HOW TO IMPROVE ENGLISH
The importance of the English language cannot be overemphasized. Comfort with English is almost a prerequisite for success in the corporate world. Regardless of the industry, proficiency in English is an important factor in both hiring and promotion decisions.
A lot of us have studied English in school and are fairly comfortable with reading and writing. However, we hesitate while speaking because we feel that we lack the fluency and may make grammatical mistakes. We are afraid of speaking English in formal situations and we are quick to switch to our native language once we are in the company of our family and friends.
There is never a quick fix to improve your command over a particular language. It always requires a lot of time and effort. If there were three mantras to improve English – they would be practice, practice and practice.
Here are EnglishLeap’s top ten tips to improve your command of the English language:
1. Do not hesitate. Talk to whoever you can. Decide among your circle of friends that you will only talk in English with each other. This way you can get rid of hesitation and also have your friends correct you when you are wrong.
2. Another technique is to start conversation with strangers in English. Since we do not know them personally, we will feel less conscious about what they would feel about us.
3. Maintaining a diary to record the events of your day is a great way to practice your writing skills. Take your time to use new words and phrases when you write in your diary.
4. Read the newspaper. Read it aloud in your room or an open area. Concentrate on each word. Note down the words you don’t understand and find the meaning in the dictionary. Try to use these words in your own sentences. This is one of the most effective ways to improve your vocabulary.
5. Watch English movies and English shows on television. Initially, you can read the sub-titles to follow the conversation. As you practice more, you will realize that you are able to follow the conversation without needing to read the sub-titles.
6. A good way to improve English is to set aside an hour every day to watch English news channels. This has two benefits. Since you are listening to English for an hour, your comprehension of the language improves. You also get aware of what is happening in the world around you. These current topics can also be discussed among your friends.
7. Podcasts are available on different sites on the internet. These are audio and video files and many of these can be downloaded free. These are a great way to practice listening skills and develop an understanding of different accents.
8. It is usually quite difficult for a beginner to understand the words of an English song as there is background music and the accent of the artist may be unfamiliar for the listener. Read the lyrics while you listen to the song and you will comprehend better. Once you start following the voice of a particular singer, you will find it much easier to understand the singer’s other songs too.
9. Another effective way is to record your own voice and listen to it. You will notice hesitations and pauses. You may also notice that you make some grammatical mistakes while speaking that you do not make while writing. You must aim to improve and rectify these mistakes in subsequent recordings.
10. Ask people who speak better for advice. There is no shame in seeking help especially if you are trying to improve yourself. Talk to them in English all the time and ask them to correct you whenever you are wrong.