A lot of students ask from the teacher what is it that they should do to improve their Spoken English. So here is a post to tell them what we feel can improve in English skills.
Thinking about it and realized that we were lucky to be born in a family where, despite being Bangladeshi, Indians, and any other country English was the language of choice.
A lot of people don't have such a family environment. The first language they learn is their mother tongue. The next will be Bengali language (as indigenous people), if they are based in Bangladesh. Then when they reach school they finally learn English as the third language.
As a result, here are a few tips that I have collected to help improve Spoken English.
1. Get comfortable with the language. Read for 20 minutes in English. It can be a newspaper, a short story, a poem, or even a novel.
2. Develop your written language. If you don't have the requisite vocabulary you won't be able to communicate.
3. Start Speaking. Try out your spoken English on anyone who will be able to respond to you. Don't be afraid of making mistakes.
4. Keep your ears open for the accent. Watch the English news on Television. Watch BBC for the British Accent, CNN for the American Accent and NDTV 24/7 for the urban Indian Accent.
5. Record yourself. Listen to your voice and catch your pronunciation mistakes. Make a deliberate effort to avoid them.
6. Grammar is important. The parts of speech, tenses, form of verb, articles and modals all contribute to fluency. Make an effort to learn them.
7. Make the Dictionary your best friend. Familiarize yourself with its meaning and use it in a sentence that very day.
8. Have someone proficient read aloud to you. A storybook or a newspaper article will do. Watch how they move their lips while pronouncing certain words.
9. Learn one, two or three new word a day. To increase your active vocabulary start memorizing the meaning of a word you had heard but were not sure of. Use it regularly to absorb it into your vocabulary.
10. Start writing a Diary. It will allow you to practice the language in a totally non threatening environment. Write one entry of at least 100 words every day.
11. You mustn't be afraid of making mistakes but once you make them you have to rectify them with the help of a grammar book or a dictionary
12. The best way to improve your fluency is to not just speak in English, but think in English, because if you are thinking in your mother-tongue and you try to translate your message to English before actually saying it, you will not only speak in a slow way, but you will spoil that day's English advantage and learning. Just try to speak inside of your mind (think) in English, and it will come out in a more natural way.
13. Also, when you're out and about, or even at home, think, and also SPEAK OUT LOUD, the things you are doing, the things you see. And speak to other people! Always remember it's good to make mistakes, because you can learn from them and improve by remembering what you did wrong and improve that.
14. It’s a good idea to speak loudly.
15. Listen to English songs as much as possible and try to sing along.
16. Read English articles, books and reviews as much as possible.
17. Whenever you come across a new word write it down somewhere and find out the meaning.
18. BE CONFIDENT. Give yourself auto suggestions that you have good English
Consequently your Spoken English will improve, but not if you are lacking in commitment. It's all very well to be pumped up today about learning the language and forgetting all about it tomorrow.
Always remember the skills involved in any language are Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.
Good Luck
