Learning English as an Adult (A2)

Module code: 458

Many adults want to learn English. There are four main problems they face. But there are good ways to solve each problem. Let’s listen to a report about these problems and their solutions.

Listen to part 1 of the report

Now listen to part 2

Now read the report (click the blue box) and answer the vocabulary questions

📰 How Adults Can Learn English Better: Four Big Challenges and Solutions (A2)

Many adults want to learn English. There are four main problems they face. But there are good ways to solve each problem. Let’s look at these problems and their solutions.

The first problem is learning new words. Adults need to know many English words to speak well. Dr. Sarah Chen is a language expert at Stanford University. She says adults should not just try to remember words one by one. Instead, they should learn groups of similar words together. For example, they can learn ‘decide,’ ‘decision,’ and ‘decisive’ at the same time. These words are connected. Dr. Chen also says people should learn new words by listening to podcasts and reading news. This helps them see how people use the words in real life.The second problem comes from your first language. Professor James Martinez studies how people learn languages. He says our first language can help us learn English. This happens when our language is similar to English. But our first language can also make it harder to learn English. This happens when our language is very different from English.Professor Martinez gives two tips to help. First, you should study how your language and English are different. Second, you should try to think in English directly. Don’t translate in your head from your language to English. Start with easy sentences. Then slowly try harder ones. Always stay in English when you think.

Part 2

The third problem is English grammar. English has many special rules and exceptions. Dr. Elena Petrova teaches English at Columbia University. She says the best way to learn grammar is not to memorize rules. Instead, you should watch and listen to lots of English. This helps you see how grammar works naturally. Dr. Petrova also says you should practice one grammar rule at a time. Use it in real situations until you know it well. Then move to the next rule.The fourth problem is pronunciation. Dr. Michael Wong helps people speak better. He says it’s harder to make new sounds after we become teenagers. But he says we can still learn with the right practice.Dr. Wong gives two helpful tips. First, look at how your mouth moves when you make difficult sounds. You can use a mirror or make videos of yourself. Second, copy native English speakers. Listen to audiobooks or podcasts and speak along with them. This helps you learn the natural sound of English.New research from the University of Cambridge has good news. Dr. Rebecca Thompson has studied how people learn English. She found that children learn faster at first. But adults can often learn grammar and words better in the end. This is because adults have three advantages. They can think about language better. They know how to study better. And they can understand difficult ideas better.Learning English as an adult takes time and work. But you can definitely succeed. If you understand these four problems and use these solutions, you can keep getting better at English.

Key Facts:

Target Vocabulary:

solve, learn by heart, practice, speak along with, succeed, grammar rule, native speaker, pronunciation, get better at, face, make sounds, advantage, similar, try harder, helpful

Test Your Understanding & Learn Vocabulary

Answer each question to reveal its vocabulary explanation:

What does ‘solve’ mean?

To ‘learn by heart’ means to…

When you ‘practice’ something, you…

To ‘speak along with’ someone means to…

If you ‘succeed’, you…

What is a ‘grammar rule’?

A ‘native speaker’ is someone who…

What does ‘pronunciation’ refer to?

When you ‘get better at’ something, you…

To ‘face’ problems means to…

To ‘make sounds’ means to…

What is an ‘advantage’?

If two things are ‘similar’, they are…

To ‘try harder’ means to…

Something that is ‘helpful’ is…

Grammar Focus: Present Simple for Facts and Habits

Adults need to know many English words

Why do we use ‘need’ in this sentence?

Grammar Focus: Modal ‘should’ for Advice

You should practice one grammar rule at a time

When we say ‘should’, we are…

Grammar Focus

Present Simple for Facts and Habits

“”

Pattern: Subject + base verb (+ s/es for 3rd person)

Function: Expressing general truths and regular actions

Modal ‘should’ for Advice

“”

Pattern: Subject + should + base verb

Function: Giving advice or recommendations

Comprehension Check

How many main problems do adult learners face?

What is the main message of the article?

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