There are many reasons why people learn English. It might be for career advancement, traveling around the world, or simply communicating with family and friends.
Regardless of why you’re learning English, here are 27 tips on how to help you improve your speaking skills quickly.
Top 5 Ways To Improve Your Speaking Skills By Yourself
1. Learn New Expressions And Idioms Everyday
This may seem like a straightforward tip, but it’s one of the most important ones on this list.
Mastering common expressions and idioms will make you sound more natural and authentic.
Many students try memorizing single words learned from a dictionary or teacher.
However, if you want to use them correctly in different contexts, it’s better to learn them naturally by listening to how native speakers use them. So you can express your thoughts in the best way possible.
Also read: Procrastination: Time Thief Or Creative Catalyst?
2. Become An Active Listener
Active listening is a form of communication where you do more than just listen to the speaker; you also try to understand their feelings and perspective and show them that you are engaging with what they are saying.
Talking is a two-way street. If you want to improve your English speaking skills, start by listening—not just with your ears.
Here are a few tips to help you become an attentive listener.
- Listen to the speaker’s tone of voice and how they talk.
- Watch for keywords in their speech.
- Observe body language and facial expressions (like smiling or frowning).
- Notice any gestures they make (like pointing at something).
- Pay attention to any pauses they take before continuing with their speech.
3. Focus On Your Fluency
To speak or not to speak? That is the question.
The most important thing when you are just starting is to speak English immediately.
Don’t worry too much about grammar, vocabulary, or even pronunciation at first; just talk!
Maybe you’re having trouble with an expression; try to use other words you know. Or perhaps you don’t understand what other is saying; ask them to repeat or paraphrase what they said.
The more often you speak in English, the better your level will become over time.
In short, focus on fluency instead of accuracy.
Also read: 109+ Tongue Twisters In English To Improve Your Fluency
4. Fake It Till You Make It
This is a mantra that we can all use!
If you’re feeling nervous or self-conscious about speaking in English, try faking confidence until you actually feel confident.
It’s a well-known psychological phenomenon that if we act as if we’re confident, we will eventually begin to feel confident.
Or, if you want to sound like a native speaker, then pretend to be one.
5. Think In English
Want to improve your English speaking skills quickly?
Think in English.
When you have something to say, you should not translate it from your mother tongue into English before saying it.
This is easier said than done because our thoughts are often expressed in our native language. When we think about something, our brain automatically translates it into the words we know best—our mother tongue.
So it may take some time before you notice this new habit forming.
Try thinking about what you will say and then say it without translating it into another language. If you hear yourself saying something wrong, don’t worry about it; keep going and use what you hear from others.
After some time of doing this, your brain will switch and begin thinking in English.
6. Work with topic-based Vocabulary
You need to use the right words for a specific topic or situation to speak more fluently and clearly.
You can’t just use the same set of words repeatedly, or people will start to get bored.
For example, before you have a formal meeting or conversation about a topic, prepare your vocabulary before you go.
This will make it easier for you to understand what’s happening in the conversation and provide context for understanding words that might otherwise be unfamiliar.
You can do this by making flashcards of common words from the given topic and reviewing them beforehand.
7. Talk To Yourself
Okay, this one might sound a little weird or silly, but it’s simple and effective.
You can practice speaking English to yourself as you would talk to someone else.
You can do it in front of the mirror, or if you have access to a video camera and recording equipment, record yourself speaking so you can review it later.
The mirror technique is an excellent way of practicing your English speaking skills without needing an actual person.
Don’t know what to talk about? Why not pick a topic that interests you or something you’ve recently learned?
8. Chat With English Speaking Friends
Your friends are probably the easiest to find and talk with in English. They might not be experts in language learning, but they can still help you with simple corrections and suggestions that will make a difference in how you speak.
But don’t just talk about anything. Choose topics that allow for more complex communication, like current events. It’s also a good way to get to know each other better and build stronger relationships.
Read on: How To Impress People With English Greetings
9. Find A Language Partner
Improving your English speaking skills takes time and effort. But if you have the right attitude and motivation, you can make a lot of progress in a short period of time.
And one of the most effective ways to improve your English speaking skills is by finding a language partner.
Your partner can be anyone who’s willing to help you learn and practice your English.
This can be a friend who speaks English well, a coworker, or even someone from the internet.
The more practice you get with someone who understands what you’re saying and can correct your mistakes, the better your speaking is.
10. Do A Language Exchange
A language exchange is when two people who speak different languages meet up and swap languages with each other.
Say if you speak Spanish and want to learn English, you can find someone who speaks English and wants to learn Spanish. You both spend time helping each other practice your languages.
As a bonus, you can make friends who will help keep you motivated as you continue your study.
11. Join English Clubs
Many clubs and groups focus on improving their members’ English-speaking skills. Choose one that fits your interests and personality so that you will enjoy attending meetings regularly.
If there are no English clubs available in your area, try joining online forums or social networks where many people speak English as a second language.
You can also join online groups on Facebook where people exchange information and help one another with questions like slang, idioms, or study tips.
12. Improve Your Pronunciation
Pronunciation is a massive part of speech and can make all the difference when speaking English.
Good pronunciation involves more than just knowing how to say the sounds of the English language—it’s about being able to use them properly in sentences.
You can improve your pronunciation by starting to use English tongue twisters. They help you strengthen your mouth muscles and practice the right way to pronounce each sound in the English language.
13. Record Yourself Speaking And Ask For Feedback
If you want to improve your English speaking skills, then you need to practice.
But not just any practice—you need to practice with a purpose and ask someone for honest feedback about your progress.
For example, you can record yourself reading aloud from a book or newspaper article to hear how it sounds without interruptions or distractions.
Then ask a friend or family member to listen and give feedback on how well you did. They should be able to point out areas where your pronunciation is off or where the rhythm of your speech could use some work.
Then you can take the advice and apply it whenever possible when practicing your English speaking skills.
14. Pay Attention To Stress and Intonation
A stressed word or syllable is louder, longer, or higher than others in a sentence.
You can use stress to emphasize important information, such as names of places, people, and things that have special meaning for the listener.
Intonation is the rise or fall of your voice when you speak, usually at the ends of sentences or phrases.
You can use intonation to show how you feel about something by changing the pitch of your voice.
15. Ask Questions
Ask questions when you don’t understand something someone says. This will help you use more advanced grammar structures.
You can also try asking simple questions first or rephrasing what someone has said so that it’s easier for them to understand what you mean by saying it differently (i.e., paraphrasing).
16. Prepare Content In Advance
One of the best ways to improve your spoken English is to prepare content in advance and practice it out loud.
If possible, do at least one run-through before giving the talk in front of others. Prepare the main points, and try to visualize how you will deliver them.
This helps you overcome the fear of speaking and eliminate nervousness because you know what you will say.
It also helps you avoid “um” and “ah” fillers and ensure you are not repeating yourself or losing track of the conversation.
17. Use Gestures And Facial Expressions Appropriately
Gestures and facial expressions can help your listeners understand what you’re saying, especially if they’re watching your face while they listen.
They can also help keep your audience focused on what you’re saying rather than on something else around them (such as their phones).
For instance, you can point to a chart or diagram during a presentation or use hand gestures to illustrate an idea or concept more clearly during a conversation.
However, don’t overdo it! Too many hand gestures or facial expressions might appear unnatural or distracting to your audience.
18. Sing Songs In English
While you’re probably not going to become a singer, singing songs in English is a fun way to improve your speaking skills for free.
Don’t worry about singing well. You’ll get used to the sound of the words, which will help you remember words and phrases more easily.
You can find a lot of English-language music on YouTube. If you don’t like a particular song, move on to another one.
19. Speak English In Public
Speaking in public might seem scary at first, but once you get used to it, it becomes easier every time.
When you go out and speak in public, it forces you out of your comfort zone, which helps improve your confidence and communication skills as well as pronunciation and fluency of speech.
Try getting involved with an organization that meets regularly and has meetings where people have to give presentations in English.
Not only will this help improve your public speaking skills, but it will also help you meet new people and make friends.
20. Be Clear When Stating Your Opinion
When stating your opinion on something, make sure it’s clear by adding supporting evidence for your point of view.
Saying something like “I think…” or “In my opinion…” helps acknowledge that what you’re saying isn’t fact but rather an opinion based on life experience.
21. Reflect On Your Conversations
When you’re having a conversation with someone, take a step back after the talk and analyze how it went.
Think about what worked well and how you could have improved your English speaking skills.
1. What did you say?
2. How did other people respond?
3. Did they understand what you were saying?
4. If the other person couldn’t understand what you were trying to say, why do you think that was?
5. Were there any words or phrases that tripped you up? If so, what were they?
6. Was there anything about how you said those words that made them harder to understand?
7. How could you avoid these problems next time?
8. Where did the conversation go off track?
These questions will help you think critically about what happened during the conversation so that next time will be even better.
22. Get Used To Different Accents
At school, you learn standard English, and that’s fine for most people, but when you get out in the real world, you’ll come across people from all over the world with different accents.
If possible, watch movies and TV shows and get used to different accents.
When you hear different accents, it forces you to think more about what they’re saying, which also helps you learn new words and phrases.
23. Don’t Be Afraid Of Making Mistakes
When we’re learning a language, we make mistakes all the time.
It’s easy to feel embarrassed when we make mistakes in English, but it’s important not to let this stop us from speaking out.
It’s not a big deal if you make mistakes while speaking—everybody does!
Just try again and practice.
24. Learn Some Basic Grammar Rules
If you’re a beginner-level student, you don’t need to know all the grammar rules. But some basic ones will help you with your speaking skills considerably.
For example, you should know how to use articles (a/an/the/zero article) and how to form questions correctly—these basic rules will make your speech sound more natural.
25. Go On A Trip To An English-Speaking Country
When you’re surrounded by native English speakers, it’s easy to pick up some words here and there.
Plus, when you travel abroad, you will speak English, whether ordering food or talking with locals at tourist attractions.
You won’t even have time to think about what words to use or how best to say something—you’ll just have to do it.
26. Practice Everyday
If you want to reach a high level of fluency in English, you should be consistent with your learning process.
Don’t wait until you have time or feel like it.
Practice English at least once daily to keep up with the latest news and developments in the language world and maintain your current level of fluency over time.
Even just 15 minutes of practice each day will make a huge difference over a few weeks or months.
27. Relax And Enjoy Speaking English
Speaking English is a skill that you can learn with practice and patience.
If you’re feeling nervous about speaking, take a few deep breaths and relax your body before you begin speaking.
You’ll feel more confident and relaxed when you speak English if your body isn’t tense or rigid.
Final Thoughts
There you have it. I hope these tips have helped you in improving your English speaking skills.
Learning English can be a struggle, but it’s worth it.
If you want to learn the language, remember that many resources are available at Hi English Hub.
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