Use the summer to improve your English

After two years of bitter struggle, the Council of State repealed this obligation on June 7. However, that it may come back to the table, after all, says a lot about the place English has taken in higher education.

If you don’t feel it, how do you start these two summer months? “It’s a great time to move forward without pressure,” says Édouard Lemaréchal, English teacher at BTS and an undergraduate at the Paris Digital School (DSP).

Here are six ways to improve, all cumulatively!

1. Drop your premises: “A lot of young people think they’re going to make a lot of mistakes. So they don’t dare to speak out. However, the most important thing is to say what you have to say! The rest will be refined over time,” says Edouard Lemarechelle.

2. Travel! If you don’t have enough budget, study the opportunity to find a summer job abroad or even in France, with international contacts?

3. Use networks. “Today a student can debate with the whole earth. Sign up for groups that deal with a theme you’re familiar with,” suggests Edouard Lemarechelle. For example, Snapchat or TikTok, “especially because they mix text, verbal, video…”, DSP’s professor points out. If you want to share your holiday on Instagram, why not do it in English? Plus, you have time to edit your video and start over if you’re not satisfied,” he adds. It’s a good format to start slowly.

4. View your series in “English”. There, there are two possibilities: “You can watch episodes you know well, but in the original version; Or find new ones in the original version with English subtitles,” suggests Edouard Lemarechelle.

5. Peel the bases, Some of them offer free MCQs, challenges and games designed to help you progress.

If you decide to go all out, you can also use paid apps.

6. Read books, “Especially by taking up a subject that interests you”, stresses the English teacher. For him, he concludes, “There is no better ally to learning than pleasure.” And, it’s still the holidays!