goal or goals that will motivate you and study English willingly.
Getting stuck on grammar: Yes friends, grammar is very important for a language. However, if you do not understand the grammar while studying, do not try to memorize the patterns. Most people who try to learn English get stuck on grammar and give up learning. Your purpose is important here. Do you want to learn grammar or the language? Yes, this subject is a bit boring, but if you do not understand it, do not let this demotivate you.
Read and Learn Grammar!
There are many people who improve their English grammar by listening to English or just reading a lot of books instead of just studying grammar itself. On the other hand, even if you understand it very well, do not focus on grammar more than necessary. Believe me, there are people out there who have a great grammar knowledge but cannot put two words together when it comes to speaking. Please pay attention to this subject, which comes to mind when it comes to common mistakes in English made while learning.
Common Mistakes Vocabulary
Memorizing Words: If you have read our article, you should already know the technique. Many people who study English try to memorize words in vain. Let’s state from the beginning that memorization will not lead you to success in any subject, not just in a foreign language. In other words, making a list of a few hundred words and working on them for days will not make you a good English speaker. It is useful to be a little calm and patient in this regard. Then, try to learn the words in groups or clusters. For example, the word “take” has many meanings. Memorizing this word alone will not lead you to success.
However, if you learn it as “take after somebody” or as a group “resemble a person”, it will stay in your mind easier and longer.
Listening unconsciously and reading without understanding: We all make some listening or reading practices from time to time so as not to forget what we have learned. For example, we say let me turn on a BBC podcast and listen to it while commuting from home to work. After a while, we realize that the podcast is playing in background but an event we experienced the day before is playing in our minds. If they asked us what was being said on the radio at moment, we would have no idea.
Similarly, sometimes while reading an English book, after a while we realize that we are only following the relevant text with our eyes but have no idea what we are reading. This is the most harmful mistake made while learning English. In other words, reading or listening without understanding and unconsciously will not add anything to you. What is worse is that you think you are practicing at that moment.
Don’t be shy just Talk!
Being Shy While Speaking: This issue is also related to personality or character traits. For example, people living in the region that we can call Mediterranean people are more emotional. We observe that people in this region, make more mistakes while speaking even if they know English theoretically. On the other hand, we see that relatively calm people in northern countries such as Norway or Sweden speak English very comfortable enough to express their own problems even if their foreign language level is not very good.
Not Talking is a Real Mistake!
At this point, what we need to do is to “normalize the mistake”, that is, to speak without getting nervous, thinking that making mistakes is very natural when speaking in English and that the other person knows it. Believe me, everyone who has become an expert in speaking has made many mistakes in the beginning. Remember, people become experts by making mistakes. This is one of the most common mistakes in English while learning.
Translation from Native Language Issue: When it comes to mistakes made while learning English, perhaps the biggest mistake is thinking and translating in the native language. It has happened to all of us during the foreign language process. In other words, you want to make a sentence in the language you are studying and first you create it in your mind in your native language. Then you try to translate it word by word from the native language to English. During this process, both your mind gets extremely tired and you lose an incredible amount of time. If you make this mistake during speaking, you will already be speaking stuttering to the other party. This situation also reduces your self-confidence.
So, how can you speak English without translating from the native language? Yes, it is a very deep and philosophical question, but the way to achieve this is to do a lot of listening practice. In this context, when it comes to common mistakes in English made while learning, we feel the need to connect the issue of effective and comprehensible listening to the issue of translating from the native language. In other words, the more you listen and the more active you are, the more your mind will automatically start speaking English without translating from the native language after a certain period of time.
Common Mistakes English
On the other hand, we also need to emphasize the issue of continuity here. In other words, if you practice listening to English at least four or five days a week, if not every day, and if you take speaking lessons from Cambly or similar online applications and practice speaking without hesitation and without making mistakes, you will notice your progress in a very short time.
Finally, if we make a basic assessment, the first mistake made while learning English, like any other foreign language, is not finding a reason or source of motivation for yourself. If a person who is not motivated is trying to learn a language because they feel “forced” or because someone else wants them to do it, they will give up at the first difficulty they encounter.
