One of the most common questions students ask GLS teachers is “How can I improve my speaking?” Right behind that is usually “How can I improve my listening?” Well, the two are related and they have similar answers. So, to help anyone interested in practicing their verbal English skills, here are 5 good things to do!
#1: Speak English outside of class
You study in class for four hours a day and you have homework, so that should be enough English practice a day, right? Well, maybe, but maybe not.
Do you speak English in the dorm? With your roommate? Do you have friends who do not speak your native language that you hang out with? During lunch and your breaks, are you speaking English or only your native language?
As you can see, there are many chances to speak English with other people in your daily life. If you can use your English rather than your native language in many situations, you can improve your abilities and confidence very quickly!
#2: Watch more movies and TV
Try watching more American (or other English language) movies and TV shows without subtitles. Write down words or phrases you don’t understand and ask your teachers or other students. While some movies and TV shows are not realistic, they use a lot of English that might be helpful. A good tip is to watch things on the internet or on DVDs so you can pause and go back to listen to something again.
#3: Join a club or organization (on or off campus)
Did you know that NAU has a lot of clubs that GLS students can join? It’s true! Just like in #1, this is a great chance to practice your English in a fun and useful way while making new friends. And the city of Houston has a lot of fun activities and organizations you can join as well. Many clubs make trips to big events like festivals, or try interesting new restaurants.
Extra tip: Try visiting the GLS Conversation Partners group as often as you can. It’s right here at GLS on the 7th floor, 1:30-3:00 pm, every Monday through Thursday (except during Final Exams or school breaks) and it’s a great way to practice English informally with your classmates in the afternoon!
#4: Repeat things you hear (Fake it ’til you make it)
You might be surprised to hear this, but part of sounding more natural is imitating natural speech. Listen to how Americans speak. Listen to the way they stress words. Watch a scene in a movie and practice repeating how the actors say something. Imitate the way your friends talk (but don’t make fun of them). After a while, you will have a “feel” for how English is supposed to sound. Then you won’t have to imitate an American accent… you will have one yourself!
#4: Repeat things you hear (Fake it ’til you make it)
You might be surprised to… hey, wait a minute!
#5: Read Read Read
This might seem like odd advice, but good readers can also be good speakers. Reading teaches you to “think” in English. When you become a better reader, you can write better and think faster in English instead of your native language. Soon, speaking will get easier as well. This is especially true if you practice reading aloud sometimes or discuss what you read in English with other people.
Well, everyone, I hope this helps you! Do your best to expand your English ability, and your time here at GLS will be even more valuable to you!
You’re reading this because you want to improve your English speaking skills.
You could have been learning for weeks, months, or even years but you still don’t speak with confidence. Then you start asking yourself, “What am I doing wrong?”
Well, wonder no more, because you’re about to learn what you need to do to speak English fluently. And you can do this from anywhere in the world!
After watching the lessons and reading this article, you’ll:
- know exactly how to improve your English speaking skills
- have a clear strategy to make fast progress
- know what speaking courses/lessons are the most effective
- have all your questions answered
Watch the video and then read on to learn more:
2 Reasons Why You Can’t Speak English Fluently
If English isn’t your native language, then here are two reasons why you find it difficult to speak in English:
- It’s a difficult skill – If English is not your native language, then you are more likely to face challenges. Imagine doing these all at the same time: formulating the right sentences, having accurate vocabulary and grammar while speaking using correct pronunciation. Whew! That’s a lot.
- Not practicing the right skills to improve speaking – Practice makes perfect. We have heard this phrase a million times, simply because it’s true. But… most English classes focus on grammar and textbooks instead of techniques and methods specifically for speaking. Think about how much time was dedicated to speaking in class. I bet it wasn’t much.
Now that we have figured out the two main reasons why you’re still having difficulties speaking English fluently let’s now move on to the good part: the SOLUTION!
Note: many of these techniques will improve all areas of English. But they focus on speaking. You can follow these methods from anywhere in the world in the comfort of your own home.
7 Ways to Improve Your English Speaking Skills
1: Work on pronunciation (for accuracy)
Learn the sounds of English and learn how to make them correctly. You have to learn the proper way of speaking, use of intonation, use of stress, relaxed pronunciation etc.
This is going to make a huge difference to the way you speak. People will understand you better. Your English will be more accurate. And things will just flow for you.
Think about a situation when you last spoke English. Did you have to concentrate on how to make the sounds of English? If so, you need to work on this area. You want to reach the stage where the right sounds come out of your mouth without you thinking about how to make them.
You might be thinking, but how?
Do this:
- use my program or a site like this to see what you need to do to make the correct sounds
- record yourself saying these sounds
- get feedback
- once you get it right, get long-term repetition
This is just like improving your golf swing. Or the way you play the piano. Or kicking a football.
You learn the skill, practice, get feedback, make changes, and then get lots of repetition.
2: Imitate Native Speakers (yes, copying is good!)
This is a very effective way to improve, not only your speaking but your listening, vocabulary, and grammar skills as well.
It works like this (LRRC):
- Listen – start by listening to a sentence in English
- Repeat – pause the audio and repeat a sentence or phrase
- Record – while repeating the words or sentences, record yourself
- Compare – this is the last part of this method. Listen to the original audio, then listen to your recording and compare the two. Here, you’ll be able to notice what you need to improve; what you’re able to say and understand accurately and the changes you need to make.
What you’re doing is imitating an English speaker AND correcting yourself so that you’re accurate.
Once you can repeat the originally audio accurately, it’s time to get lots of repetition.
Here is a way to do this:
Learn more about this method here. I highly recommend using this method. It’s powerful!
If you want to jump right in, join our powerful fluency program.
3: Shadow English Speakers (be careful!)
This is all about working on your English fluency. It’s more challenging compared to the first two methods. In shadowing, you have to listen to audio and repeat what you hear without pausing it. No stops, no pauses! It is also vital to choose an audio piece that you can follow.
This is key: only do this with audio that you can easily repeat.
I’ve seen students do this incorrectly. They choose difficult audio to repeat and end up mumbling.
Take your time to find audio that is easy to repeat. Doing this will help you improve your fluency. A good test to see if you’re doing it properly is to record yourself and listen to it.
Learn more about accuracy vs fluency here:
4: Take English Speaking Classes / Courses (or find friends to practice with)
Speaking with friends might be the best and most enjoyable way to learn. Talk to your peers in English, you’ll have fun while learning!
You also find a language exchange or take English lessons with a teacher. These would provide you the safest environment to learn because you know that your mistakes will be corrected. You can dramatically improve your speaking by having a natural conversation.
Working on your English at home is great. But you need some real-life practice to put it all together.
Plus, most people learn English to have conversations. So, start having them now!
Note: I recommend iTalki. It’s a platform where you can find native speakers to practice with. Use my link to get a discount.
5: Expand Your Vocabulary (but be specific!)
Learn more words and phrases that you are going to use when speaking English.
Make this specific to you: learn words or phrases you need to talk about a certain subject. For example, if you need English for business, learn business English phrasal verbs.
You may want to learn common everyday English because you will use it no matter what. Here’s a video where I talked about some of the common words and phrases:
Remember, when learning words and phrases it is so important to learn by sentences, complete phrases or chunks of sentences. This is going to help with your grammar and so that you know exactly how to use these words.
Expand your vocabulary by getting lots of input. Here’s the video with the full lesson about input:
6: Listen As Much As Possible (ABL)
I have a video about ABL: Always Be Listening. Check it out here:
Listening all the time and getting as much listening practice as possible will dramatically help your speaking. Of course, listening and speaking are two different skills. But in order for you to have a conversation, you need to understand the person you are talking to.
Remember, having a conversation isn’t just about speaking.
Additionally, when listening to people when having a conversation, you can steal phrases that they use. But you can only do this if you work on your listening skills.
Listen to conversational English by clicking here.
Listening is also input. It will help you increase your vocabulary and it will also help your pronunciation. Listening to the sounds of English will help you better make the sounds of English.
The good news is that you can listen while doing other things.
7: Stay Consistent (Practice Every Day!)
The English speaking methods that we’ve described above only work if you use them.
Here’s what I recommend:
Do a little every day.
Commit to 5-10 minutes every day. If you can do more, great! Some days you might do 2-3 hours. But make sure that you do the minimum every single day.
This means that even if you’re tired or really busy you still have to commit. Everyone can find 10 minutes a day to commit to something specific. You can do as much as you can, but make sure to do this every day. Remember, consistency is key in learning a complex skill, like the ability to speak English at a high level and with confidence.
Common Questions about English Speaking Skills
How can I improve my English speaking at home?
The beauty of the digital age is that you can now learn online at home. Learn the sounds of English, improve your fluency by imitating native speakers, and take online lessons from anywhere in the world.
Which is the best method to improve my English speaking?
If you had to choose one, use the LRRC method (imitation method). Find audio phrases, listen to them, record your version, and then listen to both versions and make changes. Once you are accurate, repeat the phrase over the long-term.
How can I become a more confident English speaker?
Know that the vast majority of people don’t care if you make mistakes. If someone does make fun of you, this person isn’t worth your time. Additionally, confidence comes through skill levels. As you improve, you’ll get more confident. Finally, find someone to practice with – someone who you trust.
What to do now?
Firstly, please share this article if you found it useful.
And then, consider joining my course: The To Fluency Program.
This gives you the method and materials you need to start speaking English with confidence.
Learn more about it here.
Thank you for reading!