8 tips for learning English for college entrance exams
Preparing for the university entrance exam is not easy at all, so it requires a lot of dedication. After all, there is a large amount of material and topics to study. However, It is possible to use some strategies to help in understanding the subjects. Learning English, for example, can become easier with a few tips.
The language scares many people, but it's important to have at least a basic command of reading not only to ace exams and get into higher education, but also for... labor market — since English is a prerequisite for the most competitive positions.
Are you curious to know how to improve your performance in English studies? Then take note of the 8 tips we've included in this post and start putting them into practice!
1. Study verb tenses.
It is important for the student to know when the action in the sentence is taking place. To do this, it is necessary to carefully study verb tenses and thus determine whether the reference is to the present, past, or future.
It might seem complicated, but you should know that verb tenses in English are much shorter than in Portuguese—which makes studying much easier.
To achieve basic reading proficiency, it's important to know the simplest verb tenses from the start., such as:
- simple present;
- simple past (passado simples);
- simple future (futuro simples).
These verb tenses have very similar conjugation rules, which will help the student to retain the content more easily.
2. Pay special attention to the articles.
In addition to verb tenses, Understanding the text can become easier with a better grasp of the articles. Therefore, be very clear about the difference between the indefinite articles (“a”, “an”) and the definite article (“the”). They indicate whether an object has been referred to for the first time (“a”, “an”), as well as whether the word is singular or plural (“a cat”, “the cats”).
3. Read texts in English.
If you want to learn the language to enter the faculty, He knows he needs to be familiar with some grammar principles. However, the study can be more effective If you start reading texts in English, it's important to develop this habit, even if you can't translate every word at first.
Reading a variety of texts, such as narratives, articles, or news reports, will make it easier to understand how sentences are constructed and how meaning is made in the English language. If you wish, you can start with children's stories before moving on to more complex content.
Ideally, start by choosing the right books: if your intention is to improve your English with books, choose the most recent ones, with an updated vocabulary. And don't just focus on the words—try to understand the narrative as a whole.
4. Practice writing in English.
By regularly practicing reading in English, you'll have a better chance of succeeding in writing. This requires a lot of practice. Even if you still have some difficulties with spelling, take the risk. Grab a pen and paper or sit down at your computer and get started.
It's important to get used to the language and, if you have difficulties, consult a grammar book and a dictionary. Google Translate It's also a useful tool for solving simple questions. Just don't become dependent on it for everything. The more you require your brain to think in English, the easier it becomes to acquire the rules of the language.
5. Do the exercises from previous college entrance exams.
Following in that same vein that Practice makes perfect., A good tip for learning English is to review past college entrance exam questions. Read the instructions carefully and try to concentrate in order to interpret the text. If you prefer, you can even use a timer to get into the exam mindset.
The practice will help the student become more comfortable with the format, types of texts, and structure of the questions. In addition, it will allow them to identify the topics they find most difficult and reinforce their knowledge during review.
6. Watch movies with English subtitles.
The great thing about learning English is that you don't have to stick to just books, textbooks, and notebooks. You can sit on the couch and relax while studying. How? By watching your favorite movies and series with subtitles in the original language. You will have the text and audio at the same time. — which makes it much easier to understand.
Initially, it's preferable to select episodes you're already familiar with to make it easier to understand each line of dialogue. If you prefer, invite friends who are also studying for the college entrance exam to participate in the session with you, so you can ask questions together.
7. Follow along with song lyrics in English.
If you're a music lover, how about having access to a band's or artist's lyrics so you can sing along when you turn the music on? It's a relaxed way to understand the language.
If you prefer, watch the show or music video on YouTube with subtitles. Highlight the unfamiliar words so you can look up their meaning in the dictionary later. Listening to music in English is a great way to train your ear—and also another opportunity to study in a group.
8. Use language learning apps.
Did you know that even your smartphone can be an ally when it comes to learning English? With this device, often seen as a source of distraction, it's possible to give it a boost with various skills. applications (many of them free) that They offer an interactive way to understand languages.
O Duolingo, For example, it's a very practical and fun tool, since it's based on games. The student can accumulate points and climb the ranking when they manage to complete the stages. You can learn by speaking, reading, listening, or writing. Another very popular app is... Babbel, This allows students to discover the meaning of words through everyday situations. It also has a feature that helps with pronunciation practice.
See how easy and even fun it can be to learn English? This way, you'll do very well on your college entrance exams. Make good use of the internet: there, you have more access to content in the foreign language, which helps when looking for more dynamic ways to study the language.
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