How to speak English fluently At OENS, all of our students want to know how to speak English fluently. Some are advanced students taking online English classes to help them with their careers. Some are beginner students or casual learners wanting to improve their English online so they can speak better with their loved ones. Regardless of their level, they all want to speak English with confidence and without hesitation… to speak English like a native speaker. You may be wondering “How can I speak English fluently?” Here are some simple steps you can take to build your confidence and improve your English fluency. Treat your brain like a muscle There is an old saying in English: practice makes perfect. It’s a simple concept. If you want to get better at anything, you have to practice, and it is no different when you want to speak English fluently. When we say “treat your brain like a muscle” we mean create a consistent learning schedule as if you were going to exercise or workout. Plan to practice speaking English once a day, or three times a week. Come up with a schedule that works for you. However, the key is consistency. Practicing a few times every week is better than doing it every day for a week and then stopping for 3 weeks. Staying organised will help you develop good learning habits and allow you to improve. If you are searching for “how to speak english fluently in 10 days” we’ve got bad news for you. There are no shortcuts! Set goals for yourself When we meet an OENS student for the first time, we always ask them what their learning goals are. You may have a high-level goal like, “I want to improve my English so that I can find a new job,” or “I want to speak English fluently so I can communicate with my daughter’s teacher.” Having something to aim at, will give you direction and improve your motivation. Also, setting achievable short-term goals are important too. Commit to small things that will help you achieve your main goal. For example, if your main goal is to prepare for a big presentation, you may set short-term goals such as: watching someone give a presentation in English, asking a question in English during a co-worker’s presentation or practicing your presentation in front of a friend. Quit negative self talk If you believe that you won’t speak English fluently you won’t improve. Resist the urge to keep telling yourself that you are no good. It is easier said than done, but it is critical that you don’t give up on your dream. Examine your negative thoughts and try to put them in perspective. As they say, “ Rome wasn’t built in a day . ” It will take some time to make a dramatic improvement in your confidence speaking English, so don’t set your expectations too high at the beginning. One benefit of setting achievable short-term goals is that you will feel good as you achieve them. Aim for progress, not perfection and you will be more successful in the long run. Improve your listening through passive learning All of our students want to be better speakers, but we focus on turning them into better communicators . If you want to be good at conversation speaking is only 50%. If you don’t understand what someone is saying to you in English, chances are you won’t say the correct thing back. Make sure to focus on your listening (or comprehension) as well. This is the real secret to English fluency . Outside of any classroom activities or conversation practice, you should be watching TV shows and movies in English (preferably with the subtitles on). Listen to music in English. Read articles and news in English and definitely listen to English podcasts that have great free content that will help you with the basics! Train yourself to be a better listener, you will become a better speaker! Step outside of your comfort zone Speaking a new language fluently is a big task! In order to do it well, you have to be ok with being a little uncomfortable. Actively putting yourself in uncomfortable situations is going to accelerate your learning. Go out of your way to speak English. Speak it with friends who are native English speakers. Speak English with strangers. The more comfortable you get, the easier this will be. “The goal of fluency is not to be perfect.” It is ok to fail The advancement of humanity has been based on a very simple method called “ trial and error .” In a sense, learning is controlled failure. We must know what we are doing wrong so that we can improve upon our mistakes. So don’t be afraid to fail – it is an important part of the learning process. The key is to fail early and often while you practice speaking English. Make your mistakes in an online English class , so that when you are out in the real world you won’t fail as much. Over time, confidence and fluency will come as you anticipate your mistakes before they happen and learn to forgive yourself for making some small mistakes from time to time. The goal of fluency is not to be perfect. It’s to speak with little hesitation and to get your point across comfortably. Team up There is something very powerful about learning with others. It is extremely motivating to be with other people who share your goals. It is the reason why people still workout in a gym. Yes, it is possible to workout alone, but there is something deep within us that makes us work just a little harder when we know others are watching. So learn with a friend , join a club or find a tutor to help you stay motivated. Learning with others will help you stay on track and make learning more fun. Invest in yourself There is an American saying “ Put your money where your mouth is. ” It means to back up what you say with action (and sometimes money). So if you want to improve… don’t just say it, do it. Take a class, buy a book… invest in the resources and tools that will get you where you want to be. Be sure to try before you buy… sign up for a free trial class with OENS! Visit Our Site Want to get this positive push with fluency? We want to hear from you. Email us at
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