Hello Everyone!

So everyone wants to improve their spoken English. But what can you do to improve (aside from living in the country where it's spoken)? Below are some tips that, when all used together, can definitely help take your English to the next level!

1. Get a tutor

Okay, obviously this one has to be brought up. Yes, getting a tutor or teacher of the language you're studying is great. But the most important thing about this tip is to maximize what you gain from each lesson. Record lessons if you can (most tutors/teachers are happy to have you record the lessons. I love when my students ask if they can record!). Have questions written down ahead of time to ask, or topics or phrases that you want to practice with. Better yet, send those questions or topics to the teacher before the lesson so they can have difficult information prepared ahead of time or even alternative phrases ready to use as well. Also, make sure to book lessons that are appropriate for your level that will challenge you just the right amount. Try not to take lessons that are too easy for you (you won't improve) or that are too hard for you (you might improve but not as quickly as you could and there's a chance you'll get frustrated and give up entirely.) But the most important thing with getting a tutor/teacher to improve your speaking skills is that you should be talking and listening the entire time! (Yes, lessons that include reading, dictation or exercises are great. Take those if you want to improve all areas of your English or those specific areas of your English.) And that teacher will help you speak correctly, so be a good listener. (More on that below!)

2. Read out loud

Well, this sounds silly doesn't it? Reading will improve my speaking? But it will! I always recommend this to students as something you can do on your own. But don't just read the material silently. Pick material written by a native English speaker and read it out loud! Not only will you train your grammar and vocabulary skills, but you'll also train your mouth and give it exercise speaking your target language. You'll also train your ear to become more comfortable with the sounds of your target language. Reading aloud improves so many areas of your language studying that I actually consider reading aloud to be one of the most beneficial things you can do on your own to study any foreign language.

3. Be a good listener

This should sound familiar. It's a tip used for improving other areas of your language learning as well, from grammar to vocabulary and more. Listen to native English speakers talking together. Watch tv shows. But not only that, pay attention to what they are saying. Notice the grammar, the structure, the intonation of their phrases. Write down their phrases and idioms and how they used them.

Relating back to the first tip, if you have a lesson with a teacher, make sure to pay attention to every correction they make. And don't just say 'okay' but try and use that correction right away. Being a good listener also means taking what you hear and using it yourself.

4. Incorporate English into your leisure activities

Okay, the fun one! You shouldn't only speak English in lessons or while reading aloud. You should also make it part of your fun! Watch movies you love. Listen to music. The best one? Set aside time to chat with a friend in English! Try and have your normal conversations (when you meet over coffee or go out to get lunch) in English. It doesn't matter if you don't use English 100% of the time, just say what you can to each other. Which leads to the last tip...

5. Say what you see

Not only should you just chat in English, you should also use English to describe the world around you. You're going to brush your teeth? Describe it! (maybe not at the same time as you're brushing your teeth though...) You've gotten an email in your native language? Sit a moment and respond to it (to yourself!) in English! This will not only allow you to practice your English, but it will also help you pinpoint vocabulary words that you don't know and grammatical structures you aren't as familiar with so you know what to study next!

If you use all of these tips, you'll find that your spoken English begins to improve. I hope you have a great time studying English (or whatever language you're studying)!

Do you have more tips? The list above definitely does not cover all of the ways to improve your speaking skills. If you want to share tips that worked for you, feel free to leave a comment! And if you want to use some of them and need a little help setting them up, please request a lesson and I can help you practice and plan to improve!

Have a great day~