On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…… the gift of LANGUAGE! Welcome to one of the final English lessons of 2016, and a holiday-inspired post from this season. Before we get into (*become involved in*) this lesson, and your 12 English lessons to improve your skills, I’d like to share some information about a traditional Christmas song and what this article is all about!

“12 Days of Christmas” is a popular carol (*song*) and dates back to 1780. It is believed to be a memory game for children originally, and each of the gifts offered on the 12 days has a special meaning. Nowadays, many stores and local businesses use this traditional song for sales, promotions, etc.. for the first 12 days of December; however, this is not the case. The song is actually about the 12 days after Christmas. Anyway, do you see the connection with the 12 English lessons today? If you want, check out the song and lyrics here.

Now you have some fun conversation starters for your holiday parties. You’ll also need some improved skills for those parties, so let’s start with your 5 Minute English video for this week. In this video, you’ll get some information about the 12 lessons you have can review today. Take advantage of the opportunity to improve your listening skills with this video. I recommend taking notes and then double checking your written notes with the blog information below.

Are you ready?

This post highlights my favorite and some of the most popular English lessons from 2016. I asked my students and learners for their favorites, and this is what they shared. Whether these lessons are new or you’ve reviewed them before, I am confident they will bring a lot of value to your study plan. So here are your 12 lessons of English for this special season.

On the first day of English lessons your dear teacher gives to you…

Learning for your Style

Are you a visual learner, or someone who learns by doing something? Perhaps you can only learn by hearing information? Whatever your style may be, this lesson will help you identify it and maximize your learning potential.

Take a quick quiz to identify your strengths, and find out how to maximize each and every learning opportunity. The full lesson also includes example activities to help you improve your English skills.

Click here to get that lesson.

Pronunciation

On the second day of English lessons you’re going to learn pronunciation skills. Discover the importance of English stress in your conversational skills with a guest post from Elena Mutonono. Once you review her 6 tips for English pronunciation and stress patterns, you’ll no longer feel stressed.

Click here to get that lesson.

Next you’ll learn about the incredibly common “ER” sound in English. This sound is produced with more than just the “-er” letter combination, and it’s a sound that happens very frequently in American English. Understanding how to produce this sound will improve your speaking skills, and allow you to speak better English.

Click here to get that lesson.

Grammar

On the fourth and fifth day of English lessons you’ll take your grammar skills to the next level. Although many students don’t think grammar is important, understanding the basic fundamental skills will help you speak, write, listen, and understand even more English. Grammar is essential for reaching English fluency. So first, take some time to review the perfect tenses and then the words, “so”, “too”, “either”, and “neither”.

The perfect tenses will help you connect the past, present, and future tenses together. Using these tenses correctly will help you speak more natural language. In English conversation, you can add variety to your language by understanding how to use the English additives (so, too, either, and neither). You can learn how to agree with others more fluently.

Click here to get your perfect tenses lesson.

Click here to get your additions English lesson.

Vocabulary

As you continue with your 12 lessons of English, you’ll practice and improve your vocabulary. Are you getting ready for a holiday party or special occasion? How are you going to style your hair? Are you confident in your ability to communicate what you want at a hair salon? Your sixth lesson will help you do just that!

Click here for that lesson.

When you finish with that lesson, you’ll move onto idioms with the word, “throat.” Idioms are not only fun to learn, they will spice up your conversations (*make them more interesting*). Because there are countless idioms (*a lot of them*), learning them by theme is an easy way to help you remember them. The lesson includes definitions, sample sentences, and practice exercises for you to complete.

Click here for that lesson.

Fluency Tips for Better English

On the eighth, ninth, and tenth day of English lessons you’ll get valuable tips to take with you into 2017. If you are a self-studier, then these lessons will give you advice on becoming a more confident and successful person in English.

Learn from someone who has been in your shoes (*has been in your same place or position*) by getting 5 Tips from an English learner. Not only with this success story inspire you, it will help you set some motivation goals for 2017.

Click here for those 5 Tips.

If you are in a position that you can’t study with a private tutor then reviewing this lesson, “5 Ways to Study without a Private Tutor” will teach you how. Get sample activities and see how you can get the most  out of your self-study experience.

Click here for those 5 Tips.

Are you a person always on your mobile phone or tablet? Whether you’re a tech person (*someone who likes technology*) or not, your next lesson will give you 10 apps to improve your English skills. All of these apps are 100% free and each of them will give practice in various skill areas.

Click here to learn about those apps.

Writing

The next lesson will help you improve your writing skills and successfully pass the TOEFL exam. Even if you’re not taking the TOEFL, reviewing this lesson will help you become a better writer for professional, academic, or personal reasons.

In the lesson you’ll get all of the information you need to write the perfect essay. You’’ll receive a sample question, learn how to outline effectively, and get started with a high scoring text.

Click here to get that writing lesson.

And because this is a Christmas inspired blog post and learning opportunity, it wouldn’t be complete without some holiday vocabulary. In your final lesson of “12 lessons of English” you’ll review some of the most common vocabulary related to this time of the year with a video and pictures. This lesson will help you start conversations, identify everyday objects and be a more fluent English speaker.

Click here to learn that vocabulary.

Now you have the resources you need to improve your grammar, writing, reading, speaking, listening, and vocabulary skills to take your skills to the next level! Feel free to take your time with these lessons, and put forth effort to learn, memorize, and be able to utilize everything you learn from this post. Remember, practice makes perfect, but you don’t need to rush!

Do you have another favorite lesson from English Outside the Box in 2016? I’d love for you to share it below in the comments! What’s your favorite lesson and what did you learn? I look forward to hearing from you.

Happy Studying! ♥

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