Hello friends. Very often, people who learn English cannot speak it quickly. When they do the exercises, work on grammar, everything is fine. But as soon as you have to speak English, and speak quickly, in front of someone, they remain silent, as if they had taken too much water in their mouth. From somewhere fear, self-doubt, and stupid mistakes appear. But thought simply refuses to work quickly.
I want to give you a couple of practical tips on how to speed up and speak English faster.
— Learn texts and dialogues by heart. To begin with, read the same text a lot, a lot. Instead of text, dialogues, film scripts (episodes), and song lyrics are suitable. It is also important to have time to read along with the announcer who does the voice-over. a) first learn to read some text quickly. b) answer this text to yourself orally, without peeping. Imagine yourself as an actress. It's like you're learning a role. Speak your role with expression, with meaning. Even if you don't understand what you're saying. Still try not to stop. It's like you're already on stage.
- Talk to yourself. Make it a habit to talk to yourself for at least 10-20 minutes a day. Again, like an actor who reads monologues. Choose a topic and talk about it. The topic may be the simplest; there is no need to philosophize. For example, they took a pencil, put it on the table and said I’m putting the pencil on the table. Then they put it in the book, they said I’ve just put it into the book.
Daily exercises of this kind will help loosen your tongue.
— Retellings of the text. Read the text several times, then retell it in your own words. But a prerequisite for this and the exercises described above is to speak out loud. Open your mouth, perform a speech act. It is very important!
When retelling, you need to say the same idea that you read, but in different words. It is not necessary to complicate it, it is better to simplify it. Speak in as clear and simple sentences as possible. Where you can say a complex sentence, it is better to say 2 simple sentences.
- Rehearse your speech. Imagine that you have a presentation at work tomorrow, or you need to say a few words in front of the team. What do you say? Think about it. Make up a speech. And then rehearse it. Set yourself a time limit. Let's say you need to speak for 1 minute. Speak at a normal pace. Practice your speech until you can speak quickly.
- Record yourself on camera or at least on a voice recorder. Keep a video diary. You don't have to show this to anyone. The point is that you see yourself from the outside. At first you won't like yourself very much, especially when you speak English. But if you do this every day, then speaking in front of someone will become something normal and familiar to you. And it’s also important to hear yourself from the outside in order to know what you need to work on.
- Believe in what you can say in English free. Imagine if you already know how to do this. As they say, break through that glass ceiling. Then both stiffness and slowness in speech will go away.
— Get rid of perfectionism. Many people don't speak up because they're afraid of making a mistake. But no one will execute you for mistakes. You are not in the exam. On the contrary, foreigners are very responsive people, they are ready to help, ready to wait patiently for you to express your thoughts. Don't be afraid of your accent or the fact that you think for a long time. The main thing is that you want to talk and you can express your thoughts. All the same, you won’t be able to skip the stage of mistakes, and all your mistakes will come out in your speech. Speak out your mistakes to get rid of them forever.
I once had a student - an adult man, the owner of a small but successful company in Ukraine. His English was very funny. But this did not stop him from speaking it at all. Use English during negotiations and while traveling. He was not shy and treated English as it should be done - as a means of expressing thoughts and a way of interacting with people who do not know Russian. You should have heard how the Chinese speak English. But this does not prevent them from interacting with enterprises and companies around the world. So more optimism, less perfectionism! If you are physically able to speak quickly (do not have mental disabilities), then you will be able to quickly speak not only Russian, but also English. I wish you success!
Today we will discuss different spoken English levels, how study it correctly and For what, and how much time needed to study it.
In the last century, hardly anyone thought about learning spoken English, since most of the attention was paid to the boring study of grammar and vocabulary.
But now it is more relevant than ever! The need to learn a spoken language is determined by the need to communicate with foreigners, in which, for example, most of the most important work issues are resolved. Without the opportunity to ask or answer, the chances of mutual understanding disappear, and, consequently, the situation reaches a dead end. But not with us!
Do you need spoken English
Immediately determine the purpose for which you want to learn spoken English. We hope you're already aware, of course. Indeed, depending on this goal, you will need to achieve a certain level of language proficiency.
In what direction do you want to move? Do you need to study grammar to prepare for certain tests? Or improve your spoken English for tourist trips? Depending on your goal, you have a chance to better select material for independent study.
Mostly people learn to speak English for the following purposes:
- English for work(English for workers). This could be participation in international conferences, exhibitions, searching for new partners or suppliers, searching for a new job in an international company, etc. Many people simply need spoken English in their work, because... negotiations, business trips and international conferences require strong knowledge. Such people constantly try to improve their vocabulary, learn to pronounce words and sentences correctly, and also understand what others are saying to them.
Ways to learn spoken English online
It’s worth noting right away that this is a risk. And not just any one, but a huge one! Especially if you decide to start this dangerous business from scratch. If in doubt, take any test online - it will show how reasonable it would be to try to engage in amateur activities in your case.
By learning a language on your own, you risk your pronunciation, which no one (except you) will control. There is a high probability that the pronunciation of English words will be imprinted in your memory incorrectly (or not imprinted at all), and then it will all come back to haunt you in communication. Therefore, we recommend paying attention to “ED Class” from “EnglishDom”.
With our course " Spoken English“Your doubts will be dispelled in a matter of minutes. Classes are held via Skype under the guidance of an experienced teacher who will definitely be able to monitor your progress, support you in difficult moments and help you deal with problems on the way to learning spoken English.
In these classes you can learn to speak English and practice your acquired knowledge, while improving your grammar. You will be able to communicate, hone your pronunciation and remove obstacles as they arise, and you will also understand possible moral barriers that prevent you from communicating in English.
You will feel free and confident with our teachers!
- Self-study. Learning a language on your own is hard and long work. You will have to spend hours analyzing material that an experienced teacher can clearly explain in half an hour. You will have no one to speak the language with, and knowledge without practical application is just that... a wolf in sheep's clothing. In addition, you will make mistakes that there will be no one to correct! Remember about a mentor, a mentor, a person who will control you. You gotta have one!
In the future, you will most likely have to relearn, which will take even more time. Why do you need this? It would be wiser to immediately master and hone the correct pronunciation rather than unlearn the incorrect one later. Agreed?
- Online training. This is a completely different matter! Essentially, this is training with the help of courses or special programs (as a rule, they contain an explanation of the theory and exercises for consolidation. But what is the use without speaking practice? In many online courses, it, unfortunately, is not provided.
- Set aside regular time to study. Probably the most difficult thing is to force yourself to exercise regularly, and not just according to your mood. But it is necessary. In order for learning English to become a quality educational process, and not random classes from time to time, it is important to allocate certain days, times and durations for classes, and strictly adhere to them.
- Exercise while commuting(to university or school). This time is suitable for listening to audio recordings or reading books in English. Many people also find it helpful to practice together with a friend or in a conversation club. Just imagine - competitions! In addition, it’s harder to cancel a class if you simply don’t feel like doing it, because you have an agreement with another person, and you will feel responsible, and if you refuse, you will be ashamed (and maybe even have to apologize).
- Try to speak out loud in your target language from day one. Don’t be shy and don’t be afraid of mangling words and incorrectly constructing sentences - it’s better to look awkward now than when you’re already at the “Advanced” level, and you simply won’t be able to make mistakes and ask questions. Just a joke, of course. But sooner is better than later. The most important thing for you is to get used not only to the language in general but also to communicating in it.
- Learn phrases that are useful and interesting to you, Tongue Twisters, remember quotes and interesting data in English. Keeping your goal in mind, remember what you might need in the future. For example, a phrase like: “Excuse me, sir. Is there a restroom somewhere around here?” will obviously bring you more benefit than knowing that Washington is the capital of the United States.
- Don't be fussy about grammar. At the initial stage, your task is to fill your vocabulary, learn basic phrases and methods of constructing them. Are you sure that you have already passed the initial stage? Then carefully begin to familiarize yourself with the grammar as needed. But try not to leave anything unclear behind you.
- Chat with people on the Internet. English speakers of course. Preferably native speakers, as there is a possibility that English learners from other countries will only hinder your progress in learning and confuse you with their clumsy pronunciation. Today, the Internet is a full-fledged tool that allows you to solve a variety of issues. One of them is the need to communicate with native speakers. The good old aforementioned Skype will help you with this, which gives you the opportunity to communicate on a variety of topics.
- Listen to the radio. I remember we had one article. Despite the fact that this business is already considered obsolete, it is still very useful. You can immerse yourself in the language environment without searching for listening materials! Right at home or in the car, on the street or at a boring meeting. This is a great way to develop and practice spoken English.
- tell us about yourself. You can write a short biography about yourself in English, and as you progress in your studies, as well as changing tastes/interests, add to it and edit it. First, you can write a story in your native language, then translate it into English together with a native speaker, which at the same time will allow you to learn many new English words. Try to use interesting words and construct beautiful sentences in Russian to make your biography look even better in English!
- Don't Aim for General Language Courses. At the initial stage, personal feedback from the teacher is much more important, otherwise you risk being left with mistakes on your own.
- Practice. Just remember the rule: practice should be everywhere and always. Only she, my dear, will help you master the language. If you can spend Saturday or Sunday practicing your skills, for example, then in just a few months you will reach level B2. But since, of course, not everyone can afford such a “luxury,” you can practice a couple of hours a day, which will allow you to reach the same level... in a year.
- Don't strive for perfection. No, strive, of course, but without fanaticism. Perceive difficulties as a temporary phenomenon, do not despair and remember that not everything comes at once, and this is absolutely normal.
- Use “lack of time” to your advantage. You're not constantly busy with other things, are you? Watch English videos, comment on what is happening on the street while you are walking somewhere, name the objects you see around you in English, listen to the radio and songs in English. If you have difficulties with names, look at the dictionary, which you can install on your phone so that it is always at hand. The next thing you know, so many cool words in your head already! Amazing! Use them!
- You can also keep a diary in English and write down in it all the events that happened to you during the day.
- And of course reading of interest to you literature, watching your favorite movies Without translation And listening to foreign music not only motivates to learn spoken English, but also improves it.
Conclusion
When we think about how to quickly learn spoken English, we are faced with several questions at once: how to choose the time and properly organize the learning process, as well as how to select materials that would correspond to our level and goals. Leave this matter to the teachers! They can help you decide. Just understand why you need spoken English and start studying with meaning. And with us! We will provide you with everything you need to confidently move towards excellence.
Speak English freely and get skilled ideally!
Big and friendly EnglishDom family
“Nature gave people one tongue and two ears, so that we listen to others more than we speak ourselves.”
Epictetus
So, we have already understood that the smaller we are and the more, the
Let's first clarify again, what do we mean by “speak freely”“. I once had an adult student (55 years old) who stated at the first lesson that he wanted to speak freely. At first, I thought he wanted communicate freely, but I was wrong. "What is the difference?" - you ask. And the fact is that only he wanted to speak, in other words, to conduct a monologue, not a dialogue. He only told some incidents from his life, and asked me only to correct his mistakes. As soon as I asked him something about the same story, he shouted: “ Don't interrupt me! I want to tell you all the story step by step“. Rough, right? But in life, hardly anyone will listen to long monologues. People get bored with overly talkative people who talk incessantly without asking anything. I remember the saying of A. Dumas : “No matter how well you speak, if you talk too much, you will end up saying stupid things.”. Interruptions – this is a characteristic of natural dialogues. If you are interested, you ask without waiting for the person to finish telling the introduction. And although Stanislav Lec wrote that “ Human have been conducting a monologue with a person since time immemorial“I think we all need to learn to have a dialog.
For this it would be good to know features of the dialogue. I will give simple examples. 
Some of my students initially have great difficulty speaking in class (regardless of their level - Elementary or Upper Intermediate); they are often confused when I agree with them or continue their thoughts in our conversation. For example: Yes, I agree with you, this is a vital problem nowadays. Very often I hear after this: Sorry. Could you repeat the question? or I didn’t catch what you asked (х although sometimes this is followed by silence - which is also not good ).
But I didn’t ask any question - I agreed. It feels like everyone is just waiting for questions. But in life you won’t be constantly interrogated! Dialogues consist of replicas, but they are by no means always composed according to the formula question answer( What's your hobby? – I prefer to dance at my free time )
. Others that are common are:
- statement-statement: I like comedies with Jim Kerry. – I like them too!
- question-question: Where will we go tonight? – What’s your suggestion?
- statement-question: I don't want to talk with you. – Why did you call me then?!
So, What do you need to communicate fluently in English?
- Listening comprehension. I think it’s not for nothing that the French philosopher Pierre Buast said: “ The art of listening is almost equivalent to the art of speaking well.” Listen to English spoken daily. We have already written about (communication,).
- Ability to carry on a conversation. How is your communication in your native language? Can you speak spontaneously on any topic? It is important that WHAT you say is interesting to you and the interlocutor. Don't worry about mistakes - they are forgivable. But if it’s not interesting to talk to you, then no one will talk, despite your correct grammar, pace and pronunciation. Think What are you interested in talking about in Russian? Your hobbies, outlook on life, etc.
Ability to express your opinion. So, for example, in life and in exams like FCE or IELTS, questions are asked for reflection. But what if you’ve never thought about this in Russian? Let's say the questions: What should parents do so that their children spend less time playing computer games and watching TV? How can we encourage young people to read more books? Could you comment on the idea that the introduction of the computers has enormously increased unemployment? Think more about everything.- The ability to simplify. Use simple constructions, try to replace complex words with simple ones. If you don’t know how to say a word or expression in English, try to replace it with another synonym you know. If you don’t know the word “I believe,” use “I think.” But don't get carried away with this technique. Continue to learn new words, look in the dictionary after the conversation.
- Lexicon. Oh, this favorite question - “How many words do you need to know to speak English fluently?” I don’t know how this can be calculated, but even knowing this magic number would not give you any practical benefit. Why? You may know even more words than indicated in some “reliable” source, but not understand the meaning of a native speaker’s speech if, for example, you only learned technical terms related to your profession, and the native speaker is a specialist from a completely different field . In general, you need to learn words not for the sake of striving to master a certain number of words, but for practice. When it comes to vocabulary, you can't do without a good dictionary. Among the English-Russian ones, I would recommend the electronic dictionary ABBYY Linvo and online dictionary. Walter said: “ A dictionary without examples is a skeleton.” Therefore, learn phrases, not individual words. Don't forget about synonyms... Read more about expanding your vocabulary in the next article..
- Pronunciation and intonation. Yes, some mistakes in pronunciation are forgivable - they will understand you, but there are also those that can lead to embarrassing situations when, due to the fact that you pronounce a word incorrectly, you may not be understood correctly. And what can we say about intonation - sometimes people can be offended if you speak with Russian intonation - they will think that you are not interested, and besides, you are rude! (More details -
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 it only costs you to remember the translation of words, not to mention their correct pronunciation, use, and so on.
- Motivation. Even those people who do not have positive characteristics have a great chance of success if they really want to learn to speak a foreign language. A great desire can overshadow any negative aspects of a person, since a person who craves can always overcome 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. The most effective method 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 do not read much 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 the English name of this subject. 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 are 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
Conversational English is precisely the skill that most language learners lack. Today we will look at how to learn to speak English.
Many students complain that they know grammar well and can accurately determine when to use what tense, can write good essays and even understand English by ear - but they find it difficult to express their thoughts in English.
Let's figure out how to finally learn to speak English fluently and competently.
We competently approach the issue of vocabulary replenishment
It is worth understanding that there are countless words in English. Even “natives” do not know all English words. First of all, you should concentrate on learning the vocabulary that is used most often.
For example, when reading a book or watching a movie, write down for study those words and phrases that you often use in Russian.
Learn vocabulary from textbooks, special dictionaries aimed specifically at expanding your vocabulary - these manuals, as a rule, provide exactly the vocabulary that those who learn English as a foreign language need to know. The fact is that if we learn words that we do not use, they will be forgotten very quickly. It turns out that we will simply waste our time studying them.
Having reached a solid level Upper-Intermediate, or better yet, Advanced, you should begin to learn those words that are not used too often. At these levels, frequently used vocabulary will have already been practiced and you are unlikely to forget it. Then you need to move on to the next stage, delving deeper into the language.
Be sure to learn colloquial expressions
Most polyglots advise that in order to learn to speak quickly in the target language, you should first learn frequently used cliché phrases, phrasal verbs and idioms that are used in colloquial speech. There is logic to this advice. After all, if we try to select words to say something verbatim, it will take us a lot of time. As a result, our speech will sound very unnatural. Plus, learning one phrase is much easier than learning a large number of words. These phrases will help you speak fluently and competently.
Bring passive vocabulary into active vocabulary
In order to be able to speak beautifully, you need not only to know vocabulary and recognize it in someone else’s speech, but also to be able to use it when expressing your own thoughts. To do this, you need to not only learn phrases and words, but also use them as often as possible. See examples of using the vocabulary you are studying and come up with your own. We discussed in more detail how to activate vocabulary in this article:.
Study with a special allowance
There are special textbooks for developing spoken English. They provide various conversation topics, useful conversational vocabulary, and exercises to hone your communication skills.
Work on your pronunciation
Read aloud
By reading aloud, you subconsciously remember how to pronounce phrases, and useful expressions will be stored in your memory. Most importantly, do not forget to do preliminary work by looking at the text for the presence of unfamiliar vocabulary, as well as its meaning and transcription. Reading aloud helps you develop a sense of speech, so you can speak automatically and even “give” to your interlocutor phrases that you didn’t expect from yourself.
Find yourself a speech proofreader
Often, even those who can write quite competently in English make mistakes during live communication. What does it have to do with those that would not have been allowed when written. The reason for the problem is very banal - the lack of practice that would help bring the speaking skill to automaticity. While writing, a person has time to think about how to express himself better, how to say something correctly. There is practically no time for communication. To quickly get rid of this problem, ask a teacher or someone you know to help you. Let your “proofreader” listen to what you say and note your mistakes. When you finish your thought, let him tell you where you went wrong. Then try to repeat the same thing, but this time correctly.
Talk as often as possible
Of course, if you don't practice, you won't learn. This truth is very banal. However, you should not forget about it. Talk a little every day and don't wait until you learn a hundred more words or a few more grammar structures. You need to start speaking from the very first lessons. If you can’t talk to someone, talk to yourself (no matter how strange it may sound). Try, when you come home, talk in English about your day, or express your thoughts about the movie you watched. You can also try to think in English, for example, on the way to work, think about your plans for the day.
Record your voice
Say something in English and record it on a tape recorder. Then listen to the recording and try to catch what mistakes you made: grammatical errors, errors in the use of words, errors in pronunciation, etc. Try to repeat the same thing, but this time correctly.
If you are still wondering how to learn to speak English, do not be lazy to put these tips into practice. After all, only with regular practice can you enjoy achieving success. Knowing the theory is good, but being able to speak is even more important. This is why you learn a language, isn’t it? 🙂