5 Ways to Maximize Your English Speaking Skills
Learning how to speak English presents several challenges. By utilizing these strategies, you’ll have the ability to maximize your English speaking skills.
You want to increase your English speaking skills. You’ve been immersing yourself in everything English—books, movies….
However, you aren’t confident in speaking English with others. Especially native English speakers, who talk faster and use slang.
And it makes sense why you may feel overwhelmed.
English can be a hard language to master. It’s a combination of German, French, and Latin.
Grammatically, it’s similar to German and Latin. But many of the actual words are French. This makes it hard to form and understand language patterns. Since English involves many idioms, nuances, and grammatical exceptions.
Nonetheless, you can master it! And become a pro at speaking it!
Read on to learn how.
1. Know What Comes Next
What is a universal language? Body language!
When someone scowls, you know they are displeased.
When someone is jumping up and down, smiling, they’re excited.
Use body language to predict what words the individual is going to speak. You can prepare yourself for these words by studying the context.
If you go to the grocery store, expect to hear words that are grocery-store-related: food, how much, total…
If the bagger at the grocery store opens a plastic bag and says something to you, eyebrows raised, you can guess that it has to do with wanting a bag or not for your groceries.
How do you know?
Because you pieced together using the English words you know with universal body language.
2. Understand The Basic English Speaking Structure
One of the easier aspects of English is its structure. Which is usually linear.
This means that English speakers tend to read, write, and speak using subject, verb, object. In other words, active voice.
Practice this structure. Because others will understand what you’re trying to say even if you don’t include or use the wrong articles.
Examples of active voice include, “I walk the dog.” “I” is the subject. “Walk” is the verb. And “the dog” is the object.
When you do speak English, start by using short, simple linear sentences, such as the one above.
Once you’ve mastered that, you can move on to more complex sentence structures like, “I walked the dog today even though it was raining.” Which, if you notice, still uses the same linear structure.
3. Listen For Quality, Not Quantity
The backbone for speaking (any language) is listening. So, capture the gist of what’s being said. Not every word.
Doing this will make conversing more attainable.
To get quality (not quantity), you’ll need to piece together keywords and summarize them in your head.
For instance, you have a conversation with someone about yesterday’s soccer game.
You pick up on words such as “goal,” “fast,” “score,” and “win.” You can piece together that the other person is talking about how they beat the other team at soccer the other day.
4. Learn Signposts
Signposts are signal words that direct you where the conversation is going. Signposts include first, second, last, then, next…
Learn them. You’ll be able to get the gist better.
5. Immerse, Immerse, Immerse
Keep listening to English speaking radio, TV, and music. Read English books, And practice speaking with others in English.
The more practice you get, the closer you are to mastering English.
For more information about English speaking skills, contact us.
