Tips to Help Improve your English Speaking Skills May 13, 2014

Your English speaking skills can be considered most important when it comes to actually communicating. Regardless of your mastery of grammar, your large vocabulary or your spelling proficiency, speaking the language improperly can make you sound like a beginner all over again.

To avoid these problems students must not forget to actually practice in order to improve their speaking skills without relying solely on what they learn in class. There are many ways through which every type of student, from the absolute beginner to the advanced can improve their speech and most of them are quite fun.

So to help you out with your speaking skills, here are some suggestions:

Listen To Your Favorite Shows or Music in English

Without a doubt one of the most entertaining activities when it comes to learning English is listening to your shows or music in English. While it may seem like a waste of time to some, this method doesn’t just work when it comes to improving your speech, your vocabulary and accent, but it can actually help you learn English from scratch. There are countless cases where children and young adults actually learned the language by simply watching TV. Generally they hail from countries that have the ability to use voice dubbing when it comes to TV shows, movies and cartoons and subtitles for translation purposes.

So the next time you feel like watching a movie or listening to your favorite band, pay attention and see if you can actually learn something.

Read Out Loud

A classic learning method generally used to retain information that is not necessarily related to second language learning, reading out loud can prove to be the most effective way to improve your speaking skills. It can be done in private or, if so inclined, in front of a crowd during a poetry class for example. The benefits are numerous, from improving intonation, rhythm or getting rid of a thick accent to actually improving grammar and reading skills. If you can read phonetically you will be able to speak like a native in no time as this method allows you to practice your intonation endlessly. It is also a great way to catch up on your reading or even rediscover English authors by reading their works in their original language.

Spend Time Actually Speaking English

The best method to improve your speaking skills is to actually use them. Talking with native speakers, class-mates, friends or teachers is the surest way to receive feedback and actually improve your speech. You don’t have to look at it as a boring task; try to make it interesting by organizing debates with your friends or with classmates.

This way you can expand your general knowledge and learn English at the same time. If organizing debates seems like too much of a hassle then try finding native speakers online to converse with. There are numerous websites out there that allow you to speak with people from all across the globe. This is a good way to make new friends, experience different cultures or simply practice speaking English while having fun.