I completed my studies in Kannada up to STD VI, VII to X in Marathi, and further studies in English. I was working as a PA for many years, and I improved my English by:
- reading books/newspapers
- talking to friends, etc. in English, and they would correct me whenever I made grammatical mistakes
- also by self-correspondence.
Hence, my dear friend, please do not feel bad about your communication skills and be confident. As time passes and you work on the above points, you will improve your communication skills. All the best!
From India, Mumbai
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14- reading books/newspapers
- talking to friends, etc. in English, and they would correct me whenever I made grammatical mistakes
- also by self-correspondence.
Hence, my dear friend, please do not feel bad about your communication skills and be confident. As time passes and you work on the above points, you will improve your communication skills. All the best!
From India, Mumbai
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1. Watch lots of English programs, but importantly listen to the dialogues. It really helps in your pronunciation. Most people struggle with English in their pronunciation. For example, it is "Physiology" and not "Physio logy" (I hope you got the pronunciation).
2. Speak in clean English as much as possible. By clean English, I mean, please do not use "What yaar" or "Let's go re". This may seem like an innocent way of mixing our mother tongue with English, but it is not recommended.
3. Try not to rush when you are speaking; speak slowly. Think before you speak. Remember, this is not a rapid-fire round of a quiz show.
4. Keep talking to yourself in English (in your mind, that is).
5. If you enjoy reading books, read them aloud.
6. If you have doubts about how to pronounce a word, go to an online dictionary, and click on the speaker icon to listen to the pronunciation.
All the best.
From India, Bangalore
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2. Speak in clean English as much as possible. By clean English, I mean, please do not use "What yaar" or "Let's go re". This may seem like an innocent way of mixing our mother tongue with English, but it is not recommended.
3. Try not to rush when you are speaking; speak slowly. Think before you speak. Remember, this is not a rapid-fire round of a quiz show.
4. Keep talking to yourself in English (in your mind, that is).
5. If you enjoy reading books, read them aloud.
6. If you have doubts about how to pronounce a word, go to an online dictionary, and click on the speaker icon to listen to the pronunciation.
All the best.
From India, Bangalore
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Hi friend,
Always remember - Perfect practice makes men perfect. Therefore, you need to start from scratch instead of directly jumping onto newspapers. Don't get disappointed; it takes time to be perfect.
Unless you have a grammar foundation, you can't speak or learn English. In order to learn or become a master, you must have a strong foundation in whatever you do (in your case, grammar).
Keep on practicing until you feel satisfied. Observe professional English masters and newsreaders, the way they pronounce each word. Also, try to speak in a neutral way rather than putting on an artificial accent. Open your mouth wide so you can speak each and every word clearly.
Useful tips:
- Practice the S & SH sounds (e.g., save or shave) - this is very important, so practice it properly.
- J, Z & ZH sounds (e.g., cousin (Z sound), exposure (ZH sound)).
- Soft TH (thank, Thursday, etc.) or hard TH sound (that).
If you still have any problems or queries, write back to me. All the best in your endeavors!
From India, Delhi
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Always remember - Perfect practice makes men perfect. Therefore, you need to start from scratch instead of directly jumping onto newspapers. Don't get disappointed; it takes time to be perfect.
Unless you have a grammar foundation, you can't speak or learn English. In order to learn or become a master, you must have a strong foundation in whatever you do (in your case, grammar).
Keep on practicing until you feel satisfied. Observe professional English masters and newsreaders, the way they pronounce each word. Also, try to speak in a neutral way rather than putting on an artificial accent. Open your mouth wide so you can speak each and every word clearly.
Useful tips:
- Practice the S & SH sounds (e.g., save or shave) - this is very important, so practice it properly.
- J, Z & ZH sounds (e.g., cousin (Z sound), exposure (ZH sound)).
- Soft TH (thank, Thursday, etc.) or hard TH sound (that).
If you still have any problems or queries, write back to me. All the best in your endeavors!
From India, Delhi
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Hi,
You should read an English newspaper every day. It will help you improve your communication skills. Communication means sharing your thoughts and messages with others. It doesn't matter if it's in English; you can share in any language that people understand.
Please let me know if you need any further assistance.
From India, Jamshedpur
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You should read an English newspaper every day. It will help you improve your communication skills. Communication means sharing your thoughts and messages with others. It doesn't matter if it's in English; you can share in any language that people understand.
Please let me know if you need any further assistance.
From India, Jamshedpur
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Hi pm444,
I want to give you a different kind of advice, as everyone offers advice differently. First of all, tell me, who helped you in writing your query? If it's not anyone, then it must be you, right? So, just believe in yourself and keep practicing by speaking to others. No matter what you say, just keep going. No one is born talented; you have to practice a lot. Don't bother about what others think of your speech. Don't take a step back if someone criticizes you; take it positively and continue. One fine day, you will be ahead of everyone. Finally, you will benefit. Stay positive always.
ALL THE BEST!!! KarthiK
From India, Bangalore
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I want to give you a different kind of advice, as everyone offers advice differently. First of all, tell me, who helped you in writing your query? If it's not anyone, then it must be you, right? So, just believe in yourself and keep practicing by speaking to others. No matter what you say, just keep going. No one is born talented; you have to practice a lot. Don't bother about what others think of your speech. Don't take a step back if someone criticizes you; take it positively and continue. One fine day, you will be ahead of everyone. Finally, you will benefit. Stay positive always.
ALL THE BEST!!! KarthiK
From India, Bangalore
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Dear 'PM444',
This is a very honest question to ask. As an Englishman writing this from a cold London (we've had snow this week), I can understand your concerns, as many people here also have difficulties with English! I am a trainer and assessor for management qualifications and see many problems with how English is both spoken and written. If I may add some thoughts:
Firstly, do not worry about what you will sound like - many people get the pronunciations wrong the first time. To help you, ask people you trust to give you feedback. Remember - most people are more comfortable understanding what they hear compared to saying what they want to say - it takes courage to speak a foreign language, and you don't improve by not trying.
Secondly, I have noticed that many people using English get the form of the tenses wrong - they will say 'I am writing..' rather than 'I write..'. English sentences and constructions tend to be short (9 to 15 words).
Thirdly, follow the advice given by others above - read a lot and speak the words out loud as you do so. Ask a friend to listen to you and check how you say the words.
Fourthly, be certain which English you are learning - UK (the 'Queen's English) is very different from US English in grammar, pronunciation, and word meanings.
Good luck,
Roger
From United Kingdom, London
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This is a very honest question to ask. As an Englishman writing this from a cold London (we've had snow this week), I can understand your concerns, as many people here also have difficulties with English! I am a trainer and assessor for management qualifications and see many problems with how English is both spoken and written. If I may add some thoughts:
Firstly, do not worry about what you will sound like - many people get the pronunciations wrong the first time. To help you, ask people you trust to give you feedback. Remember - most people are more comfortable understanding what they hear compared to saying what they want to say - it takes courage to speak a foreign language, and you don't improve by not trying.
Secondly, I have noticed that many people using English get the form of the tenses wrong - they will say 'I am writing..' rather than 'I write..'. English sentences and constructions tend to be short (9 to 15 words).
Thirdly, follow the advice given by others above - read a lot and speak the words out loud as you do so. Ask a friend to listen to you and check how you say the words.
Fourthly, be certain which English you are learning - UK (the 'Queen's English) is very different from US English in grammar, pronunciation, and word meanings.
Good luck,
Roger
From United Kingdom, London
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Hello,
You can improve your English with a very simple method: make a habit of reading the newspaper daily and listening to BBC news daily. After two weeks, you will feel a dramatic improvement in your English. Make sure to note down the meanings of words that you don't know.
From Pakistan, Lahore
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You can improve your English with a very simple method: make a habit of reading the newspaper daily and listening to BBC news daily. After two weeks, you will feel a dramatic improvement in your English. Make sure to note down the meanings of words that you don't know.
From Pakistan, Lahore
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Hi, Krishna.
Simple and proven method. First of all, you need to try and speak English even if it's incorrect. Don't spend too much time on grammar for now. Here are the tips:
1. Listen to English movies and English channels for 15 minutes every day.
2. Read English newspapers aloud with intonation.
3. Talk to people in English. Let those around you know that you are working on improving your language skills; seek their help.
Try to create a list of verbs and English words and use them daily. Write a minimum of 20 different sentences each day to ensure practice. In three months, you can achieve a decent level of English proficiency.
Arvind
From India, Bangalore
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Simple and proven method. First of all, you need to try and speak English even if it's incorrect. Don't spend too much time on grammar for now. Here are the tips:
1. Listen to English movies and English channels for 15 minutes every day.
2. Read English newspapers aloud with intonation.
3. Talk to people in English. Let those around you know that you are working on improving your language skills; seek their help.
Try to create a list of verbs and English words and use them daily. Write a minimum of 20 different sentences each day to ensure practice. In three months, you can achieve a decent level of English proficiency.
Arvind
From India, Bangalore
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Dear Friend,
There is no substitute for hard work; similarly, there is no shortcut to acquiring English speaking skills. The first and foremost thing to becoming a better communicator is to learn to LISTEN first, not just hear. Listen to all that is available in English, such as Indian English news channels, chat shows in English, and audio cassettes on simple English speaking skills. This is the first step.
The next easiest step is to buy yourself an English newspaper, preferably a business newspaper. Read its editorial every day, both alone and aloud. Purchase English filmy magazines (old ones) and read through them, as they will be easy to understand since you would have already heard them in non-English.
Keep a dictionary handy. Write five words and their meanings every day to develop a databank of vocabulary.
Good luck.
From India, Chennai
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There is no substitute for hard work; similarly, there is no shortcut to acquiring English speaking skills. The first and foremost thing to becoming a better communicator is to learn to LISTEN first, not just hear. Listen to all that is available in English, such as Indian English news channels, chat shows in English, and audio cassettes on simple English speaking skills. This is the first step.
The next easiest step is to buy yourself an English newspaper, preferably a business newspaper. Read its editorial every day, both alone and aloud. Purchase English filmy magazines (old ones) and read through them, as they will be easy to understand since you would have already heard them in non-English.
Keep a dictionary handy. Write five words and their meanings every day to develop a databank of vocabulary.
Good luck.
From India, Chennai
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DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS - SEEMA.ppt
English Communication Skills.doc