This dog knows the best way to learn English – learn his secret!

There is a video (below) that has gone super viral. Why? Well, it has all the hallmarks of a great viral video: short, surprising, funny, unusual, new idea and it’s got a dog! 🙂 However, looking at it sideways, we can also understand the best way to learn English. Believe it or not, this determined dog can give us some of the best lessons in how to learn a language. First of all, watch the video to see what Walter the dog does every day.  

The best way to learn English

So, let’s look at the way Walter the dog lives and how you can apply this to your own English study

1. Know your goal/aim/target

Do you need to pass the IELTS exam to get into university? Do you need better Business English skills to help with your career? Would you be happy just understanding more English so that you can watch films from and TV from abroad? It is very important to have a target to aim at when learning English. You can understand how far away, or how close you are to achieving your aim and this is very motivating. Motivation is probably the number 1 thing to have if you hope to learn a language quickly.

2. A regular short burst of intense concentration is best

5 or 10 minutes of studying REGULARLY is much more effective and better for memory retention than, for example, 3 hours of hard studying on a Sunday. Walter the dog could not keep running down to the sea all day, but with that quick burst of energy, his whole brain is engaged in the task. Studying English for 5 or 10 minutes everyday is going to be excellent learning for your language brain. If you do these short study sessions at the same time of day (maybe immediately after breakfast or when you are on the bus in the morning) then it will be more likely to become a habit… And that’s what you need – little and often!

3. Do not let anything distract you

Don’t you find that it’s hard to do anything for a long time without looking at Facebook, checking your emails, Youtubing or falling asleep??? Learning should be focussed without distractions. Dogs are normally interested in people and things to smell. When Walter comes across these, he stays fixed on his goal. Do 10 minutes of learning English and resist the temptation to answer that text or see who was pinging you online… You will better for it when you’ve done it, I promise.     There are 4 more excellent lessons about learning that this clever dog can teach us. Come back tomorrow for more learning English tips, when we will publish Part 2.

READ PART 2 HERE