English is one of the most spoken languages in the world.
It’s a language that has had a huge influence on this world due to Britain conquering regimes in the past.
According to Worldometer, 67 out of 195 countries in the world today, including Singapore, have English as one of their official languages.
In Singapore, it can be very tough to keep up in school or work if you have a weak command of English since every language except Mother Tongue is taught in English.
Being weak in English can cause certain problems such as difficulty understanding contexts and questions in textbooks since it’s all in English.
Here are some of the issues you might face if you’re not good at English.
1. You’ll Face Academic Struggles
As mentioned above, apart from Mother Tongue subjects, every other subject in Singapore’s education system is taught in English.
If you have difficulty understanding the rules of grammar and have weak vocabulary, chances are you’ll struggle to understand the concepts in your textbook as they’re written in English.
Not having strong command of English can also affect your perception when it comes to understanding and answering exam questions, especially in humanities subjects.
having a weak command in English can really drag your other subjects’ grades down.
2. You’ll Have Trouble Finding Jobs
Most companies nowadays are hiring people who are to understand and speak English.
Not being English educated narrows your job opportunities in Singapore rather significantly as most require you to be able to communicate in it.
It’s not totally impossible to find a job, but it’ll be extremely tough to land one with a decent salary.
3. You’ll Face Workplace Struggles In the Future
Similar to classroom settings, your workplace in the future will definitely consist of people of different races.
The only way to communicate with people of different races is through a middle language, which in Singapore’s context will be English.
Communicating with your colleagues is very important as most of the time, you’ll be tasked to work on projects with them.
Can you imagine how difficult it would be to work on a project while not being able to communicate effectively with your colleagues?
Not only will you not be able to produce good work, but there’s also bound to be conflicts among each other since it’s very hard to get your points across one another.
You might even lose your job due to your poor work performance over inept communication skills.
Not worth it!
4. You’ll Feel Left Out
Do you like the feeling of being left out by your friends?
I’m pretty sure no one likes that.
Most youngsters nowadays like to communicate in English, it’s very rare to see them conversing in their Mother Tongue.
Which makes it very easy for your friends to exclude you from their plans if you’re unable to converse and have fun with them.
That’s not fun at all.
Ways to Improve Your English
Now that you know about the difficulties that may arise if you aren’t good at English, what are some actions you can execute to improve in your English language skills?
Here are some tips.
1. Watch More English Programmes
Let’s start off easy.
One of the easiest ways to learn English is to watch any of your favourite English series, movies, or programmes with subtitles of your preferred language.
When you watch an English show with subtitles of your preferred language, you’ll instantly be able to see the direct translation of the words and how it’s pronounced.
Spelling on the other hand, can be learned by watching shows in your preferred language with English subtitles on.
Learning a language by watching television surely makes it easier and more interesting.
2. Speak More English
I’m sure you have heard the phrase “Practice makes perfect” right?
That’s very true and the only way to feel more comfortable speaking English would be to actually speak it.
You can try speaking English to yourself using the mirror to see how you look and sound like.
Afterward, try speaking to your family in English (provided they understand and are able to converse in it), and get them to correct your pronunciation if you happen to pronounce any words wrongly.
Just remember that the more English you speak, the more fluent you’ll become.
3. Read Books to Expand Vocabulary
The best way to expand your vocabulary would be to read.
Reading books exposes you to many beautiful words that you might have seen or heard before.
Once you spot a new word that you’ve never seen before, highlight and search the dictionary to find its definition.
Trust me, just reading 1 book can significantly expand your vocabulary.
All it takes is just hard work and dedication.
You can also use the new words you’ve learned to impress your friends and show them your strong command of English.
I bet they’ll be awestruck!
4. Write and Master the Art of Spelling
It can be extremely embarrassing to misspell words.
How can you avoid such a situation?
By writing!
It’s the best way for you to practice your spelling as it’d be writing the words letter by letter.
Who knows, you might even become a spelling bee champion after putting in time to learn how to spell long words like “Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis”.
The longest word in the English dictionary!
5. Hire a Private Tutor
Do you find it too tough to learn a language without physical guidance from a professional?
Well, fret not!
At Smiletutor, we have the best Private English Tutors who are willing to put in the hard work to improve your English dramatically!
Just a few lessons with them and you’ll see English in a new light.
Don’t believe it?
Call us now at +65 62664475 to hire one and experience it yourself!
Conclusion
Being inept in English can pose major problems for many people, especially Singaporeans.
However, in this article, I’ve shared several methods you can implement to improve your English.
After reading this, I hope that you no longer fear not being good at English.
Here are some related articles you might like to read:
Singaporean Parents: Help your Child Learn English at Home
6 Steps To Help Your Kid’s Score In Primary 1 English
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