7 Proven Techniques to Improve Your Spoken English Today
For a lot of people, speaking English fluently and confidently is a desirable goal. Whether you are preparing for an exam, trying to land a job, or just looking for a way to improve your communication skills, it can feel pretty overwhelming sometimes to be increasing your spoken English. However, with some dedication and the right strategy, anyone can learn to speak English fluently. Improving your spoken English simply requires that you do practical, real-life things to seek to enhance your confidence and effectiveness in your ability to communicate.
In this blog, we have provided 7 things that we hope will help you a great deal with your spoken English and improve spoken English. These thoughts range from trying to practice with native speakers, knowing how to say words the proper way, knowing how to speak with proper grammar. We want to make you able to speak in a meaningful way fluently and confidently.
So, are you ready to improve your spoken English? Let’s check out these strategies, and get you started toward effective and clearer communication!
1. Practice Speaking Regularly with Native Speakers
If you want to improve your spoken English, one of the best things to do is to practice speaking with a native speaker! By talking with people fluent in English on a regular basis, you will develop a rhythm, get a sense of how to pronounce words, and pick up on some of the common everyday expressions that you won’t find in your textbook.
When you have conversations with native speakers, you will learn about the use of language in the real world; you learn things like slang and idioms that are essential to communication, which will help build your confidence to speak in different situations in English.
If you don’t live where you are able to have regular access to native speakers every day, don’t worry! There are plenty of language exchange websites and apps that can connect you with people from all over the world to help you practice speaking English. You can join an online community or chatting club or even set up a language exchange where you help someone learn the language you speak while practicing speaking English with them.
When you talk regularly with native speakers, you get immediate feedback and learn from your mistakes because feedback is such an important aspect of learning.
2. Master the Basics of English Grammar
Although speaking English fluently requires many good communication and confident skills, you still need to know and understand the grammar I think to speak clearly and correctly. First, getting the basics of English grammar is helpful because you will have proven knowledge to construct sentences that are correct and sound natural. If you do not have knowledge of grammar, then it would be impossible to convey thoughts and ideas clearly and to be understood.
Try to use the basic grammar topics such as, subject-verb agreement, sentence structure, and correct forms of tenses in your spoken English first. All of these rules are fundamental to good spoken English. For example, if your control of the past, present, and future tenses is not sound, you may find it difficult to accurately explain events and the discourse may not make sense to the listener.
If you have a good understanding of grammar, you should avoid common errors such as confusing verb forms, wrong order of words in a sentence, and omitting articles (e.g. “a” or “the”). All of these small things can affect the clarity of your speech, even if you have a vast vocabulary.
The key to this is ensuring you include some grammar practice with your speaking practice. Rather than speaking English theory regarding grammar, speak properly in English using correct grammar, because the more you do this the better your learning experience. If you unsure of something concerning grammar, check out reliable sources.
Improving your grammar is an ongoing process, and will definitely improve your spoken English. Good grammar improves communication; when you speak with good grammar you will communicate more effectively and be more confident in terms of communicating your ideas.
3. Use Technology to Improve Pronunciation
One of the fundamental elements of spoken English is efficient and accurate pronunciation. In many cases, pronouncing a word wrong can obstruct understanding even if your sentence is not grammatically wrong. Luckily, since the dawn of technology, it has been easier than ever to learn pronunciation, and with the proper technology, you can practice everywhere, anytime.
There are a variety of apps and websites specially made for pronunciation learners. Tools that are beneficial are Google pronunciation and apps like Forvo, ELSA Speak, and Speechling. These applications can provide immediate feedback on how words are pronounced by native speakers, and these apps can allow you the opportunity to analyze your pronunciation with fluent speakers, as well as make changes to your pronunciation.
Another good option for improving pronunciation is to use voice recognition software, like is in many language-learning apps, or digital assistants like Siri or Google Assistant. When you speak into the digital assistant or app, you receive instant feedback on if they understood what you said, which is feedback on your pronunciation. A number of these apps also provide phonetic transcriptions, so after you hear the word pronounced and practice, you can try to have it pronounced correctly next time.
Accessing podcasts, YouTube videos, or English-language news can also expose you to accents and styles of speaking you have never experienced before. Whenever you hear something you enjoy listening to, try to imitate it! Listen to the sounds you hear and the rhythm of the language you are repeating. This exercise, called “shadowing,” can have a fantastic impact on your pronunciation and fluency.
Practicing through technology gives you access to instant feedback, and the possibilities for improvement are infinite. The more you practice, the more confident and comfortable you will feel when speaking English in real life.
4. Expand Your Vocabulary
A robust vocabulary is vital for clarifying and expressing your ideas with impact in spoken English. The more words you know, the more exact you can communicate. A larger vocabulary is not only a confidence booster (hey, let’s be honest—surface impressions are important) but also can make conversations more interesting.
You should begin learning vocabulary that is relevant to your everyday life. When starting out, you should focus on common topics, such as food, travel, work, and hobbies. Targeting topics and words that you are likely to use in the immediate future guarantees that vocabulary is useful, and you can implement this new vocabulary quickly in real conversation. Focus on learning new words in context. For example, when learning new words, instead of learning the definition of a word like “improve,” learn the full sentences used with the word (such as “I want to improve my English” or “She improved her speaking skills)”.
Whether it’s vocabulary flashcards, mobile apps, or a vocabulary notebook, make sure you’re tracking your new words and going back regularly to review. Use spaced repetition to aid vocabulary retention with a mobile app like Anki, Quizlet, or Memrise. You might also want to set a vocabulary learning goal of learning 3–5 new words a day and using them in your speech the same day. Repetition and usage solidify vocabulary into long-term memory.
Reading books in English, watching English shows, and listening to English podcasts are all great sources for finding new words and learning how they are used in context. Whenever you find a new word, try to remember to write it down, look up its meaning, and say it out loud.
5. Focus on Intonation and Stress
When it comes to spoken English, how you say something can be just as important as what you say. Intonation (the rise and fall of your voice) and stress (emphasis placed on a syllable or syllables or words) are important in making your speech sound natural and comprehensible.
English is a stress-timed language; that is, some syllables will be spoken more strongly than others. For example, there is stress on the first syllable in ‘present’ (noun), and the stress is on the second syllable in ‘present’ (verb). If you stress ‘present’ incorrectly, you may confuse the listener, or they will not be able to follow your message, even if you got your grammar right and used the correct vocabulary.
Intonation adds emotion and meaning to your speech. For instance, usually rising intonation means a question, and falling intonation usually means a statement or command. If you can listen to yourself speak, you can hear intonation patterns, which will help your listener to comprehend your message and follow you more easily.
One of the best ways to enhance your intonation and stress is to simply imitate native speakers. Two easy ways to achieve this are by watching movies or YouTube videos or by listening to audiobooks. Just listen and repeat, “shadowing” the speech in terms of timing and stress. This is a great exercise to improve the overall flow of your speech.
You can also record yourself speaking and then listen to what you have recorded so you are able to notice things that sound unnatural. You’ll know if you did it correctly by comparing what you said to examples by native speakers, and it will become easier and easier over time to master your intonation and stress.
6. Think in English, Not in Your Native Language
One of the most significant obstacles to fluent English speaking is the habit of translating from your native language in your mind. This translates to a slowdown in your speech, unnatural sentence structures, and increased chances for grammatical errors, all of which are not helpful when speaking. To move toward speaking English fluently and naturally, you must begin thinking in English.
To think in English, you are forming thoughts, ideas, and sentences in the language, rather than translating in your mind. Making this mental shift will cause you to respond much faster when in conversation and allow for expressing yourself without second-guessing yourself. This may feel impossible at first, but with enough practice, this will become easier and much more natural!
There are multiple ways to practice this skill. You can begin with something small by trying to name the objects around you in English or thinking about your daily routines in English, as opposed to your native language. You might also think about narrating what you are doing throughout the day, with phrases like, “I’m opening the door,” or “Now I’m making tea,” etc.
One highly effective way to practice thinking in English is to keep a daily journal, in English, to write about your thoughts, plans, or experiences without using your native language. This process will allow you to develop your brain as a habit to think in English, as opposed to translating from your native language.
Our ambition is to make English your default thought process. This means that when your thoughts flow almost involuntarily in English, your speaking will appear faster, smoother, and with more confidence. This is one of the most effective strategies to develop true fluency.
7. Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes
One of the biggest barriers to fluently speaking English is the fear of making mistakes. Many people feel scared to speak because they might use the wrong word, mispronounce something, or make some type of grammar mistake. In reality, making mistakes is a necessary part of learning a language. So, if you want to improve spoken English don’t afraid to make mistakes.
Every fluent English speaker learns from making mistakes. In fact, you learn when you make mistakes because it helps you see what needs to be improved. The more you speak, the more you learn. Don’t let the fear of being less than perfect prevent you from speaking.
Fluency is not about speaking with no mistakes but communicating. If you think too much of speaking perfectly, you risk speaking slowly or not speaking at all. Instead, focus on communicating your intended message! You can worry about improving accuracy later. With speaking practice and feedback, eventually your accuracy will improve.
Join supportive language groups or online communities where you can speak English with people who support you and encourage you to use your English instead of judging you about your ability to speak. Most people are not really interested in the quality of your grammar but in what you are saying.
Celebrate all of your small wins. Every language speaker had a starting point, and it took them hard work and mistakes to advance to more fluent speakers.
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Conclusion
Grammar is not just a set of rules but a framework for communicating clearly and confidently in English, from speaking with colleagues and giving a presentation to simply having a chat. Good grammar allows you to express yourself clearly and concisely and to make an impression on the people listening to you. If you learn the basics of grammar and work on your pronunciation and intonation, build your vocabulary, and begin to think in English, you will be on your way to the task of learning to speak English fluently. Making mistakes is part of the process and not always a sign of failure. When you make a mistake, accept it and learn from it. Just like anything else, it takes consistency, patience, and practice, practice, practice, to make progress. With every little step, you will discover more confidence and comfortability in your English.