10 Things You Can Do to Improve Your English
1. SPEAK, SPEAK, SPEAK
Let’s start right off by
saying that there isn’t a magic pill for better speaking. That would be too
easy, right? Basically, the best way to speak better is to, well – speak!
Commit to practicing often and with as many different people as possible. Do
you already live or study overseas? Take advantage of the thousands of native
speakers in your immediate community, such as your friends, their families,
your coworkers, classmates, employees at the coffee shops, supermarket,
post-office and other places you visit. If you’re learning in your own country,
increase your practice time by meeting your classmates after class, finding an
language exchange partner or joining an online community of learners.
2. DON’T BE AFRAID TO MAKE MISTAKES
Be confident. People can only correct your
mistakes when they hear you make them.
3. SURROUND YOURSELF IN ENGLISH
Put yourself in an all English speaking
environment where you can learn passively. The best way to learn is through
speaking.
4. REFLECT ON YOUR CONVERSATIONS
After your conversation
is over, take a moment to reflect. How did it go? How much do you think you
understood? How comfortable did you feel with that subject matter? Did you
encounter any unknown words? The mere act of thinking about it in this way will
increase your confidence for the next time you speak (and give your targeted
things to work on, for example vocabulary you didn’t understand).
5. LISTEN AND READ
You need words in order
to talk, right? Class time is great for learning vocabulary, but there are
other ways you can increase yours: Watch movies, listen to music, the radio and
to podcasts. Read books, magazines and blogs. When listening and reading, find
new and interesting expressions, slang terms and synonyms, write down this new
material and look up anything you’re not familiar with. All this will provide
more “meat” for you to use next time you practice.
6. PREPARE CHEAT SHEETS
Part of nervousness
around speaking is the feeling of not knowing what to say. To combat this,
prepare a cheat sheet. Are you going to the doctor’s? Before your appointment,
research vocabulary relating to your condition and some common phrases you’ll
probably need. Use the technique before going to pay a bill, eating at a
restaurant, job interviews, making a complaint, or for any other situation that
might make you anxious.
7. PICK UP THE PHONE
Most people find phone
conversations particularly challenging. Why? Because on the phone, we can’t see
the other person’s body language or watch their mouth move, both of which are
tools that really help communication. To feel more confident on the phone,
start small with phone conversations with friends – then move on to more
challenging calls like making appointments or inquiries. (This is a great time
to use tip 4, and prepare a list of questions and useful vocabulary to help you
during your call!)
8. RECORD YOUR VOICE
We know, we know – most
people dislike hearing their voice recorded – but it’s actually an extremely
beneficial way to improve your speaking! Hearing yourself on tape shows you
things you might not realize (maybe you tend to speak quickly when nervous,
swallow your “s’s” or mumble). On the other hand, you could be pleasantly
surprised to hear that your speaking is far better than you thought! For bonus
points, take your recording to your teacher or to a native speaker friend and
have them give you feedback.
9. LEARN PHARASES RATHER THAN SINGLE WORDS
Another tip to increase
your fluency is to speak using a variety of phrases rather than individual
words. (You probably do this all the time in your native language.) Instead of
automatically asking “Hello, how are you today?”, mix it up by choosing other
expressions like “What’s up, man?” “Hey dude!” or “How ya going, mate?” (Be
careful though: Some expressions will be very informal and not ideal for some
situations!)
10. HAVE FUN
Let’s face it. It’s far
easier to learn something new when you’re having fun. Inject silliness into
your speaking practice by talking to yourself when you’re alone, singing along
with popular songs in English, join community and share something in group.
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Semoga bermanfaat!!
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