Learning to Improve English, Spoken Or Written, is Like Learning to Ski

With much of our country wrapped in snow, andspecialist makes all the difference in their language
the kids clamoring to make a snowman, winterskills and accent.
sports such as skiing are on my mind. I think backAnd then there are those who really want to ski,
to my high school skiing trips, and learning thebut just keep falling flat on their face. No matter
basics of how to start and stop while on thehow hard they try and how much they watch
beginner slope. And I realized that learning toothers, they just can't figure out how to keep
improve English, spoken or written, is a lot likethe skis under them. It is important to them to
learning to ski. In the beginning, you just need thelearn how to ski, so they hire a personal instructor
basics, a few simple rules to help you survive.who will watch them, determine exactly what
If you don't live in an English speaking country, thethey are doing wrong, and teach them the skills
basics may be all you ever need. But, if youthey need to be a successful skier.
move to a country where English is the commonFor many non-native English speakers, the story
language, you will probably want to improve youris the same. They have tried watching others,
spoken English and writing skills.reading books, and watching videos, but their
In skiing, if you want to move away from theEnglish pronunciation just doesn't improve. They
beginner slope, you may need some instruction toreally want to speak English more clearly, but
improve your skills. Some people can watch andthey can't figure out what to do. They need a
imitate a more experienced skier, and they learnpersonal instructor, just like the skiers did, to walk
all they need to navigate the more challengingalongside them, show them exactly what they're
intermediate slopes. Others, however, need a fewdoing that isn't working, and teach them the skills
hours of coaching from an instructor to masterfor success.
the skills they need to safely make it down theSo, where are you in your journey to improve
harder slopes.your English, spoken or written? Have you learned
Learning to improve your English skills is much theall you need from English classes and friends, or
same way. Some people can watch and imitateare you looking for the instructor who will guide
their friends and co-workers and learn what theyyou in achieving your English pronunciation and
need at that point. For others, a few hours ofwriting goals?
personalized instruction with an accent reduction