Spending time in an English speaking country means that you will be surrounded by native English speakers. Take an intensive English course for at least a month at the start of your stay and live with a local host. This will give your English a big boost. A local host will not only speak to you in English everyday at mealtimes but will help you to get to know the city, customs and how local people are. Feeling comfortable in your surroundings will make it easier to learn English.

Remember to make the effort from the start of your stay and try to make local friends, even if it is more difficult that making friends with people who speak your mother-tongue. Join an activity class or group for things you like doing such as zumba, climbing, painting, spinning, cookery and do it in English!

British people love their pubs and most people are happy to talk to you when you’re standing at the bar. Watching sports on TV in the pub is a sure way to get talking to a local. Just make sure you know who they are supporting before you start arguing about the best team or player!

Using English in context will help you learn English more easily. This means learning words in their natural surrounding instead of as a list in a book. For example, if you join a walking club and go on an excursion out of the city on a Saturday, you will learn a lot of vocabulary related to nature, wildlife, transport and weather. If you go to a baking class, you will learn a lot of vocabulary related to cooking, flavours, numbers and instructions!

Learning a language is only easy for a handful of lucky people, the majority of people need motivation and time. The easiest way to learn English is to spend time in an English speaking country, take an intensive English course in a small group and immerse yourself in the language. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself while learning!