28 Jan Tips to Master Speaking the English Language

Learning a language involves mastering four aspects of the language: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Speaking English is an easy task compared to other languages such as German or Arabic, as the vocabulary and pronunciation of the English language are shared with other languages such as Spanish, French, and Portuguese. The widespread influence of the English language means English has left its footprint on many languages across the globe. 

Speaking a language is often used to measure the proficiency of a person in using that language. To aid your language learning process, here is a list of top tips to get you started on learning how to speak English:

1) Fall in love with the language

Falling in love with a language is often the reason why you might have picked up a new language to learn in the first place. Or maybe it is to help you with studies or to aid you at work. Whatever the reason might be, it is essential to fall in love with the language. The brain needs to accept the language, and for that, your heart must be in it from the beginning. To speak English, the trick is to be open to the world of opportunities the language has on offer. Falling in love with the English language means appreciating the fine nuances that come with it.

Loving the language makes speaking the language far more interesting and the interest developed is essential to ensure a consistent learning habit. Falling in love with the language makes it easier to overcome the various challenges that may come your way during the learning phase, helping you stay motivated, rather than getting frustrated.

2) Don’t focus too much on Grammar

While grammar is the root of any language, getting your head around the rules of the language can make learning English or any other language a dull affair. The key is to find a balance between grammar and vocabulary. Very often, in your quest to start speaking English, it is acceptable to focus on expanding your vocabulary, rather than understanding the rules of grammar behind sentence forming. As you get used to putting words together, the grammar rules can be added to the mix to start forming sentences perfectly.

You will then begin to speak English more confidently, without getting bored with the rules of grammar!

3) Start speaking and make mistakes 

Very often the hardest step in speaking English, or any other language, is to actually start speaking! It is natural to have the fear of making a mistake or to be embarrassed about getting it wrong. To speak English fast, it must be practiced and spoken in public, as often as possible. Be comfortable making mistakes and more importantly, learn from them.

Every mistake made is a lesson learned, so be brave and strut your grasp of this foreign tongue.

4) Take an online course 

 Learning a language takes time and dedication. However, it is not always easy to attend physical classes as time, for many, is often a luxury. There are online options that offer self-study English courses on how to speak English. The flexibility ensures you have the freedom to learn and English at a time and place convenient for you. Very often, online courses are significantly cheaper, so it makes language learning easy on the pockets too.

Working professionals learn best with a structured course combined with a flexible lesson schedule, according to research. 

5) Immerse yourself in the language

Another tip to speed up the English-speaking process is to immerse yourself in the language. This can be achieved by watching films, listening to songs or podcasts, reading magazines and other literature or simply by speaking with someone who knows how to speak English. To sustain the language learning interest, it is necessary to mix up the means through which you learn. This ensures you are not bored while allowing you to explore the various possibilities the language has to offer.

Opening yourself to the various forms of English can help you improve your vocabulary and pronunciation, as well as your grammar.

6) Make a list of new vocabulary

 Once you begin speaking the language, the number of words you pick up can be overwhelming. A helpful tip to not lose track of those words by keeping a list. Once you come across a new word, note it down. Make a list and keep this list handy and try to use your new word in a sentence on the same day you learned it. This will help you remember it and try to use it again in a few days, and a few weeks later. Through consistently using new words you can quickly build up your vocabulary.

7) Test your skills with online quizzes

While learning a language, testing your skills through English quizzes or English level tests is an interesting way to measure your progress and identify areas where you need to put in more work. Language tests are a great motivation tool to continue pursuing language study, an area where many give up. Monitoring progress and tracking learning growth is a reminder of just how far you have come and that you should keep going.

8) Travel to English speaking countries and meet English Speakers

Traveling is a good way to learn the finer aspects of the English language, especially if you live in a non-English speaking country. Being in an English speaking country helps you pick up and practice speaking the English language in a live-action setting. Features such as accents and pronunciation as well as local slang can be absorbed faster once you are constantly exposed to the presence of the language around you. There is also the opportunity to meet individuals like yourself, who have taken the exciting path to learning English.

Tips and tricks can be shared and relationships can be built through the common goal of learning to speak English.

Conclusion

As with everything that is new and different, the ability for the brain to comprehend something new, especially a language, takes time. It takes patience and consistency to master a language. The key is to not give up. The basic fundamentals often consist of confusing rules and an intimidating list of vocabulary. As a beginner, it is necessary to persevere and overcome the initial resistance as the brain needs to adapt to a foreign language, and that requires time.