After talking to many people in Canada or those who are planning to go there, I notice an overall tendency to be afraid of not being up to speed in English. Today I'm going to give you some good tips on how to improve/practice your English while remaining accessible! So whether you are in Canada or in France, these tips are for both teams ;)
Don't forget, your level will only increase if you are diligent and practice every day!
On the internet
There are many ways to practice English on the internet but some are more effective than others.
Duolingo : Both on computer and mobile application. This application will allow you to improve your vocabulary as well as your pronunciation
(voice recognition). The whole site is free and guaranteed without ads. On the other hand, you will come across sentences with strange meanings (but grammatically correct) that only Duolingo has the secret of. Be prepared to be harassed by this little green owl who will be there to remind you to revise every day.
Babbel: Well, this is a paid solution but I personally use it the most. You could say that it's a much more advanced version than Duolingo: between the written and oral comprehensions as well as the vocabulary lists you'll find a very long list of things to do on this site. There are even sections on the cultures of English-speaking countries that will complete the knowledge you may already have. The price is about 30 euros for a 6 month subscription.
Ororo TV : A site listing a multitude of TV shows and documentaries in English to practice your English listening skills.
By going out to organized parties
Mundolingo : Present in both Paris and Toronto, this group organizes free meetings in a bar where the principle is simple. At the entrance, the organizer sticks flags of the languages you speak. Once in the bar, you can directly see the languages spoken by the people present at the event: get out of your comfort zone by avoiding the French flags and go practice to discover new people from Canada or even from other countries!
In Toronto
In the street
A method to always keep progressing in English, when you are in the street take the time to look around and read all the signs you see. By forcing yourself to read them, you will get used to reading the language, and if a word you don't understand comes up often, you will easily learn it as soon as you get its translation.
By reading books
This will get your brain used to understanding the construction of sentences, so start with books that are adapted to your level of English.
By watching series
Yes, many people already do this with English series with French subtitles. Now if it's easy, it's time for you to put them in English subtitles, this will allow you to better understand the pronunciation of the words.
If your level of English is low, start with English cartoons with English subtitles (or without subtitles if that is too easy!).
To progress in English under all levels prefer to watch comedy series such as FRIENDS, How I Met Your Mother... these series use a lot of vocabulary and puns, it will add challenge to your learning!
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