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Ways to Improve Conversational English
6 лет назадIf you are like most ESL students, you are probably pretty comfortable reading and writing in English, but not as comfortable listening and speaking in the language.
Once you are in the U.S or another English speaking country., you will soon realize that the level of conversational English that helped you score well on TOEFL or IELTS is not enough to help you get by comfortably in a U.S. environment.
Below are some tips to help you strengthen your conversational skills, which will likely help you adapt more quickly to your new environment.
1. Practice before you arrive: Part of her advice is to keep practicing English.
You will probably enjoy practicing English a lot more when you don’t have to prepare for a test. Some students spend an entire, awesome summer listening to and translating Britney Spears songs – and do not regret it at all.
2. Befriend American students (or teachers here): Practice makes perfect. The more you converse with others in English, the better you get.
Many international students end up befriending a lot of – or only – other international students, which I don’t think is a good idea. Hanging out with natives not only naturally pushes you to improve your conversational English, but also helps you pick up cultural and social cues.
A good sign you've mastered a language is being able to make a joke in that language. Next time you see your American friends, try to make them laugh.
3. Learn from American friends: Tell your English friends that you are trying to improve your listening and speaking skills, and would like them to help you.
If you pronounce a word incorrectly, or misuse an idiom, you want them to tell you. You will learn much faster this way.
4. Expand your knowledge: Read books, keep up with news and watch popular shows and movies. If you have been exposed to topics that are likely to be discussed in conversation, you have a much better chance of understanding people when they talk, and of being able to express yourself well.
This helps you overcome both a culture gap and language barriers – and gives you a great excuse to watch TV.
5. If possible, become a tutor at your school or workplace: If you have to explain something to someone, you have a strong incentive to pronounce everything as well as you can, and find alternative ways to explain yourself.
Eventually, this becomes a good habit. Tutors are also usually relatively well paid, so this is a good way to make some extra cash while improving your English. It's a win-win for international students/people.
I hope these tips help you in your journey! Remember the more you speak, the better you get!
