Table of Contents
Speaking English with confidence is an important goal for many. Often, we hesitate because we are afraid of making a mistake or of embarrassing ourselves in front of others. Sometimes mistakes are inevitable. But like any other skill, you can improve your spoken English if you practice it regularly and follow these simple steps.
How to Speak English Easily
1. Listen
The first step in improving your speaking skills is actually working on your listening.
Listening to English has a few benefits – it allows you to pick up new words, phrases, and ways to respond to conversations. Second, listening provides opportunities to understand pronunciation, how words are omitted when spoken, how others are combined, rhythm, tone, and sounds of language.
What should you listen to? There are many resources for free download. Start with short English clips or videos: choose your favorite English TV show or YouTube channel. Listen to the clip and pay close attention to what the characters are saying. Repeat any conversations or phrases you like. Repeat the same clip until you understand all the words. You can also open subtitles or view video recordings if available and practice talking interviews with characters.
The most interesting way to improve your listening and speaking is to listen to audiobooks. Audiobooks have become very popular in the last few years. They are great for people who do not have time to invest in reading books. And it is not a good way to make your pronunciation complete. Try listening to part of the text, pausing, and reading aloud to practice saying the words yourself.
Lastly, there is nothing better than real English conversations with people. Listen to your colleagues speaking in English, listen to your supervisor make presentations and conduct meetings in English, listen to your English-speaking teacher – all of these real conversations will help you become a better listener and a better language speaker. Remember that listening as much as possible will help you to improve your speech.
2. Imitate
Now that you’ve listened to a lot of English conversations, it’s time to emulate something. Yes, that’s right! Imitating or copying someone is excellent for improving your communication skills. Not sure? Look at children and children – how do they learn the language? They copy everything an adult says.
Another benefit of simulation is that it will help you to be more accurate in English without having to learn the rules of the program. With more practice, you will begin to remember pieces of words and phrases. This helps to remember the word patterns in a sentence and how certain words go with each other.
To improve your communication skills, you need to follow these steps:
- Listen: Choose your favorite video or audio clip from any source provided in the previous section of this article. Play the sound and listen carefully. Play as many times as you like to understand how each word is pronounced.
- Repeat and record:After playing the sound, repeat the words and conversations as you hear it. Pay special attention to tone, volume, and rhythm of the language. Record them while repeating the words. You can use the voice recorder on your phone or use a web service. The recording will give you an opportunity to listen and edit. Therefore, do not skip this step.
- Compare: Listen to the audio again and compare it with your recording. Is it compatible? Be aware of the changes that you may need to make.
- Correct: Repeat the whole process again until you are better and more accurate.
Since this procedure involves listening to the same audio clip a few times, select a topic that interests you. If you stick to your schedule, you will see improvements in your pronunciation, vocabulary, accuracy, and overall speaking ability instantly!
3. Read
Reading is one of the most important skills you should have when learning a language. Whether you choose a novel or an essay, reading a few minutes every day will help you acquire new vocabulary.
The most common reason why people hesitate to read is that it takes a lot of time to read a book from beginning to end. However, when you are learning English, even a few minutes of study may be very beneficial. Short articles or notes in English are ideal for this. They only take a few minutes to read and are easy to find.
You can start with the things you get every day. Think of notes and invitations at work, tracts and brochures at the local supermarket, or notices and safety tips in elevators – wherever you are there is always something to read.
There are a variety of texts and interactive exercises that you can practice the reading skills you need to do well in your studies, progress at work, and communicate in English in your spare time.
You will improve your reading comprehension and improve your vocabulary in a variety of international events, festivals, and topics.
When you choose news, there are many websites that offer you a wide range to choose from. There are a few stories written specifically for language learners. They are easy to read and offer language practice in short assignments.
If you are looking to improve your job skills and vocabulary, try Business Magazines. You will learn useful language for many business topics from a variety of perspectives, as well as tips and tricks for dealing with business issues.
Remember that if your goal is to improve your speaking skills, it is a good idea to read aloud. This will help you not only to master unfamiliar words but also to improve your pronunciation and your ability to speak fluently.
4. Reflect
Meditation is a very important step in developing your speaking skills. Meditation is nothing more than asking questions to think about what you have learned, how you have learned, what progress you are making, what can be done differently, and how you can change the way you have learned to allow for progress.
It is important to meditate on your daily language skills, especially if you are learning a new language independently. Meditation is another way to give a good answer in the absence of a teacher.
Say you had a good conversation in English. After your conversation is over, take a moment to reflect. Ask yourself questions like these:
- How was it?
- How well do you understand the other person?
- How confident do you feel in answering questions or continuing the conversation?
- How comfortable are you with the topic of discussion?
- How quickly did you come up with the idea of the right thing to say or the right word to say?
- Have you found unfamiliar words?
- What does the other person do when he or she cannot think of the right word?
Reflecting on these questions will help you to see your strengths clearly and to gain confidence. You will also find development opportunities and specific areas in which you can work.
5. Prepare
Many of us are reluctant to speak or participate in English conversations because we are afraid of what we might say. We worry that what we say may not be appropriate or may make mistakes. We can easily fix this problem by preparing in advance. Do you go to a restaurant with a colleague? Think of situations where you need to speak English. Order food, maybe? Request changes to the container? Ask your partner’s favorites? Request a bill? What vocabulary do you need in these situations? Make a simple list of sentences you will use.
Here is an example:
Situation
|
Useful phrases
|
Arriving at the restaurant and asking for a table (if booked)
|
Hello. We’ve booked a table for ___. (say the number of people for which you booked the table)
The booking is in _________ ‘s name. (say the name of the person you provided at the time of booking)
|
Arriving at the restaurant and asking for a table (if not booked)
|
Hello. We need a table for _______ (say the number of people). Can you fit us in?
|
Asking for the menu
|
Could we see the food menu, please?
Could we see the drinks menu, please?
|
Asking about food
|
Is this dish suitable for vegetarians?
Does this dish contain nuts? I am allergic to nuts.
Could you help me understand what this dish contains?
|
Choosing what to order among your colleagues
|
I’d like to order a hamburger with a side of fries. What about you?
I prefer coffee to tea.
What would you like to have?
Do you prefer soup or salad?
That sounds delicious.
|
Placing your order
|
We are ready to place our order.
Could we have bottled water for everyone?
I would like ___________ (say what you would like to eat)
Could I have ___________ (say what you would like to eat)?
|
Giving feedback
|
That was delicious. Thank you.
That was lovely. Thank you.
It was a great meal. Thank you.
The food was a bit cold.
The dish was a bit spicy for my taste.
|
Paying your bill
|
Could we have the bill please?
Can I pay by card?
This is on me. (When you want to insist on paying for everyone).
|
6. Speak
Yes, to speak. There is no magic pill that can help you speak better. You have to put yourself in situations where you are forced to speak English in order to be better at it. Start small. Do you live or work in an area where you need to speak English to get through? Good! Take advantage of this situation by talking to people around you. It could be at work or even at a coffee shop – it doesn’t matter where you are, as long as you can talk.
If you do not have that benefit, make it a habit to speak English with your workmates or schoolmates. It is easier if you choose someone who speaks a different language than yours as it forces you to speak English.
You can also consider joining an English language course to improve your vocabulary and speaking. You get a lot of practice with the teacher to give you personal feedback on your speaking skills. You will meet like-minded students from all over the country or from another country.
Nowadays, many online forums and discussion groups focus on language learning as a goal. Joining such a forum will help you practice talking to students from different parts of the world with the same goals. Most of these groups are easily accessible. Try Facebook, Reddit, or Discord. Just a warning – it is important to remember the safety and security of the internet.
7. Practise
We cannot stress this enough. Regular and consistent practice is the key to success when speaking English. The tips and suggestions we have outlined above apply only if you regularly use them. Therefore, here is what we recommend. Start small – spend just 10 minutes every day doing 1-2 of the above. Maybe listen to a short video clip today and imitate. Meditate on what you read. Tomorrow, take a short article. Read aloud and summarize in your own words. Meditate on what you read and new words.
Some days you will get extra time. Give yourself extra time when you can but do at least one day at a time. You will see a big change in your skills soon! As you progress, you will be more confident and ready for bigger challenges. This is the time to find colleagues who speak and to put themselves in situations where they need to speak English. Don’t worry about making mistakes. Most people do not care if you make mistakes.
Lastly, don’t forget to have fun. It’s easy to learn something new and commit to learning while having fun. Practice English by singing along with popular songs. Practice twisting the language with your friends.
Try all of these tips today and start your language learning journey right away!
Tips for Effective Speaking Skill
1: Which of the sentences below is grammatically correct?
Speech skills, especially effective public speaking skills are just as important as listening skills and are an integral part of interpersonal communication. It also contributes to increasing social learning and emotions. You may not be a professional speaker, but having these skills will always be helpful in a variety of situations. Whether it is a class presentation, a toast at your friend’s wedding, an important presentation or even an interview, public speaking skills help you to get through these situations easily. All in all, these skills help you build your confidence, win people’s hearts and communicate effectively.
One does not simply become the best speaker of the day. It takes a lot of knowledge, patience and hard work to master the art of public speaking. However, you can start training yourself to become a more effective speaker by taking the following suggestions.
1. Confidence
When you are placed in front of a crowd it is natural to be nervous. Self-confidence is key when speaking in public. Before you enter the stage, remind yourself that you are ready and able to do this. Relax if you find yourself sweating or shivering. You can try these breathing exercises to boost your confidence.
2. Authenticity
Be realistic in what you are. Practice your delivery but do not interrupt. In a panic, you may dream about a memorized expression. When you speak from memory, the audience may be more inclined to recognize your point. It also makes you sound like a machine. However, when you speak from the heart, you are more likely to attract the attention of the audience. However, you can prepare with some indicators in advance to make sure you do not forget important points.
3. Voice Modulations
If you do not want to be bored, pay attention to how you speak. When you speak with a sad voice, it may sound like a robot and a machine. You want your audience to engage, so try different ways of changing the voice. Varying tone means creating tension as you speak. Here are some strategies you can use:
- Changing the speed you are talking about – it should not be too fast or too slow
- Take a break before introducing an important point and after it
- Adjust your volume if necessary
- Change the volume of your voice from time to time to create emphasis
4. Connect with your Audience
When you connect with the audience, you feel like you are with them and it makes you feel a little lonely. You can also ensure that the audience pays attention to you by interacting with them. Another way to communicate with the audience is to ask questions.
Asking questions like these keeps the audience busy and gives you confidence when you are speaking
5. Work on your body language
You may not notice it but the audience can measure whether you are confident or not, by noticing your body language. So, the first thing you can do is use your body language to show that you are ready and confident. Basic signs of self-confidence include:
- Standing upright
- Arms relaxed on the sides
- Maintaining eye contact with the audience
Try to avoid leaning on one leg or making an unusual touch and you are ready to go!
6. Watch recordings of your speech
As we know, practice makes a man perfect! You cannot wrap your speech but try to practice the talk on your own in an informal setting and record it. Listen to your recorded speech and try to view it from the audience’s perspective. It will answer many questions you have. You will notice for yourself where you need to work and it is a good way to give you more details about voice modification.
Therefore! Keep these indicators in mind the next time you are on stage and believe in yourself! We are confident that you will attach that presentation in the future.
What makes English Padikkyam with Inverted Coconut different is that this English-speaking Malayalam course is led by Aparna Mulberry, an American spoken English Instructor.
This lesson is designed as an easy-to-learn lesson and is especially useful for beginners who are just beginning to learn English. Many of us may be learning English at school, but we can no longer speak fluently. This is because of a lack of adequate communication skills and proper guidance.
When you join this tutorial, you get all of this, including showing you how to put your language when pronouncing a word. This will help you to learn English correctly.