Time to learn about the pitfalls of English grammar. Based on our experience, we have compiled a list of sites where it is cool to practice it.
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For newbies
EnglishDom.Grammar
+Pros: detailed and accessible grammar rules, several types of tasks for consolidation, interesting and popular videos with exercises. Convenient dictionary with ready-made sets and the ability to create your own collections. Absolutely all exercises are supported by English voice acting, and the selection of material is based on the interests of the student. The site is also suitable for more advanced users, because it is possible to choose the level of difficulty, and the list of grammar topics is quite large.
Minuses: Not all grammar topics have video explanations.Pros: Russian-language site, which presents more than 75 grammar lessons with examples, explanations and tests. The site has great videos created by native speakers.
Minuses: not the most convenient and outdated interface.Pros: This site is great for beginners. The theoretical part is written in a clear and simple language, you will not need to rack your brains when analyzing complex structures. All topics are well structured - from easy to more complex.
Minuses: students with higher levels can be simply and bored.
For those who know
britishcouncil
learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammarPros: the same site from the British Council, where you can read the rules in English and practice grammar by selecting desired category. There are many more on the site. useful information as well as games in English and preparation for exams.
Minuses: the site is positioned as intended for all levels, but at the same time completely in English.Pros: An interesting and detailed grammar blog from the popular Grammarly service. You can find a lot of useful information on grammar, writing and modern slang.
Minuses: there are no assignments to reinforce the rules.Pros: cool site from a whole team of teachers with video explanations and a fun way of presenting grammar rules. There are exercises for consolidation and breakdown by topic.
Minuses: the site is completely in English, so some details will have to be clarified with the help of dictionaries.Pros: the site is conveniently divided into categories: tenses, nouns, verbs, prepositions and other grammar topics. You can also find video tutorials on the site and, if you do not have constant access to the Internet, tasks and rules can be downloaded to a computer or phone.
Minuses: the site may seem difficult for beginners to learn English.Pros: here are the rules, examples and exercises, as well as the division into levels of difficulty. Distinctive feature of this resource - after each topic there is an example of using the rule not just in a sentence, but in a literary text.
Minuses: difficult enough even for users with a high level of language proficiency.
For experts
reddit
www.reddit.com/r/grammarPros: a very famous site with a separate section dedicated to grammar. It will be useful to everyone who already speaks English well and wants to understand its individual aspects and nuances, because on the site you can get an answer from the most qualified specialists.
Minuses: there are no tasks for fixing the rules, the site is completely in English.Pros: The site also needs no introduction. Here you can learn about the grammar of English and about individual cases of using certain vocabulary.
Minuses: The site only provides background information, without strengthening exercises.Pros: a site that is often used by many teachers. The nuances of grammar, the frequency of use of certain words, modern slang or the history of origin and pronunciation - this and even more can be found here.
Minuses: there are also no tasks for reinforcing the rules, and it is worth looking through all the comments to make sure that the answer is correct.
Continue to study English comprehensively: words, grammar, writing and speaking practice, live communication. It is this approach that will help you master the language much faster than learning its individual aspects.
We wish you good luck with your studies and look forward to your comments!
Bonuses for Habr readers
Online coursesWe give you access to the English course for self-study "Online Course" for a year.
To gain access, simply go to before September 1, 2017.
Individually via Skype
Especially for Habr readers, we have compiled a list of resources and applications that will effectively complement classes with a teacher or self-study.
vocabulary practice
To speak fluently on everyday topics and read newspapers and magazines, a large and rich vocabulary is required. Let's look at the required number of words for different levels. The experience of EnglishDom teachers suggests that this volume for various levels is:
- Elementary - 300-500 words,
- Pre-intermediate - 700-1000,
- Intermediate - 1500-2000,
- Upper-intermediate - 3000-4000,
- Advanced - 8000,
- Proficient - 10000 or more.
Even if you know the grammar perfectly, but unknown words are encountered in the sentence, the general meaning may be misunderstood or not at all clear. In such situations, dictionaries come in handy, where there is not only a translation, but also detailed examples with different values words and explanations.
Multitran and Lingvo
pros: are very similar to each other and contain separate topics, a large number of examples and links to translation sources.
Minuses: sometimes there are not the most adequate translations of words added by users.
Merriam Webster
pros: Dictionary in English only. It also contains meanings by subject and areas of use of words, examples and links to sources of translations and explanations.
Minuses: lack of Russian, which can be a problem for an entry-level user.
memorization of words
If a new word occurs once and you no longer use it, it is quickly forgotten. To translate words from short-term memory into long-term memory, you will need apps and web services for practicing vocabulary.
upmind
pros: an app where words are learned in a game format and reinforced with pictures, tests and examples from twitter, short word learning sessions, user-friendly design and tracking of results.
Minuses: No web version and Android app.
pros: the service offers thematic collections of words in the form of sets on the most popular topics. You can create your own sets of words and reinforce already passed words. Each word is supported by an associative picture and audio. Words are practiced through exercises on choosing the correct option, spelling and puzzle. For completing tasks in the dictionary, as well as other exercises on the site, users can get nice bonuses in the form of a subscription to a conversation club or Skype lessons, as well as a subscription to an online self-study course.
Minuses: mobile app will be in the fall, but for now there is a mobile version of the site.
Memrise
pros: The design of the service was invented by the users themselves, as well as examples that help memorize individual words. Everything is supported by student cases, and most importantly - memes. There are also tasks for choosing the correct answer and tracking progress in learning. There are apps for Android and iOS.
Minuses: the quality of the examples themselves is not always adequate.
Easy Ten
pros: there are applications for Android and iOS, short sessions of 10 words a day, the consolidation of words occurs with the help of flashcards, transcriptions, examples, pronunciation exercises, tests and the possibility of repeating previously studied ones. It is convenient to track your progress and a nice system of achievements, as well as a system of gestures for control.
Minuses: the learning system does not guarantee the memorization of words, since the user marks them as learned himself.
Live communication
Learning words is not enough. They remain in the passive vocabulary, and in order to get them into the active one needs the practice of living speech.
Social network How do you do
pros: filtering by searching for friends, it is possible not only to correspond, but also to make calls and video calls.
Minuses: often non-native speakers come across, and native speakers may ask for payment for communicating with them.
Social network Coeffee
pros: This is a similar service, but here you can also play various games to reinforce the vocabulary and grammar of English along with other members of the community.
Minuses: fewer native speakers.
Youtube
Learn English with Ronnie
pros: Ronnie is a very qualified teacher in English, explains everything in a very accessible, simple, and most importantly fun way.
Minuses A: Can be tricky for beginners.
Business English Pod
pros: Business topics (management, finance, economics, law), playlists by category, clear pronunciation.
Minuses A: Can also be difficult for beginners.
VOA Learning English
pros: News with clear pronunciation and available subtitles, videos for different levels.
Minuses: American English only.
How It Should Have Ended
pros: This is a channel for all lovers of famous cinema. There is a lot of humor and funny animation. They speak a simple language with an American accent, there are subtitles.
Minuses: Can be tricky for beginners.
Classic =3 Compilations
pros: All +100500 fans will love it. This is where the idea was taken to review popular videos and comment on them.
Minuses: already outdated content and specific humor, may seem difficult for an entry level.
Especially for Habra readers, bonuses for learning English in EnglishDom
Online courses
We give you access to the English course for self-study "Online Course" for a year.
To access, just go to .
Individually via Skype
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Classes are held at any time convenient for you.
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We present to your attention the best services for learning English and not only. As well as the 4 most powerful YouTube channels.
The content of the article:
In times of global computerization, it would be foolish to refuse the services offered for learning foreign languages. Firstly, it is interesting and you feel like a person who keeps up with the times, secondly, most of them contain tasks of different levels, and thirdly, your gadget is always with you and now the need to have several textbooks disappears by itself. So, we present the TOP 12 best services plus popular channels on YouTube.
Today it is difficult to imagine our life without social networks, we spend hours looking at photos of friends and texting, why not combine our social attraction with learning a foreign language. Agree, friends from all over the world, amazing pictures from remote corners of the planet, and all this is generously seasoned with communication in a foreign language - isn't this the dream of those who want to study in an interesting and exciting way.
Lang-8 - writing practice
The lang-8.com service is suitable for those who have some communication skills in a foreign language. Everything is extremely simple, you, as a student, write a text on a topic of your choice and send it to a native speaker for verification. He, in turn, makes changes and corrects your sculpture.
Such an approach to learning the language will certainly appeal to those who have a maniacal feeling for grammar and, before expressing their thoughts orally, must gain confidence in its absolute correctness. From the point of view of psychology, this approach cannot be called erroneous, but do not forget that learning a foreign language is communication, implemented orally.
Interpals - my pen-friend
Interpals will rightly be called an alternative to the global facebook with a philological bias. In order to "acquire" new acquaintances, you only need to know the language at the initial level. The advantage of the site is that you do not have to look for motivation outside of it, because here it is - getting to know the whole world! Find your pen-friend in over 100 languages effortlessly. Here is the site: www.interpals.net.
Sharedtalk or Rosetta Stone - it's all about practice
Sharedtalk (www.rosettastone.com) - developed by Rosetta Stone - one of the most famous creators of language computer systems. This is perhaps the first point that makes you look at the "brainchild" of eminent parents.
How does the service start? Of course, from registration, here you not only fill in information about yourself, but also use filters to set up a search for a suitable candidate for communication. And now an interlocutor from an interesting country for you, of the right age and gender, is ready to enter into a discussion.
If you chose this service for the study of foreign languages, pay attention to the item "Mother tongue". Very often, users indicate 2-3 languages there, including English, but this does not mean at all that it is native for a person and he does not make mistakes similar to yours.
Livemocha is a global communications giant
Livemocha.com - the principle of mutual assistance "Helped you - help you" applies here. Tasks that are not checked by the system are parsed by native speakers. In return for their help, English-speaking visitors expect the same test in the target language, by the way, Russian is quite common, as well as Ukrainian. There are 35 languages in total.
Whether you are ready to believe the competence of the person being checked is your own business, but those who consider themselves "permanent residents" of Livemocha recommend not to ignore such a thing as user rating.
The whole system of language learning is divided into five steps, each of which is 4 compulsory exercises for knowledge of vocabulary, communication skills and writing.
The service belongs to the category of shareware and you can use most of the functions without paying a cent, but there is also a paid part, this category includes lessons with a teacher. For just $10 you get a "golden key" and access to all features for 30 days.
My Language Exchange
The basis of the work social network www.mylanguageexchange.com is supposed to be a human resource, it's fair to say that this is the perfect place to find pen pals in a foreign language.
“Language partner”, which is what the opponent is called on the site, is selected based on your description, the country of residence, native and studied language, gender and approximate age require clarification. Found the right candidate? Start communicating, polish your English, improve your French, take the first steps towards mastering German and more than 115 languages.
Interactive Russian services for learning languages
If you prefer to go solo through the language jungle, take advantage of the helpful services that reach hundreds of thousands of successful students.
LinguaLeo - change words to meatballs
Have you dreamed of having a pet lion cub for a long time, but did not succeed? Now you have such an opportunity, only it will be virtual, but you need to feed it in the same way as a living one. The main product in the diet of the king of the jungle is meatballs, given out to you for correctly and regularly performed exercises. If you don’t want the lion cub to lose weight, do it honestly.
In addition to lexical material, you get access to interesting audio, video and text materials. During the registration process, your personal honesty is extremely important, you will have to independently, objectively assess the level of language proficiency and admit how much time a day you are ready to gnaw at the granite of science.
The service is free, but you have the opportunity for a nominal fee of 300 rubles to get access to unlimited addition of words. The only limitation is the language being studied - English, according to the developers, in the near future they do not plan to expand the functionality for other language groups.
This interactive service for learning English for the Russian-speaking population is the best of its kind and really effective.
LearnatHome - teaches Russian speakers English
Do you like TV shows, videos and movies? Then LearnatHome (www.learnathome.ru) is for you! The learning strategy is based on the use of video with English voice acting. After each passage, you are given time to type what you hear. The number of repetitions of one passage is unlimited.
It is worth noting that not everyone succeeds the first time, but we are persistent and will not give up. The system highlights the mistakes made in red and notifies with a sound signal. In addition, you always have an emergency "Hint" button at your fingertips to help you reproduce a poorly identified word. The work on the video excerpt is completed with a list of errors made.
It would seem a monotonous and rather routine work, but this is far from being the case. You are offered exercises from the “speaking” section, which are also related to the video you watched.
Among the advantages, the creators note a focus on listening and the ability to hear and understand the text, followed by graphic skills that our memory uses when trying to type a word. In addition, all new vocabulary is brought to you in context, showing where and what it can be used for.
The first step in any business is the most difficult, so we want to help those who are starting to learn English by presenting the 22 best sites for learning English for beginners. You will learn what resources you need to use to learn to speak, read, write in English and understand it by ear. All the presented sites can be used both for self-study and for learning a language with a teacher, they are ideal for independent work outside of the classroom.
Our articles help you improve your English. But even better is a good teacher. At the Inglex online school, we have combined strong teachers and the comfort of online classes. Try English on Skype at .
Universal sites for learning English for beginners
To begin with, we will provide sites where you can study comprehensively, that is, improve several English skills at the same time. These resources are good because you can study on them yourself "from scratch". Even if you have never studied English, everything will be clear to you. We have already mentioned these sites in previous articles, but perhaps they are not yet familiar to beginners, so it would be useful to write about them again.
1Lingualeo.com
The famous resource with Leo the lion cub, remembered by many people, who needs to be fed “meatballs” by completing various tasks. This site for learning English is notable for the fact that it is in Russian, so everything will be clear to you on it. The resource allows you to learn words and compose phrases, read articles, listen to songs and watch videos with lyrics to them, while simultaneously translating unfamiliar words, etc. However, we recommend that you focus on learning new words. It is important for beginners to form a decent vocabulary in order to subsequently build sentences from these words.
"Chips" of the site:
The site provides the opportunity for both paid and free classes. For beginners, the free package of services will be quite enough. If you feel like you want more and you definitely won't be slacking off, you'll always have time to purchase a paid status.
Here you can learn not individual words, but highlight entire phrases or fragments of phrases with an unfamiliar word in texts and learn them as a whole. In this case, you will immediately know in what context you can use new vocabulary, and it will be much easier to remember words in sentences.
The so-called "Jungle" is an impressive library of texts, video and audio materials. As soon as you get tired of learning words, go there. Audio and video materials are supplied with texts, and any word can be translated by mouse click and added for study.
2.Duolingo.com
Another Russian-language universal site for learning English for beginners. On Duolingo, you can also practice all your skills, but you will not be accompanied by a lion cub, but by a funny green owl. What is the fundamental difference between this resource and the previous one? Lingualeo offers words to study out of context, that is, these are standard word cards with pictures. Duolingo, on the other hand, invites you to learn words immediately in context, in short simple sentences. This is very convenient: you learn not just 10 new words, but 10 new phrases, even if they are simple, but you can use them in your speech.
"Chips" of the site:
Each phrase in the exercises is voiced by a native speaker, that is, from the very beginning of training, you get used to the sound of coherent English speech, albeit at a slightly slower pace. If listening to English is difficult for you, press the voice button several times, listen to the phrase and repeat it after the native speaker. So you will practice not only listening comprehension, but also pronunciation.
In addition to the usual exercises on this resource, there are also tasks to test your pronunciation. It is recommended to work with a microphone, so you will not miss the opportunity to make sure that you correctly pronounce the sounds of the English language.
3. BistroEnglish.com
An excellent site for those who want to learn modern spoken English in a simple and fun way. Here you will find a rich collection of audio and video lessons for beginners and intermediate students. You will study grammar, words and phrases for every day, phrasebooks for tourists, and also learn the language from films and songs. If you practice regularly, the results will not be long in coming.
"Chips" of the site:
Each lesson is an exciting workout that will help you feel confident in conversation in English. Teacher Oksana develops classes together with native speakers - you will not only learn to speak correctly, but also train American or British English by ear.
4.Englishspeak.com
This resource presents the most common words and phrases that English speakers use in everyday speech. In the section "100 English Lessons" you will find 100 situational dialogues with useful phrases voiced by native speakers. Also on the site there are collections of the 1500 most necessary English words and 1000 useful phrases in English. Each word and phrase has a translation into Russian, so learning on this site is convenient even without a dictionary.
"Chips" of the site:
The sound track for each exercise is presented in two versions: normal and slow. The second option is useful for those who still do not perceive speech well by ear.
Pay attention to the dialogues: you can listen to them in full or listen to each phrase separately at a normal or slow pace. In addition, you can hear the sound of a single word when you hover over it with the mouse.
Learn new words online
1.quizlet.com
A resource where you can create electronic cards with words. We recommend making thematic selections of words - it will be more convenient to remember. New vocabulary can be learned by doing various interactive exercises.
2. Esl.fis.edu
You can find English tests for beginners at the given link. With the help of these tasks, you will test how well you know the basic words, and you will be able to learn new vocabulary, guessing its meaning from the explanations.
The tests on this resource are quite simple and allow you to repeat the basic words of the English language. Try to complete tasks, even if you do not know all the correct answers, and when the system gives you the right word, try to remember it.
We talk online
In this paragraph, we will give only one option for improving spoken English - learning via Skype. For those who continue, we could recommend more resources, as in where we talked about sites for exchanging language experiences. However, it makes no sense for beginners to do this: native English speakers do not know Russian, and a couple of phrases learned by a beginner will not provide an opportunity to communicate. We also do not recommend speaking English with students like you: you can learn each other's mistakes and adopt incorrect pronunciation. We recommend postponing such communication at least to the level.
Now you know 22 great sites for learning English for beginners. If you are studying on your own, we recommend using them as additional material, and taking a set of textbooks as the main one. To make it easier for you to pick up manuals, check out the article "", in which we described in detail what books you will need at the start. And, if you decide to do self-study, use our step-by-step guide "". And if you want to “start” faster in learning English under the guidance of an experienced mentor, we suggest trying it at our school. Our competent and creative teachers will help you achieve the desired level of knowledge and will not let you get bored in the classroom.