One of the most common questions I get asked is, ‘Lucy, how can I improve my spoken English skills?’ Of course, it would be easy to just give you some very general advice like, ‘Practice makes perfect,’ or ‘go and find a native speaker to practise with,’ but this type of advice is not that practical and depending on where you live, not an easy thing to achieve. So, today I’m going to give you a run down of the best ways to level up your English speaking practice from the comfort of your own home. Let’s get started!
Essential English Speaking Skills
The first thing I want to point out is what is specifically needed to be able to speak effectively in English. Spoken English, unlike the other language skills (listening, reading & writing), actually requires interaction with another person. To converse in English successfully, several things are required:
Listening
One of the most fundamental English conversation skills for an English learner is the ability to understand what other people are saying to you. That will count for around half (depending on how much you speak of course!) of a spoken interaction, so it’s vital that you can follow along.
Now, to really develop this skill, you need to listen to the type of language that people actually use in daily conversations. In this case, most movies and TV shows are not so useful, as they contain scripted and prepared speech; not the kind of words that your average British person on the street would say.
But don’t worry, I have you covered in this aspect. All my CEFR level courses at English with Lucy contain real conversations with people in my life. Each conversation is packed with useful words, grammar and pronunciation features that will help you boost your speaking ability and learn English in a fun and interactive way.
Speaking
Here comes the slightly trickier part; actually speaking yourself. Speaking English actually contains a lot more than just forming sentences. There are several essential things to think about including; body language, how to give a meaningful response, how to react to the other person and much more.
Body Language
Studies have found that as much as 65% of communication is unspoken. Show someone you’re truly listening to them by doing things like smiling while they speak, leaning in closer to hear what they say and nodding at key points.
It’s also important to pay attention to your facial expressions so that you give across a friendly impression, and maintain eye contact with the speaker.
Great news! These are all things that you can practise yourself at home. Try looking in the mirror and having a short conversation with yourself. Look at the way you are sitting or standing and think about how that can be improved.
Meaningful Responses
The next important aspect of your journey to effective communication is how you respond to the other person. Here we will cover things like how to react positively to the other person, paraphrase what they say and use open-ended questions to make the conversation more engaging.
Reactions
Sounding interested in what someone says is a great way to improve a conversation. In English, we have loads of words and phrases that are used in this way. For example, responding to what someone is saying by using words like, ‘Wow’, ‘That’s interesting,’ or ‘Really?’ can all serve to improve the connection between you.
Repeat What You Hear
When someone says something to you, repeat it back to them in a slightly different way. Try to paraphrase what they have said using different vocabulary or sentence structures. This is one of the most effective ways to develop strong speaking skills.
Open-Ended Questions
Try to avoid using yes/no questions in conversation. These are questions that can be answered with just a yes or no answer. They aren’t very helpful as they tend to stop the conversation from flowing. Instead, ask open-ended questions, and therefore encourage a more engaging dialogue with the other person. This will show that you are interested in the conversation and want to hear what the other person has to say.
These techniques are all things that you can practise in preparation for the next time you speak with someone! However, if you are looking for a more comprehensive way to learn English speaking skills, I have a series of fully developed courses that can speed up this process.
Want to know more great speaking tips? Check out my playlist full of useful tips for speaking here English Speaking Skills – YouTube
Expand your Vocabulary
The next step in developing better speaking skills is learning new words. However, in order to speak effectively in social situations, it’s important to focus on words and phrases that are commonly used in conversation. Academic words are useful for examinations, but daily expressions and topic-related vocabulary will definitely boost your ability to converse naturally. With that in mind, follow these tips to build a strong foundation:
Learn New Words Every Day
The first and most obvious piece of advice is to make this a daily routine. If you only learn 2 or 3 new words each day, after a year that could be over a thousand! Consistent practice is definitely the key to developing a strong ability to express yourself in English.
Learn words in context
By understanding not just the literal meaning of English words, but how to use them, you will soon develop strong communication skills. Websites like Improve your English pronunciation using YouTube (youglish.com) allow you to type in a word or phrase and find loads of examples of how it is used by native speakers.
Prepare for specific conversations
Make a list of different situations when you are likely to use English and then focus on learning related expressions to help you speak on those occasions. This type of targeted approach is a quick and effective method to help you keep talking for longer!
Pronunciation
Learn the Natural Flow of Spoken English
The ability to pronounce individual words correctly is great, but the true magic of speaking English is linking all those words together into beautiful and eloquent sentences. This is where rhythm, stress and intonation come into play.
To effectively do this, you’ll need to learn how to pronounce individual sounds, connect them to others, add stress and then speak them all together with rhythm. These techniques build confidence and clarity in your speaking, meaning that everyone can understand you easily and resonate with your words.
Sound complex? Perfecting your pronunciation can seem like a daunting task, but I have created a comprehensive pronunciation course that takes you through all the necessary pronunciation features that you need to speak English confidently and expressively.
Tips for practising speaking at home
1. Set goals
One of the fundamental things you need to do in order to really make progress is to set some goals for yourself. If you make a habit of learning English just for a few minutes each day, you’ll quickly be impressed with the results. It can be hard to stay motivated with this journey, though, so structured courses could also help you to stay on track and give you a realistic target to aim for.
2. Record your voice
A great way to practise speaking at home is to record yourself speaking or reading a passage and then play it back. By analysing a recording of yourself, you will be able to identify mistakes and correct them in subsequent recordings.
Don’t like how you sound in English? Don’t worry, all our courses come with an additional VIP package so that you can get constructive feedback on your speaking from one of our qualified teachers! Check out our full range of courses here!
3. Shadowing
Another top tip for developing native-level English is to imitate English speakers and try to copy them. Just choose a video with subtitles. Listen to it several times. And then try to imitate the speaker sentence by sentence. With enough practice, you’ll naturally develop better fluency.
4. Narrate your life
One more way to keep up a regular routine of speaking English is to do a daily summary of your day (or parts of it) in English. It can be something as simple as just saying what you did that day, or you could try more complex ideas like describing what you see around you, describing a picture you find or telling a story that you witnessed or read in your own words.
5. Take online classes
Finally, one of the best ways to develop better speaking at home is with a structured course. With online classes, you can practise all the advice mentioned above in a systematic way. The classes will come with exercises to test your understanding and daily questions to answer so you can use everything you learned in a lesson in a practical way.
At English with Lucy, all our videos come with subtitles and audio downloads for shadowing practice, tons of topic-specific vocabulary with a full explanation of each word to build more advanced dialogue and techniques to help elevate your language ability to the next level. We also have loads of practice exercises to help test what you’ve learned. On top of that, we have a course community that lets you communicate with thousands of other English learners in one space. Check out our beautiful courses here!
FAQs
1. How Can I Speak English Fluently and Confidently?
It’s natural to feel a bit shy. Fluency and confidence in English speaking come with practice. Here’s how you can improve:
- Practice English regularly: Regular practice is key. The more you speak, the more fluent and you’ll become and the more confidence you’ll build.
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes: Making mistakes is part of learning. Don’t let the fear of making mistakes stop you from speaking English.
- Expand your vocabulary: Learning new words and phrases will improve your fluency and enable you to express yourself better in English.
- Imitate native speakers: Listen to how native English speakers talk and try to imitate their accents, intonation, and pronunciation.
2. What Are Some Good Resources to Practice Speaking Skills?
There are numerous resources available for speaking practice. Here are some suggestions:
- Online language learning platforms: These platforms provide various resources like interactive lessons, videos, quizzes, and much more.
- English learning podcasts and YouTube channels: These are excellent resources for improving your listening skills and spoken English.
- Language exchange websites: On these websites, you can find a native English speaker who wants to learn your mother tongue. This way, both of you can practice speaking the language you wish to learn.
- English speaking clubs or groups: Joining English speaking clubs or groups can give you a chance to practice speaking English in a relaxed and friendly environment.
