Speaking English has always been something that defines class in society. English is the most verbally spoken language in the world. It is used at offices, workplaces, and unofficial functions. The popularity of English lies down in the simplicity and history of this language.
When speaking English, we must know that the accent changes with the demography and place. So, native English speakers will sound different from those in countries like Africa. Hence while speaking English, the accent isn’t the only thing that will matter; the grammar and sound effects while saying some words will matter too.
Let’s improve your English speaking skills by following 10 tips. These tips are kept for beginners to experts in this language. One can follow it to become an expert English speaker.
- Speak it up
Cultivate a habit of speaking in public. Initially, it can sound like a difficult thing to do because of the pressure of making mistakes. But you eventually become fluent when you start building sentences without thinking if you are wrong.
You can start by speaking about your day with your family and friends or explaining things to your teammates in English. By following these simple tips, you can hone your speaking skills. This will also eliminate anxiety and fear about public speaking and language barriers.
This is one of the best things to do to improve speaking. Make sure to have a topic beforehand. You shouldn’t just blabber, so no one takes you seriously.
- Enhancing listening skills
It would help if you had words to talk to; through that, only you can convey what is in your mind. To speak fluently, you need vocabulary, and several ways can increase your vocabulary.
You can enhance your speaking skills by watching movies, listening to English songs, or reading blog posts. Listening always helps you get through the ideas, improving your patience to listen to a particular language. And also determines insightfulness in you regarding the language.
When we cultivate a habit of listening, we get information stored, and even we can replicate the exact sentences when talking about the same with a different person.
- Speak slowly and reduce your speaking speed
You must be great when you speak in your mother tongue. Your fluency is unmatchable when you talk in your comfort language. But you must maintain a different fluency and proficiency when dealing with a new language like English.
For this, you must keep some essential points in your mind. To overcome this problem, you must speak slowly in the initial days and reduce your speed.
Now when you do these two things, improve-
- You improve your pronunciation.
- Your listeners also try to listen to you carefully, and you tend to communicate rightly.
With this, your communication bond increases, and people get the right message you want to convey. And this will also give you time to think and then abruptly say whatever comes to your mind. It increases your focus and keeps you calm to process things effectively.
- Record conversations
Speaking abilities can only be improved when you hear what you are saying. You get to learn from your mistakes because it’s evident to make one. When you listen to your recorded conversations, you find a way to overcome your mistakes. This will help you track your fluency and pronunciation and overall helps you with your progress.
You can keep a record of the areas you are lacking. Try having a journal; writing about your areas of improvement will help you track your journey. You can also write emails or messages for a start.
- Learn sentences, not words
When you start learning, you try to memorize each word, as most people suggest. But instead of remembering each word, try to memorize it with one or two sentences. More than learning words is needed to become an expert English speaker. You must also know the word’s meaning before using it in a sentence.
Using and memorizing helps you understand the word’s context and how to use it initially. This makes you an effective speaker as most of the time; people are afraid to use words due to a lack of knowledge. This encourages confidence in you; you don’t have to worry about the sentence’s rightness.
- Prepare yourself
People hesitate to converse in English as they tend to get nervous about what to say and what not. Being anxious before speaking is entirely ordinary, as making mistakes is normal. You feel anxiety at its highest when you go out and have to order because, in your mind, you have already made a mistake.
You psychologically start thinking about the error more than you try to speak your mind outside. And this all happens due to a need for more confidence.
To build that amount of confidence, you must let go of the mistake and prepare yourself well before you step outside. You can start slow, like asking for the menu and the bill and asking for a table. Etc. These are the few things that you must prepare yourself.
- Read more books
It would be best never to stop reading when learning a language, as reading enhances your mind to take it seriously. You read it continuously, which makes it suitable for your mind to grasp. You read more context, verbs, nouns, and fillers. Get an idea of making sentences with an expression.
It also improves your information processing skills; you learn a lot of new words and usage in the sentence by reading a few pages of a book. You can start developing it by reading magazines, fictional books, or any book you choose.
Also, keep in mind when reading, start reading aloud; that will help you make it out if you are pronouncing each word correctly. This will also help you interpret words and meaning correctly.
- Listen to English music and songs
Using prototypes for learning always helps; music is one of the elements connected to people’s souls. Listening to English music and comprehending the cultural differences is fantastic.
It would help to start by listening to old English songs and then listen to what the current artist produces.
The difference is enormous and overwhelming, for sure. But through this, you learn how English has evolved so far in terms of expression and the way of speaking sentences.
You will learn about the enormous change and how slang has constructed its way. This way, you learn what current English speakers consume and tend not to be restricted by old-fashioned norms.
- Improve body language
First, people will focus on your body language before you even utter a word. Body language plays a significant role in determining how people will perceive you. And as someone who is a beginner, you will get nervous.
But you can control all this by having reasonable control over your body language. And this will help you build the mood of your conversation.
You can make eye contact and be firm and relaxed. Do not bite your lips and blink your eyes more often, indicating a lack of confidence. After following these tips, you will speak confidently, and people will accept you.
- Enroll yourself in a course
You can always go with a course that will make you understand grammar, verb, and nouns and their overall usage. These courses improve your speaking as well as writing skills.
Not only that, but they give you course material that will help you guide you through language proficiency. They are available online as well as offline. And as per your convenience you must enroll in them, this gives you the liberty to learn at your own pace and let you command the language.
Finally, in the end, this process requires you to have fun. When you start learning, you tend to be more reliant, but as time passes, you get uninterested, so if you have fun while doing this. Automatically you will get interested and enjoy the whole process. Never think of this as a burden but the only opportunity to become a better version of yourself. So, this way you really make learning fun and happening.
So, try these 10 tips religiously and see the difference it makes in your life. You can become 10X better than your current self. Start today and live better every day.