English fluency is essential in all fields. Even though an accent might sound charming to some and interesting to others, it can get in the way of your career. Speaking clearly and confidently shows that you are ready to take on challenges in any industry. English fluency will also help you succeed personally. It will open more doors for social activities, personal relationships, business partnerships and more. Whether you’re currently looking for a new job or trying to make friends in a new city, improving your English communication skills will open up new opportunities for you. Here are five tips on how to improve your English communication skills and become more confident speaking it every day.
1) Speak more often
The best way to improve your English is to speak it as much as possible. It’s an obvious statement, but one that is often overlooked. You can read up on grammar rules and study vernacular all you want, but nothing will help you improve as much as getting used to speaking English. You don’t have to make huge strides in your day-to-day life. Try to push yourself to speak English more often, even in simple situations. If you’re out to dinner with friends, speak English, even if it’s just a few words at a time. When you’re at a cashier, try to use English instead of the local language. If you’re in a group setting and don’t know what to say, try to ask an open-ended question to spark conversation.
2) Find a language partner or tutor
If you have a job, you’re likely busy, and setting time aside for English lessons can be challenging. A language partner or tutor, however, can be a great way to practice English fluency when you don’t have time for classes. You can find a language partner for free through the internet. Often times there are people whose first language is English and they are trying to improve another language that they are learning. You could partner with these people in order to have a mutually beneficial agreement. The lack of experience and knowledge to teach one’s mother tongue can be one of the biggest drawbacks of this method. It may possibly work in the case of beginner and basic levels but not for intermediate and advanced levels since the interaction between the two students is limited to simple conversations. If you want to learn to communicate better, invest time and a little money in yourself and you can change your life. ACE has experienced tutors who give you the confidence you need. This option is more expensive than finding a language partner, but it might be a better fit if you need personalized lessons, with a proven methodology and correct pronunciation.
3) Record yourself while speaking and listen to the recording
Listening to your own recordings is a great way to figure out what you need to work on. There are many apps that allow you to record your speech and play it back, such as Voice Recorder or, easier, you can even send yourself a voice message on WhatsApp. You might feel uncomfortable recording yourself, but it’s a great way to see where you need to improve. When you listen to your speech, you can tell if you are rushing your words (which can happen when you’re nervous). If that’s the case, try to slow down and take your time with your sentences. Slowing down also gives you the opportunity to think about sentence structure, grammar and vocabulary. It might also help to speak in shorter sentences.
4) Ask for feedback from trusted sources
Once you start working at improving your English, you might feel like you’re making a lot of mistakes. That’s expected, but it can be discouraging if you’re not sure how to improve. When you start feeling overwhelmed, ask for feedback from trusted sources. If you have a colleague at work who speaks fluent English, try to have a conversation with them. If you have friends who speak English, try to have a conversation with them as well. You can also try to have conversations with people you meet at the gym or coffee shops. When you ask for feedback, it’s important to remember that people are not being critical or mean. Instead, they are just trying to help you with your mistakes and improve your English communication skills.
5) Set small, incremental goals for improvement
It can be easy to get ahead of yourself when trying to improve your English. Setting small, incremental goals will help you stay focused on improving at your own pace. Find a few areas that you want to work on, such as your pronunciation, speed, vocabulary, fluency etc. Setting short-term and long-term goals can help you stay on track. For example, you can set a short-term goal to work on your pronunciation. Your ACE tutor can help you identify the most common mistakes in your pronunciation that you need to work on. Remember that it is common to forget them and you may keep making those mistakes, but consistent checks will eventually help you remember those little corrections. Then, set a long-term goal, such as working on your fluency. Fluency is a broad term and can mean different things for different people. Identifying what areas you need to work on and then taking baby steps consistently will eventually help you achieve your long term goals.
Remember: It’s about practicing consistently
The best way to improve your English communication skills is to practice every day. You might feel like you’re making progress one day, but if you don’t practice regularly, you won’t see any real improvement. Ideally, you should practice English at least a few times a week. If you can practice every day, you will likely see much more progress. It’s important to remember that improving your English doesn’t happen overnight. If you’re serious about improving your communication skills, you need to be dedicated and consistent. With enough practice, you’ll be able to achieve fluency in no time, and at ACE we can help you achieve those goals.
