We all know that one of the best ways to improve your spoken English is … to SPEAK more! But doing this can be very difficult, especially if you can’t visit an English-speaking country and you don’t know any native speakers.
I’m an English teacher and I know that students can improve dramatically after spending just an hour or two a week speaking in English. And since I’m so nice, I want to help you to do the same. So here are 4 simple ways YOU can speak more English:
- Use your friends or class mates
If you are already studying English in group classes this is easy. Find someone to be your conversation buddy. Exchange Skype details or use Google Hangouts so you can talk to each other for free online. Try to have a weekly session where you both agree on a topic you want to discuss. It doesn’t matter if it is just 30 minutes a week. Practising will help you to feel comfortable speaking in English and your fluency will improve. Just remember, only English is allowed!
And if you are not taking classes, try to find someone else who is interested in learning English. Good websites to do this include the Practice Groups section of the Verbling website. Here you can find a group to suit your level and get chatting at any time of day or night! And best of all, it costs nothing.
2. Take classes
The great thing about the internet is that you can now have online classes with a native speaker. It doesn’t matter that you are miles away from each other! As long as you have a decent internet connection, you can learn from anywhere – at home, at work, or even a quiet cafe with wifi. This is definitely the best method to improve your speaking, since English teachers have lots of experience with correcting mistakes and helping students to improve.
One of the best websites is called Verbling. I’m going to be honest and admit that I tutor on Verbling. But the reason for this is that I think it is the best site out there. The site often gives you a free or very cheap 30 minute trial session so you can see how it works and meet a potential tutor. And there’s a great range of different tutors on the site so you can choose one who meets your budget and your timezone! Even just an hour a week with a native speaking English teacher will really help your spoken English.
3. Find native speakers where you live
So this is an option which isn’t going to work for everyone. But if you live in a place which is often visited by English-speaking tourists or even businessmen, then make the most of it. Try to find a way to approach people (if they look friendly!) and ask them if they have a few minutes to chat so you can practise your English. Don’t be discouraged if they say no! Just keep trying. You may discover someone who is living in your area who is interested in meeting up to exchange languages – they help with with English and you help them with your language.
A couple of websites which make it easy to meet English speakers are Meetup and Conversation Exchange.
- Meetup is great because it features lots of language exchange and English practice groups. These events often feature a good mixture of locals and native English speakers who are living in or visiting your town. Maybe there is already one in your area, or if not why not consider starting your own?
- Conversation Exchange is a bit different. Users send messages to other users. You can arrange to Skype, to send emails or to meet in person. Users are a mixture of locals wanting to practise speaking English and native English speakers who want to learn your language. Obviously, you need to be careful if you agree to meet in person – meeting in a public place like a cafe is a good idea – but I’ve never had any problems with the site.
4. Use Yourself
Finally, if none of these work for you, you can always use yourself. Why not try singing along to your favourite English-language songs (in the shower?) or even try having a conversation with yourself in the mirror. It doesn’t matter if you feel silly. You’re still practising speaking English and you can improve your fluency this way.
One fun idea is to imagine you are a character from a English-language movie you like. Try to imagine what your character might say in different situations and practise saying his or her classic lines.
I hope you’ve found this list useful, and just remember, you can improve your spoken English wherever you live. All you need is some imagination and motivation…
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