English lessons in school are important, but there are other ways you can improve your English. English is a widespread language thanks to electronic media, social media and pop culture. These mediums can be a useful way to learn English, and they may benefit you in your IELTS test, every day interraction, job interview, university interview, citizenship interview, social life, and your time in the office. Throughout history people have learnt English outside the classroom.

Between 1619 and 1620, English settlers met Squanto, a Native American who spoke English. Squanto taught the settlers how to grow local crops, catch local fish and he acted as a translator between the other American Indians and the settlers. Squanto had been kidnapped by earlier explorers, and learnt English from his captors, friars, and a ship builder, before he returned home.

In Eastern Europe during the Cold War, there was a man wanted to learn English. To do this, he listened to American radio stations from Western Europe. He learnt English successfully because he heard the broadcasts regularly, and he had the hunger for the language. Motivation helps. The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, may have learnt some English, from American soldiers in his native Korea. An ESL teacher taught his students English, by old episodes of Star Trek, because the old Star Trek episodes have lots and lots of talking. In 2008 I met a Brazilian student who had learnt English from Spider Man 3, he had watched it 8 times and it was his favourite movie. In 2009 I met a Czech student who used Batman comics to learn English. In the same year, a teacher mentioned a student who had learnt English from World Of Warcraft. This year, I met a student who uses Sunrise to help with her English.

YouTube is another helpful way of learning English. It has videos made especially for students of English, and also has film clips from movies, and video games. These movie and video game clips, have English subtitles and can be a casual way of learning another language. When you watch YouTube, you have the benefit of being able to choose the clips you like, and that choice can be an encouragement, as you have the chance of finding a clip you like.

Wiktionary is another helpful English learning tool. Wiktionary contains words in countless languages. While not every single word is present, there is a very large number of words on the website. Just type the word in the search box, and chances are, it will appear, accompanied by an explanation.

The ABC TV show Media Watch, may also be helpful. This programe, provides critiques and analyses of Australian news, current affairs, advertising, magazines, newspapers, web sites and radio broadcasts. When a radio broadcast is played, the subtitles appear on the screen, and move in time to the words. This is good reading and listening practice. When a print publication is displayed, the words are highlighted and read aloud. This can be more reading and listening practice. TV programmes are played without subtitles, and this can be a challenge. The entire transcript of each episode, from 2001, is available on the internet and videoes of each episode from 2008 can be watched online. More good listening and reading practice. Older videos can be watched in the 20th Anniversary special. The website has been used by at least one student, and she found it to be an effective and productive study tool.

DVDs are guite good to use as well, becaus of the subtitles. But without the subtitles they are just as good, and can provide a challenge. ABC 702 is a station used by students to learn English, and they have found it useful. It’s a nice listening tool. The ABC news website is well written and professionally conveyed, the articles are good practice for reading, and the clips are good practice for listening. The articles are not transcripts for the clips. They are separate information sources, although they may appear on the same page. Subtexts for the hearing impaired, on TV, can be helpful, however they alot of them are out of sync with the voices on the screens, so they should not be your first choice.

Learning English doesn’t have to be limited to the classroom. It can be learnt from a wide range of sources. You may also find your own. Try and find something that is effective, productive, and preferrably enjoyable. Ultimately, you should use something you a comfortable with.