When I first used ELSA Speak three years ago, I actually found it confusing. There have been many types of interesting and useful content in the app. However, with many topics, courses, and role-plays, finding the starting point for my journey at ELSA Speak was challenging. Many users have certainly shared the same concern as me; therefore, I am here today to help you out based on what I have experienced.

1. Identify your proficiency level in English.

Understanding your proficiency level in English is the first step towards improving your communication skills effectively. By identifying your strengths and areas that need improvement, you can create a personalized learning path tailored to your specific needs. This approach ensures efficient progress, whether you’re aiming to achieve fluency, prepare for exams, or enhance professional communication. At ELSA Speak, we help you accurately assess your level through the assessment that every user needs to complete when signing up. This will help pave the way for targeted and meaningful learning.

2. Identify clearly what you want to improve.

Anyone learning English knows that many aspects need to be improved if we want to be good at it. On the one hand, you may wish to perfect pronunciation or grammatically correct speech. On the other hand, you may desire a broad vocabulary or fluent communication skills in English. However, improving all of them at once is never a good idea. I suggest you list what you want to improve in order of priority. For example, wishing to improve pronunciation, I started my journey with “Skill,” where my speaking was analyzed and categorized into each English sound group. After my pronunciation was getting better, I thought about communicating in English on many topics. Therefore, I continued with “Topics,” where I could access a variety of themes in order to learn useful vocabulary, sentence structures, and conversations for work and life. My learning journey would never end without practice with ELSA AI in the “Role-plays” section. This feature allows me to apply what I have learned in other sections to daily conversations with AI and get detailed feedback. A clear priority list of your weaknesses is necessary and helpful for efficient learning time.

3. Establish your learning habits.

Practice makes perfect. If you use the app only once and never return, how can your English skills improve? That’s why ELSA allows you to set practice schedules and sends push notifications as reminders. Additionally, each day you log in and practice with ELSA, you earn a flame symbol as recognition of your effort. This symbol is designed to motivate you to keep coming back and learning with us. Reflect on the progress you have made, and don’t break your streak. Your dedication is invaluable.

Remember:

• You can quickly check your proficiency level on the profile screen. 
• Create a priority list for your weaknesses and start with the top 1.
• Don’t ignore the reminder to practice from ELSA, and keep your streak.

Quynh Vo