Autonomous English learning plan

Aside from what we learn under the instructors’ guidance, autonomous studying is of great importance. Therefore, my plan will include 4 parts: speaking, listening, practical writing, and extensive reading.

One of the best ways to practice English speaking skills is having conversations with the native speakers as much as possible, although it is not easy to find one or many English speakers who are willing to talk to us. Another way is to use English speaking apps like VOA Learning English or Supiki. These tools are good for me to practice English speaking.

It’s very convenient to hone listening skills nowadays. I will use Youtube, Netflix as two major sources to practice my listening skills. There are myriads of materials on Youtube for the users to learn, and one of them is the Ted Talk channel. Besides, music videos, talk shows, news, documentaries on Youtube are also very helpful to improve my listening skills. Even though Netflix is not a free-of-charge website like Youtube, I find it extremely beneficial for me to self-evaluate and improve my English listening. Other notable sources I will be utilizing are Randall, BBC Learning English. Thanks to the Computer-assisting Language Learning course, I was introduced to a top-notch listening tool like Randall. The website offers a variety of listening samples from a basic level to an advanced one.

Besides academic writing, business writing is what I aim to master. The business writing covers various formats such as memo writing, report, placing an order, cover letter, autobiography, etc. And I will be using Grammarly to support my practice, which is a tool for users to check and correct grammatical mistakes, typos in their writing. I have been using it for over two years, and it has benefited me a lot.

Extensive reading is tremendously important for one to study English because it helps learners broaden their corpus, concrete grammars, sharpen writing skills. Therefore, I am going to utilize Soochow’s library to extend my reading. A library is a right place for me to appreciate favorite reading materials. What’s more, Gutenberg is another great source for me to find something to read. It is a non-profit virtual book store that has various kinds of books for one to read.