Free English lessons on the internet are getting more common all the time.  Just go to google and look for a moment.  There are many free resources.  How do you decide which one to use?

I want to mention something at the start: most students do not want an English lesson to actually teach them new English, unless it is lexical (vocabulary, expressions).  Most students want to practice the English they have studied and have not mastered yet.  Computers are very good for this.

First, you have to decide what you want and what you need.  Next you have to look at your environment.
You will find taking a few moments to think about these things will greatly speed up your search for lessons on the internet.  After you may like to answer a two-question survey at the bottom of this page.

Wants

This is the sometimes the hardest part to decide; many people don't know what they want.  Here are some things to think about:

1. What do you want in a website?
   1. do you want quizzes? 
   2. How about videos?
   3. listening practice, or just reading?
   4. do you want to practice grammar?
   5. Do you want lessons sent to you by e-mail?
2. What do you want to do?
   1. Do you want to practice listening?
   2. Do you want to practice speaking?
   3. Do you want to learn new grammar?
   4. Do you want to chat, or learn new vocabulary?

These are just some questions you need to think about.  They may give you other ideas about what you want.  When I was studying Japanese, I wanted a flashcard program, so I could learn new kanji, but I didn't want to study kanji that I already knew.  
I also wanted controlled listening, so I could listen to something again and again, and get really good at hearing it.  This website is a result of the second point - intensive listening; I want to help others the same way I wanted to practice Japanese.  

Needs

You need to work on your weak points.  Most of us know our weak points very well.  Write down your weak points now.  You want to find a website that can help you practice this area; after all, you need it.  What area is your weak point?

• listening?
• speaking?
• reading?
• writing?
• grammar?

Next, write down why you are studying English.  There are many reasons why you may be studying English; here are a few to help you clarify your reason.

• work
• travel
• school
• hobby
• marriage (you married an English speaker who speaks your language, but their family does not, for instance)
• change jobs

Your Environment

This can put limits on what you can do.  

Consider time: how much time can you spend working on the computer.  If you are at home, do you have to share the computer, or do other chores (cooking, child care)?  If you are at a public computer, do you have a time limit?

Consider the area you are in.  What kind of free English lesson can you take? Can you use earphones?  Does the computer have the correct software to let you take the lesson (many lessons need special software installed on the computer).  Can you install the software if it is needed?  Is your computer powerful enough or does it have a fast enough connection to the internet to take the lesson?  Do you need a microphone, and if so, can you use it in your environment?

Conclusion

There are many free English lessons on the internet, and many of them are good.  I cannot recommend one site or another since I don't know your situation.  If you take a moment to think about your needs, wants and environment, it will be easy to find a good lesson.  After you may like to answer a two-question survey at the bottom of this page. Now, here is our story:

Is This One Better?

Verb List
1. Pack up     to stop doing something; to finish work.
2. Queue up     to stand in a line in order to wait for something
3. Rip off         to charge somebody an unfair price, or cheat somebody financially
4. Send back    to return something to the company you bought it from because it is unsuitable or damaged
5. Try out       to test something in order to find out if it works or to decide whether you like it

Mr. Ndola is working hard today.  Yesterday he packed up early to go into town and queue up at the hardware store.  They had a new shipment of hoes in, and he badly wanted to get one. His last hoe was very poor.  He felt he was ripped off, and sent it back to the company, saying that he did not get a chance to try it out before he bought it and he was very unhappy with it.  The company just said he had used it already and they would not give him his money back.  Now his new hoe is working very well, and he is putting twice the energy into his work.

  

Two Question Survey Here

Why are you studying English? Country CountryUnited StatesCanada----------------AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntiguaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazil British Indian Ocean TerritoryBritish Virgin IslandsBruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEast TimorEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland IslandsFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard and McDonald IslandsHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyIvory CoastJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribadiNorth KoreaSouth KoreaKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoFederated States of MicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMonserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNetherlands AntillesNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairn IslandPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarReunionRomaniaRussiaRwandaS. Georgia and S. Sandwich Isls.Saint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and The GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSpainSri LankaSt. HelenaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan Mayen IslandsSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluU.S. Minor Outlying IslandsUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVatican CityVenezuelaVietnamUS VIrgin IslandsWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenYugoslavia (former)ZaireZambiaZimbabwe Your reason to study English A for business B for travel C for school D for pleasure/ hobby E personal / family F to learn a new culture Where do you study online A At home B At work C On a public computer