How To Improve Spoken English

Learning English can be tough and one aspect which many people struggle with is spoken English. The number of ways which you improve your spoken English is endless. Something that works for you might not work for other and vice versa. Many of the techniques can be fun and we thought we would look at some tips to help you improve.

1. Be confident – One of the things that hold many people back when speaking English is a lack of confidence or fear of failing. You will make mistakes and this is completely normal and should be expected. No one can become an expert overnight! The important thing is to learn from any mistakes which you make, shying away will do you no good. It can often help to keep a note of any mistakes which you do make; this will allow you to revisit them at a later stage.
2. Grasp every opportunity – Try to speak English as often as you can, this could be anything from phoning a friend for a chat to ordering a meal in a restaurant. Practice makes perfect and this will rapidly improve both your pronunciation and vocabulary.

3. Listen to music/audio books in English – Try to listen to music in English instead of your native tongue. It will help you pick up a variety of new words and the way which they are pronounced. Audio books have risen in popularity in recent times and hundreds of thousands of books are now available within this format. Start with simpler books and work your way up. The more you listen the more you will learn. It can often be helpful to buy the book and record yourself reading a passage from it, now listen to the audio version and compare you against the way the reader says it.

4. Patience – Be patient with yourself. Learning a new language can at times be frustrating. Remember you are learning a lifelong skill and as such the process cannot be rushed. You will get better but only with practice and patience.

5. Consider carrying a dictionary – a dictionary can be a very powerful tool when improving your spoken English. Try to learn at least one new word a day. Challenge yourself to use the word in a spoken situation in real life. Simple tasks like this will keep you focused on learning.
6. Think in English – This is probably one of the most important things to consider. Try to think to yourself in English. Anything from remembering a shopping list to local bus times. These thoughts can become the foundation on which to improve your spoken English.
7. TV/News & DVDS – Watch the news on a regular basis. This will help improve your pronunciation and vocabulary. DVDs can be an extremely useful tool to use. They allow you to complete a simple exercise of listening to a section of dialogue, pausing the DVD, repeating what has been said, rewinding and listening again. This task can be done again and again.
8. Keep it simple – Do not try to learn too much too quickly. Taking too much on or jumping up levels too quickly will discourage you in the long run. Consider having a plan and sticking to it. This will allow you to easily measure progress and set yourself benchmarks.
9. Have someone around who can help you – Try to spend as much time with English speakers as possible, this will not only allow you to practice as much as possible they will also be able to correct you should you happen to make any mistakes.

10. Have Fun – Above all make sure you have fun when improving your vocal English. Remember you are not competing against anyone and you only need to go at your own pace. Find the exercises that work for you and stick to them. Having a positive attitude will help you greatly.

We offer a wide range of English learning classes at Live Language in Glasgow. These range from beginner classes to more advanced classes such as IELTS preparation. If you would like to find out more about how we can help you improve your English or any of our other languages feel free to get in touch with us.