For international events and global organizations, English is also considered as the default language of communication. To Vietnam - the country is in the era of development and globalization, it is vital to realize the importance of learning English. With future generations of the country in general and PPA’s students in particular, learning English has become even more necessary than ever. As the result, in this article, author would like to share experience to improve language skills for PPA’s students.

First of all, let’s learn vocabulary systematically. When studying new words, you should arrange your notebook in a reasonable way. Despite listing a long string of vocabularies, it is important to divide them into individual items, such as:        

- Topics: Public Security, shopping, holiday, money, etc.

- Fixed phrases: on the other hand, in my opinion, by the way, etc.

- Idioms: once in a blue moon, to be over the moon, out of the blue and so on

- Prepositions: at night, at the weekend, in March, in 2003, etc.

- Police: investigate, patrol, handcuff, social order, crime scene, criminals and so on

With this classification method, it will probably help you to learn new words more easily and effectively.

Secondly, it is about the matter of pronunciation. You should use English – UK Dictionary, such as: Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, and Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Just select one of three dictionaries to install on your computer, do not need to select all. When looking up for new words, it is essential to learn pronunciation according to that English - English dictionary above. Try not to use English - Vietnamese dictionary. Depending on your needs, you should choose appropriate tone (English or American accent) from the outset. Besides, you can learn through specified books for pronouncing, for example: Ship or Sheep by Ann Baker, Better English Pronunciation by J.D.O’Connor and so on.

What’s next, how to learn grammar in an effective way? In terms of book, I would like to mention the book of "Grammar in Use" by Raymond Murphy – an indispensable reference for English learner! If it is possible, it is great to read it book in English edition (its word is simple and easy to understand; it can help you to improve your vocabulary at the same time). In case you can not read English, just read by Vietnamese edition first. Until you are confident with your own vocabulary, you should read it by English version again. Besides, it is vital to take note and pay attention to unique characteristics of each tense (eg: present simple, present continuous, present perfect). Making a table to compare among them for similarities and differences can be worth trying!

There is a well-known quote that: “Practice makes perfect”. Hence, let’s try your best to practice your English as much as possible. Listen, read, talk, and write English anytime and anywhere you can! Joining in groups, clubs, forums about English (eg: PPA’s English Club) can be a good way to inspire your passion for this language to learn it well. In addition, you can contact with and ask for advice from lecturers of Department of Foreign Languages for more precious experience. The last message that I want to send is: Finding out the appropriate method for you to apply and get success with benefits from this beautiful language – English!

Nguyen Quang Nghi B10D39