4 ways you can practice speaking English

Getting enough English speaking practice can be one of the biggest problems for learners of English who want to improve their speaking skills, especially if they live in a non-English speaking country.
However, there are some techniques that you can use to help you to get more English speaking practice.

English speaking practice tip 1. Imagine conversations

In your daily life, you have a lot of conversations that are similar each day such as “How are you?” and “Did you sleep well?” for example. Start practising by seeing if you could translate the last conversation you had before coming online today. You need to find out if you could have that same conversation again in English. If not, why not? Is it grammar? Is it vocabulary? When you have found the area you think needs improving, look around our site to find the learning material and exercises to help you.

English speaking practice tip 2. Call freephone numbers

Many countries have free calling telephone numbers – find companies that speak in English (language schools are good!) and ask as many questions as you can. If the person on the other end of the phone wants to speak in your language, tell them that you find speaking in English easier!

English speaking practice tip 3. Watch television and listen to the radio – FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME!

Watching television and listening to the radio can definitely improve your spoken English, but watching and listening closely for 5 minutes is much better than paying less attention for half an hour. If possible, record a program and listen to it repeatedly. Pay particular attention to the pronunciation and intonation of words and sentences, and repeat what they say aloud.

English speaking practice tip 4. Learn how to use the IPA (international phonetic alphabet)

Have a look here at some resources to help you learn better pronunciation (the link opens in a new window).