Many people who want to learn a foreign language have turned to self-study books and blogs. While this is good for the self-driven learner and the effort is highly commendable, self-study books are not for everyone. Perhaps you would like to learn English in Singapore. Enrolling for an in-person or real-time online English class in Singapore is known to be far more effective. Below are five reasons why you should reconsider using self-study books.
Self-study language textbooks are far too condensed
It is hard to deny that most self-study books also try to compact all learning in one single volume. You could be all fired up and want to devour the contents of a self-study book in a short time. However, you will find that there is just too much information to take in at once.
Instead, when you are learning a language, one of the best strategies is to break the learning into manageable goals. When you sign up to learn English in Singapore, the tutors deliberately tier the learning and assessment process. Also, learning is taken out of the confines of books and the classroom. This makes the journey more realistic, effective and fun.
Self-study books cannot cater to different learning styles
Self-study books seldom take into account the learners’ background and preferences. Whether you like it or not, your learning must come from putting in the time and effort to read. For other practice opportunities like speaking, writing, and listening, you are left to your own devices to think up activities you can do to further hone your language skills.
This is a complete contrast to what you will experience when you sign up to learn English in Singapore in a regular or online class. Tutors will take time to understand your background knowledge, tailor the lessons and guide you through the lessons and engage you in role plays, discussions, and other activities that will aid your learning.
Self-study books lack proper assessment methods
When you rely on a self-study book, you can’t really be sure how much progress you are making as compared to standard levels of proficiency of other learners like you. The only way to do so is to independently sign up for an English proficiency test like TOEFL or IELTS. And even then, it is hard to gauge if you are ready for either of these tests.
That’s where having a tutor will be a huge benefit to you. As a professional who is guiding through your learning journey, they can track your progress and give you real-time feedback to help you improve. If you attend a TOEFL or IELTS course, the teacher will also prepare you specifically to tackle the exams and gain fluency for use in the real world.
It’s difficult to learn without real engagement with the language
Self-study books are highly informative, but the biggest pitfall is that it lacks the human element. Most people learn a language so that they can communicate with other people who speak the language, but a self-study book doesn’t help you do that. If you want to practice conversing in the language, you will still need to look for other English speakers to talk to.
Attending an English language course is a far better approach as you get to converse with your tutor, and in a group setting, your classmates. You get to practice the language in more realistic settings, and get immediate feedback on your mistakes. Through these engaging interactions, the learning is also bound to stick better in your head.
In conclusion, self-study books are a good first step. But it often can’t beat the experience of having a tutor to personally guide you along. If you have been relying on English self-study books but find it ineffective for you, it’s high time you consider enrolling in an English class instead – especially an online one during the Circuit Breaker period!