Purchase several books written in English. You may want to start out with children's books, since the reading level is lower than that of a novel. English newspapers or magazines are also good items to read since the articles are relatively short, and the pictures can help you determine what is happening in the articles. Set a goal to read a few pages or an article each day. Try to read through the entire piece before using a dictionary to translate it. This will help you find contextual clues to determine the meaning of unknown words.
Locate an English-speaking pen pal. There are a variety of websites to assist you in finding a pen pal from an English-speaking location. A pen pal can help you learn English by corresponding via e-mail or snail mail. Writing to a pen pal forces you to practice the written English language and allows you to practice reading English as well. Select a pen pal with interests similar to yours so you have common things to talk about.
Talk to your pen pal, or someone you know who speaks English, either in-person or online via a video chat program. This allows you to work on your pronunciation of words in real-time with the help of another person. You can ask questions about pronunciations or practice simple conversations this way.
Listen to English audio CDs and watch movies in English. This will help you work on your listening comprehension. You can listen to music with English lyrics and watch movies either with or without subtitles. Watching a movie with subtitles can help you figure out what is going on in the movie, even if the actors are speaking rapidly. Watching movies and listening to music from an English-speaking place can also expose you to their culture.
Set a schedule for yourself to learn English. Although you are not working with a teacher, it is important to stick to a schedule to ensure you spend an adequate amount of time learning the language. Spend at least one hour each day in intensive study of the English language. You should incorporate some listening, reading and writing into each day's plan. You may want to create a vocabulary list to assist you in learning new words. You can break the vocabulary list into categories like food, travel, school and housing, as well as any other categories you think would help you in everyday conversation.