HOW TO

IMPROVE
10/21/2021

SPEAKING
SKILL
(BY YOURSELF)

MARTHEN LUTHER WABDARON

SAINS AND TECNOLOGY UNIVERSITY (ENGLISH LITERATURE FACULTY)
Top 18 tips for improving tour English:
1. Watch television and films in English
2. Read English books/newspapers
3. Label things in your house
4. Make notes of new vocabulary
5. Surround yourself with English speakers
6. Figure out your best time to learn
7. Listen to British and American music
8. Language swap
9. Practice English whenever you can
10.Record yourself and your lesson
11.Get a good bilingual dictionary
12.Learn English idioms and phrasal verbs
13.Write every day
14.Tell your teacher what you want to learn
15.Remember your mistakes
16.Put yourself into difficult situations
17.Change the language on your social media or smartphone
18.Be realistic
1. Watch Television and Films in English

Not only do Britain and the USA produce some of the best TV shows and films
in the world, but you can learn English whilst watching them. If you’re still
getting to grips with the language at any level (from beginner to upper-
intermediate) then it’s worth putting the English subtitles on so that you can
read along and listen at the same time.
You can also listen to English radio stations and find plenty of listening sources
on the internet. Another idea would be to put English subtitles on films or
television programmers from your own country so that you can read along with
them in English and make the translations as you go.
2. Read English Books/Newspapers

Reading is a great way of practicing your English in your own time. You can take
one word at a time at your own pace, without your teacher peering over your
shoulder. If you’re studying at a beginner to intermediate level, pick up a
children’s book where the language will be easier than an adult book.
Newspapers are also worth reading. Not only can you improve your English but
you’ll learn about local and national goings-on, which can be handy when
communicating with native speakers. Free newspapers and magazines, as well as
tabloid-style newspapers which use more basic language, are perhaps better for
low-level speakers.

3. Label Things in Your House

This is a quick and cheap way of improving your knowledge of the vocabulary of
everyday items in your home. All you need to do is buy a pack of labels and then
write the name of items in your home on them, such as phone, window, mirror, etc.
every time you use these objects, you’ll read the word and embed it into your
memory. This is great for low-level learners.
 4. Make Notes of New Vocabulary
Whenever you learn a new word, whether in the classroom or when you’re out and
about, make sure you make a note of it. Whenever you have some free time, you can
practice what you’ve learned. You could even do this on your phone, so you needn’t
carry around a notebook with you.
It’s also worth making a note of the translation into your language and any unusual
phonological aspects of the word.
 5. Surround Yourself with English speakers
If you just spend your time outside of the classroom with people from your own
country, you’ll miss out on a big chance to practise English. If you try to befriend
other English speakers, you’ll be forced into speaking the English language. You’ll
also pick up things like slang and conversational English that you’re unlikely to learn
in the classroom.
If you struggle to find English speakers, at least try and spend time with people of
your course that are from countries other than your own. This way, you will still have
to speak English.
 6. Figure Out Your Best Time to Learn

Are you a morning or afternoon person? If you can work out when your brain is at its
sharpest then you should cram in your language learning at this time. Some people
work best first thing in the morning and switch off after lunchtime, while for others it
takes a while to get going every day.
Think about when you function best and plan your learning to suit this. For example,
there’s no point taking lessons that run late into the night when you’re likely to easily
lose concentration.

7. Listen to British and American Music

In addition to watching films and TV, listening to music is another great and fun way
of improving your grasp of a language. There’s an almost endless amount of music
out there to choose from, with most tracks having lyrics easily available online.
You could listen to a song a day and read the lyrics along to it. If you come across any
language that you don’t understand the research it. If you’re at a low level then
perhaps go for some slower folk, country, or acoustic music, which often has lyrics
that are slower and easier to understand.
 8. Language Swap

In addition to learning English in class, you could find somebody keen to learn your
language and exchange information with them. Being able to speak a language is a
gift and, whatever your mother tongue, there will be somebody out there that wants to
learn it.
You can meet up and give each other work, swap knowledge and help each other
progress. This is a great way of continuing your learning outside of the classroom
while also saving money.

9. Practice English Whenever You Can

It’s incredibly important that you don’t leave your English learning inside the
classroom. Make an effort to go to the library and study your notes, read and write in
English, and speak to English nationals and other English speakers.
When you’re in bed at night, look over your English notes from the day and try to
memorize some vocabulary as you’re falling asleep. The first thing you do in the
morning while you’re eating your cereal could be to learn a couple of new words.
Make sure you never escape learning.

10.Record Yourself and Your Lesson

Make the most of the recorder on your smartphone and practice pronunciation. This is
a good way of learning pronunciation because you might know it when you first hear
it then forget it later.
Although your teacher might not like you to do this, and you should always get their
permission, it can be useful to record lessons. As you travel home or fall asleep, you
can listen to it. It’s a great way to revise the information and practice listening, as well
as nail down some pronunciation.

11. Get a Good Bilingual Dictionary

A bilingual dictionary is your best friend while you’re learning English. However,
beware that a lot of dictionaries out there have numerous mistakes and
mistranslations. Do some research and spend a bit of extra money on the best
dictionary you can find.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that the number of online translators and electronic
dictionaries on smartphones can be quite poor. Teachers will find it very obvious if
you simply put something through a translator – it’s normally literally translated
which doesn’t always work.

12. Learn English Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

There are several aspects of the English language that you’re not always going to find
in an academic coursebook. Things like idioms and phrasal verbs are extremely
common in everyday English conversations.
If you manage to learn these then you’ll find it much easier to talk and understand
conversations with native speakers. Although this is not the kind of language you’re
likely to use in an academic essay, it’s arguably just as important to you.

13. Write Every Day

Writing is a great way of using new vocabulary and getting your head around
grammar. Try and write something every day using new words and grammar that
you’ve learned. Even if it’s only a few sentences, it’s what you’ve learned. Even if it’s
only a few sentences, it’s very important to get into the habit of doing this.
It’s also a good way of comparing your progress as you improve your knowledge of
the English language. If you have access to English-speaking friends or a teacher, you
could ask them to look over your writing and give you some pointers.

14. Tell You, Teacher, What You Want to Learn

If you’re learning English in a language school or getting private lessons, you might
not always be learning what you want. However, it can be difficult for your teacher to
know exactly what you want to learn unless you tell them. So if you think that they’re
giving you too much writing and not enough pronunciation, for example then you
should tell them. They’ll be pleased with the feedback.

15. Remember Your Mistakes

You will make mistakes, there’s no denying it. Chances are that you’ll make the same
mistakes over and over again. Next time that you’re corrected by a teacher, whether
this is written or orally, you should make a note of your mistakes.
Perhaps you forget when to use the correct article or you get the past simple and
present perfect tenses mixed up? Make a note of this and work on your mistakes.

16. Put Yourself into Difficult Situations

If you search out situations where you must speak, read and listen that are outside of
your comfort zone, you’ll be forced into using the English language. This can be one
of the best ways to learn English because you focus on what you’re saying and it gets
you used to uncomfortable situations.
Try and order some food at a restaurant, speak to someone at a tourist information
center, or just start chatting to a native speaker in a bar. Don’t be afraid to make
mistakes. Getting something wrong is a great way of understanding why it works a
certain way.

17. Change the Language on Your social media or Smartphone

Have you ever accidentally changed the language on a device or a website and then
struggled to get it back again? We’ve all been there before. However, this can be a
good way of learning an additional language. If you turn your Facebook, Twitter, and
smartphone settings to ‘English’ then you can continue to learn the language while
you’re communicating with friends.
18. Be Realistic
It’s extremely common for language learners to want to better their English at an
unrealistic pace. Set yourself objectives but be genuine in what you can achieve. Your
teacher is just there to tell you things and practice with you for a few hours a day. It’s
your job to remember and correctly use what you are taught.
You cannot expect to just turn up to class for a few weeks and be able o speak the
language. You must engage in lots of work outside of class and use your brain as
much as possible.