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Fake It Till You Make It: 7 Ways to Improve Your English When You’re a Non-native Speaker

When you’re a non-native English speaker looking to improve your English, there are many different things you can do and resources you can use to strengthen your reading, writing, and speaking skills. Yes, you might have to “fake it” a little till you can make it, but with practice comes progress! Here are seven tips from the grammar experts on how to improve your English when you’re a non-native speaker.

1. Swim in a sea of speech (i.e., immerse yourself in English).

Read books (aloud), and watch TV shows and movies in English. Anything you would do or watch in your native language, do it in English. Being exposed to English, especially colloquial English, and seeing and hearing it used in conversation will help you improve your English. Try to immerse yourself in the language daily, as the more you see and hear it, the more ingrained it will become.

2. Take notes.

While reading books and watching shows in English, take notes! For even more active learning, write down every idiomatic word and phrase—be it slang, jargon, or dialect—you come across. This will make it easier to remember such expressions and help you learn how the language is used day to day. In addition to referring to your do-it-yourself dictionary, use an actual dictionary (such as a Merriam-Webster pocket dictionary) to learn the meanings of words you don’t know.

3. Practice makes perfect.

While you’re becoming comfortable with reading and writing in English, it’s also important to practice speaking. Whether with a friend, tutor, or teacher, it’s imperative that you practice speaking the language and become comfortable with having conversations in English.

4. Be a grammar geek.

Use a course to improve your English grammar. This comprehensive online course allows you to learn at your own pace in your own space. It will teach you the rules and nuances of English grammar, which—combined with reading, writing, and speaking in English—will greatly improve your knowledge of the English language and your ability to understand and use it.

5. Write it out.

Practice writing as much as you can. Writing goes hand in hand with reading and speaking in every language, and you must practice all three to really improve your English and learn to communicate like a native English speaker on all levels. You can write anything you want: a note, a letter, a book review . . . anything that piques your interest and helps expand your vocabulary!

6. Go pro.

Use a service like to have native English speakers review your work. Not only will they make corrections to your documents, but they will also make comments and suggestions to explain why certain changes were made.

7. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

Improving your English should be fun, so don’t worry if you make mistakes. After all, as the English expression goes, “You can’t make an omelette without cracking a few eggs.” So take it in stride, use your resources, and embrace the challenge.

How Can I Learn English Grammar?

The key to good communication is good grammar; that applies to any language, not just English. If you want to expresses yourself clearly and limit the chances of anyone misunderstanding your intentions, you need to have good grammar.

“Great,” you say. “I understand that. But how can I learn English grammar?”

The task of learning English grammar might seem daunting, especially since the language has so many rules and just as many exceptions.

A few simple tips can help you learn English grammar in the course of your daily routine.

The answer to the question “How can I learn English grammar?”

Communication has four key elements: reading, writing, talking, and listening. If you take a little time every day to concentrate on each of these elements, you will quickly improve your grammar.

How can I learn English grammar through reading?

Reading is a great way to learn more about a language. Try to read as much English text as possible in as many different forms as possible. Look at how recipe instructions differ from sentences in a sales brochure, or how the language in a news item differs from that of a gossip column.

Often when we read, we skim over text looking for specific information. You might look over a leaflet from a museum, for example, to find the opening times, or scan a newspaper weather forecast looking for specific words, such as “sunny” and “warm.”

The next time you pick up a magazine, newspaper, or other piece of printed text, slow down and take a few minutes to look at how the sentences are constructed. Look for commas and see where and how they are used. Try to find the more unusual punctuation marks too, such as exclamation points (!) or semicolons (;), and work out where they occur in the sentence and the kind of information these sentences try to convey. Ask yourself whether the meaning of the sentence changes if the semicolon is replaced by a comma or if a period is used instead of an exclamation point.

How can I learn English grammar through writing?

Next, try to apply the patterns you saw when reading to your own writing. You can find complex or difficult sentences and use the same structure to write a sentence of your own.

If you find any specific grammatical topics difficult to grasp, look for sentences in your text where those tricky constructions might appear. Has one sentence been written in the passive voice, for example? Look at ways you can turn the sentence around and make it active.

How can I learn English grammar through talking?

One of the best ways to test if your writing is clear and understandable is to read it out loud.

You can put a lot of thought and effort into writing a difficult sentence. Your main focus is often to make sure the sentence contains the information you need to get across. But is it grammatically correct?

Read the sentence out loud a few times. Did you stumble over the same words each time or run out of breath before you reached the end? If so, your sentence probably contains bad grammar. Take a closer look and try to rewrite your sentence until it flows smoothly and fluently.

How can I learn English grammar through listening?

It is important to pay attention to detail when learning English grammar.

A great way to learn is from other people’s mistakes.

Spoken English is often very different from written English. Even native speakers make grammatical errors, especially in casual conversation.

Take a few moments each day to listen to people talking and try to pick out their mistakes. Did that sentence end in a preposition? Did the pronoun agree with the antecedent? Perhaps it wasn’t even a complete sentence, but it was just a fragment instead.

You don’t need to correct the speaker; you only need to listen and remind yourself of the rules.

If you’re still asking yourself, “How can I learn English grammar?”, one other easy answer is to take an online course.

Where Can I Learn English Grammar?

Nouns, adjectives, verbs, and prepositions—grammar is all around us!

Many people believe that learning English grammar is a difficult task. It’s something they tend to avoid at all costs, like doing chores or booking a long overdue appointment at the dentist. Even the term “English grammar” conjures up images of dusty books and boring classrooms.

But learning the basics of English grammar can be fun and easy, especially if you ask for help from a qualified teacher. You’ll soon discover that grammar isn’t limited to textbooks, but that it’s actually all around us—at least if you know where to look. All you need is a little curiosity and the will to learn.

Besides a classroom at school, there are plenty of places where you can brush up on your English grammar without spending too much time or money. Some of these places may even surprise you! Take a look at this list and consider whether you can incorporate a few minutes of easy grammar training into your regular routine.

1) Learn English grammar from a book

Reading is one of the most popular hobbies in the world, and for good reason. Reading not only transports you to far-away places but also exposes you to new ideas and opinions. Believe it or not, reading can also drastically improve your spelling and grammar. Studies show that reading on a regular basis can expand your vocabulary and make your writing and speaking flow more naturally. So the next time you’re looking to brush up on your English grammar skills, grab one of your favorite books and dive in!

2) Learn English grammar from an online course

Over the last decade, online courses have experienced a surge in popularity. Students from all over the world appreciate the convenience and flexibility online courses offer. That’s why a growing number of universities and colleges are offering online courses on core subjects such as English and creative writing. Even if you’re already a literature buff, taking an online course can be a great way to improve your grammar and spelling. Many online grammar courses are taught by professors who have expert knowledge of the English language and would be happy to answer your questions about good communication.

3) Learn English grammar in university or college

Post-secondary education is an excellent opportunity to improve your communication skills. Even students who study math or science are able to learn the rules of grammar by listening to their instructors speak. If you’re an English major, you’ll most likely be required to take a course or two on grammar basics. You’ll also get plenty of practice with grammar by writing essays, stories, and presentations. In university, your professors will always grade your work and give you essential feedback on just how far your communication skills have come.

4) Learn English grammar from television and movies

Watching English television and movies is another effective way to improve your grammar. You may not realize it, but as you listen to actors speak English, you’re actually picking up on their sentence construction. The more you watch television and movies, the more comfortable you’ll become with identifying verbs, pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs in the English language. You can also try listening to podcasts, which have become increasingly popular in recent years and are easily accessible from many online news outlets. Watching and listening to various English media will help improve your overall confidence with grammar, making it easier to converse with other English speakers.

Grammar, grammar everywhere

Whether you’re new to the English language or simply looking for a way to brush up on your skills, these five grammar resources are sure to help improve your command of the English language. Besides dedication, having the right resources for grammar education is the key to becoming a better communicator. Good luck with your studies and remember to always have fun!