Understanding the 4 Building Blocks in Learning English

When you first start learning a language, the task may feel overwhelming. However, it may be easier than you think! Once you gain a basic understanding of the four building blocks of English, you will be on your way to communication and eventual fluency. What exactly are those four building blocks? They are:

• Functions
• Phonology
• Lexis
• Grammar

Let's dive a little deeper into each one.

Functions

 Functions are just some specific English expressions used in particular situations. For instance, if you would like to say " I don't know," you could say:

• Beats me
• I have no clue
• I haven't the faintest idea
• Your guess is as good as mine
• That's beyond my scope of knowledge 
• No idea whatsoever 

The above phrases are just a small sampling of functions you can use to express that you don't know something. Moreover, you may be in other situations, like agreeing with someone, disagreeing, asking for opinions, giving opinions, offering suggestions, thanking people, so on and so forth. So, when you know different functions, you will be ready for virtually any situation.

Phonology 

Phonology relates to the sound of the English language. Not only do you need to pronounce words correctly, but you should also learn to understand English as it is spoken by people in various regions. To illustrate, an American will sound different from a British person or an Australian. A canadian may sound different from an indian. Carefully listening to English is an important aspect of mastering phonology.

Lexis 

Expending your vocabulary is a major part of learning lexis. However, lexis includes more than learning individual words. It also encompasses learning fixed phrases, expressions, and jargon for different fields.

Grammar

Grammar is the glue that holds the English language together. You must be able to use words in the correct order, understand punctuation marks, know the tenses, and more in order to communicate in and comprehend English.

It may take some time to master these four building blocks, but with patience and the help of a skilled teacher, you will soon be on your way to communicating in English.