3 Useful Tips On How To Improve

English Speaking Skills

Those who love to learn different languages would know that the most effective way of learning or to improve english speaking skills is to practice regularly via conversation with people. Aside from this, here are a few other tips to improve your English speaking skills.

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1. Find a friend to speak with

There is no replacement for practicing with real conversations with people. Although there is an advantage of sharing a dialogue with people in person due to the reading of body language, if there is nobody physically around especially during this COVID pandemic, there are other available ways to converse with people such as via telephone-calls, mobile phones, voice notes exchange and video-calls. When speaking to someone, you have to recall the different range of words to use and how the ways of usage of the words.

If you don’t have an English-speaking friend or one that is willing to practice with you, it is worth hiring help and reaching out to SUKA for English Speaking Skills lessons which is available in person or online. The classes are done in English only, in groups or personal classes. The Coach will help you gain confidence by practicing English in a real conversation, doing a familiarisation session, then moving to different courses such as critical thinking, public speaking, debates and such. Goals are set and each class is tailored to each students needs. You can also work towards goals and request to tailor lessons to your needs.

The reason it is vital to build confidence when learning to speak a foreign language is because you will make mistakes and you have to be okay with that. Humility will also be required when learning a new language. It takes a lot of courage to go into something you know very little about but just know communication is vast in ways of body language, vision, sounds and more.

Give yourself time to familiarise with the language along with communicating and everyone else in the ‘room’ has the same desire with you which is to learn how to improve English speaking skills.

One of the ways people fall a victim of is using their native language to communicate. You need to consistently remind yourself to communicate only in English and no other language when practicing with others. Google translate if you must.

2. Learn one new word every day, and use it.

Like any other speaking points, you need to have content and a whole clutch of vocabulary. Each person learns in different ways and learning your vocabulary may be from reading, writing or talking. Learn to know how your brain works. If you are the type to learn from reading, we suggest you take a book of your liking be it a romance, sci-fi, comic or biography book, and target to finish a chapter a week. Highlight each word you don’t understand or know how to pronounce and pick a day for you to google translate or Youtube or check the dictionary for definition and meaning of the word. Keep a book with all the words you didn’t understand along with the definition and translation to your native language for you to review regularly until you have it learnt.

Pinterest has a collection of Word Of The Day that you can print out and make cards from! Check them out here!

Pro-tip: Understand the difference between British English and American English. In South East Asian countries, we are required to follow the British English in Press Releases, text books etc. The pronunciation differs in few words and although majority of the words are the same, sometimes the spelling differs. For example, in American English the words ‘organization’ is spelt with a ‘z’ while in the British English it is spelt with an ‘s’ - organisation.

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3. Record yourself and listen to yourself improving.

Do a recorded presentation of yourself speaking in English and listen to it in stages to review your progress. Sometimes we don’t hear ourselves talking until we watch it or listen to it through a recording. Just like when you wear an outfit, looking at the mirror sometimes give a clearer view of yourself. And likewise, getting friends and family’s feedback can also help. We recommend that you record yourself once a week at least!

Also, you can watch and listen to others too. If you are a fan of movies, music or plays, actively insert into your daily activities. When watching a movie, switch on the English subtitles. When listening to your favourite English song, memorise the lyrics. You may find yourself learning faster due to the interest.

Practice is the best way to improve English speaking skills.

Using the 3 tips above to improve your english speaking skills, remember that consistency is a path to success. Due to life’s crazy schedule, it’s easy to forget to practice – try not to! Practice makes perfect, and we have no doubt that if you learn a new word everyday, practice speaking English to a friend once a day, and record yourself once a week, you will see wonders!

For tips on COMMUNICATION & PUBLIC SPEAKING:

1. 7 Must-Have Components Of A Speech

2. Stress Less With These 3-Easy Steps And Improve Your Critical Thinking

3. What It Takes to Have Good Communication Skills

4. Why Public Speaking Workshops Is Not A Waste Of Time

5. Eye Contact As Body Language

6. 7 Practices To Help You Master Effective Communication

7. How To Choose Public Speaking Topics

8. 14 Benefits Of Public Speaking That Will Change Your Life

9. Your 4 Goals For Public Speaking

10. 3 Useful Tips On How To Improve English Speaking Skills

11. 10 Tips On How To Improve Speaking Skills