How to speak English Effectively

Tips on How to Learn English Effectively

Do you want to know how to learn English effectively? If so, you are not alone. In fact, there are many people out there today who are working to learn English as a second language. No matter what the reason is that you are learning English, you want to make sure that you can learn it quickly and effectively as well. Whether you are learning English in a class, on your own, or with language teaching software, there are certain things that you can do to make sure that you learn the language effectively. So, here are a few tips to keep in mind that will help you on your journey towards learning the English language.
Make Sure You WANT to Learn

One of the first tips that can help you out if you want to know how to learn English effectively is to make sure that you really want to learn this language. If you really don’t want to learn, there is no book, no class, and no tips that are going to make it simpler for you. Make sure that you ask yourself whether you really want to learn English. If not, then it’s not for you. However, a real desire to learn the language can go a long way.

Figure Out What Motivates You

If you want to learn English effectively, you need to figure out what your motivation is. Why do you want to learn English so badly? Do you want to improve your current learning, get a better job, attend university, or enjoy your life in an English speaking country? No matter the reason you are motivated to learn this language, you need to understand what motivates you so you can use it as encouragement as you learn the language.

Decide on Some Goals

It is very important that you have goals in mind if you want to know how to learn English effectively. Setting goals will help you to know where you want to be and it will you to actually see your progress as you learn the language as well. Decide what your goals are, whether you want to improve your vocabulary, pronunciation, or even if you want to comprehend when you’re listening better. Once you know your goals, make sure that you are working to achieve them.

Be Sure to Practice

Practicing is probably one of the most important tips if you want to know how to learn English effectively. The more you practice your English skills, the better you will become at it. You can practicing by reading English, by writing emails and letters, by listening to television or the radio in English, or even by taking time to speak to other people who speak the English language. The more you practice, the fewer mistakes you’ll end up making over time, and you’ll become more effective with your English skills.

Speak without Fear

The biggest problem most people face in learning a new language is their own fear. They worry that they won’t say things correctly or that they will look stupid so they don’t talk at all. Don’t do this. The fastest way to learn anything is to do it – again and again until you get it right. Like anything, learning English requires practice. Don’t let a little fear stop you from getting what you want.

Surround Yourself with English

The absolute best way to learn English is to surround yourself with it. Take notes in English, put English books around your room, listen to English language radio broadcasts, watch English news, movies and television. Speak English with your friends whenever you can. The more English material that you have around you, the faster you will learn and the more likely it is that you will begin "thinking in English."

Work on Vocabulary Development

No matter what language you’re learning, a large vocabulary is going to be very important. This is especially important when you are learning the English language. One of the best ways to learn new vocabulary words is to start reading and you can also learn more by listening to the radio or watching television. Playing word games and doing word puzzles can also help you out when you are trying to enhance your English vocabulary.

Study on a Regular Basis

If you plan on learning a language, you are going to have to make studying a priority. It’s not just something you do every now and then, but it should be done every single day. When you study each day it is easier to retain the new things that you learn. You’ll also find that you can review easier every day and you’ll definitely remember what you learn a lot better as well. So, if you want to know how to learn English effectively, then you need to make studying a priority.

Make it Enjoyable

When you’re having fun, it actually makes it easier for you to remember things that you learn, so make sure that you make learning English fun. Take time to do puzzles and to play games, even if it does seem a bit childlike. They really can help you as you learn English and provide you with excellent practice.

Join an English Language Center

Most people have limited money, and everyone wants good value for money. With language centers it's like holidays - we probably know what we want, but no single holiday offers absolutely everything we want. With language centers it's similar, but there are important differences; you want some of the things you want from a holiday (a nice place, things to see, etc.) but you also want the professional service - the teaching, etc. - to be as good as possible. So click here for a professional (but also) personal list of some of the factors you can compare.


English is an easy language to start learning because:
it has no genders. Apart from people, all objects are 'neuter', not 'masculine' or 'feminine'. So you say 'it' for such things, and do not need to learn any genders.
it usually has easy verb endings. Apart from a few 'irregular' verbs, verb endings are easy, and hardly change.
adjectives remain the same for all words - there are no different endings to learn.
the singular and plural pronoun 'you' is the same. There is no need to decide whether to use a polite form, or an intimate form, when speaking to someone as in French or German. (English used to have the singular form 'thou', which was often used in the intimate way like 'tu' or 'du'. In fact, in dialects in parts of England, this is still sometimes used. And in the Republic of Ireland, they have a very sensible plural form of 'you', when speaking to several people: 'yous'.)

The difficult parts of English are: 
the spelling of a word may not show what the pronunciation (way of saying) the word is.

This is because English words came from many different sources. It is not a 'pure' language.
because English came from two main sources - old French, and old Anglo-Saxon, there is a very large vocabulary of words. Words with similar meanings may have come from both sources. For example, START (from Anglo-Saxon) and COMMENCE (from old French). The meaning is similar, but not precisely the same.
native English speakers use a lot of idioms, that is - words used in a way which is not their obvious meaning. An English speaker may say,

"I do not think much of apples." 

This does not mean he doesn't often think about apples. It means that he does not like apples very much!

Yet he might say,

"I think nothing of going for a swim before breakfast." 

What this really means is that he actually likes doing this, and that it is no problem to him!

But don't worry. You will find that you can understand and communicate even when you have not been learning English for long! 


10 tips to improve the way you speak English


i. Observe the mouth movements of those who speak English well and try to imitate them.
When you are watching television, observe the mouth movements of the speakers. Repeat what they are saying, while imitating the intonation and rhythm of their speech.
ii. Until you learn the correct intonation and rhythm of English, slow your speech down.
If you speak too quickly, and with the wrong intonation and rhythm, native speakers will have a hard time understanding you. 
Don't worry about your listener getting impatient with your slow speech -- it is more important that everything you say be understood.

iii. Listen to the 'music' of English.

Do not use the 'music' of your native language when you speak English. Each language has its own way of 'singing'. 
iv. Use the dictionary.
Try and familiarise yourself with the phonetic symbols of your dictionary. Look up the correct pronunciation of words that are hard for you to say.
v. Make a list of frequently used words that you find difficult to pronounce and ask someone who speaks the language well to pronounce them for you.
Record these words, listen to them and practice saying them. Listen and read at the same time.   
vi. Buy books on tape.
Record yourself reading some sections of the book. Compare the sound of your English with that of the person reading the book on the tape.
vii. Pronounce the ending of each word.
Pay special attention to 'S' and 'ED' endings. This will help you strengthen the mouth muscles that you use when you speak English.

viii. Read aloud in English for 15-20 minutes every day. 

Research has shown it takes about three months of daily practice to develop strong mouth muscles for speaking a new language.
ix. Record your own voice and listen for pronunciation mistakes.
Many people hate to hear the sound of their voice and avoid listening to themselves speak. However, this is a very important exercise because doing it will help you become conscious of the mistakes you are making.
x. Be patient.
You can change the way you speak but it won't happen overnight. People often expect instant results and give up too soon. You can change the way you sound if you are willing to put some effort into it.
Quick tips
Various versions of the English language exist. Begin by identifying the category you fall into and start by improving the clarity of your speech.
~ Focus on removing the mother tongue influence and the 'Indianisms' that creep into your English conversations.
~ Watch the English news on television channels like Star World, CNN, BBC and English movies on Star Movies and HBO.
~ Listen to and sing English songs. We'd recommend Westlife, Robbie Williams, Abba, Skeeter Davis and Connie Francis among others.



Want to Speak a Foreign Language Better? Learn to Write First!

Learning to speak a foreign language is very difficult. Not only do you have to understand what another person is saying, you have to think quickly enough to figure out how to respond. It can be frustrating to feel like you have a handle on a foreign language, only to try speaking it with someone from that background and come out on the other end completely turned around. What many people don't realize, though, is that one of the best ways to successfully speak a new language is to learn how to write it. Why? Basically, when it comes to a foreign language, if you can write it, you can say it.
In the simplest sense, writing practice is the ultimate way to really learn new vocabulary and practice verb construction. It's easy enough to memorize new nouns and verbs, but it's quite another animal to use them fluidly in speech. Practicing new words in writing is a perfect way to engrain them in your mind and remember how to use them again. You will also understand how to integrate them into full sentences.
Writing practice is also the best way to learn how to speak your mind in a new language. Most language courses handle daily conversation and academic writing and do a great job of preparing students for speaking to people of a completely different background. Unfortunately, they cannot prepare anyone for the reality of actually figuring out how to say what you want to say at a moment's notice, in a completely new language. Most beginners struggle with never feeling like they can completely convey their true thoughts, because they just don't have the words. That's why writing is so important. Writing long-form articles or essays in a foreign language is one of the only ways to practice making an argument or conveying a point of view.
Finally, what writing ultimately does for new language speakers is give them time to think and practice the language at the same time. Because there is no opportunity to sit and think about how to actually use a language when you have to speak it in conversation, writing helps you develop the ability to truly communicate. No matter what you would like to say, once you've taken the time to figure it out on your own, write it down and read it over, it will be much easier the next time when you want to make a point out loud. In fact, the more often you write, the more your brain will be able to memorize your unique communication style. After truly learning how to write in a foreign language, you will find your own, personal style of communication and sentence structure.
Instead of struggling with speaking until you find yourself more and more overwhelmed, try to combine learning to speak with learning to write. Not only will you find yourself understanding more of what others are saying, you will find that you're actually able to reply.