English is a beautiful language and also a worldwide used tool for communication.
Studying English can be fun, but like any skill, it takes a lot of practice in order to improve this skill. But practicing may become a tedious task if you are not aware of how to do it.
But before all that, In order to improve your English speaking skills, you need to actually speak. That’s right! No amount of reading will make up for having no firm grasp of the language.
But what can you do to help yourself?
In this blog, I have given some ways in which you can improve your English speaking skills at home and will the help of others.
Use a voice recorder to practice conversation. And then listen and assess.
The first time you do it, you will hate your voice. You may sound ridiculous. But as you become consistent, this habit will take you far and make you so confident. Just do this three-step practice :
- Keep your voice recorder on and speak on a topic. Or just describe how your day was.
- Listen to the recording the next day and assess what went wrong. What words do you use? How you can substitute those words with better words?
- Do this activity every alternate day.
This is the best way you can practice English.
Practice English with an English speaking app.
To become a fluent English speaker, you need to speak. Speak with someone who can help you in conversations. And to practice English conversation, you can take the help of the Engvarta app. Engvarta application helps you to practice speaking English with Live English Experts daily for 15 minutes to an hour. The mentors will help you clear all your confusion, help you with the right words while you speak, and correct your pronunciation and grammar if you make any mistakes. This English-speaking practice app helps you to achieve your goal like clearing interviews or giving presentations.
Listen to English conversations.
Listening is an essential part of learning English. Through effective listening, you learn words, grammar, and pronunciation. Listen to conversations between native speakers as much as possible. Only by listening to real-life conversations, you will understand what native speakers say and how they talk in different situations.
Watch TV shows or movies with the subtitles turned on.
This may sound cliche but watching web series and movies is fun and can help you improve your speaking skills! In fact, some web series are so interesting, that you start to watch them and you binge-watch all night. I had been watching Stranger Things 4 lately and can’t stress enough the number of slang I learned.
Sometimes when you hear your favorite characters speak a particular dialogue or speak a phrase. You remember them subconsciously and also start using them in your daily conversation. Just keep your subtitles on and watch them. Try to learn atleast 5 words that are easy to remember. Maybe you can note it down somewhere.
By watching TV shows and movies with your subtitles turned on, you can improve your vocabulary and gain the ability to recognize words in context.
Read out loud
You know fewer English words but you speak clearly! That makes you a fluent English speaker. If you want to become one, just practice reading out loud. Grab a book and spend 15 minutes reading something that you really enjoy reading.
Here’s how you can make your reading sessions more effective.
- Read slowly and try not to rush through the text.
- Try different ways of pronouncing words – try saying some of them aloud first, then reading them out loud instead of reading them silently in your head.
Study words about topics that interest you and relate to real life situations.
I came across the Catch 22. Catch 22 means a situation where you can’t do one thing because you cannot do the other. For example, I cannot get a job without work experience, and to get work experience I first need a job. I am in a catch-22 situation.
This idiom was so interesting that I started to use them in my conversation. This is exactly the same thing that you have to do. Learn words that you can relate to your life. You don’t need to memorize a dictionary for that. If you are reading a random article or any note, just memorize a phrase or two that seems easy and interesting.
Be confident! Confidence is the first step to improving one’s English speaking skills.
Being confident is the first step to improving your English speaking skills. This can be achieved with practice and knowing that you are capable of communicating in a language.
It is important to have self-confidence when speaking English because it will help you become more comfortable with your own speech, and therefore, bring clarity to your voice.
So, no matter how good or bad your English is, don’t be afraid to use your knowledge and speak in English in every opportunity you get.
All the best!
