How to learn to speak English quickly and competently? This question is asked every day by millions of students around the world, for whom encountering a language barrier has become an unpleasant stage in learning a language. However, any obstacle can be overcome, the main thing is to choose the right means to achieve your goals. We have collected for you the simplest and most effective tips, which will help you improve your spoken English and achieve fluency in communication.
Skill colloquial speech- the most important one in learning any foreign language. Some students complain that they easily master grammar, enjoy reading literature in English and calmly listen to audio recordings. At the same time, when it comes to conversation, they fall into a state of “I understand everything, but I can’t answer anything.” And this often happens not because of a lack of knowledge or a narrow vocabulary, but because of a lack of speaking practice and a psychological barrier that has arisen. In the article “” we spoke in detail about the reasons for the appearance of this barrier and 15 effective ways fight him.
The language barrier is the main “horror story”, the reasons for which can be discussed for hours, because each person is individual. We would like to invite you not to delve into the details of its occurrence, but to direct all efforts to eliminate it. Let's find out how to start speaking English without any barriers.
Obviously, the more words you know, the more conversational topics are available to you, and the more accurately you can express your thoughts. Therefore, if you are carried away by speaking practice, do not forget about replenishing your vocabulary. We wrote about how to do this in the article “”
2. We study synonyms and antonyms
To keep your speech rich and beautiful, when learning a new word, look at a dictionary for its synonyms and antonyms, such as Merriam-Webster. Groups of synonyms are easier to remember than individual unrelated words. This way you will diversify your speech and increase lexicon.
3. Learn phrases
If you ask modern polyglots how to learn to speak English quickly, many of them will answer the same way: “Learn cliché phrases, speech structures and phrasal verbs.” Expressions such as Let's talk briefly about... (Let's talk briefly about...), I am tempted to think that... (I am inclined to think that...), I've got an impression that.. .(I have the impression that...) will help you start the conversation competently and beautifully.
4. Activate vocabulary
Active stock - those words that you use in speech or writing, passive - you recognize in someone else's speech or when reading, but do not use it yourself. The larger your active vocabulary, the more ways you can express yourself, the more you can say. Work on expanding it: learn new words and “activate” them, bring them into your speech. In the article "" we told you how to turn a passive stock into an active one.
5. Use a special textbook
Books for the development of oral speech are a good help for every English learner. They give you things to talk about interesting ideas and expressions, as well as new phrases that can be successfully used in any conversation. To choose the right book for yourself, check out our review “”.
6. Improving pronunciation
Work on your pronunciation: if you mix up sounds or pronounce them unclearly, you are much less likely to be understood. Do you want to speak correctly? So, imitate the speech of those people who speak correctly. You can imitate your English teacher, BBC announcer, favorite actor or English-speaking friend, if you have one. When you learn to clearly pronounce sounds, your fear of being misunderstood will go away, and you will not feel embarrassed by your accent. We wrote even more tips in the article “”.
7. Listen to educational podcasts
The beauty of educational audio recordings is that you can master several useful conversational phrases virtually without any effort. All you need to do is install an application on your smartphone with podcasts for English language learners and periodically download them to your device. You can listen to them on your way to work, during your lunch break, on a trip, while shopping, etc. We advise you to listen to the same recording several times, and if possible, repeat after the announcer. This simple trick will allow you to learn phrases from the real world. in English, will also improve your listening skills. Many podcasts on a wide variety of topics can be found at eslpod.com. Previously, the site’s materials were free; currently, to use the site’s podcasts, you need to purchase a paid account. Find out and put the tips into practice.
8. Watch videos
How to quickly learn to speak English using videos? Work with videos in much the same way as with podcasts. Watch videos on topics that interest you, listen to HOW and WHAT native speakers say, and repeat after them. This is also useful because you will not only master colloquial phrases, but you can also learn correct articulation by imitating the heroes of the videos. Many videos for people with different levels of language proficiency can be viewed on the resources: engvid.com, newsinlevels.com, englishcentral.com.
9. Sing songs
Favorite songs in English can help you improve your speaking skills. Find the lyrics to the song and play your favorite hit. Listen to the performer and repeat the lyrics after him. Try to keep up with the pace of the singer's speech and at the same time pronounce the words as clearly as possible. This simple exercise will help you speed up your speech rate and take a little break from doing grammar exercises.
10. Read aloud
Reading aloud works similarly to listening to videos and audio, only now you read the text yourself. As a result, new words and phrases are remembered. In the article "" we proposed 10 fun and easy exercises for developing conversational speech while reading books. We recommend using the suggested techniques; they will be especially useful for those who are nibbling on the granite of science on their own and do not know how to learn to speak fluent English without a teacher.
11. We talk as often as possible
The more you communicate in English, the sooner you will achieve fluency. And to make it easy for you to find someone to talk to, we wrote the article “”. From it you will learn how easy it is to find a friend among native speakers.
12. Record your voice
Choose a general conversation topic, such as a story about your favorite book. Turn on the recorder and record your voice. After that, turn on the recording and listen to it carefully. Pay attention to when you hesitate, where you pause, how fast your speech is, good pronunciation and correct intonation. Usually, the first recordings for English learners are not a test for the faint of heart: firstly, we are not used to hearing ourselves from the outside, and secondly, English speech at the first stages of learning sounds strange and incomprehensible. We recommend that you pull yourself together (everyone started with this) and continue such activities. And after a month or two, compare the first and last notes: the difference will be striking, and this will inspire you to further feats in learning English.
13. Finding a partner
If you tend to constantly change types of activities, perhaps you are one of the so-called scanners; we talked about them in detail in the article “”. In this case, you need someone who will support your desire to learn English. Try to find a friend who will take courses with you, practice conversational English and motivate you in every possible way to continue your studies.
14. We don’t theorize
Practice, practice and only practice of speaking will bring the desired results. Theory alone will not be enough: no matter how much you read useful tips on how to start speaking English, the language will not be given to you until you begin to put all the tips into practice.
Today you received a guide to action on how to learn to speak English. We hope you will not only read our advice carefully, but also begin to put it into practice. If you want a competent mentor to help you “get talking,” you can sign up for the “” course. We also recommend reading the article “” to find out how our teachers teach speaking.
Training is based on communication between a person and a computer, and then between people and people.
How to learn to speak English well: 10 simple tips for learning to speak fluently
Do you want to learn to speak English? Have you scoured the Internet looking for tips on how to quickly become fluent in English? In this article you will not find tips on how to start speaking perfect English by spending five minutes a day studying. But here you will find good advice which will help you learn to speak English more fluently, spending much less time on learning. If you use the information listed below, speaking English will never be better.
Accept the fact that English is a weird language Sometimes you can make some sense in the English grammar, but often there is absolutely no logic there. For example, why is the same word “read” written the same way, but pronounced differently (read and rad) depending on the tense used? And why is “mice” the plural of “mouse”, but “houses” is the plural of “house”? Unfortunately, the English language has as many rules as exceptions. And it's really easy to get stuck learning to speak English correctly if you're trying to justify everything. Sometimes the English language looks quite strange and unexpected, so the best option in this case, it's to remember the strange exceptions and move forward.
Immerse yourself in language learning Studying English for an hour once a week is not enough to achieve tangible results. Most The best way Improving your English skills means spending a few minutes every day practicing. Each time, devote as much time as possible to studying, force yourself to listen, read and even pronounce what you think is quite difficult in the English language and what is difficult for you personally. If you want to speak English fluently, then you need to make this language an important part of your daily life.
Stop acting like a student The right attitude can be the key to success or failure. Stop thinking of yourself as someone who is learning English, just think of yourself as someone who speaks English. The difference may seem small at first glance, but you will feel more confident and this will help you use the English you know more effectively. This also means that you must start thinking in English. If, for example, you want to say the word “apple” in English, then most likely you are thinking about the word in your own native language, and only then remember the right word in English. Instead, just try to imagine the image of an apple itself, and then just think about how it would sound in English - “apple”. You will only speak English fluently when you stop mentally relaying the conversation.
The answer is already in the question. Listen carefully when someone asks you a question and you will consistently give the perfect answer. Questions in English and answers to them - this is the mirror principle
Does he…..? Yes, he does.
Can she….? Yes, she can.
Is it….? Yes, it is.
If someone asks you a question and you are not sure how to answer correctly, then use the words that were in the question itself. Your interlocutor has already spoken most of the words that you need to use when forming an answer. Instead of just memorizing English grammar, just start making associations like this. There are many ways to “cheat” and greatly facilitate the process of memorizing the necessary words.
Don't concentrate on what you hear When most students listen to native English speakers, they are focused on trying to understand what each individual word means. This is of course important, but you can get a lot more from listening. Try to hear not only the meanings of words, pay attention to how they are pronounced. Pay attention to which words merge into one in a sentence; for example, the speaker may say “ya” instead of “you”. Try to remember this the next time you speak English, and then your speech will sound more natural.
Easier said than done, isn't it? When you hear native speakers speak, it is very difficult to understand every single word. They may use a lot of words you don't know, they may speak too quickly, or they may have a strong accent.
A great way to develop accurate and active listening skills is to use a variety of online resources. It is online that you will find many videos in English, so you will hear the language in which people communicate every day.
Now you know what to do, and how you do it depends only on you. And while you look through thousands of interesting videos, you can choose the ones that are most suitable for your personal experience. The more you listen to English from native speakers, the better you will understand how to speak English correctly. There are services that attach subtitles to the video or a printout of the text in Word, so you can see the spelling of the spoken words. You can even save all the words you learn this way into a separate file and thus track your progress. Keep practicing with the videos and you will see how much your ability to understand English and communicate in English has improved.
Use it or forget about it forever There is a saying in English: “Use it or lose it,” which essentially means that if you don’t practice a skill, then you lose that skill. This idea can be used to help you remember new words in English. The best way to remember a new word is to use it correctly, then you will remember it. When you learn a new word, try to use it in a few sentences over the next week and you will never forget it. Also, for practice purposes, you can try translating short articles or stories from English.
Learn and remember phrases Being able to speak English fluently means being able to express your thoughts, feelings and ideas. Your goal is to speak English in complete sentences, so why not learn it in complete sentences? You will find that English brings you much more benefit in everyday use if you learn the language in whole phrases rather than individual words. Start thinking in phrases that you often use in your native language, and then learn to pronounce them in English.
Don't pay too much attention to grammar A key concept in language learning is the need to find a balance between study and practice. Fluent communication in English is not at all the same as excellent knowledge of English grammar - even native speakers make grammatical errors! Knowing a language means being able to communicate. That is why sometimes it is very important to put the textbook with grammar exercises aside so that you can go out and put into practice all those skills in writing, reading, listening and speaking.
Don't be afraid to make a mistake Sometimes it can be very difficult to summarize all the rules and words into one sentence. Don't let the fear of making a mistake stop you from communicating. Even if you think you are making a mistake, keep talking. In most cases, others will understand what you want to say, even if you make a mistake. Plus, the more you talk, the easier it is for you and the faster the right words come to mind.
Learn from everyone You don't have to learn English only from textbooks and teachers - learn from everyone who speaks English. Imagine how you would feel if someone in your native language asked you about the correct pronunciation of a word. Would you be angry? No! You would certainly be happy to help, just as many English speakers would be happy to help you. If you know someone who speaks English, be it a friend or co-worker, take the opportunity to chat with them and learn from them.
The overwhelming majority of those who want to master are absolutely sure that to master spoken English, you definitely need a native speaker, or better yet, a native speaker, that is, a person for whom English is a native language. But how can you find a friend with whom you could communicate in English for hours on various topics, and even receive brief instructions from him along the way regarding grammar and the use of individual phrases and constructions? Many people think that they will only get more practice in the language by going abroad. In fact, in this matter everything is much simpler and, if I may say so, more self-sufficient.
There are many opportunities to get tremendous practice in listening (listening to English speech) and even practice speaking without leaving home. What should you do for this?
Everything is outrageously simple. Watch films in English, listen to radio programs, read books, and the more the better. Regularity is the key to success. Surround yourself with English on all sides whenever possible.
You can start by watching cartoons that are aimed at children and have a simpler vocabulary. As for films (fiction and documentaries), you should choose what interests you and what captivates you. There is no point in forcing yourself to watch classic Agatha Christie adaptations if you gravitate toward fantasy or youth series.
Speaking of TV series. Watching them is highly recommended, since the series is a long-lasting thing with its own vocabulary, slang, manner of speech and pronunciation of the actors. This helps a lot to “get into the language”, especially at first. Just please, do not choose TV series such as House Doctor or ER and the like at the initial stage. An abundance of specific terminology is of no use to you, unless, of course, you have, say, a medical education and do not set yourself precisely such tasks.
And one more important note: do not try to “cling on” to individual phrases and words when listening to live English speech. While you are remembering what the word or phrase you heard means, you were told twenty more phrases, and you didn’t even listen to them. As a result, the meaning of what was said completely eludes (fortunately, in the case of films, you can always rewind and listen again). Try to listen to the speech as you perceive it. Didn't understand, too quickly - nothing. Over time, your brain will learn to differentiate the continuous stream of sounds into individual words and phrases filled with meaning.
Listening to radio programs (such as the BBC) is useful even if you don't listen to speech. Background English speech gradually does its job, you will see this for yourself when you spontaneously begin to remember some English phrases and designs that came from nowhere in your head.
As for reading literature, the main recommendation here is the same: first of all, you should read what is interesting. It is not necessary to take adapted books; you can read the original. Over time, you will notice that some words appear more often than others, you will begin to recognize them, remember them, even if you do not know their exact meaning. Then you look at the dictionary and, having understood the meaning of the word, remember it very well and for a long time. Many words when reading are understood from the context and a dictionary is needed only to confirm your guesses. The same applies to whole phrases.
How to learn to speak English? It would seem that the simplest and most understandable way is to find a person for whom English is native, and talk, talk, talk. But if you don’t have this option, then there is another way. Same reading. But in the case of speech training, you need to read short passages of text (monologues or dialogues) loudly and out loud and with expression. As many times as it takes to remember what you read by heart. This is reminiscent of actors practicing their roles. The more you read aloud English texts on different topics, the faster and better you will learn to speak English.
If communication with an Englishman (American, New Zealander, Australian, Canadian) is still a matter of principle for you, then there are social networks. There it is much easier to find the so-called pan pal, that is, a pen pal. This way you can train your written speech, which also helps a lot in mastering spoken English and expanding your vocabulary.
Learning to speak English is easier than learning to read and write English because you don't have to understand all the rules and nuances of spelling. All learning comes down to the usual memorization by ear of words and sentences through the use of language in everyday life. Now you will find out which methods are the most effective and which ones are not worth wasting your time on.
First you need to determine what character traits a person must have in order to learn spoken English.
The principles on which self-learning English is built:
- Regularity. It must be remembered that any training should be taken seriously, which means that you need to determine convenient days for training, as well as establish regularity (ten times a month or three times a week, or once a day). Regular classes will allow you to remember new words and phrases, without forgetting the old ones. If you study at will and rarely, you risk wasting time without even learning the basics.
- Honesty. Not every person is capable of learning on their own, so if you are sure that you cannot cope, then it is better to hire a tutor who will help you learn English more efficiently and quickly.
- Perseverance. This is one of the most important character traits that a person needs to learn to speak English. Learning a language is not as easy as it might seem to someone, because what it takes to remember the translation of words, not to mention their correct pronunciation, consumption and so on.
- Motivation. Even those people who don't have positive characteristics, there is a great chance of success if they really want to learn to speak foreign language. A great desire can outshine any negative sides a person, since a person who is thirsty will always be able to step over everything and achieve his goals.
- Self-control. Of course, for effective learning, you must be able to objectively evaluate achievements and control yourself. The conclusions will allow you to decide whether you can move further in learning the language or whether you need to repeat the material you have covered.
None of the listed points mentions that a person needs to have any abilities or knowledge in relation to the language - this suggests that anyone can learn to speak English if they have the desire...
8 ways to learn to speak English quickly
- Visit an English speaking school. Most effective method– this is direct communication with residents of English-speaking countries. It's better to go for a couple of months to a country where everyone speaks English. You will inevitably learn this language quickly due to constant use. Naturally, this training is the most expensive, but it has the maximum effect, since it will be relaxed and natural.
- Watch movies only in English. Cinema plays a big role in the lives of modern people. It is hard to imagine a woman or man who would not like to watch comedies, horrors and other genres of cinema. This means that you can benefit from watching any film for one and a half or two hours. Just watch films with Russian subtitles and English dubbing, this will help you perceive words and different expressions by ear, and the subtitles will help you understand the meaning of the lines. Over time, you won't even need subtitles. This way you can combine business with pleasure.
- Read literature in English. If you have basic knowledge of English, then you should try reading comics, magazines and books. Of course, you will need an online translator or an English-Russian dictionary, which can be found on the Internet. Literature from foreign authors will help you learn how to correctly formulate phrases when speaking. But this method is not suitable for those who don’t particularly read anything in Russian, since it will not be interesting and boring for them.
- Communicate with acquaintances, relatives, and friends in English. Among your friends, I think there is a person who speaks English well. If there is, then just agree to communicate with him only in English. Communication is much more interesting than simply repeating learned phrases or listening to a certain text to yourself.
- Convert your home into an English classroom. This is one of the most famous methods, which is recommended by most teachers in English courses: on each subject there should be a sticker with English name this item. This is quite effective, but only helps during the first week. Because you stop paying attention to these stickers, and even more so you stop saying out loud the words written on them. Therefore, this method is considered controversial, but as an experiment, it is quite feasible, in case it helps you...
- Listen to audio books on learning English. Nowadays, there are many audio books that help you learn spoken English. An audio book is a recording of a speaker teaching the correct translation and pronunciation of individual words and phrases. These courses are quite effective and will be enough to master the correct pronunciation of sounds and basic phrases. After listening to such books, of course, further development in this direction is necessary.
- Communicate on English forums and chat rooms. This method is popular among young people because young people often surf the Internet and can easily find English forms and chat rooms. But the important thing about this method is that with the help of ordinary virtual communication you can improve your knowledge of the English language quite well. To communicate quickly, you may also need to quickly type on the keyboard, which you can read about in one of the articles on our site.
- Think in English. Finally, I would like to add that you should translate your thoughts into English, this will allow you to better assimilate new words, phrases and concepts, and this is the most important task in learning English.
Video lessons
Fluent spoken English implies the ability to communicate quickly, easily, and without difficulty. Many people believe that fluency is equivalent to perfect knowledge of a language, but this is not entirely true. If you think about it and listen to the speech of native speakers, you will notice that they also make mistakes in grammar, choice of appropriate words, and sometimes in pronunciation.
Below are some tips to help you speak fluently - quickly and easily, but not without error.
“I want to learn to speak English fluently. What needs to be done for this?
Many of my friends ask this question. After discussing what is meant by “fluent,” I ask how often they speak English. Naturally, the most common answers are “only in class” or “only with a tutor.” This is clearly not enough.
If you need to learn how to do something well, the only way to achieve it is through practice. In relation to English, this statement is completely true. The best thing you can do to achieve smooth, free speech is only practice: talking with friends, classmates, foreigners on Skype, live meetings with native speakers, and so on. The more you practice, the better your speech becomes, that's obvious.
Continuing communication, you find out that typical emotions in relation to speaking in English are “scared”, “worried”, “embarrassed”. Therefore, the second advice is to relax, there is nothing to be afraid of. There were, are and will be mistakes. Pauses in speech at the initial stages are inevitable. If you don’t know which word is more suitable or which tense to choose, don’t be silent and don’t worry, say at least something, express your thoughts as best you can.
To achieve fluency, in addition to speaking, listening comprehension is also important. WITH educational materials There are no problems, there are a huge number of them for every taste. Simply play an audiobook or movie in the background during your daily routine. Even if you don’t concentrate on the narration, unbeknownst to yourself, you will still record some turns of phrase, pronunciation, variations in the use of words, and gradually begin to automatically use all this in your speech.
If you are studying in study group, then the game “Just a minute” is good for developing fluency. The rules are simple - any topics are written on pieces of paper, for example: holodays, Michael Jackson, being rich, dogs, my favorite movie. Everyone takes turns taking a piece of paper and talking non-stop for a minute on the topic they come across. Moreover, you cannot repeat the same thing several times and you cannot change the topic. Yes, it is not easy at first, but the more you practice, the easier and easier this game will become. A monologue on a certain topic can be difficult even for a native speaker, so mistakes and pauses should not confuse you at all.
