A global common issue among students! All around the world, students from different nationalities learn English, read articles, listen to podcasts or lectures, even write down academic essays but they struggle with SPEAKING! After mastering all other skills, why spoken English is that problematic is an unsolved mystery. However, the good news is that there are a couple of useful tips to improve your spoken English.
What can you do to improve your speaking skills then?
1. Add fun to your learning path!
If you think speaking to others is a bit scary at the beginning, why don’t you try starting with baby steps: READ OUT LOUD and listen to yourself. You can pick any book, article or news that you are interested and read that piece of information out loud. You can even try recording your voice and listen to that later to evaluate yourself. This is a great method to improve not only your English but also self-confidence. This will also help you hear your own mistakes and better articulate certain words.
2. Listen to podcasts and audiobooks!
Listening to podcasts and audiobooks is a fun way to improve your spoken English. You can pick the theme or topic yourself, adjust the level or speed of the speaker and go. That easy and enjoyable! You can listen to popular podcasts to enrich your background knowledge as well on certain topics such as technology, life, music or arts. You can also listen to audiobooks of famous authors while commuting to school which not only saves you time but also improves the quality of your travels.
3. Practice accent with tongue twisters and songs!
It is a good way to start with nursery songs, continue with tongue twisters and finish your training with rap songs you can understand. When you manage to master rap songs, your spoken English will be flawless tongue twisters are not for kids, instead they are used by actors, politicians, and public speakers who want to sound clear when speaking. Say them as quickly as you can. If you can master tongue twisters, you will be a much more confident speaker. Why don’t you give it a try?
- How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood. As a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood.
- She sells seashells by the seashore
- How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?
- I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream
4. Watch movies and study spoken English conversations!
Who doesn’t love watching movies? Of course, we all love movies and especially if you are planning to watch a movie to improve your English, you need to choose the movies you will enjoy watching. Depending on the level and interest of the audience, watching the same movie more than once is a good way. For the first time, you can watch it with subtitles and understand the content better, than you can watch the same movie without subtitles focusing on the interaction and pronunciation followed by spoken practice, either recording yourself or commenting on the movie with friends. Have fun and practice!
5. Learn common idioms, sayings and expressions!
Especially if you are very keen on speaking like a native, you must learn some idioms, sayings and expressions to sound more native like. With the help of them, you will spice up your conversations. Your vocabulary will boost, and you will become a more confident and proficient speaker who can interact with the natives fluently and naturally.
6. Organize spoken English classes with your FRIENDS!
This is the last but not the least significant tip! After everything you do yourself to improve your spoken English, it’s time to communicate with the others. With the help of these English classes, everyone will have a chance to interact with others in English and feel secure within their own community who will never judge the mistakes if any. You can also consider having new friends from the online speaking club events or organizations and practice English in a real-life situation!
If you follow your dreams and study hard, you will definitely become proficient at speaking in English. Just allow yourself to practice both individually and in groups to develop your skills, vocabulary and self-confidence! Enjoy the journey and have fun while learning the new language and do never forget: PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!