I still remember the scene in my mind: sitting on the floor of my tiny bedroom, using the bed as my table, having a notebook and a pencil in one hand and a mini-dictionary in the other one. While I read the lyrics from my favorite songs – by Hanson, Bon Jovi and Spice Girls – I would check the words on the dictionary and write the translation on my notebook. I was so eager to learn what my favorite artists where saying over those chords. And that’s how I started my journey with English.
I also had English classes at school – but those classes were mostly focused on grammar. I didn’t learn anything about speaking/conversation. Instead, we learned all the grammar rules and we would translate some texts and songs. I remember that some of my friends had private English classes at proper English schools and I felt so envy.
It took me over a decade to formally enrolled in English classes – it was after I graduated from college and got my first job, so I could pay for the classes by myself. As a journalist, I knew how English would play a big role in my career and would open doors. And I think I spent 4 or 5 years attending classes twice a week. That gave me confidence when I moved to NYC in 2014. But it was just the beginning. Since then, I have taken various classes and courses – in person in NYC and also online – and all these experiences have greatly improved my confidence in speaking the language.
So, without further ado, here are the classes, courses and tools that have been helping me to improve my English skills – and these are great tips for native speakers as well.
Courses and classes
NYPL – Free ESL classes
Source: NYPL
I will be forever grateful to my friend Ana who was the first person who told me about the Free ESL program from New York Public Library. We had just moved to New York, and among renting our first apartment (and dealing with all the fees involved) and furnishing this same apartment, we didn’t have extra money to spare. Plus, we also had to save money for our wedding. I was a little skeptical about it. I mean… Free English classes? How is that possible?
Turns out, it was an amazing experience! I had classes twice a week, for 3h/day – and I also took advantage of extra classes the library would offer here and there. The program focus on improving listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. The classes are available for all proficiency levels, from beginner to advanced – and the program is available at various branches across the five boroughs.
FIT – ESL/Fashion Certificate
When I moved to NYC, I was working remotely for some fashion brands in Brazil and one of the ideas I wanted to explore was offering trend forecasting research services for these brands. After some research, I discovered the ESL/Fashion Certificate offered by FIT – Fashion Institute of Technology, one of the most renowned fashion institutions in the world. And, at that time, one of the fields of study they were offering was Fashion Trends Forecasting. So, I decided to enroll. As someone who always loved fashion, I was super excited to dive into this world.
As someone who had just moved to the city – it was during my first summer here – this was one of the best experiences I could have! I should highlight that this is an intensive program – with ESL classes in the morning and Fashion classes in the afternoon, plus field trips and a lot of projects. But it was exciting. I felt alive. I learned so many things. And also, it was a huge AHA moments in my life. I was insecure and afraid before starting the classes, because, so far, all my contact with English was through… ESL classes. I was anxious about attending the fashion classes. “What if I don’t understand what they are saying?”. And then, it was a truly “yes, I can!” moment that made me believe in myself.
I can’t not recommend this program enough!
The Accent Coach – pronunciation/accent reduction classes
Back in 2022, although I was super comfortable with my English during the previous years, I wanted more. Although I felt comfortable communicating, I knew I could still improve, especially in terms of pronunciation.
Thiago and I had an experience with pronunciation classes in the first year of living in New York. We had a private teacher and we took classes for about two months and these classes were essential, for example, for me to learn the sound of TH. English has many sounds that we don’t have in Portuguese (and vice versa) and practicing is essential to incorporate these sounds into our everyday vocabulary. Since we took these classes – and we had to stop for financial reasons, after all, we didn’t have a lot of money over the first year living abroad – I always told myself that I wanted to go back to practicing and I needed to improve some sounds and wanted to feel more confident!
That’s when I decided to look for a pronunciation teacher and found Claudette Roche, The Accent Coach.
And this was of the best investments I made for my English learning journey, without a doubt. What I liked most about classes with Claudette is that she explains the technical details of sounds in a very simple way. Tongue position, speed, air – all these aspects influence the pronunciation of words. I also love the fact that I have all the lessons recorded and, these days, reviewing the first ones, I was happy to see how I’ve improved with a lot of sounds. She is a very patient, easygoing, and fun teacher – and she will encourage you and make you do your best. There are many times that I get stuck in a word and I can’t speak at all and she creates other words and sentences to facilitate my understanding and construction of the sound.
- I have a full post about my experience – click here.
- Unfortunately, Claudette has retired from the world of accent coaching and has announced that Jay Alexander Poulton is now the new Accent Coach. She has said that Jay’s method uses many of her same techniques and he has the same fun, organic way of approaching accent reduction classes. You can contact Jay directly to find out about packages and fees per class.
Gotham Writers – Memoir I & II
It took me YEARS to sign up for writing classes. As someone who has been writing since a little kid – hello diaries! – after I moved to NYC I realized I needed to take a step further and improve my writing skills in English. Unfortunately, my insecurities prevented me from doing that.
“My grammar is not good enough”
“How can I be in the same room with a lot of native speakers? What a joke””
“I’m so afraid”.
Last year, in October, I finally decided to just do it. I had to, at least, try. After spending some time on their website, I realized Memoir would be a great choice. On my first day, I was so excited and nervou. It didn’t take long to realize it was not about grammar. It was about telling our stories. Being vulnerable. Expressing ourselves. And, that, my friends, is really hard. But I learned so much with the teacher and with my crew. You not only learn the basics of Memoir through lectures and examples, but also through your own writing pieces and your classmates’s writing pieces.
Gotham Writers – Grammar I – The basics
As I mentioned before, I’ve always had issues with my grammar skills, thinking they were not good enough. The Memoir classes helped me to realize that yes, grammar is important, but it’s fixable – there are so many tools these days. But, still, I wanted to feel more confident. So I decided to enroll in another course from Gotham. This Grammar 1 consists in two online meetings and they provide a booklet with concepts and exercises. Such a great foundation!
Platforms, tools and apps
ELSA Speak
There are several apps for language learning – but did you know there is also an app focused exclusively on pronunciation. Elsa Speak is a unique English app that identifies your mistakes in pronunciation, fluency, and intonation using artificial intelligence. For anyone looking to learn and improve English fluency, Elsa is the best app – it helps you correct your pronunciation mistakes through accurate and detailed feedback.
Elsa Speak is like a gaming app, which makes the learning experience more enjoyable. Words, phrases, expressions: you will have contact with the most diverse sounds of phonetics in English and you are invited to practice repeating what you heard. Through artificial intelligence, the app analyzes your pronunciation and gives you instant feedback, allowing you to identify the exact sound you need to improve. You will also have access to translation, dialogue simulation, and much more!
You can try Elsa for 7 days for free – which is great to learn more about the app and then decide if you want to subscribe to one of the plans. The monthly subscription starts at $11,99. However, you have exclusive discounts when you subscribe through the blog’s link. 40% OFF when subscribing to the annual plan or 85% OFF when subscribing to the lifetime plan.
italki
This is one of my favorite platforms when it comes to language learning. italki connects students and over 10,000 teachers around the world! You choose the teacher according to your goals and interests and you can book individual lessons or special packages and that’s how I found teachers to help me with conversation and writing. italki operates on a pay-as-you-go model, so there are no subscriptions or long-term commitments.
Grammarly
The best writing assistant! Grammarly saves me every time I write in English. The paid version is 10/10. This AI-powered writing assistant that helps users improve their writing by offering suggestions on grammar, spelling, punctuation, style, tone, and more. It can be used across a wide range of platforms, including desktop apps, web browsers, and mobile devices, ensuring that users can receive real-time writing assistance wherever they write. You can expect features like:
- Grammar and Spelling Checker
- Tone Detection:
- Clarity and Conciseness
- Vocabulary Enhancement
- Plagiarism Checker
Speaking a second language is a marathon, not a race. And I truly believe we are always learning. So, let’s enjoy the journey!
Content creator and journalist in New York City. Here, I share lifestyle, beauty, NYC tips, thoughts, and the struggles about living in the most amazing city in the world! I’m not gonna pretend to be another person: I’m a Brazilian immigrant and I think this is my soul, it is part of who I am. I hope you enjoy my content! Follow me on Instagram!
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