What Can I Do Every Day to Learn English?
By Tom Crvenkovic | ACE Language Academy
If you want to improve your English, the secret isn’t magic—it’s consistency. Learning a language is like building muscle at the gym: small, daily efforts make a huge difference over time. Many learners ask me, “What’s the best way to learn English every day?” The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. But after years of teaching English learners from all over the world, I’ve found some powerful daily habits that will help you improve faster—no matter your level.
1. Speak English Every Day (Even If You're Alone)
One of the biggest mistakes learners make is waiting until they have someone to talk to. But the best speakers don’t wait—they create opportunities. Here’s how:
✅ Talk to yourself. Describe what you're doing out loud: “I’m making coffee. It smells amazing.”
This is the Number 1 Thing every teacher has recommended that I’ve asked
✅ Record yourself. Then listen back to spot mistakes in pronunciation and fluency. Use the Voice memos app and you can even transcribe what you’re saying to review!
✅ Use shadowing. Listen to a native speaker (try our podcast, movie, or ACE videos) and repeat after them, mimicking their tone and speed.
2. Train Your Ears with Real English
If you struggle to understand fast native speakers, it’s not just about learning words—it’s about training your ears.
🔥 Listen to English every day: podcasts, YouTube, audiobooks, or even background conversations on TV.
I recommend Gold 104.3’s Christian O’Connel’s podcast. He’s an English guy and speaks with two Aussies on a morning radio show, and you can listen to the podcast of it afterwards with no songs or ads and it even has text to read as they speak!
🔥 Start with slow speech, then increase speed. Try apps like TED Talks, or YouTube videos to 1.25x speed.
🔥 Use subtitles wisely. First, listen without them. Then, watch with subtitles to check what you missed.
🔗 Watch this slang ACE video to practice listening with real Australian English
3. Master Vocabulary with the Right Tools
Learning and memorizing words isn’t enough—you need to use them. Here’s how to make vocabulary stick:
📝 Flashcards: Apps like Anki, Quizlet, or even Post-it notes around your home.
🎯 The “5x Rule” – When you learn a new word, try to use it in five different sentences that day.
🎤 Say it out loud. Speaking activates your memory better than writing alone.
*We make our students the best vocab lists for FREE - full of English idioms and phrasal verbs, these are SO important to learn! Contact us if you’d like to see how it works!
4. Fix Your Weak Spots (Don’t Ignore Them!)
Everyone has areas they struggle with: pronunciation, grammar, listening, confidence. The key is to attack your weak points head-on.
💡 Struggle with pronunciation? Try ACE’s pronunciation practice videos. We specialise in pronunciation and believe me, you can improve your sound!
💡 Grammar mistakes? Keep a notebook of errors & rewrite them correctly. We have the best Grammar Textbook by the way at ACE if you’d like to improve your Grammar this thing is awesome and FREE when you join :)
💡 Confidence issues? Record yourself speaking and track your improvement. Just watch our student Amanda and see how she does it!
5. Make English Part of Your Life
The most successful learners don’t just study English—they live it.
🎬 Watch movies & TV in English (without subtitles when possible). Everyone at the moment is watching the TV shows Severance and White Lotus - give them a try!
📖 Read something daily—news, blogs, books, even social media posts. I highly recommend ABC News it’s a great level, not too difficult to read and even just read the headlines to start and make a list of words you don’t know and learn them. By the way, they include so many Aussie slang words!
🗣 Join a conversation group (in person or online)
If you make English part of your daily routine, it won’t feel like studying—it’ll just be how you live. Join our English convo group at ACE, you can even meet my beautiful dog Buddy and Chika’s cat Preston!
Final Tip: Stay Consistent & Have Fun
The biggest mistake? Stopping. Even if you only have 10 minutes a day, keep going. English fluency isn’t about being perfect—it’s about daily progress.
