There are many challenges one may face while trying to learning a new language, but none are perhaps more harmful than the lack of confidence. With doubt and hesitation cramping our ability to improve, our journey to mastering English can become frustrating. In this article we shall discuss some tips and tricks to speak English with confidence.
How to be confident while speaking English?
Here are some learning tips that can help you build your confidence while speaking English language:
Practice Hard
Confidence in using the English language will begin with practise. The more you make use of the language, the less anxious you will feel while speaking it.
Yes, it is actually that simple.
For many international learners, they feel nervous because they are uneasy that they might get something wrong and feel embarrassed.
Best of all, it is easy to bring practising English into your routine.
Using English more in your communications, replying in English, and even just spending a couple of minutes each day practising pronunciation makes a significant difference in making you homely with listening, comprehending, and then speaking English.
Set around 15 to 20 minutes every day to practice pronunciation and keep doing it regularly. You will be surprised by how much this can help you.
Stay calm and speak slowly
You don’t have to be in a hurry to give your response, slow down your talk and give yourself the opportunity to find the appropriate words.
Trying to talk faster than you can think of the words can make one feel nervous and affect his or ability ability to form sentences. It can even leave one feeling a little flustered or dejected.
You can begin by practising breathing exercises, especially when you feel a bit anxious about communicating in English.
Breathing forces you to pace down, giving you an opportunity to think before you speak. It is absolutely fine to want to slow down the conversation, especially if you’re talking with a native English speaker.
Use positive self-talk
The most important person you talk to every day is yourself. In simple words: Your thoughts matter. So my first piece of advice is to use positive self-talk.
If you have low confidence as an English speaker, you may tell yourself stuffs like, “English is very difficult and I will never improve.” When you talk to others, you may say things like, “I am so sorry for my English.”
But if you keep repeating and saying such things, you are sure to start believing them shortly.
Magdi Saleh is an English teacher a based in Cairo, Egypt said many English learners must show themselves more patience as progress takes time:.
“One must be patient with oneself and talk positively with oneself.”
He said you can tell yourself something like, “Today, I will learn this stuff and tomorrow I will learn other things.”
So the next time you use English, pay attention to what you are telling to yourself or others. Ensure to replace unhelpful thoughts and ideas with better ones.
Speak in full sentences
Another tip to speak English confidently is to speak in complete sentences and give longer responses whenever possible.
If you are not confident in a language, you are likely to say as little as possible when you speak. This is a common problem for all the new language learners. For example, if you ask an English learner what is his/her favorite color, he/she may give a short, direct response like, “My favorite color is blue,” Where as a native English speaker is most likely to give a detailed and less direct response, like:
“Well, to be quite honest, I do not really have an actual favorite color. I guess that if I were buying clothes, I would go for something like black or grey.”
Using full sentences and giving more detail in responses shows listeners that you are not afraid to speak English.
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Read out loud
Reading out loud will help you build confidence in how your English sounds. So the next time you are going through a website, book or something else that you enjoy, take a few minutes to read the material aloud.
Here is a small plan of action to practice reading out load:
Before reading it aloud, read the story silently at first. The second time, if audio is available, you can listen to the speaker as you read along silently. Then, you can try reading the story out loud alone. Then, you can on the audio and try listening to the speaker and reading out loud at the same time.
List all the words you have trouble saying and then, check their pronunciation on Google Translate or in any other place.
learners must read for pleasure and enjoy what they are reading. So it is advised not stopping to check word meanings in a dictionary while reading.
Don’t worry too much
All remember that it is okay to make mistakes. If one find oneself stumbling across long or complicated words, simply stop and give yourself a few seconds to breathe and continue speaking. The fact that you are communicating in a language that is not your mother tongue is good enough reason for your to be proud of your accomplishments.
As with every difficult task, the key to speaking English with confidence is to practice as much as possible. Be consistent in your journey and make sure to set aside some time every day to speak English.
One of the biggest barriers to confidence in speaking in English is the constant worry about making mistakes. Hence do not worry too much about mistakes.
Understand that making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process. Yes, you will go wrong. But keep in mind that the purpose of learning a language is to communicate. And many English learners communicate quite well, even with mistakes.
Sometimes mistakes can be a good thing. The more mistakes you make, the more you will know what is and is not correct.
Set realistic goals
If your English-speaking skills are at the intermediate or beginner level and you try to do something very difficult, you may fail. This can hamper your confidence. But, if you do something that matches your level, you are more likely to improve.
As you learn a new language, it is natural to lack some of the skills you need to communicate well. Very often, when we lack skills, we loose confidence. Always remember that, as your skills grow, your confidence will increase.
Make use of all the English resource you have
Making yourself familiar the English language means making use of everything that can help you get acquainted with it.
And we are not just talking about the English textbook.
While the textbook can teach you many things English vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure, you can look at many other sources for tips, hints, and inspiration.
We are talking about media like movies, videos, podcasts,and even songs.
Listening to these sources will help you with pronunciation, which can in turn help improve your speaking skills.
Not only that, but it can also help you with understanding the language.
You can spend just 15-30 minutes a day watching and listening to English speakers to familiarise yourself with the language and eventually, you will notice your speaking improve.
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Practice English with other non-native speakers
If you feel uncomfortable around native English speakers then practice with non-native speakers instead.
If you are anxious, just remember that other non-native speakers are probably feeling the same.
They won’t care if you go wrong – in fact, they may not even notice because they are too focused on ensuring that they get their English correct.
For some learners, knowing that their “audience” is in the exact same boat as them can be a big confidence boost.
If you have some free time in your daily routine. Organise a practice session with some of your fellow learners.
Not only will you be able to practice your English lessons, but you will also make some great friends.
Reward yourself and award your achievements
Did you manage to get something right? Did you just confidently talk to a native English speaker? Are you using longer sentences in your conversations?Then Reward yourself!
Celebrating small milestones will help you gain confidence with your spoken English.
Whenever one sees oneself improving word usage or sentence construction, he or she must recognise their achievement and make a mental note to congratulate themselves.
You can even want to record it by writing it down in a dairy or typing out a note in your phone. These simple reminders show you how far you have come and will help you move forward.
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I hope this article was helpful. The key point to clear an exam lies in methodical and planned preparation. If you are a candidate who wants to pursue your dream career and looking for a good start, our Entri app has got it covered for you. Our team will help you with content and insights related to the topics of your concern. Subscribe to our app today and enrol yourself into various programmes our app offers. Tune in to the app to stay updated regarding various aspects of the subject you are interested in. Feel free to post any queries and doubts in the comment section. We will try our best to reach out. Push away all those self-doubts and negative thoughts. Try to have a clear vision. Ask yourself why you want this. Focus on the good and work hard. There is a saying that goes like this, Get up and set your shoulders to the wheel-how long is life for you? as you have come to this world leave some mark behind or where is the difference between your trees and stones they too come into existence decay and die. Each day is a precious gift bestowed upon us so make it count. Work on yourself. Stop procrastinating. Today is the day, hope for the best. Good luck.
