Sometimes a client will look at me and say: “I think the best way to improve my English is just to move overseas for three years.”

Living overseas can certainly do wonders for your English. But for those of us who won’t be relocating any time soon, there are some easy hacks you can use on a daily basis, to give your English a serious boost.

If better email communication / written content is your priority, start reading news articles on a daily basis – or take the plunge and grab a book in English.

This is a really effective way to expand your vocabulary and become familiar with common expressions in English.

Need to polish your phone skills, or to feel more confident in face-to-face meetings?

Start listening to podcasts – check out the “Top Ten Podcasts of 2022” in your field, or just a podcast on any topic that interests you (“Freakonomics Radio” is one that I recommend to many of my clients – it’s fascinating, really well-produced, and super-easy to listen to).

As a new immigrant to Israel, I found that listening to the local news in Hebrew each day was an excellent way to expand my vocabulary – and it was something I could do almost passively, as I drove to work each day.

Don’t worry if you don’t understand every word of the news or podcast – just having it on in the background as you go for your run or prepare dinner will benefit you. You’ll become more familiar with the sound of the language, correct pronunciation of words, and you’ll learn new words each time.

Committing to these simple hacks on a regular basis can really help to improve your English, without too much of a time-commitment.

And it’s a whole lot cheaper than relocating.