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7 secrets to improve your speaking in English

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Have you been asked how to improve your speaking in English some 20 million times? Don't worry, and you're not the only one! Each day, our students ask us how to improve oral English, as it is one of the most useful linguistic skills that, unfortunately, is often perceived as the most difficult.

So we have decided to create an exhaustive guide with techniques that will help you improve your English in a fast and fun way. First, however, why not share all our tips? Just choose the ones that go with you more, and you will see how speaking in English is better than ever!

Secret no. 1: Read out loud

Yes, read out loud! You will only hate that your ESL teachers have forced you to do so. The truths that you read aloud are a superb technique to improve your speaking in English. Unfortunately, this time you will have to do it in front of other students.

You will have a teacher who will correct you, a bell that you can grab your step and listen to afterward. You could do the same when you listen to an audio that has been sent by WhatsApp (if you are the only one, we all do it).

This will allow you to know which sounds you are the most in and what types of sounds you are having and, therefore, autocorrect yourself the next time. You can also identify the fluidity with which you speak. Are you like a robot? Put it next time. It's more natural!

Here we'll give you some websites where you'll find interesting material to read aloud:

The Guardian

BBC Culture

Medium

Stories for foodies

The Happy Newspaper

This method will enchant you.

TOP TIP! ✏️

For super-motivated students: point out all the words that you don't know, in context, search for the meaning and review each day until you get salted out of your mind.

Secret no. 2: Invitation to a translator

This one will enchant you because, as you will see, we are going to put it into practice from the comfort of our sofa. Everything you need to do is prepare and choose a series in English, suitable for your level and subtitled both in English and in your mother tongue.

It is ideal if you have seen the chapter beforehand or don't come for the night and have the family waiting for the best moment of the week with the pizza reception.

Once it's all listed, these are the following steps:

A small fragment of the series in English with subtitles also in English.

It's time to translate! So take paper and pen and write down in your notebook all the sentences in this small fragment, translated into your native language.

After looking at the series, translate this text again into English.

Once you have your texts, put on the new video to check the difference between your text and the original and check what has been spoken.

We recommend you continue practicing with the same texts during the following days. Remember, always in this order:

1) From English to mother tongue.

2) From the mother to English.

I suppose you can use this technique with any book in English you have at home, periodical, magazine, article on the internet. But we recommend this option because you can share the pronunciation, something in English is elementary dear Watson. As you know, moreover, it is a phonetic idiom, and nothing is pronounced as is written.

Secret no. 3: Practice with yourself speaking

Engaging with you in the front of a mirror is better than nothing, but there are more recommendable options.

An option is to talk with your friends who are also learning English. They help you a lot to gain confidence and to live experiences and to think in English.

What is it that you live in an Anglo-Saxon country or in a city where you can go to exchange languages ​​and speak with native speakers? Brilliant!

But not always talk with natives, and this option is 100% ideal. Why? Because the majority of times, in the van to give you feedback. If you have a friend in London and you want to drink some beers, you probably won't stop to explain that you have an incorrect use of the modal verb "shall" and that it sues a bit "old-fashioned" when you say: We shall meet for to drink soon!

But, on your supposition that you have native friends, you have a good level of English and practice with them, those who correct you. Receive essential feedback to advance your learning. But the whole world is available to do so, so I advise you to have a good teacher who can do this.

Secret no. 4: Expand your vocabulary

Trust us: how many more vocabulary and more familiar phrases and expressions, greater fluidity to experience. What are you talking about, and don't you think about how to read something in English? No worries, describe and make sure that the other person understands you.

How to acquire new vocabulary in English?

Reading is always an excellent way to acquire vocabulary but doesn't, because reading books, if you don't want to. Read magazines, blogs, news. From now, don't punish yourself by reading things that don't interest you.

The new vocabulary you are learning can write it down in the Notes app to review. You always pick a sentence with the word in context to expand your vocabulary and increase your fluidity.

TOP TIP! Vital! Crucial! The phonetics

Remember that nothing in English is pronounced as it is written. So as long as you learn a new word, be sure to review the pronunciation in Cambridge Dictionary and point out the phonetic transcription.

The new vocabulary you are learning can write it down in the Notes app to review. We also suggest that you use these apps to memorize vocabulary:

Oxford Vocabulary Builder

Vocab Genius

Quizlet

Secret no. 5: Master the grammar

As much as there have been temptations to throw away your English grammar books, grammar is essential. Our recommendations to improve grammar in English in a fun and effective way:

Seeking similarities with native language and focusing on learning all these differences and issues that paralyze our time to talk. For example, if I have to go and retrieve my costume in a dry cleaner while I finish shooting this video, which would say:

I must go to the dry cleaners to pick up my suit.

I have to go to the dry cleaners to pick up my suit.

So, tricky! It depends. Aim at this class, and you will never return to the wrong questions: It differentiates between must & has to.

Through practice and repetition is the only way to learn. Practicing, putting the ball to the test with interactive exercises, all these structures are empowered to be fixed in your mind and the empties to be used naturally, as if by magic.

Our recommendations for improving English grammar in a fun and effective way:

Resources for mastering English grammar:

Easy Grammar Course (free)

Course: Grammar Lovers (premium). Do you want to see how it is inside? Prueba una clase gratis!

Free classes on the English Friends blog. Some of the most popular:

Secret no. 6: Listen to the language

Be in constant contact with the language whenever you go: in the metro at work, on the bike. And that is, the key is listening to things that interest you. Your brain will go away from vacancies during the audio.

Some of our favorite podcasts to improve your English:

English Dialogues by Amigos Ingleses

TED Talks

Luke's English podcast

BBC 6 minute English

If you are clear about the topic that interests you, we recommend looking for podcasts that match you. For example, in Apple Podcast or Spotify, there are podcasts in English for all tastes!

Secret no. 7: Imitate the natives

Have you ever wondered how children learn to speak? It's simple, by pure imitation. Children imitate their parents and surroundings and reproduce the same sounds to achieve the same effect: ask for things and express feelings. In short, communicate.

This same learning technique can also be applied to adults. For example, many countries and institutions base the teaching of languages ​​on purely listening and imitating. We suggest that you do it, but with a personalized and fun touch.

Lack of inspiration? You're more than welcome to shadow me! You can see more than 200 English classes and repeat. With the English Phonetics will have super artificial intelligence that will help to improve.

Y "last but not least," some of our classes will have "wonders" with your pronunciation.

In our last advice of the day, you don't be too hard on yourself!

We know that you aspire to learn English as fast as possible. But you have to be rumbled and remember that every beginner of a journey only starts with a small but essential step.

So my advice would be to go easy with yourself, mainly when you are at the beginner level. When we are trying to learn things, do not hurry up and don't compare ourselves with people already speaking English fluently.

You have your journey to be completed, so there is no need to hurry up. You will achieve your fluency in no time. The only thing you have to do is to practice with intent and daily.

Unless your goals agree with your current level that you intend to master something, you will probably get frustrated too fast and lose your desire to improve your English. Best step by step and enjoying the process!