Improve English speaking skills

Level Up Your English Speaking Skills

Effective communication is one of the few transferable “soft skills” that can improve nearly every facet of one’s life.

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It is praisable if you wish to improve your ability to communicate in English.

The inquiry, “How can I improve my English speaking skills?” is among the most often we hear. Learning a new language is an acquired ability, like driving a vehicle, playing an instrument, or swimming.

Driving is a skill that has to be honed with regular practice. A book about auto repair is available. The traffic laws are something you can learn. But nothing beats a genuine driving experience to improve one’s skills behind the wheel. The same holds for the English language. Without regular practice, it is impossible to master a language despite extensive study of its written form.

How to improve my English speaking skills

Without a classmate or tense classes, you may advance your spoken English. Here are some strategies for you to use to sharpen your abilities.

Work on it with a partner

There is no better way to hone your abilities than to practice in real-world settings. Communicating with others requires knowledge of English syntax, vocabulary, and skills like interpreting body language. A lot of work is required to master all of these techniques.

If you don’t have a buddy who speaks English and is ready to rehearse with you, consider hiring a tutor.

Online tutors

The most efficient method of learning English is talking to a native speaker, and LiveXP makes it easy to link with an online teacher for conversation sessions. Their pool of over 2,000 skilled English teachers allows you to find one that meets your needs in terms of pricing, location, and area of expertise (including conversing in English).

Your instructor will assist you to feel more relaxed while speaking by making you have actual conversations with other people. You can work toward goals and ask for individualized instruction and homework assignments.

Language exchanges

Many websites are geared at facilitating language exchanges between ESL students and local English speakers. Among the most common choices, we find:

  • The Language Swap Forum on Reddit
  • Talk Back and Forth
  • MyLanguageExchange

Being wary about conversing with a stranger while learning a new tongue is normal. Keep in mind that it is by making mistakes that we can learn to communicate effectively.

Communication barriers also exist while switching languages. Refrain from becoming stuck in a rut of just communicating in your tongue. If you’re starting a new conversation and want to enforce strict time limitations for each language, tread carefully.

Think about the words you’ve spoken

Consider some thoughts once you’ve finished talking. Tell yourself how things ended up becoming. What do you think your level of comprehension was? How confident were you in your ability to discuss the topic? Were there any words you didn’t know? In addition to boosting your self-assurance for the next time you speak, this line of thinking will also provide you with specific areas to improve, such as the words you struggled with.

Keep your ears open

Working on your listening abilities is an excellent method to enhance your capacity for conversation when a discussion partner isn’t accessible.

Watching movies or TV shows in English, listening to English podcasts, or playing English-language music can all assist. However, doing activities is the best method to learn while listening. There is no cost to sample these:

  • Free listening lessons from the British Council
  • The English Language Learning Online Library (ELLO)
  • Tools for the Cambridge English Listening Assessment
  • TedTalks

Also, to improve your listening comprehension, try one-on-one online language learning on LiveXP. Having lessons with a native speaker will lead you to understand English by ear and speak fluently.

Master certain expressions rather than isolated words

One more thing you may do to improve your fluency is to switch to utilizing more phrases instead of single words. This is something you do naturally in your first language. Alternate the standard “Hello, how are you today?” with a more casual “What’s up, man?” The greeting “Hey dude!” or “How ya going, mate?” (But tread carefully; some of these terms are somewhat colloquial and may not be appropriate in a more professional environment.)

Put your voice on tape and play it back

You’ve been studying long enough to read this, so you presumably already know how many words should sound when you say them. In other words, educate yourself on proper pronunciation.

Recording your voice and listening back might help you catch mistakes. If you want to train your pronunciation, try viewing a few minutes of a Netflix show in English with the subtitles turned on and recording yourself reading back the lines. As the adage goes, “You are your own worst critic,” thus, this is as good an opportunity as any to fix your pronouncing mistakes without an instructor.

YouTube is an excellent resource if you need help to pronounce anything correctly. Look for “[your local language] local speaker English pronunciation mistakes” in a search engine. It’s likely that if there are any unfamiliar words or sounds you’re having trouble pronouncing, others have had the same experience and have found ways to make them seem more natural via practice.

Conclusion

Speaking is the most critical and challenging part of learning a second language. Effective communication is one of the few transferable “soft skills” that can improve nearly every facet of one’s life. You must put in the time and effort necessary to develop your speaking abilities now that you know how.

You may, however, gain the necessary experience by ingeniously combining voice recognition programs, solo pronunciation work, and, most crucially, collaboration with an English-speaking tutor.

One-on-one tutoring is the most time-efficient option to start communicating fast. If you hire an English instructor on LiveXP, they will tailor a program to assist you in speaking the language fluently and with more self-confidence. It won’t take long before you communicate comfortably in English.

Hello! I am Moses, an expert content writer, editor, and copywriter. I have a Master's degree in journalism, media studies, and communication. I enjoy creating content.