How to learn English?

Language is an arbitrary vocal symbol that a group of people living in a particular geographical location uses for communication with each other. Every human being has at least one language to communicate and some are skilled in more than one. Some important languages in the world are English, Arabic, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, Bangla, Hindi, and Urdu. Some of these languages are recognised as international languages. They are used as official languages in the United Nations.
The mother tongue here is Bangla but English is taught as a foreign language in the country's secondary educational institutions with added importance. As an international language, English is one of the most popular and spoken languages in the world. It is the official language of international sports, trade and commerce, civil aviation and tourism.  People good in English have the added opportunity to get better jobs in local and international job markets.
As English plays such an important role in the world, the government of Bangladesh has made it compulsory from class one to twelve and beyond. The students of the levels mentioned learn English to fulfil the curricular expectations and others usually try to learn English for their personal purposes. If one wants to learn a language, one will have to be aware of the four skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. As listening, speaking, reading, and writing are skills, learners have to practise a lot to learn them. Listening and reading skills are receptive skills as learners have to receive something through listening and reading. On the other hand, speaking and writing are productive skills as students have to produce something i.e. they have to speak out and write something.
Whether receptive or productive, it needs continuous practices to acquire the four skills of a language. Is it possible to be able to operate a laptop unless one has practised? Of course, the answer is 'no'. Similarly language learners have to engage themselves in listening to English lectures, sports commentaries, English music, BBC and CNN news, watching English movies, speaking English with teachers, friends and others, reading texts such as newspapers, textbooks, journals, magazines etc.; and writing letters, applications, keeping a diary for developing the four skills.
Expert communicative English language teachers can help students at schools and colleges in developing the four skills. Because of low quality teaching by English teachers, only a small number of our secondary passed students can speak and understand English. The other two skills, reading and writing, are not also taught properly following the principles of CLT (communicative language teaching). Language learning starts with listening. A small child first listens to people around him or her, then tries to imitate the sounds s/he hears. Then s/he tries to reproduce similar sounds. So it is better to start English language learning with listening, if possible. Learners will have to practise those four skills even though they commit mistakes. Mistakes are considered to be the good sources of learning. Unless learners commit such mistakes, those four skills can never be developed. English teachers need to speak English with students creating language speaking and listening opportunities for students. This habit will improve teachers' as well as learners' English. The understanding of the spirit of CLT and its proper use in teaching English can make a huge difference.

The writer is an English language trainer at BRAC - PACE program.
sahin7931@gmail.com