In the era of globalization, the development of the world is increasingly dynamic in various fields and sectors, both nationally and internationally. This makes the use of international languages ??such as English even more important for you to master, especially for students. Apart from being an international language that will support communication with other people, English is also needed because currently there are many supporting references for lectures that use English so students need to improve their English language skills.

With English language skills, you can be more confident in communicating with other people, have the opportunity to take part in international events or programs such as overseas scholarships and student exchanges, increase relationships from other countries, and it is easier to get a job. 

There are several ways to support English language skills that are practical and easy to do all the time, including:

1. Increase Listening. Listening is a self-taught activity that is very important for us to practice English because like listening is information that you absorb (input) while speaking is the result of absorption of information (output). Therefore, these two English skills influence each other. Therefore, these two English skills influence each other. When your listening skills get better, your speaking skills will get better too. Some activities that can improve your listening skills are listening to music in English and watching western movies. Do these activities consistently. Because that way, you will become more accustomed to listening to conversations in English and can be a foundation in honing your speaking skills. 

2. Reading Books and Articles in English. The next self-taught way of learning English is reading books and articles in English. Through this activity you will find a lot of new vocabulary, phrases, and expressions that will support your speaking skills. When you find new vocabulary, phrases and expressions that you don't know, you will look up and write down your memos to memorize. To make it easier, you can try to memorize everyday vocabulary first and make a list of vocabulary that has been successfully memorized. 

3. Practice Speaking in English. After you have learned listening and reading, you can practice speaking with your friends or partners who can speak English. You can find an English community near you or friends who have the same interest as you in learning English. With a partner, you can start to practice speaking English so you can also evaluate the progress of your learning outcomes from their feedback. 

4. Learning Through Podcasts. Podcasts are audio recordings that discuss various topics. Many influencers and the general public are now using this podcast as their medium to share information published on various platforms. There are several podcast channels that provide knowledge in supporting English, including: 1) Espresso English Podcast; 2) All Ears English; 3) TED Talks Daily; 4) The Level Up English Podcast; 5) Elementary Podcast by the British Council; and 6) IELTS Podcast – Ben Worthington. 

5. Using Support Applications. Currently, there are many supporting applications that can support English language skills that can be used through gadgets. Many English applications are available in application stores such as the App Store and Google Play Store. The applications that can be used include: Duolingo, Beelinguapp, Grammarly, Learn Languages: Rosetta Stone, etc. 

6. Take an English Course. If you need assistance or a supportive environment, you can take an English course at an institution. By taking the course, you will have tutors and friends who can encourage you to learn more about English, so you will be motivated to improve your English skills because you can see that your friends around you are also practicing English.

Here are some ways to improve your English skills. But don't forget to keep doing it continuously so that the vocab memory you already have is not lost ^^

Referensi:

Nabila, Lukita Eva. Cara Belajar Speaking Bahasa Inggris Otodidak, Bisa Cepat Fasih!. Diakses pada 13 Desember 2021 dari https://campuspedia.id/news/cara-belajar-speaking-bahasa-inggris-otodidak/ 

______________. Podcast Bahasa Inggris Ini Bisa Bantu Asah Listening Skill. Diakses pada 13 Desember 2021 dari https://campuspedia.id/news/rekomendasi-podcast-bahasa-inggris/