1. Active knowledge (speaking, writing)
is built on passive knowledge (listening, reading), so listen and read to as
much as you can. (The ideal opportunity is to be ‘immersed’ in English, eg by
travelling to the UK or other English-speaking country)
2. When you read and listen, don’t just
try to understand, but also observe and remember the words and expressions
mother-tongue speakers use – and copy them
3. Systematically write down and
remember words and phrases, especially ones you can use again
4. When you can’t say something or when
you make a mistake find out how to say it correctly and learn for next time
5. Play puzzles and word games
6. Read out loud
7. Practise translating phrases and
texts from Russian into idiomatic English (or vice versa)
8. Record and listen to yourself speaking
English (or Russian). Realise your weak points and work on them (for example words you
mispronounce or grammatical mistakes you make)
9. Create and use opportunities to compose written texts, learning how to express yourself the way mother-tongue speakers do
10. Look for and use opportunities to
use your foreign language in a real-life situation, such as public speaking or speaking
to a foreigner.