Hello Seniors, Hope all of you are fine and healthy by the grace of God. The question which i have to ask you is that my written English is not bad but i am having serious issues when speaking comes. What can i do to improve it, i have done almost every thing but i am not able to speak with fluency. And i am desperate to learn art of speaking English. Please suggest me some techniques which could do wonders.
From Pakistan, Karachi
8From Pakistan, Karachi
Hi Anonymous,
You are far better placed than others when you say that you are reasonably good in writing.
It is a question of starting and practicing.
When you say that you have done everything it does not signify the methods and medium tried by you.
So I begin with my own idea.
Start following English movies that have subtitles running alongside.
Try to read the dialogues as the words keep moving.
The advantage is you can see and hear from the TV.
Your mouth has to follow your eyes and ears.
Then take a English News paper and start reading it allowed.
Get used to your own voice falling clearly on your ears.
You can try in Cite HR archives for more ideas.
V.Raghunathan
From India
You are far better placed than others when you say that you are reasonably good in writing.
It is a question of starting and practicing.
When you say that you have done everything it does not signify the methods and medium tried by you.
So I begin with my own idea.
Start following English movies that have subtitles running alongside.
Try to read the dialogues as the words keep moving.
The advantage is you can see and hear from the TV.
Your mouth has to follow your eyes and ears.
Then take a English News paper and start reading it allowed.
Get used to your own voice falling clearly on your ears.
You can try in Cite HR archives for more ideas.
V.Raghunathan
From India
Thanks for you kind suggestions
I did these things many time, watching movies with subtitles and read them loud but no gain in my confidence. I think confidence play more vital role in anything you want to do but the issue is that i always lost my confidence when i am speaking because speaking and writing is quite different from each other as in writing you have enough time to think while in speaking you don't have much time. And due to this i forget proper structure as words starts dancing in my mind and i lost all my control.
Some friend suggest me to learn some sentences which are vital for daily routine life as it can boost your speaking power.
From Pakistan, Karachi
I did these things many time, watching movies with subtitles and read them loud but no gain in my confidence. I think confidence play more vital role in anything you want to do but the issue is that i always lost my confidence when i am speaking because speaking and writing is quite different from each other as in writing you have enough time to think while in speaking you don't have much time. And due to this i forget proper structure as words starts dancing in my mind and i lost all my control.
Some friend suggest me to learn some sentences which are vital for daily routine life as it can boost your speaking power.
From Pakistan, Karachi
Dear friend,
This is in addition to what Mr V. Raghunathan has said. Practice makes man perfect goes the adage. Therefore, what you need to do is to start talking in English with your friends. Develop friendship with those whose mother tongue is different from yours.
Your problem why you are unable to speak in English is probably because you could be thinking in your mother tongue. Writing gives us permission to think in mother tongue and then translate. Furthermore, while typing on computer or laptop, making corrections is so easy. Speaking offers no such privilege because of lack of time gap. Hence your problem. Therefore, start thinking in English as well.
The silver lining of your problem is that you have identified the problem and you have approached this forum for the solution. People do not even understand what their problems is. Yours is not this case therefore, I am confident that surely you will tide over this challenge.
Take the case of our Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi. Before becoming PM, hardly he spoke in English. Just six months in power and he has changed himself and he has started giving speeches in English. His position is so high that it offers no room for experimentation and he has to speak correctly per force. But then he has been doing it. Take inspiration from him and go ahead!
All the best!
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
This is in addition to what Mr V. Raghunathan has said. Practice makes man perfect goes the adage. Therefore, what you need to do is to start talking in English with your friends. Develop friendship with those whose mother tongue is different from yours.
Your problem why you are unable to speak in English is probably because you could be thinking in your mother tongue. Writing gives us permission to think in mother tongue and then translate. Furthermore, while typing on computer or laptop, making corrections is so easy. Speaking offers no such privilege because of lack of time gap. Hence your problem. Therefore, start thinking in English as well.
The silver lining of your problem is that you have identified the problem and you have approached this forum for the solution. People do not even understand what their problems is. Yours is not this case therefore, I am confident that surely you will tide over this challenge.
Take the case of our Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi. Before becoming PM, hardly he spoke in English. Just six months in power and he has changed himself and he has started giving speeches in English. His position is so high that it offers no room for experimentation and he has to speak correctly per force. But then he has been doing it. Take inspiration from him and go ahead!
All the best!
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
Dear Anonymous,
Some good inputs have been added by Mr Dinesh Divekar.
They say that everything is in the mind.
How you bring out cogently is what counts.
After all the other person to whom you are talking should understand clearly,
when you converse with him.
It is good that you know that speaking and writing are different.
So, what according to you are different? List out and attempt a self learning.
I can give a tip. A small tip but a powerful one. Speak simple and small sentences.
Till you become fluent, do not attempt to speak long sentences.
Perhaps it is your writing style to write long sentences.
This is reflected from your two postings.
The next post that I wish to see from you is “I have started practicing”.
Confidence will automatically follow.
V.Raghunathan
From India
Some good inputs have been added by Mr Dinesh Divekar.
They say that everything is in the mind.
How you bring out cogently is what counts.
After all the other person to whom you are talking should understand clearly,
when you converse with him.
It is good that you know that speaking and writing are different.
So, what according to you are different? List out and attempt a self learning.
I can give a tip. A small tip but a powerful one. Speak simple and small sentences.
Till you become fluent, do not attempt to speak long sentences.
Perhaps it is your writing style to write long sentences.
This is reflected from your two postings.
The next post that I wish to see from you is “I have started practicing”.
Confidence will automatically follow.
V.Raghunathan
From India
Useful suggestions from everyone so far. But, I think that our friend's difficulty arises from his Mother- Tongue - Influence. The 'MTI' affects our verbal communication very particularly our spoken English because it is a foriegn language fundamentally different in terms of syntax and the like. In face-to-face situations oral response becomes extemporay i.e the processes of thinking and speaking become almost simultaneous where our mother tongue automatically jumps in to translate our thoughts into words. In other words, normally we think in mother tongue only. So my suggestion is that let our friend first cultivate the habit of thinking in English. Initially, it will be a bit embarassing as our response would be delayed; but no problem. we can practice it with our friends and family members.
From India, Salem
From India, Salem
Hi All,
Everytime i see such posts i start thinking how can i help!
I'm so aware of the problems faced by a vast majority esp when it comes to reading & speaking in English Language that i have decided that all through 2015 & 2016 My aim will be conducting Reading Skill development Workshops. Have already started with Mumbai School teachers. Exploring the same for corporates.
Before you ask, "Why Reading?"... Because Reading is actually speaking in the head! And if while reading you know how to pronounce the same sounds of one letter; e.g. the letter 'A' in Apple, All, Ant etc you'll feel confident while speaking. There are many more such concepts that govern reading/speaking (most importantly those related to 'Stress/ Unstress') which can help non-native speakers.
Any suggestions which can help conduct a workshop for keen office-goers are most welcome.
From India, Mumbai
Everytime i see such posts i start thinking how can i help!
I'm so aware of the problems faced by a vast majority esp when it comes to reading & speaking in English Language that i have decided that all through 2015 & 2016 My aim will be conducting Reading Skill development Workshops. Have already started with Mumbai School teachers. Exploring the same for corporates.
Before you ask, "Why Reading?"... Because Reading is actually speaking in the head! And if while reading you know how to pronounce the same sounds of one letter; e.g. the letter 'A' in Apple, All, Ant etc you'll feel confident while speaking. There are many more such concepts that govern reading/speaking (most importantly those related to 'Stress/ Unstress') which can help non-native speakers.
Any suggestions which can help conduct a workshop for keen office-goers are most welcome.
From India, Mumbai
Thanks for some useful inputs by all of you...
Dinesh you have pointed rightly that i have to take some example from those people who are not good speakers but now they are speaking well like PM.... Thanks for this !!
Raghunathan YOUR tip is excellent and i will surely try your small tip ''Speak simple and small sentences'' .... Again Thanks !!.
From Pakistan, Karachi
Dinesh you have pointed rightly that i have to take some example from those people who are not good speakers but now they are speaking well like PM.... Thanks for this !!
Raghunathan YOUR tip is excellent and i will surely try your small tip ''Speak simple and small sentences'' .... Again Thanks !!.
From Pakistan, Karachi
Anupma reading is not a problem for me, i feel confident while reading because everything goes good, either no issues with my pronunciation. When i start talking in English, at start everything goes good but as if someone interrupt or ask something which is hard to answer than my tongue stammer and i start taking pauses. This is the main issue which i am facing for so long.
From Pakistan, Karachi
From Pakistan, Karachi
Dear friend - Mr Anonymous
I have seen all the replies. I want to tell you one thing. I retired from Indian Air Force and presently am working in Indian Overseas Bank in Erode Tamil nadu. I have been running a spoken english institute and training adults to speak english.
Please take fifteen days holidays and come to me .I will teach you speaking and reading.Call me on 09364292705 or mail me at babubless@gmail.com
God bless you
T Babu Srinivas
From India, Coimbatore
I have seen all the replies. I want to tell you one thing. I retired from Indian Air Force and presently am working in Indian Overseas Bank in Erode Tamil nadu. I have been running a spoken english institute and training adults to speak english.
Please take fifteen days holidays and come to me .I will teach you speaking and reading.Call me on 09364292705 or mail me at babubless@gmail.com
God bless you
T Babu Srinivas
From India, Coimbatore
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