Learn English Online for Free...How?

I want to learn English Online for free because I think it would be comfortable and affordable to learn from home.

Could you tell me if it really works Diana?  Are there any particularly good websites? 

I started this website to help people learn English and I can tell you that there are many great sites on the web, but sadly there are lot of poorly organized ones as well.

I think that there are a couple things to look out for (watch for) when trying to learn English online for free. When you are not paying for a service you need to find something that meets your needs.

One thing to remember though, is that you learning English does not only depend on the website. You need to bring something to the site to make it work, a bit of 'magic' so to speak. I'll get to that 'magic' in a moment.

I think the main thing is to find a site that provides the following:

1) It makes you want to come back for more
2) It forces you to read, listen, speak and write in English
3) It is credible.

It makes you come back for more. 

Sounds simple, but if you don't want to go back to that site or even worse if you don't want to stay on that site for more then a minute, obviously it is not going to help you learn English.

You want a site that captures your interest and imagination in any way possible.

It might be through games, videos, exercises, interesting articles, humor etc. It doesn't matter; as long as you enjoy visiting the site then you will learn something, guaranteed.

It forces you to read, listen, speak and write in English

'Forces' sounds like a strong word but it is appropriate.

In your question you mentioned how comfortable it is to learn English online for free, and you have a good point. It is much easier and comfortable to sit down in front of your computer and read an article or listen to an interview than it is to go to a class or study a course.

Although, with comfort and convenience comes many opportunities to NOT study.

You will be surprised at how lazy you can be. Many people stop studying after a month or so, without the constant direction and support of a human teacher.

Also, when you learn English online for free you don't have to worry about wasting your money if you don't study one day. Money can be a big motivator. Especially when you feel like you are wasting your hard earned cash. This is where your magic that I mentioned earlier is needed.

It is credible..

It is credible..

When I say credible I don't mean that the creator has to have three Masters and 4 certificates and 5 years of experience. What I mean is, you have to be able to trust who is creating the site.

If you don't really trust that person, you probably are not going to visit the site in the long run. If you feel like you know the person, that they can help you with any problem (no matter how small or silly) then you are much more likely to open up, ask questions and make mistakes. All which are necessary for learning.

Also, I think you need to USE English. I really believe that the only time you learn English is when you are using it. When you have to talk to someone, you learn expressions like hi, see ya soon and see you tomorrow.

When you have a job interview you learn more formal constructions and connectors. When you write emails you learn a formal and informal voice.

So, as I said before, you need to find a website

that forces you to USE English.

Now. What is the magic that I keep talking about? All of the points mentioned above do contribute to a good website, but if they are not combined with 'magic' then even the best website won't help you learn English. The Magic that I have been mentioning is how much of an effort you make to learn English online for free. If you make a big effort then you will learn a lot in return. Simple.

The magic = the amount of effort and dedication you have to learn, it's what you do to learn; your actions.

If you make a plan to learn English online for free every day for 15 minutes, then you need to oblige yourself to do so. Pretend it's a doctor's appointment; force yourself to pay your spouse or partner 1 euro for every 'appointment' if you have too. No one likes to waste money.

A website or a teacher is just a tool that helps you learn. You need to keep yourself involved and keep motivated, because in the end it is YOU that teaches yourself a language, not a website. 

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