La maîtrise de l’anglais est une aptitude clé du cursus de nos étudiants. L’objectif est de développer l’aisance linguistique des étudiants dans un contexte professionnel. Ce développement de compétence se fait tout au long de la formation avec des cas pratiques et une immersion de deux semaines en stage intitulé “English Fortnight“. Les étudiants ont également la possibilité de passer le TOEIC. Ils sont 5 à prendre la parole sur notre blog, s’expriment tour à tour sur leur progression en anglais et partagent leurs astuces d’apprentissage.
Straight from the horse’s mouth
Every year, ISEMA asks us to contribute a blog to the school’s website in order to help you put your best foot forward. This year, we decided to put the ball in the students’ court. We interviewed our “Five Most Improved” students and asked them to share their tips on how to take your English to the next level.
Question: What was your strategy to improve your English so significantly?
Lauriane Chiarel
To start with, learning with the ETS Global e-learning program for the TOEIC, has been very efficient for me and I respected all the deadlines and the time spent on exercises. I think that to have a regular training is the most important factor for good progression.
Moreover, last year “English Fortnight”, ISEMA’s two-week immersion for full-time students, really helped me to improve because we had to speak English all the time. I was even thinking in English on my way home!
Angèle Choisy
To improve, I wrote down all the words of vocabulary on a sheet and I read them again and again. Furthermore, I followed the ETS Global e-learning course. This training program is really practical and easy to use. There is no reason not to progress if you work hard.
Séma Kamis
First of all, English was not one of my strengths. As soon as I realized that it was very important for my studies and my future career, I got down to work!
I first downloaded an application called Duolingo to work 10 to 20 minutes a day. Then I downloaded and BBC iPlayer Radio to listen to English radio. I listened all the time when I was driving.
I also did lots of exercises on anglaisfacile.com and trained for the TOEIC using a book called 200% TOEIC – Listening & Reading. I regularly consulted news websites, such as edition.cnn.com and bbc.co.uk.
I didn’t use all these resources at the same time. When I would get tired of one, I would switch to another.
Then when my English started to improve, I found fun things to do that didn’t seem like hard work. For example, I started reading manga in English on manga.club. I understood more easily because there were pictures. I watched series first with English subtitles, then without subtitles. I watched all seasons of The Big Bang Theory.
This is what I did in addition to my English lesson, but the most important thing was to find a teacher who makes you want to speak English with her and who motivates you!
Roxane Soko
Last year, I was very focused on “English Fortnight”. I tried to speak English all the time at home and at school. One of my best friends is bilingual so I asked her to speak to me in English as often as possible.
Sometimes, I invent speeches and I practice in front my mirror. I also select some words of vocabulary around a subject, then I learn them and after I do a monologue. That way, I use and remember them.
Since I like hair treatments, I watch videos on YouTube about hairdressing, and sometimes I listen to music in English to develop my listening skills.
I have just started watching movies in English on Netflix. I hope that this will be beneficial and improve my results.
For me, learning English is definitively about trying to speak, even if it is difficult and you don’t have a lot of vocabulary.
Valentin Ouillon
For me, different things have improved my English. The first one is ETS. Last year, I took the time to complete all the modules diligently. The program has especially improved my skills in grammar.
As for comprehension skills, I watch a lot of movies. When the movie is difficult to understand, I use French subtitles. If it’s a film I’ve already seen, I watch it with English subtitles. It’s really the best way to improve comprehension and vocabulary.
Finally, I improved my TOIEC score because the TOEIC isn’t just about English skills. It’s also about concentration and time management. I’ve learned the technique to become more efficient and waste less time during the test.
There you have it! Now it’s your turn to find out what works best for you. Be consistent and have fun with it!
Nicola Coral et Salima Benchoukroun sont des intervenantes en anglais à l’ISEMA, elles des administrateurs certifiés du TOEIC.
De nationalité britannique mais « provençale d’adoption », Mme. Coral a eu plusieurs vies : vendeuse, secrétaire, assistante commerciale, traductrice et… mère au foyer ! Aujourd’hui, elle est formatrice en anglais technique et professionnel, et gère l’entreprise de son mari.
Forte d’une expérience de 20 ans dans la communication aux Etats-Unis, Mme. Benchoukroun a obtenu un master en communication institutionnelle et un master en relations publiques et publicité. Elle a exercé de multiples fonctions en communication dans des entreprises de toutes tailles avant de se mettre à son compte en tant que consultante en communication et formatrice en anglais des affaires.