Tips for Speaking

lasjuanas · Post by **lasjuanas** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:56 pm

Hi i just registered and i agree with you guys, i always watch tv, hear music to improve my english, but if you learn a new word and you dont practice every day you will never going to improve your english... i really thank you for the tips.

Tedddy · Post by **Tedddy** » Thu May 07, 2009 5:14 pm

Hello everybody! For the best pronunciation it is necessary much to listen kaset in English, transmitters of language. And practiced together with them. Then there will be good results.

r1lita · Post by **r1lita** » Tue May 19, 2009 7:31 am

myenglishtutor wrote:Hi,
I think your accent is probably the least important part about learning your language. ... The most important part of learning English is increasing your vocabulary, perfecting your grammar, getting the pronunciation right and learning the different idioms

I completely agree with you.

For an ESL student, the speaking practice is pretty difficult because sometimes it's hard to find someone to speak with. For my case, I've joined an English Club in my city and it has helped me alot.

frdsmth · Post by **frdsmth** » Wed May 27, 2009 9:24 am

Good communication comes in many forms and styles. No rule is ever set in stone and breaking the rules can sometimes be the best way to get your point across. You should figure out what works best for you and develop your own style.

Whenever you do speak, always dress appropriately. You should look at least as good as your audience does. If you are appearing as an authority on your subject, dress better than your audience, if possible.

Always try to be informed on your subject. An audience can usually tell if you don't know what you are talking about. If someone asks a question you don't have the answer to, it is okay to say that you aren't sure. Be especially careful when your words may have undesired consequences.

englishhelps · Post by **englishhelps** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 8:30 am

You should enunciate your words properly. Make sure that every syllable is enunciated properly. You can practice by reading a book allowed.

englishhelps · Post by **englishhelps** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 3:31 pm

If you're speaking as a resource speaker for an audience, it wouldn't hurt to start off with a joke especially if you're nervous. This will help break the ice and whatever wall is between you and the audience. It can also help your confidence.

englishhelps · Post by **englishhelps** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:20 pm

You also have to speak slowly! If you're speaking too fast, you have the tendency to stutter and to get lost in thought. When you're speaking slowly, you can gather your thoughts while you're speaking and you can also focus on proper pronunciation.

englishhelps · Post by **englishhelps** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 10:15 am

Work on removing fillers and foghorns. Fillers are unnecessary words that we sometimes use. Words like basically, actually etc. Some people are dependent on fillers to keep the speech going.

Foghorns are words like "aahh", "uhm" and the likes. We sometimes use this if we're thinking of what we're going to say next.

It's not wrong to pause every now and then. Just pause instead of using fillers and foghorns to gather your thoughts. It will sound more natural that way,

englishhelps · Post by **englishhelps** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:39 pm

^I agree! Goodluck on being a DJ! I've always wanted to be one! :)

I agree that you shouldn't be afraid to commit mistakes. Even the best english speakers commit mistakes as well. Just be confident and know how to handle mistakes correctly. Just laugh it off, learn from it and continue! :)

englishhelps · Post by **englishhelps** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:11 am

You can also practice speaking by visualizing yourself making that speech! This will help you calm down your nerves.

englishhelps · Post by **englishhelps** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 7:00 am

If you're going to speak in front of an audience as a speaker, make sure that you know your material by heart! Don't rely too much on your prepared materials. You should know the subject by heart which will give you more confidence.

englishhelps · Post by **englishhelps** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 10:25 am

If you're going to speak in front of an audience, have idiot cards instead of having your whole speech in front of you. Idiot cards or cue cards work best in small index cards. Just write down the topics and guides of what you're going to talk about. Not only will it look more natural, it can develop your speaking skills as well.

englishhelps · Post by **englishhelps** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 4:54 pm

mathewhayden wrote:Here are some tips by me to you for a good speaking skill. To speak fluently, first you should have confidence in yourself for a good start. And then choose any topic and start writing on that topic first and then take a recorder and start saying what you have written. Then you hear it and notice where you are in fault and then improve it.

Great tips. If you don't believe in yourself, why should your listeners believe in you?

mariaa · Post by **mariaa** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 9:54 am

Hello,
I have read your suggestions regarding English speaking. Its very good suggestion. But i want to add something. One should speak in English all the time. Start talking with friends, relatives and colleagues.

englishhelps · Post by **englishhelps** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 6:07 pm

Yes you're right. Practice makes perfect. :)

jamesmartyn · Post by **jamesmartyn** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 5:29 am

Careful transitions are an important part of preparation. A transition is a bridge from Point A to Point B - a connection between two points. If you learn to use specific transitions, you will improve the fluency of your speech as well as avoiding the verbalized pauses and unnecessary words. Good transitions demonstrate a command of language, thus enhancing your credibility.

syakirah · Post by **syakirah** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 12:57 am

sometimes im afraid to talk in english because im scared if i make mistakes... and i cant speak well infront others... but, when im talking to myself i can speak well... so anyone can help me,,, pleazes...

syakirah · Post by **syakirah** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 11:34 pm

however, my vocab is still lacking and sometimes i cant figure out what word must i describe during my conversation, huhu... and when im studying vocab, the vocab that i learn can't be used in the conversation... anyone,, please helpzz mezzz.....

PureGuava · Post by **PureGuava** » Thu May 27, 2010 5:24 pm

In front of an audience, if the occasion allows it and/or it is quasi-informal, try bringing a little levity:

"You will have to excuse me, English is not my native tongue, so I might pronounce some words poorlier." <pause> "I know, poorlier is not grammatically correct... it's worstest." <pause during laughter> "That was a freebie." <smile then start speech>

maamstmas · Post by **maamstmas** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 8:30 am

Hi, Guys
thanks my brother for your tips,
they are very important to learning speaking,
but if i leave in Arabic country all of theme only speak Arabic language, what can i do?

anneparker · Post by **anneparker** » Fri Dec 31, 2010 2:23 pm

Really needed these kind of tips for speaking English , i am really into to speaking English. Well, when i will lead to the success then i will help to others .

http://www.answers.com/topic/lead-10

clevermae · Post by **clevermae** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 11:38 pm

Improve your Learning Skills! Learning is a skill and it can be improved.

Your path to learning effectively is through knowing:

-yourself
-your capacity to learn
-processes you have successfully used in the past
-your interest, and knowledge of what you wish to learn

Don't be in too much of a hurry. You're setting off on a long journey and there'll be delays and frustrations along the way. Sometimes you'll be in the fast lane and other times you'll be stuck in traffic, but there will also be lots of interesting things and interesting people along the way.

Matian · Post by **Matian** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:38 pm

The main reason why we English learners fail in conversing efficiently is that we are in a dilemma that what if we say something that doesn’t make sense or sometimes we are just feel shy to speak to someone because we don’t know how to strike a conversation or something like that.

Here are few tips to improve your speaking skill in English:

1.Build your confidence: The first thing is to have confidence in yourself and in your speaking. Not having confidence is just a mental blockage and try not to be shy.

2.Try NOT to translate: If you translate the words from your Mother tongue, The order of words is completely different and you will be both slow and incorrect by doing this. Instead, learn phrases and sentences so you don’t have to think about the words you are saying. It should be automatic.

Another problem with translating is that you will be trying to incorporate grammar rules that you have learned. Translating and thinking about the grammar to create English sentences is incorrect and should be avoided.

3. speak out loud: when you study, don’t just listen. Speak out loud the material you are listening to and practice what you hear. Practice speaking out loud until your mouth and brain can do it without any effort. By doing so, you will be able to speak English fluently.

4.Practice: Without practice, nothing can be achieved. You must practice what you learn – new words, grammar and some of the phrases I mentioned.

5. Don’t speak too fast! It’s important to use a natural rhythm when speaking English, but if you speak too fast it will be difficult for people to understand you.

6.Expand your vocabulary: What you need to do is watch English movies with subtitles. As soon as you see and listen a new word, write it down and look for its meaning in a dictionary. Look on the internet to find sentences with that word. Pronounce the word many times to make it second nature. Review the words for two weeks at least and they will be a part of your vocabulary.

You got to watch a movie and boosted your word knowledge at the same time. Reading novels is another great way to learn new words and their use in different situations. So pick up a nice and interesting novel from your local library and start the learning process right away

7. surround yourself with English: You can do this by making rules with your existing friends that you will only speak English. You can also carry around an iPod and constantly listen to English sentences. As you can see, you can achieve results by changing what your surroundings are. Submerge yourself in English and you will learn several times faster.

8.Find native friends and speak with them: there so many sources for chatting through internet which make you able to communicate with people around the worlds,so you can be connected and speak as much as you want.
have fun :)

for improve the other skill you can refer to my website
http://www.englishbyidioms.com

ChenYanRu · Post by **ChenYanRu** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 2:00 am

I study English beginner
I thought that many and the human practices the dialog to have the help very much!
:)

easylsl · Post by **easylsl** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 10:33 am

Thank You for your advice
i don't have anyone with whom i can interact in English. i will surely take the help of ht ips provided by you to improve my speech :)

newmohsen · Post by **newmohsen** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 7:13 pm

I think the best Idea is that try to speak with people on skype, so if u like add me there my ID is mohsen_hoseini

cursosen · Post by **cursosen** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 5:05 am

Speaking of any language is an art. The most of the people learn speaking any language with help of coaching classes, through tv, radio etc.

neelus · Post by **neelus** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 5:20 am

Everyone here is providing excellent tips for speaking English.I feel that practicing English with books or materials wont help to speak perfect English.So i have started practicing English with videos http://www.youtube.com/user/twominenglish practicing speaking with videos helps to learn English fast.

JustinEng · Post by **JustinEng** » Wed Mar 27, 2013 11:29 am

Wow, some great ideas here indeed.
I think that if you want to improve your spoken English, it would be a good idea to practise speaking. Repeat the conversations in your favourite movies to help exercise the muscles in your mouth and try to start slow and gradually build up speed.
Another idea is that if you want a partner to talk to but you live in a non-English country, try to find one on a website like http://www.livemocha.com or perhaps http://www.meetup.com.
I hope that helps

Sabrina · Post by **Sabrina** » Sat Sep 14, 2013 12:44 am

Great ideas everybody. Thanks. I stumbled in to this while looking for sites which helped you practice spoken English with native speakers.Pls share know any other options. It seems like there are not many good options.

Sabrina · Post by **Sabrina** » Tue Sep 17, 2013 2:22 am

Hi,

I'm new to this forum, and I'm a non native English speaker, trying to improve spoken English

Firstly, thank you so much for all the ideas. I learnt so much.

Question to everyone - How much do you think grammar is important when learning to speak English? I think that thinking too much about grammar will slow your fluency. I want to hear what others think

I'm looking for a spoken English program where I can speak with natives - not learn grammar or words but just speak as much as I can. Do you know any such program on the internet?

Thanks!

Sabrina · Post by **Sabrina** » Thu Sep 26, 2013 11:52 am

I found two websites that provide spoken english practice with native speakers.

One is called Spoken English Practice. http://www.spokenenglishpractice.com Looking at the site, they seem to have been in business for sometime now.

The other one is English 1 on 1. wwww.eng1on1.com

Pls share if you have had past experience with these sites.

TrietLe · Post by **TrietLe** » Fri Jun 13, 2014 5:06 am

Sabrina wrote:Hi,
Question to everyone - How much do you think grammar is important when learning to speak English? I think that thinking too much about grammar will slow your fluency. I want to hear what others think
Thanks!

Hi Sabrina,

I cannot agree more with you. Focusing too much on grammar
at the start will definitely slow down your speaking progress.

Maybe you could glimpse some insights from my students' stories:

All my students, aged between 10 to 16, are excellent at grammar because
that's what they are being drilled at schools.

However, when I first started teaching them, speaking was their nightmare. They
could not utter a decent sentence. I think they were too afraid of making
the wrong sentence structure.

As soon as I forced them to speak English in any ways they want, words
flowed out their mouth. It's not perfect, but at least, they could communicate.

In the beginning, I didn't focus too much on grammar. Over time, when they made
grammatical mistakes in their speech, I fixed them.

Interestingly, at that point, it wasn't that difficult for them make the change.

So, in general, grammar is undoubtedly crucial for clear English communication, but
I don't think it should be your priority when you first learn to speak.

Good luck.

Faizah · Post by **Faizah** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 7:29 am

Thanks for these great tips! I 'be been learning and teaching English since along time & I still believe that speaking is one of the most important skills in learning English. I would like to share with you some techniques I used to improve my speaking & I wish you ll find some of them helpful:
_ build your confidence and never feel afraid of making any sort of errors.
_ Think in English when speaking as this will help you generate the ideas more easily and make the right connection if needed.
_ Increase your list of vocabulary. You can't talk if you donot have the adequate amount of words needed in every situation.
_ Record your self while talking . This may give you a chance to hear yourself and find out the areas where you need improvement e.g. Pronunciation , grammar, intonation....etc
_ Increase the amount of time you practice English using different skills :listening, reading.....
_ If you donot have acess to talking with native speakers, you can watch their vedios and other authentic materials especially those that are related to teaching & learning English as well as talking about different topics you are interested in.

LanguageBox · Post by **LanguageBox** » Sat May 16, 2015 11:46 am

Hi, here is a tip that I consider very helpful when you need to practice speaking but there is no one to speak with. I learnt Greek this way but it does work for any language. Talk in front of the mirror. And talk aloud. You can start with any topic, from how to buy a ticket for the subway, giving and asking for directions, ordering food and s.o. Make talks and dialogues ... do it aloud, don't keep it quite, it's not gonna work if you don't say everything aloud. Say that you started a dialogue for asking and giving directions. You take both parts of the dialogue and you keep it alive for several times. Try to improve it, add new words, make the sentences more complete every next time. Also, try to give a voice to your thoughts. When you are walking in the park for example and you are thinking of something, try to do it aloud. For example, "Now, when I get to the end of the par, I will need a small rest. I will find a bench and I will sit for half an hour. Later, I will go to visit my sister. She lives nearby and once I am here I need to visit her. Shall I call her before or shall I go straight." and s.o.

Kitsich · Post by **Kitsich** » Mon Aug 10, 2015 8:23 am

Matian wrote: 2.Try NOT to translate: If you translate the words from your Mother tongue, The order of words is completely different and you will be both slow and incorrect by doing this. Instead, learn phrases and sentences so you don’t have to think about the words you are saying. It should be automatic.

This is really a very important tip that many don't use.

HollyJ · Post by **HollyJ** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 6:20 pm

Hi,

I've seen some good advice in this topic. The only thing I can add is that when you don't have people around you to practice with, you must create, or make, practice opportunities. Your speaking will not improve without practice. So read this topic, read other resources, and make notes about practice opportunities that you can create for yourself.

Record yourself before you begin the new practice. Then, after maybe 2 months, record yourself speaking again. Listen to both recordings and see if you notice progress. It is important to focus on what you do that is correct, and not only on what you need to improve.

Holly

Saldose · Post by **Saldose** » Tue Sep 15, 2015 12:19 pm

Hello everyone!
I just wanted to add some details. I tihnk it is rather obvious but anyway. You are likely to make a mistake when you have a fear of making it. The main tip for me is to try to talk without being nervous. I have been learning English in this academy in Madrid http://www.soloidiomas.com/ and I clearly undestood that the group communication is the perfect way of learning a language. Discussing something interesting (a movie or a series' episode) may beat your fears and provoke you to talk more. I liked visiting my classes and thanks to this practice I stopped getting shy when it comes to speaking.
Which is your best way to get fluent in a foreign language?

ritzkevin · Post by **ritzkevin** » Thu Oct 01, 2015 6:19 pm

Hi, everyone!

It would help to warm-up and take a deep breath before you speak. It will help you feel more relaxed. It can also minimize your mistakes.

Amelie · Post by **Amelie** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 7:56 am

Hi i just registered and i agree with you guys, i always watch tv, hear music to improve my english, but if you learn a new word and you don't practice every day you will never going to improve your english... i really thank you for the tips.

Krisi · Post by **Krisi** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 2:39 am

If opportunity doesn't knock build a door.

Be optimistic look for the opportunity in every difficulty.
Being positive in a negative situation is not naive. It is LEADERSHIP!

Good luck!

Nikyta · Post by **Nikyta** » Wed Jan 27, 2016 6:34 am

Thank you so much all of you. I am new in this forum and I want to improve my english. I didn't get new ideas, I know how to speak English but I don't have confidence to speak in front of my friends.

Even I am facing problem in searching job according to my wish. Please help me if anyone can.........

andrewsmith · Post by **andrewsmith** » Wed Feb 17, 2016 2:52 pm

I have seen that the BEST way to learn English is by using the ASSIMILATION method. Ok How did you learn French? You learnt it by LISTENING and REPEATING. You didn't learn it by sitting in a classroom while someone did grammar on the board! You need to listen and practice saying the words out aloud.

shiney · Post by **shiney** » Fri May 20, 2016 9:47 am

Proficiency in English language speaking is very important. Once you have made the decision to learn English, the next step is to learn how to improve your English speaking online. To improve english speaking, there are many online services that offer different online learning courses. These online courses connect you with native speakers and with their help you can improve your conversation skills. It is very important to speak as often as possible with native speakers. With their help you will not only gain a greater level of fluency, but also become more confident in your own English skills.
Speaking English Online

LaurieLitt · Post by **LaurieLitt** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 1:05 pm

Hi guys! Thank you all for wonderful tips! I think my worst enemy is my shyness. I know what words to use, how to use them but when it comes to actually talking I can't do anything. I talk so slow.

zabaneramzi · Post by **zabaneramzi** » Sun Nov 13, 2016 11:04 am

Hello.I agree with you.

allennicol · Post by **allennicol** » Wed Nov 23, 2016 10:23 am

thanks

StevenMorris · Post by **StevenMorris** » Thu Dec 29, 2016 6:53 am

You need to increase your vocabulary to get a good speaking skill. It required regular practise. Internet can help you in this matter very well. So explore the web and learn for the related keywords everyday.

vareya · Post by **vareya** » Thu Dec 29, 2016 6:59 am

hello...
I won't elaborate in long way, I wanna say in short & sweet wards ..
1) initially we don't need any person, we can start up by talking ownself talk to yourself and reply in mind....
2) and start to think in English
3) Ask question to yourself and reply elaborately.

StevenMorris · Post by **StevenMorris** » Tue Mar 21, 2017 5:42 am

1. Use English in Your Daily Life as Much as Possible - It’s more important to have frequent contact with English than to have hours and hours of study. Using English for 10 minutes a day, every day, is better than studying for 1 hour only once a week.

Even if you don’t live in an English-speaking country, there are still many ways to do this!

Here are just a few suggestions for making English part of your daily life:

. Listen to English as you drive to work.
. Read the news online in English instead of in your native language.
. Practice thinking in English while you are doing housework or exercise.
. Read articles, listen to podcasts, and watch videos in English about topics you enjoy (this is important! You will make much more progress if you are having fun during the process).

2. Balance The Area of Language Learning -

. Reading
. Writing
. Speaking
. Listening
. Grammar
. Vocabulary

Many students make the error of focusing too much on one or two areas, and they end up being weak in the other areas. One tip is to dedicate one day per week to studying and practicing each area.

3. Get a Regular Speaking Partner Through a "Conversation Exchange" Website - You can’t just study English… you need to USE your English!

If you have nobody to speak with in daily life, you can find a speaking partner online through a “conversation exchange” website. On these websites, you can meet native English speakers who want to learn your native language – this way, you can both help each other learn and practice.

4. Practice Talking To Yourself - This is REALLY an excellent way to develop your fluency and build your confidence. There is no pressure to be perfect, and nobody else will hear your mistakes.

Imagine somebody is asking you the question. Then practice answering it by talking to yourself out loud.

Yes… it feels a little bit silly. But you can do it alone where no one will hear you, and it’s a great step to putting your English into practice.