The best way to learn English. First steps in English: where to start? Additional features of Punto Switcher
Even such a simple procedure as switching the language on the keyboard can cause difficulties for inexperienced users. The problem is that different computers use various ways switching languages, which confuses users and does not contribute to remembering the switching method. In this article we will talk about how to switch the language on the keyboard.
In the Windows operating system, by default, the ALT+SHIFT key combination is used to switch the language. As a rule, this combination is used on most computers. Therefore, if you sit down at the computer for the first time, then first you need to try switching the language on the keyboard using this combination.
The second most popular way to switch languages is the CTRL+SHIFT key combination. Many users change from ALT+SHIFT to CTRL+SHIFT because CTRL+SHIFT is easier to press without looking at the keyboard.
You can also switch the language by pressing the key with the letter “Ё”. This option is used extremely rarely. Therefore, few people know about him. If the ALT+SHIFT and CTRL+SHIFT key combinations do not work, then you should try this method.
It should be noted that switching the language using the keyboard can be disabled. In this case, you can switch the language by clicking on the icon indicating the language.
If you don't like the switching method, you can change it. To do this, right-click on the language icon and select “Options” from the drop-down menu.
After this, a window called “Languages and text input services” will open in front of you. Here you need to go to the “Keyboard Switching” tab.
And on the “Switch keyboard” tab, click on the “Change keyboard shortcut” button.
After this, a small window will open in front of you in which you need to select one of the methods for changing the input language.
After you have chosen the appropriate method for switching the keyboard language, close all windows by clicking on the “OK” button. That's it, after that you can switch the language as you wish.
In the process of typing text, and simply while using a computer, the need to switch the input language very often arises. Repeated use for switching language bar in the lower right corner is not convenient, since the panel icon is quite small and requires some time to move the mouse cursor, which will be very tiring if you switch frequently. Therefore, many personal computer users are concerned about the question of how to switch the language on the keyboard.
Indeed, all modern operating systems with a graphical interface provide for changing the input language from using the keyboard. In Windows Vista and Windows 7, the input language is changed by one of the following keystrokes or key combinations:
- Ctrl and Shift
- Alt left and Shift.
- Yo or accent mark (`)
Switching the keyboard input language can be disabled in the Windows operating system settings. To enable it you must complete the following steps:
- Click the “Start” button and select “Control Panel” from the menu that appears on the right.
- In the control panel, double-click its last component called “Language and Regional Standards”.
- In the window that opens, go to the “Languages and Keyboards” tab and then click the “Change Keyboard” button.
- Check that the list of installed services contains at least two languages - Russian and English. Otherwise, there will simply be nothing to switch.
If there is only one language, then you need to add a second one by clicking the “Add” button and selecting the required language in the window that appears.
- After checking the presence of languages in the “Languages and Text Input Services” window, go to the “Switch Keyboard” tab and at the bottom of it click the “Change Keyboard Shortcut” button.
- In the new window that opens, select a convenient method for changing the language from the three offered and confirm your choice by clicking the “Ok” button.
- Click “Ok” twice in the remaining open windows and check the effect of the settings made in any text editor.
For clarity, all the steps described above are demonstrated in the video.
There is no secret method to learn a language in a month. If someone promises you a miracle, don't believe it. But the process can be accelerated in order to overcome the barrier in six months and finally speak English. Life hacker and experts from the online English school Skyeng share simple tips.
1. Study online
Online classes help you learn quickly. You can be too lazy to drive to the other end of the city in bad weather, but the Internet is always at hand. Adapting your schedule to the course schedule, making agreements with teachers, wasting time on the road - all this gets boring and slows down the process. Choose online courses. What makes life easier increases motivation.
Many, choosing between a cozy evening at home and a long trip to courses, decide that they can live without English.
Rid yourself of reasons to miss classes - create a convenient personal schedule. At Skyeng, teachers work in all time zones, so you can study whenever you want, even in the middle of the night.
Online classes are also good because all materials, texts, videos, dictionaries are collected in one place: in the application or on the website. And homework is checked automatically as you complete it.
2. Study at your leisure
Don't be limited by lesson time. Learning a language is not just about doing exercises. You can improve your skill by listening to songs and podcasts or reading English-speaking bloggers.
Everyone knows how important it is to watch movies and TV series with English subtitles, but not everyone knows that there are special educational applications for this. Skyeng online translators are linked to the app of the same name on your phone, so you can repeat new words at any time.
For example, if you install a special extension in the Google Chrome browser, you can read any text in English, and when you hover over a word or phrase, you can immediately see its translation. The same goes for subtitles for online cinemas. Each word individually can be translated directly as you watch. These words are added to a personal dictionary and sent to the mobile application, where free time they can be repeated and memorized.
Friends, many of you probably had a desire to start learn English for free without outside help or any paid educational courses.
And that's great! After all, studying foreign language expands human consciousness, opens up opportunities for travel and communication with people from other parts of the world. Believe me Having mastered another language, you will begin to think and perceive the world around you differently!
However, judging by the experience of most students, some people give up trying to learn English due to a lack of self-discipline and simple laziness! And indeed, an abundance of all kinds of rules and bad memories from school curriculum training discourages all desire to learn!
We decided to help everyone study English language on one's own and prepared 7 the best ways to master it. These methods significantly save time and simplify understanding of grammar, and most importantly, they are free!
Using these methods and devoting at least 1 hour a day to studying, in a few months you will master the basic principles, replenish lexicon and you will be able to speak freely on general/simple topics with native speakers.
1. Dmitry Petrov's method
Dmitry Petrov is a famous linguist, translator and public figure, who speaks more than 15 languages. He developed a course of 16 video lessons that can be found on the Internet at free access(releases of the “Polyglot” program on the Russia TV channel). You can watch video tutorials.
In addition to the course of video lessons, there is a free mobile application for learning English using the method of Dmitry Petrov.
The effectiveness of Dmitry Petrov's method: the material is presented in a very simple and understandable form, which quickly dispels fear of tenses, verb forms, etc. In a short time you will gain communication skills, plus you will practice basic language algorithms until they become automatic.
2. Duolingo.com platform
A free international language learning platform without premium packages, advertising or webinars, which was launched in 2011. The training system is built in the form of interesting lessons based on gamification, during which students help translate websites, articles, etc.
The basis of training is Dualingo skill tree, through which users advance by completing tasks and earning experience points. The platform has many functions, such as completing tasks against time, etc. In addition to the web project, Duolingo has a mobile application. On Dualingo you can learn not only English, but German and French, and soon Spanish and Swedish will also be available.
Duolingo efficiency: According to research, 34 hours of Duolingo training provides the same reading and writing skills as a semester of study (130 hours) in higher education. educational institutions. Currently, many teachers in schools use the Dualingo program. The project provides excellent recognition skills oral speech and translations.
3. Movie mania with subtitles
The method is based on watching your favorite films and TV series with double subtitles, but in English dubbing. It turns out that you simultaneously hear English speech and see the writing and translation.
The main nuance is the right choice of TV series and films. Beginners need to watch films that have simple dialogues and no specific words. Many people call the famous TV series “Friends” ideal for watching with double subtitles.
Efficiency of the method: quickly remember new words and phrases, master pronunciation. However, to feel the effect, you need to watch quite a lot of episodes or films.
4. Ilya Frank method
This method involves learning a language by reading books in English without a dictionary. You read and remember due to the repetition of words in the text of books.
In addition, for interesting reading, it offers explanations with translations of each sentence. Just download Ilya Frank’s books and read them at any time convenient for you. You can see what the text in the book looks like in the picture below.
The effectiveness of Ilya Frank's method: Frank's learning is ideal for memorizing words. You read a book and as you learn, you begin to skip the explanatory inserts. According to reviews it is said that if you read 1-2 hours a day, then in a year you will be able to read without problems English books in original.
5. Alexander Dragunkin method
Alexander Dragunkin developed his own method of teaching English, in which he abandoned the traditional classical study of the rules of reading words, replacing it with Russified transcription.
In his method he also developed 53 “golden” grammar formulas, which differ from the classic ones. Dragunkin offers his vision of language learning and an understanding of grammar that will be simple and understandable for beginners.
To get started, we recommend watching the 3-hour video tutorial, under which you will find a link to many teaching materials and Dragunkin tables to help with learning.
The effectiveness of the Dragunkin Method: the main advantage of Dragunkin’s method is that the material is presented in a very accessible form for “dummies.” All the material (tables, rules) by Dragunkin is systematized, making it easy to remember.
6. Dr. Pimsleur Method
Dr. Pimsleur's method is based on listening, when the student listens to dialogues, constructs phrases and reproduces them from memory. Course of Study consists of 3 parts, each of which contains 30 lessons(audio material + text).
The important point is that learning using the Pimsleur method requires great concentration. In particular, it is impossible, for example, to combine training with being in public places, because Often, as part of training, it is necessary to repeat after the speaker.
The effectiveness of Dr. Pimsleur's method: training on this method Perfect for those who have poor pronunciation. The course according to Dr. Pimsleur’s method perfectly develops memory and promotes good recognition English speech(especially dialects).
7. YouTube training
In addition to the above methods, we will leave for you several excellent YouTube channels for learning English. Each of them has its own training program that will help you master English.
Puzzle English- an excellent channel with a wide variety of grammar lessons, language learning tips, correct pronunciation etc.
English like clockwork is an entertaining channel where language learning is carried out through jokes, games, music, films, etc.
OXANA DOLINKA— a channel of the user of the same name, where a girl teaches English and focuses on live modern language, as well as the nuances of spoken English when traveling.
English at Steve Jobs School- a channel where short lessons touch on certain topics of the English language, as well as dialogues in films, talk about metaphors in English, etc.
Albert Kakhnovskiy- a channel where English is taught by the famous Raymond Murphy.
Efficiency of the method: learn English in youtube channels simple and fun. Studying does not oblige you to anything and you can devote as much time to studying as you wish.
Learn English on your own not easy! Most people note that it is often difficult to overcome their laziness, remember this! Do not succumb to the provocations of your consciousness to abandon your studies!
If you have never learned English or you once learned at school, but completely forgot everything, even the alphabet, and now you have decided to start learning English from scratch, then our advice on where to start and how to move may be useful to you. The first and most important thing is to understand how much you need the language, why you need it, and whether you have enough resources to learn the language.
Motivation
Motivation should be your driving force; without it, you will not be able to practice the language daily for a long time. Without daily practice it is impossible to master this huge layer of knowledge. If there is no obvious motivation, but there is a burning desire to learn the language, then you should think about what knowledge of the language will give you - maybe it’s a new prestigious job or the opportunity to read specialized literature on topics that interest you, or maybe you travel a lot and want to fully communicate with people around the world or correspond with foreign friends.
Your motivation may still be in the subconscious. Try to extract it from there, it will play a decisive role in your successful progress in mastering the English language.
Choosing a teaching method
Your next step should be to choose teaching methods or teachers. Now students have access to very good language materials and a large number of teachers who are ready to study via Skype with students from all over the world. Ideal, of course, is to find a good teacher who is a native speaker. But not everyone can afford such opportunities, and some simply want to study independently and for free, at a convenient time, without any stress, according to their own schedule. Then you need to choose a system that you will follow.
Learning English from scratch takes time
Plan time for studying, you need to study every day, at least 15 - 20 minutes, but it’s better to set aside an hour for studying. In our selection of articles “English from scratch” you will find materials for beginners, audio recordings and videos, exercises, a large number of examples, explanations, as well as links to resources that will help you progress faster.
When choosing your study resources, make sure you like the materials. This is important, all polyglots talk about it. Interest plays a major role in language acquisition. It allows you to achieve more with less effort. Just imagine that you need to learn or translate a text on some boring topic for you, but you will fall asleep after the first phrase! On the contrary, if you come across an interesting book, you will definitely find time to read it. Go ahead, friends, devote your time and attention to the language, and you will raise your English from scratch to fluency. Good luck to all!