Top 10 Tips to Improve Your Spoken English
Spoken English Tip #1: Learn phrases, not just individual words
If you study different
English words in separation, this is what ensues:
When you need to speak, you have to ruminate a lot in order to association the separate
words in the right order, using the right grammar, and in a way that makes
sense.
That’s WAY too much
work!
If you focus on
learning phrases instead, then you will have ready answers and responses for
any condition – no need to over-think. Focusing on phrases will help you speak
English in complete sentences more naturally.
Spoken English Tip #2: Listen to more English
Most English learners
read too much and listen too little.
But when babies and children learn English, they listen first – then speak – and later learn to read and write.
Half of a conversation
is hearing the other person – and if you don’t understand what they’re saying,
how can you respond correctly? So if you want to improve your English speaking,
spend more time listening!
Bonus: Listening more will also help you
naturally improve your pronunciation and reduce your accent.
Spoken English Tip #3: Practice speaking by yourself (both reading aloud and speaking
spontaneously)
When you speak
English, there are two main difficulties:
§ The mental difficulty of thinking of the
English words to say
§ The physical difficulty of pronouncing the
English words correctly
Reading English texts out loud will help you with the second part
without having to worry about the first part. It will train your mouth and lips
to pronounce English words more easily.
Speaking English spontaneously
by yourself is also
EXTREMELY helpful in developing your ability to put your ideas into
words… without the
pressure of a real conversation. You can look at a list of discussion questions
and respond out loud in English – speaking alone.
It might feel a little
silly, but remember – this is GREAT training for your spoken English, and
there’s nobody to hear your mistakes!
Spoken English Tip #4: Practice thinking in English
Do you think in your native
language and then translate it into English in your head before speaking?
Don’t do this! It
often results in sentences that don’t sound natural in English, because the
sentence structure is often different in English and your native language.
Also, it takes WAY too much time to think and translate when you’re in a
conversation.
One of the biggest secrets to speaking English fast and fluently
is to learn to think directly in English. The great news is that this is is a
skill you CAN develop with practice, and you can practice anytime – while
taking the bus, while waiting in line, while sitting at home.
Try thinking in
English for a few minutes today, to start building this habit!
Spoken English Tip #5: Get an online conversation partner
“How can I practice
speaking English if I have nobody to talk with?”
There are
“conversation exchange” websites where you can find a partner who speaks
English, but wants to learn your native language.
You can then schedule
a conversation session and speak half in English, half in your
native language so that both of you can practice.
It’s also good to have
someone help correct any errors in a relaxed, low-pressure situation.
Here are some examples
of exchange conversation websites.
§ Top
10 websites for English language exchange
§ Free language exchange websites
So if you don’t have a
conversation partner, get one today – it will really help you practice your
speaking.
Spoken English Tip #6: Remember that communication is more important than grammar
Do you get nervous
when speaking because you’re afraid of making a mistake?
Remember that the #1 goal of speaking English is to transfer. Although grammar is important, it is less
important than communication when speaking English.
Here’s a simple
example – if you say:
“Yesterday I go to party on beach.”
The sentence isn’t
grammatically correct, but it ORGANIZES successfully communicate your message,
and an English speaker will understand you. It’s better to say something
“wrong” and still communicate successfully than to say nothing!
Also, the grammar of
spoken English is more flexible than the grammar of written English – so don’t
worry too much about grammar when speaking.
Spoken English Tip #7: Speak slowly
Trying to speak
English too fast won’t make you sound like a native speaker. Instead, it can
actually make it more difficult for the other person to understand you.
Speaking English
slowly has two advantages:
§ It gives you more time to think of what to say
§ It makes your speech clearer so the other
person can understand
Over time and with
practice, your spoken English will get faster naturally.
Spoken English Tip #8: If you forget a word, use other words
It’s very common for English learners to stop a sentence in the
middle because they’ve forgotten the word they want to use – but try to be innovative. The other person can help you if you
describe the word you want by using other English words.
For example, one of my students was describing a recipe, and he
didn’t know the word for one of the vegetables. So he said “It’s white, and like a ball,
and when you cut it, you cry.”
I said, “It’s an onion.”
So you can see that my student communicated successfully by using different words, even though he
didn’t know the word he wanted to use.
Spoken English Tip #9: Relax & have a positive, confident attitude
If you make a mistake or forget a word when you are speaking
English – it’s OK! Don’t
be nervous or afraid.
The person who you’re
talking to will understand and be patient with you. If you are insecure when
speaking English, it will be even more difficult to speak.
So DON’T say “My
English is terrible” or “Sorry for my bad English.” These are negative comments
and they’re not helpful.
Instead, think “I can speak
English!” before every banter
in order to give yourself more confidence and help you speak better!
Spoken English Tip #10: Learn real English phrases for everyday life
Today, you have the
opportunity to take an English course that focuses on useful English in the
context of conversations.
The Everyday English Speaking Course is a simple, fun, and effective way to learn
new phrases and expressions – and improve your speaking ability.
Each lesson is based on conversations, and reading and listening
to the dialogues will help you improve your
understanding.
The next part of the lesson explains and expands upon the
vocabulary you heard in the conversations, teaching you new words and showing you how to use them.
There are lots of practice phrases which you can listen to and repeat to improve
your English speaking.
Finally, each lesson has quizzes to help you test yourself and remember the new phrases – and opportunities for you to send speaking samples and get feedback from me on your spoken English.
Learn English for Daily Life
In this course, you’ll
learn how to speak English in the typical situations of daily life:
§ Talking on the phone
§ Going to restaurants & going shopping
§ Traveling: airport, hotel, & sightseeing
§ Talking about hobbies & entertainment
Learn Social English
You’ll also learn
important phrases for social English, so that you can interact with other
English speakers successfully and confidently.
§ Agreeing & disagreeing
§ Giving opinions & advice
§ Asking & interposing politely
§ Expressing thoughts & feelings
Learn Practical English
The course also covers
practical vocabulary for talking about:
§ Information
§ Similarities & differences
§ Certainty & probability
§ Hypothetical situations
Interesting Topics in English
And finally, there are
lessons on topics you don’t often find in textbooks:
§ Slang & euphemisms
§ Interjections & swearing
§ Discourse markers
§ Using vague language
Student Comments
More than 100 students
have taken this course and enjoyed it.
They describe the course as…
“Very good with clear
explanations”
“Useful for daily life”
“Brilliant, warm, nice, and
concrete”
“Totally worth it!”
Other English websites
charge a monthly fee for access, but when you sign up for Everyday English
Speaking, you’ll get instant and permanent access to the 45 lessons in the course.
There’s no time limit for finishing – you have access to the course forever.
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