The 10 [MOST] effective ways to improve English Speaking

Many people are practicing speaking because they want to be able to speak English, but it is difficult for them to speak. If you know the reason why you don't improve, you can effectively study English.

This time, I will thoroughly explain the three reasons why speaking does not improve and effective countermeasures for improving it. If you are having trouble improving your speaking skills, please refer to it.

3 reasons why speaking doesn't improve

If you get high results in English qualification tests such as TOEIC and Eiken, you have the image that you can speak English fluently. However, when it comes to scenes where even such people have to speak in English, it is often the case that they cannot speak at all. I should be confident in English, but why can't I speak it? I will explain the reason.

1. Lack of basic English

If you don't have the basics of English, your speaking skills will be sluggish. In particular, they often neglect the basics of listening and pronunciation in English.

For example, if you can't pronounce or hear English correctly, it's natural that you can't speak as you want. To improve your speaking skills, you first need to learn the correct pronunciation. If you haven't learned pronunciation before, you can expect to improve by consciously practicing.

2. Insufficient amount of output

Those who have achieved good grades on the English qualification exam should have basic English proficiency. However, when it comes to speaking, I don't feel any response because there are only a limited number of English words and phrases that can be used smoothly when I want to speak English.

For those who should understand English words and grammar but cannot speak well, practicing output is essential. By repeating this many times, you will be able to smoothly compose English words and phrases that you know, and you will gradually acquire speaking ability.

3. Insufficient input to enhance output

Output is important for speaking, but it requires that you have the right amount of input. This is because if you do not have some knowledge of English words and grammar, you will not be able to compose the sentences you want to convey.

In order to improve speaking, it is essential to work on output and input in parallel.

10 Measures to Improve Speaking

From here, I will tell you the study methods that can be taken as countermeasures for each of the three reasons why speaking does not improve.

Solidify the basics of English

One of the reasons why speaking ability is sluggish is that you do not have the basics of English. So what exactly should we do? I will explain from here.

1. Know the correct pronunciation

To improve your speaking skills, it is important to know the correct pronunciation first. There is a distinction between vowels and consonants in English, and various sounds unique to English are created by the combination. So first, let's increase the sounds that can be heard.

In addition, changes in sound may occur, such as when words are connected and pronounced, or when a specific sound is skipped. It is also important to learn the rules of voice change in order to hear correctly, as changes often occur regularly.

Knowing the correct pronunciation will improve your listening skills and your speaking skills.

2. Strengthen your English proficiency

Vocabulary is also essential for speaking. Learn many English words and increase the number of phrases you can use. It is also effective for people who always use the same wording.

To improve your English proficiency, it is best to listen to the sounds, pronounce them, and match them with your image. It is also recommended to actually hear native conversations through overseas dramas and foreign films.

The important thing here is to increase the expressions that can be used in speaking. It doesn't make sense to just memorize English words and its translations, just like studying for an exam or qualification exam. The point is to learn with example sentences and be aware of using them.

3. Know English grammar

Even if you remember only English words, if the word order is wrong, it will not be transmitted correctly. It is important to know the correct knowledge of English grammar as well as words.

Furthermore, it is more effective to learn phrases that are often used in conversation while linking them with English grammar. It's a good idea to remember the whole phrase at first. If you know the grammatical structure of the phrase, you can freely change the words in the phrase according to the scene you want to use. By increasing your withdrawals in this way, you can expect to improve your speaking skills.

Increase output opportunities

Increasing output opportunities is also important for improving speaking. People who have studied English words and grammar but are not good at speaking may not have enough opportunities to output. In order to establish the English words and grammar that you have learned, you need to be aware of the output. I will explain specifically what to do from here.

4. Speak to yourself in English

You can learn speaking by yourself. It's about tweeting soliloquy in English.

Start with a simple English sentence with only the subject and predicate, and gradually add objects. Once you get used to it, you can change the tense to the past tense or the future tense, add adverbs, and apply it more and more.

You can practice using English words and phrases that are input by soliloquy, and you can expect to improve your speaking ability because you will have the ability to speak words instantly.

5. Practice writing

At first glance, you may think that writing skills are not relevant to improving your speaking skills. However, it is the same in that you express what you want to say in English. Both can be said to be output skills.

In short, writing practice is great for improving your speaking skills. Let's train to make English sentences by utilizing your knowledge of English words and grammar.

Specifically, it is recommended that you start writing from the events around you. For example, writing a diary in English may be easy to get started. It's okay to do it little by little every day, so it's important to keep outputting.

6. Take advantage of online English conversation

Soliloquy and writing practice are also effective, but I'm not sure if I can actually speak to a native speaker. However, living in Japan limits your chances of speaking English.

In such a case, online English conversation is recommended. Speaking skills will be established by actually using the phrases you have learned. Of course, you can point out what you are not confident about or what is wrong, so you can rest assured.

EnglishPhonetics offers online lessons. You can take lessons according to the age and level of the students, so if you do not have the opportunity to output English, please use it.

Increase output Increase input

A sufficient amount of input is essential to enhance the output. If you have poor vocabulary, your range of expression will be narrowed and you may not be able to convey what you want to convey correctly. If you are friends, the conversation may not be lively.

Those who are not confident in the amount of input should first increase their knowledge of English words and grammar. I will introduce a specific learning method.

7. Read aloud English

Reading aloud English is also an effective way to improve your speaking skills. If you live in Japan, you don't usually speak English unless you are aware of it. So, first of all, you have to increase the amount of speaking.

You can read aloud anytime, anywhere by yourself. The more you speak, the faster your speaking speed will be. If you continue for about a month, you will gradually feel the growth.

The important thing is to have a sample audio. By listening carefully to the voice and then reading it aloud, you can check how well you are pronouncing. At the same time, you can train your listening skills.

8. Shadowing

Shadowing is the practice of reading English while imitating the voice you hear and covering it with your own voice. The point is to pronounce it like a shadow as soon as you hear the English sentence.

By repeating shadowing, the rhythm and intonation peculiar to English will be established. The difficulty level is a little high because you have to speak out as soon as you hear it. However, once you have this, you will definitely improve your English skills. By listening repeatedly, you will get used to your ears and improve your listening skills.

9. Watch English movies and dramas

In English movies and dramas, you can hear native, natural English conversation. The biggest merit is that you can learn English while having fun.

Since there are many lines in the drama, many phrases that can be used in everyday conversation will appear. You can expect to improve your vocabulary, for example, even if you know English words, they will come out with different meanings from what you learned.

Movies and dramas are perfect for learning live English that you can't learn from classroom learning alone. If you remember it while linking it to the drama scene, it will be easier to settle in your memory. Ultimately, it is recommended to watch overseas dramas without relying on subtitles. You will acquire the ability to listen on your own.

10. Take an English exam

Taking an English test can also help you improve your speaking skills.

For example, there are tests that require speaking ability, such as the TOEFL and the secondary test of Eiken level 3 or higher. It's hard for me to know how much I'm improving in English conversation. By taking these exams, you can determine your speaking level. If you can get good results in the exam, it may be useful for employment.

Also, just practicing may reduce your motivation and stop learning. Taking regular exams is recommended as it will give you an opportunity to continue studying.

5 apps to improve your speaking skills

Some people may find it awkward to go to school or start online English conversation to practice speaking.
The app is recommended for such people. You can study alone at home, and there are many things you can try for free, so please take advantage of them.

[Pronunciation & Dictionary] Look Up

Look Up is an app that has both a foreign language pronunciation check and a dictionary function. Native speakers will pronounce the entered English words and sentences, so let's practice speaking using them as a model. It's nice to be able to change the reading speed and voice to your liking.

There is a dictionary function, so you can rest assured if you come across a word you don't understand. You can also use it as a vocabulary book because what you look up is automatically recorded. It's easy and convenient to review.

The language is not limited to English, but it can be used in a wide range of languages such as French and Chinese by changing the settings. It is useful not only for speaking but also for learning a language.

[Pronunciation correction] Doctor of pronunciation

Dr. Pronunciation is the perfect app for anyone who wants to improve their pronunciation by scoring the recorded voice and pointing out any strange points in the pronunciation. It's nice to learn by yourself and see what your pronunciation is different from the correct pronunciation. Of course, you can rest assured that the audio of the English words that serve as a model is also recorded. There is also a favorite function, so stock up on the points you are not good at and practice more and more.

The app is free to use, and you can add about 4,000 English words for junior high school to high school level if you pay.

[Shadowing practice] English every day

In English every day, you can do full-scale shadowing while scoring the voice you pronounce. It is a popular app for iOS only and has been selected as the "BEST OF 2014" in the App Store.

With over 1000 English words and practical English phrases, you can learn the expressions that native speakers actually use with correct pronunciation. Phrases are updated weekly, so you can study without getting bored.

It can also be used for qualification exams such as TOEIC and Eiken and studying for exams. It is recommended that you enjoy learning in a short time.

[Daily conversation lesson] ELSA Speak

ELSA Speak is an app that allows you to efficiently learn pronunciations made in San Francisco, USA. When you speak to the app, the AI will instantly rate it and show you how close you are to the native speaker.

It will perform a pronunciation test at the first startup and automatically create a lesson that suits your level. I don't have to worry about what to learn, so I'm happy that I can overcome my weaknesses efficiently.

It is recommended for people who have English words and phrases in their heads but cannot pronounce them well, or who want to learn pronunciation that is familiar to native speakers. It also supports speaking measures such as Eiken and TOEFL.

[Learn English phrases] Real English conversation

In Real English Conversation, you can learn the correct pronunciation as well as the whole everyday English phrase that the native actually uses. All 3,100 phrases recorded have example sentences, so it is attractive that you can naturally acquire them while connecting them to the scene you are using.

If you have a phrase you want to know, you can request it from the developer and English teacher Terry. Recommended for those who want to enjoy learning during their free time.

Conclusion

This time, I explained three reasons why speaking does not improve and effective countermeasures. It is recommended that you start by knowing why you are not improving. There are many learning methods that even one person can do, such as tweeting soliloquy in English or reading aloud in English, so if you are having trouble improving your speaking skills, please try it as a reference.