The Importance of Speaking Practice
There are 4 key skills when you learn a language:
- listening
- speaking
- reading
- writing
Which one of these is the “Odd-One-Out”? Which one of these is different from the other three? The answer is speaking. The other three you can do alone, on your own, without anyone else. You can listen to the radio alone. You can read a book alone. You can write a letter alone. But you can’t really speak alone! Speaking to yourself can be “dangerous” because men in white coats may come and take you away!!
That is why you should make every effort possible to find somebody to speak with. Where can you find people who can speak English with you? And how can you practise speaking when you are alone?
At School
If you go to a language school, you should use the opportunity to speak to your teachers and other students. When you go home, you can still practise listening, reading and writing, but you probably can’t practise speaking. If your teacher asks you a question, take the opportunity to answer. Try to say as much as possible. If your teacher asks you to speak in pairs or groups with other students, try to say as much as possible. Don’t worry about your mistakes. Just speak!
Conversation Clubs
Many cities around the world have conversation clubs where people can exchange one language for another. Look in your local newspaper to find a conversation club near you. They are usually free although some may charge a small entrance fee.
Shopping
If you are living in an English-speaking country, you have a wonderful opportunity. Practise speaking to the local people such as shop assistants or taxi drivers. Even if you don’t want to buy anything, you can ask questions about products that interest you in a shop. “How much does this cost?” “Can I pay by cheque?” “Which do you recommend?” Often you can start a real conversation – and it costs you nothing!
Pubs and Bars
Even if you don’t live in an English-speaking country, there are often American, British, Irish and Australian pubs in many large cities. If you can find one of these pubs, you’ll probably meet many people speaking English as a first or second language.
Language is all around You
Everywhere you go you find language. Shop names, street names, advertisements, notices on buses and trains… Even if you are not in an English-speaking country, there are often a lot of English words you can see when walking in the street, especially in big cities. And there are always numbers. Car numbers, telephone numbers, house numbers… How can this help you? When you walk down the street, practise reading the words and numbers that you see. Say them to yourself. It’s not exactly a conversation, but it will help you to “think” in English. For example, if you walk along a line of parked cars, say the number on each car quickly as you pass it. Test yourself, to see how fast you can walk and still say each number. But don’t speak too loud!
Songs and Video
Listen to the words of an English-language song that you like. Then repeat them to yourself and try to sing with the music. Repeat the words as many times as possible until they become automatic. Soon you’ll be singing the whole song. Or listen to one of your favourite actors on video and repeat one or two sentences that you like. Do it until it becomes automatic. It’s good practice for your memory and for the mouth muscles that you need for English.
Above all, don’t be afraid to speak. You must try to speak, even if you make mistakes. You cannot learn without mistakes. There is a saying: “The person who never made a mistake never made anything.” So think of your mistakes as something positive and useful.
Speak as much as possible! Make as many mistakes as possible! When you know that you have made a mistake, you know that you have made progress.
Thanks for your usefull post. I will follow this guideline to learn English. I hope my english skills will be improved day by day !
Here my voice:
Play Audio Comment
Why don’t you try to record your voice! it is very interesting
Thank for your advice. I think It’s usefull for me.
thank for your advice
it’s very usefull
smoetime i fell very shy when i speaking because i think my friend ‘ll laughing in my facce
i’m afraid of it
but i think i can more confident of myself
thank any way
Play Audio Comment
OKIe
Thanks for your advice. I will try do so your advice!
I like very much English, but my english is bad.
I’ve learnt English for years. I’ve learnt in text book, grammar rule,etc but i can not speak English fluently as a native speaker. In that case, whenever i talk to anybody in English, they just understand me a little and then i must write it down on paper so that he/she can grasp meaning. Phew, it’s really difficult for me to express all ideals in English to another person. As i don’t practise speaking much so i often feel shy, embarrassed, foolish and event frustrated when speaking. Eventually, i feel nervous when speaking English with another people.
If you understand the meaning of an article, you just keep it for yourself. You can not share what you know with everybody if you don’t speak English well. Also, you will not be able to get any expriences from anybody quickly if just reading and writing. Speaking well will make you seize anything in Enghlish fast.
To speaking fluently, you must practise listenning well. Whenever you can listen what they say, i just understand what they mean and then you know what you will talk. Almost people learn English by reading va writing at school. They are not trained to speak much. As the result, they can not speak fast, automatically after years of learning. It’s not excellent method to teaching English. I think it’s time for us to apply new method to schools to strengthen speaking skill.
i think that study english takes practice.perhaps,you can listen from the radio,the movies.maybe you are good in your test,but you are just good on papers,and maybe you can not speak well.my understand is that right,a lot of Vietnamese can write and read very good but they can speak,and i think that is our problem.to improve that troubles,you have to practice speak in english more and more.in the first times to speak in english is very difficult,when it you will feel nervous,and scares,…but after that you can speak more than the first times,same me.i do not speak english well,but i trying to improve and i think i can do it.you know,in the first times i came to engish speaking club in my dormitories on sunday,i did not say any sentences,or any words,i just kept silent,and listened to them.but in the second times,i can speak with 2 friends,and i made a friends with them.the first time and the second times are very easy to speak.they will ask something about yourself,for instance: your name,age,job,you town,so on.and it is easy to answer,i think everybody can do it well.so you do not worry about that,that is no problem.at first,you have to decide how to learn english,and have a routine.a routine will help you learn easily.and the second is the desire,it is very important to learn.And i think everyone can do that.How do you think? (i know that idea when i went to ESC,and it is very benefit for me and for you)
In my overview, the best way to improve your speaking English skills is communicate with other people . YES, everyone know it. However, before saying something, you should get your own ideas or some words in mind.It makes your speaking fluently and automatically. Your saying will be nature,not think so much what I have to say then. Of course, this method is applied as you can listen well or catch the main ideas of your partner.I have experiences on that and my speakings is improved than before. Moreover, to make less mistake in speaking, it is better for you to know how to pronoun correctly the word.There are many ways to study new words, the simple way is that you check it in your computer’s dictionary, then listen the word again and again, repeat it again and again, write it down many times, listen again, speak again and write down again,…^_^….
I have to agree that studying language need patience and hardworking than other subjects. Especially it should be discovered in a stable time. If you stop it a long time, you forget and return the beginning point. My useful advice is that studying English as you feel comfortable and relaxing. Because we study the words mainly so your emotion must be happy, then you will remember the words for ever.
This above is one of the ideas from thousands human being. Try to read and choose the best method suitable for you. Learning any language is like a baby starting with his mother tongue.It is ok to make mistakes. How desirable with English, how successful you are……