English Language Insights
English is the world’s language. Although there may be populations that are larger than those that make up the countries that speak the dialect as one of their native options, it is still the most spoken around the planet.
According to some estimates, more than 1.4 billion are thought to speak it in some capacity. To put that into context, that’s approximately the same as the populations of India and China; the world’s most inhabited countries.
English is the World’s Business Language
Despite not being made official, most countries that operate in international relations and commerce use it to communicate with each other. This is being challenged by other dialects through globalisation, but it continues to remain incredibly important and still carries a lot of influence.
Language Learning Has Changed
With it possible to learn online and not just through old-school methods, language learning has become easier and more accessible. You’re now able to learn the language in a more convenient way, as you are no longer bound to a classroom or specific hours.
Anyone who has learned a second language at school will know that their learning experiences could be limited. They may have had a teacher that wasn’t a native speaker, they may have had very few hours because they had to learn other subjects on the curriculum, or they may not have had the right environment. Some schools may have had classes that were full of distractions or disruptive pupils that didn’t want to learn.
Benefits Provided When Learning Online
By using a company like Preply, an English courses website, you can receive the best learning experiences online. The programs that are offered can provide several benefits that can help an individual to enhance their studies and develop their skills in a personalized way.
- A native speaker
- A dedicated and personalized session
- Convenience and accessibility
You Can Learn Directly With a Native Speaker
While some may feel that a native speaker isn’t at the top of a list of priorities, being taught online can provide you access to a teacher who is. A tutor who knows the language inside out and is fluent because it is their mother tongue can bring a variety of benefits that a non-native speaker may not have.
Someone who can speak the language from birth will be able to share insights into various words and phrases. English can feature a lot of slang, whether it is being spoken in the UK, USA, or Australia (among others). A native speaker can inform a student about slang and help them navigate these challenges more effectively than someone who may not have been exposed to them without education. This can make a huge difference if someone is trying to immerse themselves in culture or language.
Dedicated and Personalized Sessions
By using an online course, sessions can become dedicated and personalized. These are two factors that have been proven to help create immersive learning. They help to keep students engaged and motivated, making it easier for them to soak in the knowledge that is being shared and retain it.
An online course can help them to achieve this as it can be focused entirely on them. They can provide 1-2-1 support as a tutor can keep their focus on that individual and ensure they are receiving the right materials. They can focus on the aspects where they might not be strong, rather than wasting time or energy on areas that are already perfected.
Personalization can come in many forms, as humans are all very different in the way that they learn. Some can be visual; others can be auditory. Gamification has become a big way in which people learn, too, such as through vocabulary-based games. With sessions personalized online, users can ensure they find a course that suits their needs.
Convenience and Accessibility
As alluded to already, online courses can provide convenience and accessibility. These are among two of the biggest advantages an English learner can obtain if they switch their learning from the classroom to virtual.
Students can ensure they are in the best frame of mind to learn if they know they can do so at a convenient time. Busy livelihoods don’t always make physical classrooms easy to attend. An online lesson can give them time to prepare and be set when it’s best for them. If they are relaxed and ready, the learner is more likely to be successful in taking in the content being taught, giving them a higher chance of retaining it and being able to use it.
Accessibility can be all that’s in the way of some learners wishing to learn English. Not everyone has the resources available to get to a classroom. With most of the world having access to the internet, it makes the ability to learn a language that much easier. It’s even possible to suggest that there is no reason why a language course can’t be attended now!
Learning Online is the Best Way
While some may still like to use old-school methods, the ability to use the internet to learn a new language like English is exceptional. It’s almost impossible to argue against the idea that is the best and only way that it should be done.
Of course, there are many facets to language learning, but going online can make it much easier.
Language Skills Across the US
A recent study conducted by Preply, an English classes and courses platform, set out to examine which U.S. states boast the best grammar skills, evaluating knowledge in English grammar, spelling, and punctuation among over 1,800 Americans. While many rely on autocorrect, some have retained language rules learned in school. Here’s a summary of key findings on how each state performed and common language challenges Americans face.
Top and Bottom Performers in Grammar Skills
The study found that California, Connecticut, and Georgia led the nation, earning the only “A” grades for grammar skills. Conversely, Virginia, Michigan, and Tennessee showed the most room for improvement, with the lowest average scores.
One question on the correct usage of “peek,” “peak,” and “pique” illustrated these differences, as about 68% of respondents got it right, but nearly 20% confused the terms. Another question stumped many respondents with the use of “lie” vs. “lay,” with only 65% answering correctly.
Spelling Proficiency: Which States Need Spellcheck the Most?
Spelling accuracy also varied widely. New Jersey, California, and Wisconsin topped the list for spelling proficiency, while Maine, Arizona, and Pennsylvania struggled the most. Certain words posed significant challenges; for example, only 58% of people spelled “accommodate” correctly, while others defaulted to common misspellings like “ .”
Punctuation Knowledge and Common Challenges
When it came to punctuation, residents of Minnesota, Mississippi, and Iowa excelled, particularly in understanding complex punctuation rules like the Oxford comma, a punctuation mark that more than half of Americans (55%) failed to recognize. An even lesser-known mark, the ellipse, confused many, with some mistaking it for an apostrophe or a tilde.
Expert Insight on Language Complexity
According to language expert Sylvia Johnson, English’s complex origins explain why spelling can be particularly challenging. She highlights that “heterographs,” words that sound the same but are spelled differently (e.g., “hair” and “hare”), add to the confusion, as do “heteronyms” like “desert” and “tear,” which share the same spelling but differ in pronunciation.
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