Put on some comfortable clothes and reserve a quiet corner of your home where you will not be disturbed. This might be a desk by a window, a comfy armchair or your sofa.

To ensure you make good progress and schedule regular slots for your English each week, it is important that you set yourself some clear goals and realistic timescales. Think about the following:

On which days do you have more time to study?

Which days are really busy and best avoided altogether?

What are your weaker skills and study goals for the next 3 months?

How can you connect your existing hobbies or interests with English?

Are you happy to just study alone, or would you like to practise with other people too?

Start by looking through the textbooks and other materials that you already have at home. Decide which of these resources you still find useful or interesting and put them in your “English corner”. Now think about what is missing from your library. It is worth having the following paper-based and digital resources in your collection:

Good grammar textbook (e.g. English Grammar in Use)

General English textbook (e.g. Face2Face)

Selection of reading material (books, magazines, printed newspaper articles, etc.)

Bilingual and English-to-English dictionaries

Reference books on: phrasal verbs, idioms and other more advanced vocabulary

Online resources: top ESL websites, YouTube channels, Facebook groups, music, films, audiobooks, podcasts, e-books and PDFs

If you take an active interest in the culture of the UK or USA, then learning English will be a more rewarding experience. Language and culture are closely connected, so it is often hard to understand one without the other.

When you first start watching films in English, it is a good idea to choose some titles that you have already seen in your own language. If you are familiar with the storyline, then you can focus 100% on understanding the English. Search on a website like IMDB.com for popular films you might like, buy the DVD locally, or do a Google search for: “watch *title* movie online free”. If you are learning British English, then check out this list of the 100 best UK films.

Watching TV news in English can be difficult at first because newsreaders speak very quickly. However, if you watch news broadcasts for 10-15 minutes each day, then you will soon improve your vocabulary and listening skills. Newsreaders often repeat the same words and phrases, so this helps you remember new vocabulary and understand future stories better. Freeintertv.com allows you to watch live streams from popular English language news channels. Use the search option to find UK or US news channels and watch them free at home. BBC News is great if you are learning British English.

Watching television can be a great way of improving your fluency in English. TV programmes give you access to modern British or American English as it is used today. This means you can learn real native English at home without getting off the sofa! TVplayer.com lets you watch live streams of English channels from anywhere in the world. Try different types of programmes and pay attention to the accents and slang used. Soap operas and TV series can be especially good for learning how natives really communicate in English.

Whether you like watching cats playing keyboards, scary Russian driving or fail videos, YouTube has something for you! Short videos are easier to watch than TV programmes and films so this format is great for learning English. Try this top-10 list of the best ESL channels on YouTube and subscribe to the ones you like best.

Check out this example of an American vlog about a guy’s “colourful life” in New York. He has around 8 million subscribers on YouTube, which shows how popular vlogging has now become! Bonus tip: Click the CC button to watch with English subtitles.

If you are a music lover, then you must have some great English language albums in your collection! Take your favourite songs, translate them and learn any new vocabulary or slang expressions. Print out some lyrics and sing or play along on guitar. Karaoke can be a lot of fun too when you get together with some English speaking friends! If you like this tip, check out this full guide to learning English with music!

Remember the classic song by Queen? Radio may seem a bit old-fashioned these days, but it can still be a fantastic way of practising your listening skills. The genre you need is called “talk radio”. Try a Google search for “listen to radio online” and explore some websites like Internetradiouk.com or BBC World Service. Look for programmes about topics that you find interesting. Schedule in 15 minutes of radio each day and note down new vocabulary. This can be done at home over breakfast or in the evening when the kids have gone to bed!

Podcasts offer a similar experience to talk radio, but are sometimes created especially for ESL learners. You can stream podcasts live or download them to listen to at a more convenient time. It is a good idea to build up a collection of your favourite podcasts by topic. You can then listen to the same recordings several times over a few weeks in order to remember more of the vocabulary used. To start with, check out the British Council’s series of 50 podcasts on everyday English topics and The English We Speak series by the BBC.

If you find it difficult to read full books in English, then an audiobook could be right for you! Do a Google search for “free audiobooks online” to find downloadable ebooks and audio versions. Most of these will be amateur recordings by volunteers, but the quality is often very good. If possible, get a printed version of the book so you can use it to follow the audio and make notes with a pencil. ESL-bits.net has a collection of free read-on-screen audiobooks with two reading speed options. Click on the title of interest, select “Go to book index”, and then choose the chapter number to start reading. The audio versions are at the top of the page.

If you want to speak English correctly, then you need to make some time to study the grammar of the language. Choose a well-known textbook, like Raymond Murphy’s English Grammar in Use, and aim to complete at least 2 units each week. As a grammar reference book, Michael Swan’s Practical English Usage is a good addition to your ESL library.

Using a textbook can help you add more structure to your self-study programme. This is especially important if you are learning English at home on your own. Series like Face2face, English File and Professional English in Use cover a range of topics and provide practice in “the four skills”. It is a good idea to use a textbook, but only as one part of your wider study plan.

Many ESL learners ignore the importance of reading. This is a mistake because reading simple books and novels in English can really help to improve your understanding of vocabulary, grammar and culture. Make sure you include some good reading books in your personal library at home. If it is difficult to find printed books locally, then try online. English-E-Reader.net has a collection of over 250 free ebooks in English. Use the search options to find suitable books by level, author and genre. You can also choose between British or American books, and some even have audio versions to improve your listening skills!

This can be done on your phone, tablet or computer. Decide what types of texts you want to read and choose some topics that really interest you. For example, if you love fashion and lifestyle topics, you could read a British magazine like Red Online. If you are interested in current affairs, you might prefer to read some articles from the BBC News website. If you are a more advanced learner, broadsheet newspapers like The Guardian could be a better choice to test your skills.

Use Flipboard.com (or download the app) to create your own digital magazine! You choose your topics of interest and fresh articles are added to your news feed every day. You can read online or offline via your computer and mobile devices. Try it!

Most people are visual learners and remember vocabulary better when they repeated see the same words written down. Buy some sticky notes and brightly coloured pens. At lower levels, you can label objects in English to learn basic vocabulary. At higher levels, you can make 10-item lists of new vocabulary by topic and put these up on the wall or door of a room where you spend a lot of time. Ask a friend or relative to give you a short vocabulary test at the end of each week.

It is best to learn new vocabulary “thematically” – or by topic. Creating word lists yourself takes time and vocabulary builders (textbooks) may include topics that you do not need. You can save time by getting readymade vocabulary lists from websites like Manythings.org. For example, here is a large collection of word lists by topic. You can view their other vocabulary collections by using the search option at the top of the webpage.

Some of the best ESL apps focus on helping you to improve your vocabulary. For example, Wordsteps allows you to create your own word lists or copy existing lists from other users. To improve your pronunciation, you can read phonetic transcriptions and listen to audio recordings of words. This app also has an option that allows you to schedule regular tests. To discover more great mobile tools, check out this top-10 list of ESL apps!

One of the biggest problems when learning vocabulary is that the end is never in sight! If you do not use new words, then you forget them. If you do not test yourself, then you do not see any progress. Try to organise vocabulary tests or competitions with other ESL learners each week and keep score. Perhaps think of a small prize for the winner after the first 3 months! Having a “study buddy” and adding an element of competition to your studies can really help with motivation and progress.

Most ESL learners take Skype lessons in order to improve their spoken English with a native tutor. This is like having a personal trainer who is always there to help you make progress, correct your mistakes, and motivate you. Compared with face-to-face tuition, the internet can offer you a wider choice of native tutors at more affordable prices. You can also study from home at any convenient time 24/7. If you would like to try Skype English lessons, you can request a trial here.

By the year 2019, it is predicted that approximately 50% of all classes worldwide will be conducted via the internet. Why not try an online course to improve your English and see if it works for you?

If you prefer a more traditional approach, or do not require a native speaker, then a local face-to-face teacher may be right for you. Tutors usually charge a little extra for lessons at home, but you will save a lot of time on travel.

Find some friends or colleagues who are also studying English. Agree to meet at your place once a week to practise your speaking and listening skills. If possible, invite at least one native speaker. You can organise a regular weekly discussion club with occasional social events, like: Bonfire Night, Saint Patrick’s Day, Saint George’s Day, Halloween, etc. This is great for improving your English and is also a lot of fun!

Facebook is still the world’s most popular social network and you can use it to improve your spoken English online. Start by doing a group search for “English speaking group”. Explore some groups and see what they are offering before you click to join. Speaking practice groups on Facebook are usually like an open forum where users can give their Skype IDs or arrange Google Hangouts with other members. 99% of these exchanges will be with non-natives, but this method of study is free and can help you get regular speaking practice at home.

Connecting English with your existing hobbies is a powerful way of learning the language. If you enjoy online gaming, then buy a headset and look for opportunities to play your favourite computer games with native English speakers. Role-play (RPG) or fantasy games and those involving team missions are best because they require more discussion of tactics between players – and this is done in English!

If you have a spare room in your home, then you may want to consider using it to host a British or American guest. Student exchange visits are often organised through schools and universities. You can apply to be added to their list of “host families”. Alternatively, you can register on a website like Couchsurfing.com and provide occasional free accommodation to visiting tourists in exchange for some English speaking practice.

This is a fun, sociable way to improve your spoken English! Invite 3-4 friends to your place and play a classic board game in English for a couple of hours. You can buy these games from websites like Amazon.com or a similar online store in your country. Here are some good ones to look out for: Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Guess Who?, Monopoly, etc.

You do! Even if you are alone, you can still practise your English speaking skills. Try some pronunciation drills – for example, these exercises with tongue twisters. You can also read along to audiobooks, copy film dialogues or sing your favourite English songs. Making short presentations and then reading them aloud can also be a useful exercise. You can record yourself doing the above activities and then listen for mistakes in your pronunciation and grammar.

This tip may sound like it is from the 1990s, but there are still thousands of people using penpal websites to make friends internationally! It may also be easier to find a native speaker via a penpal site than via a Facebook chat group. Do a Google search for “Penpals” and explore some websites like Penpalworld.com. Create your profile and remember to include all your hobbies and interests. Look for native speakers by country, age and interests. Send an intro email to a small number of potential penfriends and then wait for a reply. After the first few emails, you can ask your penpal to help correct your English and provide advice on new expressions to use!

If you love writing, then why not create your own blog in English? Join a free blogging community (e.g. LiveJournal or Blogger) to connect with other writers across the world. You can write about anything you like, but the main idea is to pen all of your content in English. Your readers will tell you where you have made mistakes in your writing so you can correct this and improve your skills.

This is another old format that has now mostly been replaced by social media. However, some forums are still very much alive and kicking! You can use them to practise your written English for free and get advice from native members who are loyal to the forums. This Wordreference.com forum contains posts from the past 10 years, but it also has users who are active right now. Members post questions about the English language and others help them with advice and examples. Try using a forum like this or do a Google search for “*subject of interest* + forum” to find alternatives.

This tip may not be for everyone, but the idea is simple – an exam is a very clear target. Some learners choose to take exams just because they want to achieve a visible result. This can give your studies a more specific focus and timescale. Exams like IELTS can also be useful if you ever need to prove your level of English for work or education abroad.

You do not have to be an advanced speaker to help others learn English! If your friends or relatives need a hand with some school homework or a work email, offer to help them. One way to understand English better is to teach it to others. If you have kids, why not introduce them to English at an early age by reading them bedtime stories and singing simple songs together? When you make a positive difference to other people’s lives, you will feel better about your English too.

Give yourself some added motivation by planning a trip to the UK. Even if your holiday is not for a year or two, the best time to prepare for it is now! Work out a route, read about cities and sights, and find out what cultural events are on. All the information you need is on the Visit Britain website. Think of your holiday as a reward – first you need to work hard on your English!

Each time you achieve a small goal or milestone with your English, give yourself a reward. You scored 20/20 on your vocabulary test – that deserves some popcorn and a film! Your boss praised you for an English presentation at work – join your friends at a nice restaurant! This approach helps you feel that you are making real progress and that your hard work has been rewarded.