• Practice saying the letters of the alphabet in English. This is important for spelling things like your name and street address.

• Practice saying numbers and dates out loud.

• Speak English to people every day.

• Practice speaking to yourself in English at home. Talk about everything.

• When you know you will have to ask a question to get important information, practice what you will say first.

• After someone answers your question or gives you information, check that you understand. Repeat important information. If they say, “Take bus number 68.”, ask: “Did you say bus number 68?”

• Phone another friend that is learning English and speak in English.

• Speak English with friends and family for 15 minutes every day.

• Choose one day when everyone speaks English at dinner.

• Invite someone to tea or lunch (a neighbour or classmate) and speak about your hobbies, your background and your family in English.

• Meet a classmate once a week to practice what you did in English class.

• Ask questions to store employees when you are shopping.

• Read directions on how to get somewhere and practice saying them out loud.

• Record yourself using a computer or cellphone and listen. How is your pronunciation?

• Speak English when you are at school.

• Ask your teacher lots of questions.

• Watch an English movie and then say out loud what happened in the movie. What happened? Who said what? What did each person do?

• Read out loud to yourself.

• Call businesses, like stores and restaurants and ask them questions like: “Do you have...?” or “What time are you open today?”

• Learn the below phrases and use them when you talk with English speakers: • “I don’t understand.” • “Can you say that again, please?” • “What does that mean?” • “How do you spell that?” • “Where can I get the information that I need?”

Source: Practice English on Your Own, Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia

• Watch movies or TV shows in English. Listen carefully to what people say to each other in social situations.

• Watch TV with closed captions or subtitles.

• Watch the news and weather in English.

• Listen to English songs. Look up the words on the internet and sing the songs aloud.

• Listen to English radio in the car and at home.

• Call businesses or government offices after business hours and listen to their taped messages.

• Borrow audiobooks from the library.

• Listen to people speak. If possible, make friends with people who speak English. Listen to them speaking, and ask questions when you do not understand.

• Use the internet to listen to English language radio and television programs.

• Watch English videos on YouTube.

• Use an online dictionary that has the pronunciation of words. Repeat the pronunciation to yourself. One online dictionary is https://www.britannica.com/dictionary.

Source: Practice English on Your Own, Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia