5 Great Ways to Improve Your Spoken English

Understanding English - or any second language - is one thing. Being able to speak it clearly and confidently is another. There are many great websites to help you learn English; the grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary. Often, though, when it comes to learning to SPEAK the language well, it's easy to find yourself feeling alone.
Here are 5 really good ways to improve your spoken English.

Drill of National Examination for Senior High School (SMA) 2010 - English

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Drill Solutions of National Examination for Senior High School (SMA) 2010 - English

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Download Bank of English for Senior High School(SMA / MA)

Method 1 - Listen to Native Speakers of English
The first is that, if you are learning English with a teacher who is NOT a native speaker, you will be picking up mistakes as well as valuable information. You will be learning to speak English with the accent of your teacher, and NOT the accent of a native speaker.
What usually happens is that non-native speakers of English actually produce sounds in a different area of the mouth to native speakers, which his why second language speakers often find English sounds like 'r', 'n', 'w' and 'th' difficult or even impossible to say. They will copy their teacher and make a guess at it, often without getting it right. The second reason that this is important is that by listening carefully to native speakers, you will hear the flow and the 'music' of the language. This is something that you HAVE to hear - you cannot learn it from books and newspapers.

Method 2 - Just Say It!
Does this sound familiar? You've decided you're going to practice speaking English...you've thought about what you want to say..you wait for your moment to speak, and when it comes...you say nothing. I've done this, when learning French and Spanish, and I'm sure you have too. Usually we are worried in case we make a mistake, in case we get it wrong, or in case the other person misunderstands, or laughs. FEAR prevents us from practice. Just take a deep breath and SAY IT. It doesn't matter if it doesn't sound perfect, just say it. Speaking out loud is the only way to improve your spoken English (or my French and Spanish!).

Method 3 - Act A Little!
This one might seem strange, but a good way of improving your English is to act a little. For example, to learn a British English accent, you might pretend that you are 'Lord or Lady so-and-so', or another suitable character. Imagine how they would talk: how clearly and precisely would they form their words? This isn't as crazy as it sounds. Many people are nervous about speaking out loud because they are embarrassed or even surprised by the new sounds that they are making. Putting those sounds into a 'character' like this can be a useful way of getting over those nerves. You probably wouldn't want to speak in this voice all the time, but it's a good way to practice on your own!
Linked to this idea about acting, is to focus on the mouth positions needed to speak good, clear English. Make these mouth positions bigger than they need to be when you practice them. Really get used to how the English sounds are made, and how they differ from the same sounds made in your own language. This will go some way towards helping you reduce your accent and the Mother Tongue Influence (MTI) on your spoken English.

Method 4 - Ask!
How many times have you had a question about speaking better English, you've typed it into a search engine, and seen which answers most closely match your questions? What about using this as a starting point and ASKING the information provider your own question? It's a good idea to make sure that your question has a chance of being answered, though - there are many forums where questions can sit for days or even weeks without an answer, and you might not want to wait that long.
There are many people (myself included) with blogs, YouTube channels, twitter and Facebook pages who can and will answer any questions that you have. Sometimes it's easier to ask someone over the internet than put your hand up in class! Perhaps more importantly, we'll either be able to provide you with specific answers, or your questions can be answered in way which will help other learners too.

Method 5 - Sign Up and Subscribe!
Find those useful websites and blogs, and subscribe. That way you'll receive ongoing, useful information to help you improve your spoken English, as well as invitations to online events...AND the opportunity to connect with other learners around the world, and swap ideas. You'll find many opportunities online to hear native speakers speaking in real time in broadcasts of this sort. Choosing one that's about English speaking is obviously a good choice: the host will be speaking slowly and clearly so you can hear and understand as much as possible.
It's also useful to sign up for podcasts etc that are in English but on any subject matter of interest. These will probably be more of a challenge, as you will hear English spoken at a more natural pace. However, if your goal is to learn business English, then listening in to a call about business issues will not only be a chance for you to hear the language spoken at a natural speed, you'll learn some new vocabulary too.
On international calls, listen carefully to the differences between native speakers, and those speaking English as a second language. LISTENING, as you'll already be aware, is a critical part of improving the way you SPEAK. Above all, use this as an extra opportunity to PRACTICE wherever you can. Make sure that the knowledge in your head actually comes out of your mouth!

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What Games Can I Use in an English Lesson?

Excellent question! Games are a fantastic addition to any TEFL lesson and inject a good dose of fun into the classroom. There are many reasons why you should include games in your lessons, and for a variety of these,but the main reason is that, if used well, they can enhance learning using a technique popularly known as accelerated learning.
A word of caution before you start plundering them; games are a great teaching aid, but not all games are useful!
Many games look impressive, but lack substance; students either spend too much time reading out cards that the teacher had written or simply throwing dice and moving counters. The amount of time spent preparing the game doesn't always equal the progress that the students made in learning the English language.
Remember, games are only useful if they practise using English in a constructive way and your students are actively listening to, recalling, or speaking the target language. With this in mind, we've picked a selection of games which require little preparation on the part of the teacher, but are intensive speaking or listening games that have been firm favourites with students over the years.
Catch! (8-12 pupils)
A ball encourages spontaneity and is a useful tool for turning almost any grammatical structure into a game. This game is best played with a group of about 8-12 pupils, and aims to speed up the response of the student, encouraging fluency in spoken English. (Teacher throws the ball to random student)
St: I'm going to work (throws ball back to teacher)
Throwing a ball creates energy in the classroom, helps build confidence and increase fluency in a fun environment.
Team Games
Everyone loves competitive games. This type of game can involve running and writing the answer on the board, throwing balls, or the quieter tabletop version of simply holding up the correct answer. Don't forget: adults can be just as competitive as children, so introduce these games to all age ranges. 1. Go over directions (turn right, turn left, go round the corner, take the second right etc...)
2. Split class into 2 or 3 teams, line each team up in front of board
3. Shout out a direction; the first student from each team must then run to the board and draw the corresponding diagram. If you prefer, you can have the diagrams pre-prepared so the student selects the correct diagram and pins it to the board, but we find that students gain more from the process of drawing out the direction.
Quizzes
Ask students to write their own questions in teams, or form questions using a simple text. A firm favourite with teachers and students, quizzes can be invaluable for practising superlatives (biggest/longest/widest) and can also be modelled on popular TV shows.
I went shopping and bought...(memory games)
These games encourage pupils to recall specific vocabulary and can be adapted to practise any grammar structure. Have some realia or visual prompts on hand to remind students of vocabulary, so they don't get stuck and lose confidence. (Teacher throws the ball to random student)
In summer, I went on holiday to Greece, and Russia
Bingo
This game requires little explanation. (10-15 mins)
This is a fantastic ice-breaker and a good game for both children and adults. For this game you'll need:
Post-its
Sticky tape (just in case)
Pens
1. Hand out a post-it to each of the students.
It is important to keep the name on the post-it secret!
1. Am I dead or alive?
The only question your students are not allowed to ask is, of course, 'what is my name?'! A simpler version of this game is adaptable for younger children, using animals in the place of famous people.
Games for Children
What's the time Mr. Wolf?
Remember this game? A great game for outside or a spacious open plan classroom, and learning the times. Children: What's the time Mr. Wolf?
Wolf: It's 10 o'clock
Children: What's the time Mr. Wolf?
Wolf: It's 11 o' clock etc...
This continues until the wolf answers 'dinner time', at which point the wolf runs and catches one of the children, who then becomes the new wolf.
Twister
Twister? A good activity to set a small group, and children love the silly aspect of this game. Silly (Simple) Simon says...
Remember this game? The class should only follow the directions of the leader if he begins the instruction 'Silly Simon says...' If the leader misses out the word 'silly', the class should do nothing.

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Which is the Easiest Language to Learn?

Which is the best language to learn? Which is the easiest?
Whichever language you wholeheartedly choose to study will be both the best and the easiest. The choices.
Here is the Modern Language Association's 2002 list of the most commonly studied languages at university level in the United States. I have not included ancient languages like Latin, Biblical Hebrew, or Sanskrit, special purposes languages like American Sign Language, or U.S. heritage languages, like Hawaiian or Navajo since the choice of those languages follows a different dynamic:
1. Spanish
2. French
3. German
4. Italian
5. Japanese
6. Chinese
7. Russian
8. Arabic
9. Modern Hebrew
10. Portuguese
11. Korean
12. Vietnamese
13. Hindi/Urdu
14. Swahili
The U.S. State Department groups languages for the diplomatic service according to learning difficulty:
Category 1. The "easiest" languages for speakers of English, requiring 600 hours of classwork for minimal proficiency: the Latin and Germanic languages. Category 2. Medium, requiring 1100 hours of classwork: Slavic languages, Turkic languages, other Indo-Europeans such as Persian and Hindi, and some non-Indo-Europeans such as Georgian, Hebrew and many African languages. Category 3. Difficult, requiring 2200 hours of study: Arabic, Japanese, Korean and the Chinese languages.
Will you get a chance to practice this language?
Now, consider another important factor: accessibility. To be a successful learner you need the chance to hear, read and speak the language in a natural environment. Language learning takes an enormous amount of concentration and repetition, which cannot be done entirely in the classroom. Will you have access to the language where you live, work and travel?
The 14 most popular courses according to a combination of linguistic ease and accessibility.
1. Spanish. Category One. The straightforward grammar is familiar and regular. It is the overwhelming favorite, accounting for more than fifty percent of language study enrollment in the MLA study.
2. French. Category One. Grammatically complex but not difficult to learn because so many of it's words have entered English. For this vocabulary affinity, it is easy to attain an advanced level, especially in reading. It is a world language, and a motivated learner will find this language on the internet, in films and music.
3. German. Category One Plus. The syntax and grammar rules are complex with noun declensions a major problem. It is the easiest language to begin speaking, with a basic vocabulary akin to English. Abstract, advanced language differs markedly, though, where English opts for Latin terms.
4. Italian. Category One. It has the same simple grammar rules as Spanish, a familiar vocabulary and the clearest enunciation among Latin languages (along with Romanian). Italian skills are easily transferable to French or Spanish.
5. Russian. Category Two. This highly inflected language, with declensions, is fairly difficult to learn. The Cyrillic alphabet is not particularly difficult, however, and once you can read the language, the numerous borrowings from French and other western languages are a pleasant surprise. It is increasingly accessible.
6. Arabic. Category Three.
7. Portuguese. Category One. One of the most widely spoken languages in the world is often overlooked.
8. Swahili. It includes many borrowings from Arabic, Persian, English and French. It is a Bantu language of Central Africa, but has lost the difficult Bantu "tones". The sound system is familiar, and it is written using the Latin alphabet.
9. Hindi/Urdu. Category Two. The Hindustani language, an Indo-European language, includes both Hindi and Urdu. It has an enormous number of consonants and vowels, making distinctions between phonemes that an English speaker will have difficulty hearing. Words often have clipped endings, further complicating comprehension. Hindi uses many Sanskrit loans and Urdu uses many Persian/Arabic loans, meaning that a large vocabulary must be mastered. Hindi uses the phonetically precise Devanagari script, created specifically for the language. Predictably, Urdu's use of a borrowed Persian/Arabic script leads to some approximation in the writing system.
10. Modern Hebrew. Category Two. Revived as a living language during the nineteenth century, it has taken on characteristics of many languages of the Jewish diaspora. The resultant language has become regularized in grammar and syntax, and the vocabulary has absorbed many loan words, especially from Yiddish, English and Arabic. The alphabet has both print and script forms, with five vowels, not normally marked. Vowel marking, or pointing, is quite complex when it does occur. 11. Japanese. Category Three. 12. Chinese. Category Three. It is the most difficult language on this list. It includes all of the most difficult aspects: unfamiliar phonemes, a large number of tones, an extremely complex writing system, and an equally unfamiliar vocabulary. On the positive side, it is easy to find, since Chinese communities exist throughout the world, and Chinese language media, such as newspapers, films and TV, are present in all these communities.
13. Vietnamese. Category Three. This language belongs to an unfamiliar family of languages, but it does borrow much vocabulary from Chinese (helpful if you already speak Chinese!). It has six tones, and a grammar with an unfamiliar logic. The chances of speaking this language are not high, though there are 3 million speakers in the USA.
14. Korean. Category Three. Korean uses an alphabet of 24 symbols, which accurately represent 14 consonants and 10 vowels. Speech levels and honorifics complicate the learning of vocabulary, and there is liaison between words, making them hard to distinguish. It borrows many Chinese words, but the language is unrelated to other languages of Asia.
The most important factor of all: personal motivation
The easiest language to learn is the one that you are most motivated to learn, the one you enjoy speaking, the one with the culture that inspires you and the history that touches you spiritually. It is useless to try to learn a language if you are not interested in the people who speak it, since learning a language involves participating in its behaviors and identifying with its people.
Bonne chance!

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How to Improve English Pronunciation Skills

Do you have difficulty with your English pronunciation? Do people find it difficult to understand you, and because of this - do you avoid speaking English?
Good English pronunciation can be a difficult skill to gain, but with focused practice you can learn to pronounce English clearly.
Tips to help you practice English pronunciation
Listen to other native English speakers, try to repeat the speech you hear. Pay attention to the way English speakers pronounce words, listen to the tone and the rhythm of the English language.
Slow down your speech. Practice speaking English with native English speakers and record yourself when you speak. Practice reading aloud in English every day.

Why is it difficult to improve my English pronunciation?
As an adult you have a good understanding of the sound system of your first language, so with specific instruction it is possible to extend your awareness to help you understand the differences of particular sounds in English.
The first language of an adult learner is one factor that strongly influences their pronunciation ability in English. Difficulties experienced by learners attempting to teach themselves English pronunciation may occur because often they may be unable to hear the differences between their first language and English. Listening to spoken English and being able to hear the different features of the language is an important part of learning to pronounce English more clearly.
Improving your English pronunciation takes time. It is important that any program of instruction include extensive homework activities that focus on particular problem issues, providing opportunities for the learner to practice and improve their pronunciation over time.
English pronunciation training can provide adult learners with specific instruction that focuses on their particular pronunciation problem areas. With continual practice and support, learners can work towards making significant improvements in their ability to speak English more clearly.
To achieve your goal of speaking English clearly, it can be very useful to commence an individually designed English pronunciation skills training program.

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Teaching English Language to Beginners

Young students especially, have short attention spans and quickly lose concentration so in order to keep lesson momentum and the student interested in the topic at hand, break the lesson time down into ten minute module blocks.
For young students or absolute beginners, start with the alphabet and numbers.
Lesson 1 for example could be to learn the alphabet letters to "g" or whatever you feel is within the students ability. For very young students consider bringing a lap top computer and printer to the class and as part of the lesson find, and print out the Flash Cards you intend to use. Likewise with numbers. Compliment the lesson with Flashcards with words starting with the letters you are teaching. For example Apple, Airplane, Air Conditioner, Ape, etc etc.
There are a variety of board games on the market relate to English learning or again you could design one yourself. Simple memorizing or guessing games using playing cards can be very entertaining to students if approached correctly and for the right duration.
Use Flash Cards to gradually build your students vocabulary.
If you have a group of students, divide them into teams and play a "who knows" game. Quickly display a Flash Card (either number, letter or photo). The student who answers correctly earns a point for their team. Surrounding dialogue: "Ok we're going to play a Do You Know Game. Make three lines. The first line is all students who were born in either January, February, March and April. The middle line is all students who were born in either. May, June, July and August. The third line is all students who were born in WHAT MONTHS?
September, October, November and December. Okay, form the lines and let's start. In summary:
Present material in ten minute "bite size" blocks.
Have all materials for the class prepared in advance and in order of use during the lesson. In another instance you may overestimate your students ability and the material being studied may be far to difficult for the student to understand.
In all lessons it's important to have extra materials and resources to help you when unexpected dilemmas happen/occur.
Have fun with your students and they'll enjoy learning from you.

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