Better English speaking skills
Improving your English speaking skills will help you communicate more easily and
effectively. But how do you become a more confident English speaker?
Practise where you can, when you can. Any practice is good - whether you speak
to someone who is a native English speaker or not.
It's important to build your confidence. If possible, use simple English sentence
structure that you know is correct, so that you can concentrate on getting your
message across.
Try to experiment with the English you know. Use words and phrases you know
in new situations. Native English speakers are more likely to correct you if you use
the wrong word than if you use the wrong grammar. Experimenting with vocabulary
is a really good way of getting feedback.
Try to respond to what people say to you. You can often get clues to what
people think by looking at their body language. Respond to them in a natural way.
Try NOT to translate into and from your own language. This takes too much time
and will make you more hesitant.
If you forget a word, do what native English speakers do all the time, and say
things that 'fill' the conversation. This is better than keeping completely silent. Try
using um, or er, if you forget the word.
Don't speak too fast! It's important to use a natural rhythm when speaking English,
but if you speak too fast it will be difficult for people to understand you.
Try to relax when you speak - you'll find your mouth does most of the pronunciation
work for you. When you speak English at normal speed, you'll discover that many of
the pronunciation skills, such as linking between words, will happen automatically.
Remember, when speaking English…
Try to become less hesitant and more confident.
Don't be shy to speak - the more you do it, the more confident you'll become.
Remember to be polite - use "please" and "thank you" if you ask someone to do
something for you.
