My first piece of advice is not to get too hung up on trying to sound like a native speaker. Would you start learning the piano in an attempt to sound like Mozart? The first rule of speaking English is to learn to speak clearly and concisely and remember you won't just be speaking to native speakers: There are roughly 380 million native speakers out there, but as many as a billion people speak English as a second language, you do the math.
Try to avoid using idioms and slang (I always say learn it, but don't use it). It might sound clever to say "You're barking up the wrong tree," but if you use it in the wrong situation, or if the other person simply doesn't understand you, you'll only look silly when you try to explain what you meant to say, or what it actually means.
There's also a saying in English "Have you swallowed a dictionary?" It is applicable to anyone who uses long, complicated words when a shorter word will do. Short sentences are just as good (if not better) than long rambling explanations. The value in what you have to say is what you say, not how clever you look or sound when you say it. So it's a good idea to try to use simple, clear vocabulary, KISS - keep it short and simple, Here's a fun video that illustrates what I mean.
English speaking tips
➤ Find native English speakers : In certain areas it's the hardest thing to do, but it's the best use of your time. Talking to actual native speakers is the most effective way to improve your English skills, speaking or otherwise. So whether you have to Skype them, call them, or beg them to speak to you, do so. Your progress will be faster this way than any other.
Even if they're just tourists, invite them to dinner! They get a meal, you get an English lesson. Advertise on Craigslist. Take a class and get buddy-buddy with your teacher. Offer a language exchange. They're hiding out there somewhere!
➤ Listen to the music of English : No, not English music, the music of English -- its lilt, its prosody, the sing-songy-ness of it. The intonation. Even if you speak perfect English technically, if you speak it like a robot you're not speaking it the way it's meant to be spoken.
Watch people. Watch how their mouths form the words. Watch how emotion is communicated. Watch where the emphasis goes on certain sentences and how that provides context. Apart from just deciphering their words, take notice of the humor, the feeling, and the formality they employ.
➤ Record yourself : Though we hear ourselves all the time, we really don't know quite what we sound like. So record yourself! What are the weak and strong points you hear in your speech? And then you can concentrate on what you need to work on.
A great idea is to get a book on tape, record yourself reading an excerpt from it (or mimicking the narrator), and comparing yourself to the recording. That way you can do it over and over until you get it right!
When that's a bit too much effort, just read your books aloud. You'll score points on your reading skills and your speaking skills. Half the battle is just getting comfortable with the words!
➤Speak English at home : This is the biggest, easiest mistake to make. You go about your day, you're on the job working partly in English, you go to your English class, and then you go home and revert back to your native tongue. While you may be making slow improvements, you'll never get past that dreaded lingual plateau. Make a point to speak it at home, too. Have only English at the dinner table. Stick to English TV at home. Make it as 24/7 as possible.
Heck, talk to yourself in English. Narrate your actions. While you're washing the dishes, say what you're doing, thinking, or feeling. It sounds a little silly (if you get caught!), but it keeps your brain thinking in English before your first language, which is huge. Once you can do that, the rest is just keeping it up.
➤ Talk : Really. Passive listening is okay, but interacting is even better. If you want to get good at listening, you have to ask questions. And this way you have control of the conversation! If you ask someone what their favorite thing to do in summer is you know they're not going to go off on a confusing tangent on politics. At least, hopefully!
And the more you hear a specific individual talk, the easier it is to understand them. English has so many accents you may find yourself not understanding someone and wondering why. Be patient! Your mind will get used to their accent in time. English-speaking people have to adjust for each other all the time.
➤ Utilize the Internet : It has practically everything you've ever wanted. Practically. There are websites that have English games, easy-to-read English articles, and exercises to improve your skills in every domain. Here's just a few neat ones to whet your appetite:[1]
Anki is flashcard software. Similar things can be found on websites like Memrise, too. You can basically quiz yourself.
OneLook is a type of dictionary that can find words for you, define them, and translate. You only need the, cough cough, one look. It also has a reverse dictionary where you can type in the concept instead!
Visuwords creates word map visualizations, connecting the word you search with similar, associated words or words that collocate with it. Great way to expand your vocabulary!
Similar to Visuwords, Merriam Webster has a "visual dictionary." If you type in "tire," it will show you a tire, with words pointing to every little detail of it from "tread" to "bead wire."
Englishforums is a great place to pose questions and talk to speakers. It's basically message board after message board of English-related questions.
➤Watch TV, movies : So while talking and listening proactively is best, passive learning is good, too. So throw on the telly and sit down for a spell. Try to keep the captions off! And if you can record it and watch it more than once, even better. That way you can see your progress.
Even having the radio on in the background is helpful, just to keep your mind in the English zone. But the best case scenario is getting a movie and watching it over and over until your mind stops having to worry about understanding and instead can concentrate on the little things, like intonation and slang. And watching TV shows where you have the same characters over and over so you get used to their speech. In other words: repetition.
➤ Use a dictionary : Online dictionaries often have audio examples so you can check your pronunciation and there are lots of great dictionary apps that you can take everywhere with you on your smartphone. Make sure not to become too reliant on these tools, though. Have a go at saying the words first then check afterwards to see if you were right!
So, with all these practice tips to choose from, which one are you going to try first?
➤ Use technology : A smartphone can be a powerful tool for learning languages. Use it to record yourself speaking then listen back to see how your English sounds to other people. Make the most of all your favourite productivity apps to organise your practice time and make a note of all the new words you learn.
So, Flow This Rule and improve your speaking English...
