Skip main navigation

New offer! Get 30% off your first 2 months of Unlimited Monthly. Start your subscription for just £35.99 £24.99. New subscribers only T&Cs apply

Find out more

Home / Teaching / Curriculum and Learning Design / Teaching English Online / Learning language

Learning language

Video clips of teachers and learners talking about their thoughts on learning grammar, vocabulary, pron.
View transcript
8.9
I can memorise the grammar, the rules. But when I’m inside a situation where I should use the correct grammar, sometimes my background - my Italian background grammar - force me to make mistakes. Because I think, OK, now this is the translation in Italian, so this could be correct but this is wrong. So yeah, probably grammar, it’s very hard. Because it’s something in theory that you have to learn how to use these in a practical context. Grammar - the exceptions, of course. English, there are not so many exceptions like in Germany. But grammar, of course, we have to study it. But it’s an important part, so you have to learn grammar.
57
I think it’s when you know when you have to use a tense. Learning a tense, you can after a while get it. But then if you write an essay or something, you have to know when you have to use that tense and which. That’s, I think, most difficult. The first language influences English. And then they try to translate or they try to use the same structures in English as well. So it’s the negative influence of the first language that’s a big problem. Sometimes new words, sometimes they’re difficult, the spelling. And you have to learn how they write. And how they’re used in the sentence is also sometimes difficult. Words have sometimes many meanings, so different meanings.
95.7
And that’s sometimes difficult to know every meaning of one word. Vocabularies can be a problem as well. Because they use it many times, it’s in their short-term memory. So they learn it in the lesson, and then the next lesson they already forget it. And so the best way, I think, is to practise, to revise them consistently. And there are lots of very good websites online which help reuse and review the vocabulary, and also lots of very good games.

Learning to use grammar and vocabulary appropriately and accurately is often challenging for learners. You’re going to watch a video where teachers and learners share their thoughts on the challenges involved.

Task

What challenges do you think the teachers and learners will mention? Make a list of ideas.

Grammar Vocabulary
   
   

Want to keep
learning?

This content is taken from
Cambridge University Press & Assessment online course,

Teaching English Online

View Course

Now, watch the video. What challenges do they mention?

Learner/Teacher Grammar Vocabulary
Julio    
Elena    
Maarten    
Andi    

Check your answers

Reflect and share

Andi mentions in the video that there are many websites and digital tools for practising vocabulary. What digital tools do you or your learners use to practise grammar, vocabulary and/or pronunciation? Go to our AnswerGarden page and answer this question with as many answers as you want. Just make sure that you enter each one separately. Look at other people’s answers to get some new ideas.

Want to keep learning?

This content is taken from Cambridge University Press & Assessment online course
Teaching English Online
View Course
See other articles from this course
This article is from the online course:

Teaching English Online

Created by
Join Now
This article is from the free online

Teaching English Online

Created by
Join Now
FutureLearn - Learning For Life

Reach your personal and professional goals

Unlock access to hundreds of expert online courses and degrees from top universities and educators to gain accredited qualifications and professional CV-building certificates.

Join over 18 million learners to launch, switch or build upon your career, all at your own pace, across a wide range of topic areas.

Start Learning now

Register to receive updates

  • Create an account to receive our newsletter, course recommendations and promotions.

    Register for free