English has become almost mandatory nowadays in most of the fields of activity of the modern man. It is usually required by employers and proudly used by employees in their CVs. The controls of most gadgets and household appliances are in English and so are the Smart TV user menus. It is therefore a must to have at least a beginner level in English.
Besides language courses, teachers or manuals, there are several useful aspects you should take into account when you study English on your own. First of all, you should think in English, not in your native language. This will save you the time needed to adapt or modify the text or the translated message. Use the English-English dictionary and you will discover that once you are able to think in English, you will be able to speak more fluently.
If you are already able to think in English, then you can make conversations with yourself aloud, in order to become more comfortable when speaking it. Speak aloud in front of the mirror for 2-3 minutes to study your face, your mouth or your body language, but also to create the impression that you are studying together with somebody else. When you speak, concentrate more on fluency than on grammar, because if you stop every 2 seconds to correct your grammar you will waste time and efficiency. Puzzles will help you improve your speaking abilities and the way in which you use your tongue or your mouth when pronouncing the words.
Listen to TV shows or YouTube videos in English. They will help you improve your spoken language because you can listen to them and then repeat what you have heard, discovering the aspects where you should stop and insist.
The English language places the accent on syllables or even on whole words. Thus, the meaning may change. Listen to native English speakers and repeat the sounds where the accent falls. Study the related forms of the words and the differences in meaning between them in order to use the correct form when you speak. The forms of the verbs for the different tenses make the difference between effective and ambiguous.
Try to remember phrases, not just individual words. Native English speakers do not always speak grammatically correct. How do you feel today? is grammatically correct, but natives will say How’re you doing? or What’s up? Phrases are more useful than words when we are more concerned about using the spoken language more naturally.
Proverbs and popular sayings are also useful. Think how you speak in your native tongue and adapt the proverb or the respective saying to English.
If you are studying English for employment purposes, you should repeat the various moments of communication during a job interview. If you are going to the USA, then you will need to also study other things. The language used in a restaurant, at the hotel or in a club may be completely different.
Do not worry about the way you sound when you speak, relax! Using the advice given above you will be able to improve your fluency, your pronunciation and your expression when speaking English.
