We have to admit the fact that just knowing English will not help unless and until we are fluent English speakers. You might have memorized the English dictionary, but if you are not able to communicate in English well, there is no point. That being said, we would also like to mention that we are very much aware that speaking English for a non-native English speaker is not a very easy task. A good spoken English course can help you develop your English skills. When you want to speak English like a native English speaker, you need to be familiar with contractions, slang, and cultural idioms. The good thing is that you can learn English sitting in the comfort of your home.
Practice English at Home
Some of the best tips to practice English sitting in the comfort of your home are:
Engage Yourself in A Monologue
You do not always need an audience to practice speaking in English. You can also talk to yourself in English. The biggest advantage of this exercise is that you can speak on any topic or theme that you like. For example, one day you might speak on a topic in the present tense, the next day, you might speak on the same topic or a different topic in the past tense, on the third day, you might speak in the future tense.
You can speak to yourself in front of the mirror. This will allow you to see how you are pronouncing phrases or words. You can video yourself while speaking in English.. This way, you will be able to play back the footage repeatedly and will thus be able to get a better objective view of the fluency and pronunciation. If you join a good online spoken English course, you will be able to improve your pronunciation.
You can also narrate your everyday life experience which might include, going out in the morning, taking a bus or an auto rickshaw or any other transportation, going to shops, etc. This will be a good exercise and this allows you to think in English. This is the best thing to do if you want to practice speaking English but do not want to memorize anything to speak. You can hear yourself speaking in English and this also improves your pronunciation skills. Apart from this, you can speak a few dialogues from your favorite English movie and you are sure to learn English and get entertained at the same time.
Another thing that you can do is to choose a short passage, around 500 words. You can read through the passage and highlight the expressions or phrases that you do not know. Look up those words on the internet and practice by using them in sentences that you speak. Pursuing English speaking classes from a reputed institute will help you speak English better.
Read Out Loud
You might have read several books, articles, magazines etc. to improve your English skills but if you read them aloud, you will become more familiar with the written words and will also be able to practice speaking those words.
Play Online Games
The games that have online text and audio chat are most wonderful. This is because they allow you to communicate with native English speakers while you play. Moreover, this also allows you to learn some fun gaming slang.
Shadow
This is one of the best tips that help you polish your English accent. This also helps in improving your familiarity with spoken English. You can watch an English-speaking film or listen to Anglophone podcasts or radio. When you hear someone speaking, try speaking the same words immediately afterward in the same way.
Read Along with the Subtitles
Whenever possible, you should use subtitles. The subtitles will help you improve your English skills.
Imitate The Actors in The Movies and Television Shows
You can find out some movies and television shows that you like to watch. Once you watch it closely, you can try speaking in the way the different characters speak. This will help you understand the tone of the speaker. It is important to understand the tone as it affects the meaning of the English conversation. If you concentrate on the tone of speaking and the body language of the character, you will be able to get a better understanding of how to communicate in English in real life.
Chat On Video Messaging Or Messaging Apps
If you have family and friends who speak English, you can take advantage of the video messaging tools. You can let them know the reason why you want to speak with them in English so that they speak to you in English rather than speaking in their native language.
One great way of practising English is using messaging apps like Whats app and Telegram. You can use the app for video messaging and can also connect with English learners across the globe to practice and learn English better. By joining an online spoken English course with a certificate, you will be able to get an in-depth knowledge of English.
Order Food in English
If you are going to a restaurant to eat, you can order food in English. You can also speak to the customer care representative in English. When you are outside you can speak to the waiters and the store clerks in English.
Comment on Sports
If you are fond of sports, you can comment on the sports games in English language. You can listen to the sports commentators and try mimicking them as well. Apart from sports you can also commentate on video games in English and share them online.
Sing, Say Poetry Or Say Quotations in English
Look for the singers and the bands who sing in English. Keep listening to the songs. Once you become familiar with the songs, you can start singing those songs aloud. You can start with Karaoke. This allows you to read the lyrics while you are still singing the songs. Singing is a wonderful way that helps you build your vocabulary. You are also able to learn the pronunciation of the new words. If you are not very comfortable singing, you can try memorizing a poem. Poetry is quite emotional and powerful. This can help you connect your emotions with learning English. This will also allow you to remember vocabulary. Poetry has certain musical qualities like rhyme and rhythm and therefore, you can memorize it. You can also learn the quotes and if you are not comfortable memorizing poems and songs you can start memorizing quotes as they are shorter and easier to learn.
Try Tongue Twisters
Another wonderful way to practice English at home is by trying to master tongue twisters. These are funny one-sentence poems that involve alliteration as well as rhyming. The words sound similar and that is why it is difficult to speak. It is therefore a fun challenge for English learners.
Read Books
It will be a good idea to find English books that cater to your proficiency level. You start with a children’s book or you can start reading a longer novel. Read it aloud with a friend. This will help you practice English better and will also improve your comprehension skills..
Write Story
You can write whatever comes to your mind. This will help you practice your grammar skills better and will also help you to search for new words. If you read and write the words, you will be able to remember them better in future.
Use Rubber Duck Method
Though the word “Rubber Duck” might sound a little weird, however, this is quite simple. Here, you will have to find an inanimate object and teach it something. This is a method that has been created by computer programmers. They used this method to solve issues related to the code. You can, however, use this to practice your English speaking skills. This works all the better if you are not very comfortable talking to yourself. If you are using this method, you are not talking to yourself. You are then teaching the rubber duck something important.
When you start using this method, it will be a good idea to choose a subject that you love talking about. If you like to talk about films, engineering or gardening, you can jot down the points and give a short presentation to the inanimate objects. If you find yourself making any mistakes, write them down. Try giving the presentation again making the necessary corrections. This process works very well.
Conclusion
If you want, you can spend some more time learning English from an expert online coach. This way you get instant feedback on spoken English. You will also be able to practice lots of idioms and phrases. You can ask for online help from your coach whenever required. Practicing English does not always have to be difficult. It can be a lot of fun. You can be creative, and can also use the resources that are available online. If you make speaking English a part of your daily routine that will improve your reading, speaking and writing English skills.
