Speaking might be the language skill that most people want to develop, especially speaking in English. There are many benefits we can get from being fluent in speaking English. For instance, we can broaden our connection by being able to communicate with the international community. Besides, getting a higher position in our job is possibly easier because we have no problems when we convey our ideas. Thus, here are some tips to improve your English speaking fluency.
1. Read, Listen and Write
Wait, aren't we talking about improving English speaking fluency? How does it have anything to do with the other language skills? Well, in fact, language skills are related to one another.
Other language skills act as the supporters for your speaking. Reading, for example, supports you in terms of vocabulary knowledge, knowledge about the topic, or even knowledge about the target language structure. Likewise, listening can also support you with the knowledge of how to pronounce words correctly with the correct stress and intonation according to the context. On the other hand, writing can support you in terms of idea organization.
It is quite fortunate, isn't it? You don't have to force yourself to practice speaking all the time for your speaking test because I'm sure it will get boring in no time. Besides, you should also enrich yourself with the knowledge you can get from learning other language skills to do well in your English test.
Thus, I recommend you to learn all of the skills simultaneously. In order to do that, you should also read how other language skills can improve your English speaking fluency, and you will get useful insight for your practice.
2. Practice Regularly
After practicing other language skills, you should also practice your speaking skills properly. It is really important to be noted that you should do the practice regularly. If you don't do so, your practiced skills might gradually decrease. It would be a waste, wouldn't it?
Well, I understand that practicing regularly is really hard. You might think that it would be boring even though you haven't started yet. Besides, you might be confused because you don't know where to start or even what exactly should be practiced. If so, you've come to the right place because here are the things you can do to practice your speaking skills.
Reading Aloud
The very first thing you should do to practice your speaking fluency is read aloud. This is probably the easiest way to practice because you can do it anytime and anywhere as long as you have something to be read aloud. You can even do it right now!
Now, I dare you to read this article aloud.
Reading aloud can help you enhance your pronunciation, intonation, and stress. You can start reading easy materials like this article, and then you can move on to other materials. Reading drama dialogues, for example, can help you imagine the real situation in which you will be having conversations. Later on, you can read academic papers or anything difficult.
The most important thing in this practice is that you should not only guess how words are pronounced, but you should also try to figure out how they are actually being pronounced. It would be even better if you also try to figure out the definition, translation, and synonyms of unfamiliar words you find.
Master the Conversational Phrases
The next thing to be practiced is the conversational phrases. This might sound simple, but it will be really helpful if you have mastered it. Imagine if you are having some kind of conversation, and you don't know how to ask for something. There would certainly be an awkward silence which might ruin the whole conversation.
Of course, we don't want that to happen, do we?
That's why it is really beneficial if you have the conversational phrases ready within your brain. If you have mastered them, it would be easier for you to recall phrases you need without requiring any gap within your conversation.
You can start by learning phrases for expressing agreement or disagreement, giving an opinion, asking for help, and many more. Learn from the easiest and useful ones, and don't forget to always pay attention to the context in which each phrase should be used.
Make and Practice Your Own Monologue
a. Making Monologues
Making your own monologue is a very effective way to practice your public speaking. First of all, you can train yourself to organize your own idea. Then, you can review whether or not your monologue is understandable. Most importantly, making your own monologue can help you master what you want to convey in your public speaking.
If you have already been used to making your own monologue, you can eventually be able to improvise during public speaking. It's because you are already familiar with your own topics. Gradually, your public speaking will become more engaging, and you will gain maximum confidence in your speaking.
If you are a beginner, you can start by making a short monologue. You can describe or explain something you like, such as your favorite food, pet, or sport. After that, you can try making a longer one, for example, a speech about a certain topic.
b. Practicing Monologues
Now, where and when can we practice our monologue?
You might think that we need a special time and place for this practice. However, the truth is that we can utilize the resources around us.
First of all, you can practice it by yourself. It is recommended to practice in front of a mirror because you can adjust your gesture and facial expression. It will also help you to gain more confidence when you speak in front of the public.
The second one is that you can record your monologue. You can start by recording your voice to get a glimpse of whether or not your monologue fits a certain length you might want. Then, you can also record your video. After that, watch and review your recordings, and then correct your mistakes. Lastly, you can send it to your friends in order to get their reviews.
I really recommend you to post your video into your social media account because you will eventually get used to speaking in front of the public. You can take your video several times, and then upload it to your social media. Besides, you can also edit it the way you like. After getting used to making videos, you can start making your live video!
Now, you don't have to worry about not having the space and time for public speaking. Just create it for yourself! You can even develop yourself further out of that.
Find a Partner or a Community
Practicing with someone else is probably the best practice to boost your speaking skills, fluency, and confidence. You can ask your friends or communities to give some feedback for your speaking. They can also encourage and support you to always do your best in speaking. By practicing in front of people close to you, you can get yourself ready to speak in front of a large number of audiences.
In order to find them, you need to expose yourself to some related communities. You might find it difficult to adjust yourself to some communities. However, don't give up! I believe that there has to be the right one for you out there.
You can look for them through your social media, your friends, or just google it anytime. Find the one suitable for your needs and priorities. You can also express your desire to practice speaking to your closes friends. They might also want to learn together with you.
Be Discipline
Being disciplined in your practice is really important for the success of your work. The most important thing is being consistent. You can schedule your practice with your friends or your community. Besides, it is really recommended for you to plan what you want to learn each time and don't forget to take notes of your development. This way, you can determine what you need to develop your speaking fluency.
Don't forget that you should make yourself enjoy practicing in order to get the best results. Always start with the easiest practice and the topics you like the most.
3. Think in English
When you speak in English, do you translate the words from your mother language into English in your brain? If not, it means that you have possessed the ability to think in English.
Thinking in English means that processing and uniting abstract concepts in your brain using English. It means that there is no translation process from your native language before producing it in English. If you think in English, you can straightly produce sentences in your speaking without any gaps caused by the translation process. This way, your speaking fluency will increase for sure.
It might sound difficult at first, but the more practice you do, the easier it will be for you to think in English. It would feel as if you are speaking in your native language. Thus, you should also check out how to start thinking in English.
4. Determine Your Learning Focus
Determining learning focus is always important, no matter what you are learning. To improve your speaking fluency, you should determine whether you want to focus your practice on conversations or public speaking. It doesn't mean that you cannot practice them simultaneously. However, by determining your focus, you can structure your practice according to your need.
For example, you should determine whether you want to focus on developing your conversational skills or public speaking skills. It should be done because public speaking differs from conversations.
If you don't know which one you should prioritize, let me give you a piece of advice. If you think that you are fluent enough for making a conversation, you may start focusing on your public speaking. However, if you are not confident enough in your conversation, try focusing yourself there before going into public speaking. This way, you can gather your confidence before speaking in public.
These are the tips for you to improve your English speaking fluency. The key to your success is regular practice and a growth mindset. Besides, you should also know how you can learn English effectively.
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