Practicing speaking is one of the most fun and rewarding parts of learning English. Once you can speak even a little English, there are loads of ways to improve your skills quickly while having tons of fun. Here are ten top tips for improving your spoken English and having a great time while you do it!
1. Speak!
Be confident and speak as often as possible to as many people as you possibly can! Do not be shy to make mistakes! The more you practice the better and more confident you will become in your pronunciation and vocabulary. Remember, speaking is a skill like learning a musical instrument or new sport – the only way you can get good is to actually do it!
2. Use technology
A smartphone can be a powerful tool for learning languages. Use it to record yourself speaking then listen back to see how your English sounds to other people. Make the most of all your favorite productivity apps to organize your practice time and make a note of all the new words you learn.
3. Listen
Listen to news bulletins and songs in English to listen to the pronunciation of words. You can also learn new words and expressions this way. The more you listen, the more you learn! Try copying what you hear to practice your pronunciation and learn which words in a sentence are stressed.
4. Read out loud
Read the newspaper or a magazine out to yourself. You could even find a script for your favorite TV show and act it out! This is a great way to practice pronunciation because you only need to concentrate on making sure your English sounds great and don’t need to worry about sentence structure or grammar.
5. Learn a new word every day
Choose a word you would like to work on and use practice it in different sentences. Use the word until you have learned it and keep using it regularly.
6. Watch films
Watch movies in English and pay attention to new vocabulary and pronunciation. Imitate the actors and have fun with it.
7. Make friends
Make friends with English speakers or others learning to speak English and compare notes. Talk about things that you have learned and exchange ideas.
8. Do interesting activities in English
Take a cooking course in English or join a book club! Anything you enjoy doing, make sure you do it and communicate it in English. Using English to talk about things you enjoy will make practicing a positive experience.
9. Have a debate
Debate all the topics that interest you with friends in English. Try to use as much vocabulary as you can to get your point across and listen to the other arguments carefully so you can argue against them effectively.
10. Use a dictionary
Online dictionaries often have audio examples so you can check your pronunciation and there are lots of great dictionary apps that you can take everywhere with you on your smartphone. Make sure not to become too reliant on these tools, though. Have a go at saying the words first then check afterward to see if you were right!
