(4) Recommended for beginners: “How to learn English conversation”

■Three ways of learning English conversation for beginners ~ Which one can you continue with?

The following four "4 principles to avoid failure" are attested by successful students.

　No0: Relationship of trust with instructors

   No1: Calm space and atmosphere for learning

   No2: Opportunity to experience improvement and effects

　No3: Reasonable cost

On the other hand, there are three learning methods that beginners of English conversation can choose from: school, online English conversation, and self-study. Let's take a look at the compatibility between these three forms and the four principles of not giving up.

■Is an English conversation school best for beginners?

At an English conversation school, there is a possibility that you will be able to meet all of the four principles of not giving up.

However, even when it comes to English conversation schools, there are a wide range of schools, from major companies to privately run schools, and their characteristics, pros and cons, vary widely. For the classification of English conversation schools and general trends, please refer to the column "Viewing English conversation schools from the perspective of business administration and economics."

Also, even more important than choosing an English conversation school is choosing specific lessons. For more information, please refer to the column ``How should I use English conversation school?''

■What is the current hot topic of online English conversation?

There are many advantages such as "cheap" and "no time constraints", but for beginners, it is difficult to follow the four principles to avoid disappointment: No. 3: Reasonable costs.

Although it may be suitable for those who have reached intermediate level or higher if they want to maintain their level or aim to improve further, it is probably best to avoid it as the main learning method for beginners in English conversation.

■TV course

In particular, NHK's TV courses are highly complete and have a variety of lessons depending on your level. If you feel like it, there is the advantage that you can do it even on a crowded train when commuting to work or school.

However, it is difficult to use as the main learning method for beginners in English conversation, as it does not meet all of the four principles to avoid frustration, except No. 3: Reasonable costs. English conversation schools should be your main source and should be considered as a supplementary means.

One thing to keep in mind is that as long as you play the audio, you will feel like you are learning, so listening itself tends to become a norm and you may end up not actually learning anything.

■DVD/CD teaching materials

Unfortunately, in today's world where many excellent English conversation audios are available from TV and the Internet, there is no benefit to purchasing expensive DVD/CD teaching materials.

■Is “just listening” English conversation effective for beginners?

A long time ago, there was a comedy show that said, ``I'm surprised that kids can speak English in America!''

It is said that the human language center develops until the age of 7, and children up to the age of 7 will naturally pick up language just by listening. Eventually, the language center reaches a critical stage around the age of 11, and after the age of 12, it is hopeless to improve by simply listening.

In other words, for adults who are learning English as a foreign language, simply listening to it will have little effect on improving their English conversation skills, and many experts believe that ``you will not be able to improve your English conversation skills without scientific teaching methods.'' . 　　

However, listening to a recording of English conversation on a crowded train while commuting is probably better than doing nothing at all. However, cheap and high-quality English conversation audio from TV or the Internet may be sufficient.

■English conversation cafe looks fun! ?

Many of the staff at English conversation cafes are not professional teachers in the first place, and it may be difficult to establish a relationship of trust with the instructor, which is the most important of the 4 rules for not giving up. It is best to avoid English conversation as the main learning method for beginners. However, having fun is the driving force behind improvement, so for those who think English conversation cafes suit their sensibilities, it may be a good supplement. I will refrain from going into details, but it seems that there are some foreigners living in Japan for some reason, so you may need to consider that you are responsible for the risk of trouble, including financial issues. .

■Summary

If you are a beginner in English conversation, attending a school increases the possibility that you will be able to continue learning without getting discouraged.

However, it is not ``whatever school you go to'' is important, but the way you learn at school is important. The key is to choose a school that will make this possible.