I have taught English to non-native english speakers from many countries, for many years . One of the main questions I get asked by students is “how can I improve my english speaking skills.” In answer to this I have put together my 5 Tips to improve your english speaking skills.
5. Think in English.
Learning a language can be a challenge. In order to get better you need to train your mind. One of the ways to do this is to try thinking in english. Narrate your life in english by asking yourself questions and answering them.
“Where am I going?” “I am walking to the store.”
“What am I going to buy?” “I need to buy some bread and milk.”
By having these internal conversations you train your brain, as well as make use of time that you normally would not be using for english.
4. Record Yourself
Most cellphones have a way of recording small voice recordings. You can also record your voice on your tablet or laptop. This is a way for you to hear and correct your mistakes.
Most people do not like hearing their own voice. This makes this tip the most difficult to do, but it is worth the effort to improve your speaking skills.
3. Read Aloud
Part of learning any language is reading. As we read we can stay silent, or we can voice the words. Reading aloud gives you practice at forming the sounds and structure of the language. This may slow down your reading speed but the advantage of practicing of forming the sounds of the language makes it worth while to do.
2 Listening to English
There are so many places you can listen to english, DVD’s podcasts, radio, TV, Movies, Music, etc. In order to speak and carry on a conversation you have to be able to listen to and understand what the other person is saying. Listening to all the different styles you hear in electronic form helps you to improve your listening skills.
Another thing you can do with electronic playback ( such as DVDs) is to repeat or mimic a passage.
-Find a short speech or passage on a DVD.
-Play it once or twice
-try speaking the passage using the words and phrases as spoken
-listen to the passage and see how you did
-repeat
This allows you to work on a more natural style of speaking.
1 Practice
You can not get better at speaking, without practice.
You can practice with conversation teachers ( such as myself)
You can practice with other students.
You can practice with strangers in the street or on the internet.
You can read, study, and know all the grammar and spelling rules of English but without practicing and trying to speak, you will not be able to improve your skills. If you don’t practice you will not get better.
