5 Speaking Rules you need to know!
1. Don't study grammar too much
This rule might sound strange to many ESL
students, but it is one of the most important rules. If you want to pass
examinations, then study grammar. However, if you want to become fluent in
English, then you should try to learn English without studying the grammar.
Studying grammar will only slow you down and confuse you. You will think about the rules when creating sentences instead of naturally saying a sentence like a native. Remember that only a small fraction of English speakers know more than 20% of all the grammar rules. Many ESL students know more grammar than native speakers. I can confidently say this with experience. I am a native English speaker, majored in English Literature, and have been teaching English for more than 10 years. However, many of my students know more details about English grammar than I do. I can easily look up the definition and apply it, but I don't know it off the top of my head.
I often ask my native English friends some grammar questions, and only a few of them know the correct answer. However, they are fluent in English and can read, speak, listen, and communicate effectively.
Do you want to be able to recite the definition of a causative verb, or do you want to be able to speak English fluently?
Studying grammar will only slow you down and confuse you. You will think about the rules when creating sentences instead of naturally saying a sentence like a native. Remember that only a small fraction of English speakers know more than 20% of all the grammar rules. Many ESL students know more grammar than native speakers. I can confidently say this with experience. I am a native English speaker, majored in English Literature, and have been teaching English for more than 10 years. However, many of my students know more details about English grammar than I do. I can easily look up the definition and apply it, but I don't know it off the top of my head.
I often ask my native English friends some grammar questions, and only a few of them know the correct answer. However, they are fluent in English and can read, speak, listen, and communicate effectively.
Do you want to be able to recite the definition of a causative verb, or do you want to be able to speak English fluently?
2. Learn and study phrases
Many students learn vocabulary and try to put
many words together to create a proper sentence. It amazes me how many words
some of my students know, but they cannot create a proper sentence. The reason
is because they didn't study phrases. When children learn a language, they
learn both words and phrases together. Likewise, you need to study and learn
phrases.
If you know 1000 words, you might not be able to say one correct sentence. But if you know 1 phrase, you can make hundreds of correct sentences. If you know 100 phrases, you will be surprised at how many correct sentences you will be able to say. Finally, when you know only a 1000 phrases, you will be almost a fluent English speaker.
The English Speaking Basics section is a great example of making numerous sentences with a single phrase. So don't spend hours and hours learning many different words. Use that time to study phrases instead and you will be closer to English fluency.
Don't translate
When you want to create an English sentence, do not translate the words from your Mother tongue. The order of words is probably completely different and you will be both slow and incorrect by doing this. Instead, learn phrases and sentences so you don't have to think about the words you are saying. It should be automatic.
Another problem with translating is that you will be trying to incorporate grammar rules that you have learned. Translating and thinking about the grammar to create English sentences is incorrect and should be avoided.
If you know 1000 words, you might not be able to say one correct sentence. But if you know 1 phrase, you can make hundreds of correct sentences. If you know 100 phrases, you will be surprised at how many correct sentences you will be able to say. Finally, when you know only a 1000 phrases, you will be almost a fluent English speaker.
The English Speaking Basics section is a great example of making numerous sentences with a single phrase. So don't spend hours and hours learning many different words. Use that time to study phrases instead and you will be closer to English fluency.
Don't translate
When you want to create an English sentence, do not translate the words from your Mother tongue. The order of words is probably completely different and you will be both slow and incorrect by doing this. Instead, learn phrases and sentences so you don't have to think about the words you are saying. It should be automatic.
Another problem with translating is that you will be trying to incorporate grammar rules that you have learned. Translating and thinking about the grammar to create English sentences is incorrect and should be avoided.
3. Reading and Listening is NOT enough. Practice Speaking what
you hear!
Reading, listening, and speaking are the most
important aspects of any language. The same is true for English. However,
speaking is the only requirement to be fluent. It is normal for babies and
children to learn speaking first, become fluent, then start reading, then
writing. So the natural order is listening, speaking, reading, then writing.
First Problem
Isn't it strange that schools across the world teach reading first, then writing, then listening, and finally speaking? Although it is different, the main reason is because when you learn a second language, you need to read material to understand and learn it. So even though the natural order is listening, speaking, reading, then writing, the order for ESL students is reading, listening, speaking, then writing.
Second Problem
The reason many people can read and listen is because that's all they practice. But in order to speak English fluently, you need to practice speaking. Don't stop at the listening portion, and when you study, don't just listen. Speak out loud the material you are listening to and practice what you hear. Practice speaking out loud until your mouth and brain can do it without any effort. By doing so, you will be able to speak English fluently.
First Problem
Isn't it strange that schools across the world teach reading first, then writing, then listening, and finally speaking? Although it is different, the main reason is because when you learn a second language, you need to read material to understand and learn it. So even though the natural order is listening, speaking, reading, then writing, the order for ESL students is reading, listening, speaking, then writing.
Second Problem
The reason many people can read and listen is because that's all they practice. But in order to speak English fluently, you need to practice speaking. Don't stop at the listening portion, and when you study, don't just listen. Speak out loud the material you are listening to and practice what you hear. Practice speaking out loud until your mouth and brain can do it without any effort. By doing so, you will be able to speak English fluently.
4. Submerge yourself
Being able to speak a language is not related to
how smart you are. Anyone can learn how to speak any language. This is a proven
fact by everyone in the world. Everyone can speak at least one language.
Whether you are intelligent, or lacking some brain power, you are able to speak
one language.
This was achieved by being around that language at all times. In your country, you hear and speak your language constantly. You will notice that many people who are good English speakers are the ones who studied in an English speaking school. They can speak English not because they went to an English speaking school, but because they had an environment where they can be around English speaking people constantly.
There are also some people who study abroad and learn very little. That is because they went to an English speaking school, but found friends from their own country and didn't practice English.
You don't have to go anywhere to become a fluent English speaker. You only need to surround yourself with English. You can do this by making rules with your existing friends that you will only speak English. You can also carry around an iPod and constantly listen to English sentences. As you can see, you can achieve results by changing what your surroundings are. Submerge yourself in English and you will learn several times faster.
TalkEnglish Offline Version is now ready for download. In this package, you can utilize over 8000 audio files to completely surround yourself in English. There are over 13.5 hours of audio files that are not available in the web form. All conversations and all sentences are included, so even if you don't have many English speaking friends, you can constantly surround yourself in English using your MP3 player. This package is available at the English Download page. Take advantage of this opportunity and start learning English faster. Click on the link or go to http://www.talkenglish.com/english-download.aspx.
This was achieved by being around that language at all times. In your country, you hear and speak your language constantly. You will notice that many people who are good English speakers are the ones who studied in an English speaking school. They can speak English not because they went to an English speaking school, but because they had an environment where they can be around English speaking people constantly.
There are also some people who study abroad and learn very little. That is because they went to an English speaking school, but found friends from their own country and didn't practice English.
You don't have to go anywhere to become a fluent English speaker. You only need to surround yourself with English. You can do this by making rules with your existing friends that you will only speak English. You can also carry around an iPod and constantly listen to English sentences. As you can see, you can achieve results by changing what your surroundings are. Submerge yourself in English and you will learn several times faster.
TalkEnglish Offline Version is now ready for download. In this package, you can utilize over 8000 audio files to completely surround yourself in English. There are over 13.5 hours of audio files that are not available in the web form. All conversations and all sentences are included, so even if you don't have many English speaking friends, you can constantly surround yourself in English using your MP3 player. This package is available at the English Download page. Take advantage of this opportunity and start learning English faster. Click on the link or go to http://www.talkenglish.com/english-download.aspx.
5. Study correct material
A common phrase that is incorrect is, "Practice makes
perfect." This is far from the truth. Practice only makes what you are
practicing permanent. If you practice the incorrect sentence, you will have
perfected saying the sentence incorrectly. Therefore, it is important that you
study material that is commonly used by most people.
Another problem I see is that many students study the news. However, the language they speak is more formal and the content they use is more political and not used in regular life. It is important to understand what they are saying, but this is more of an advanced lesson that should be studied after learning the fundamental basics of English.
Studying English with a friend who is not a native English speaker is both good and bad. You should be aware of the pros and cons of speaking with a non native speaking friend. Practicing with a non native person will give you practice. You can also motivate each other and point out basic mistakes. But you might pick up bad habits from one another if you are not sure about what are correct and incorrect sentences. So use these practice times as a time period to practice the correct material you studied. Not to learn how to say a sentence.
In short, study English material that you can trust, that is commonly used, and that is correct.
Summary
These are the rules that will help you achieve your goal of speaking English fluently. All the teachings and lessons on TalkEnglish.com follow this method so you have the tools you need to achieve your goal right here on TalkEnglish.com.
Another problem I see is that many students study the news. However, the language they speak is more formal and the content they use is more political and not used in regular life. It is important to understand what they are saying, but this is more of an advanced lesson that should be studied after learning the fundamental basics of English.
Studying English with a friend who is not a native English speaker is both good and bad. You should be aware of the pros and cons of speaking with a non native speaking friend. Practicing with a non native person will give you practice. You can also motivate each other and point out basic mistakes. But you might pick up bad habits from one another if you are not sure about what are correct and incorrect sentences. So use these practice times as a time period to practice the correct material you studied. Not to learn how to say a sentence.
In short, study English material that you can trust, that is commonly used, and that is correct.
Summary
These are the rules that will help you achieve your goal of speaking English fluently. All the teachings and lessons on TalkEnglish.com follow this method so you have the tools you need to achieve your goal right here on TalkEnglish.com.
Information on Grammar pertaining to
English Speaking
In order to obtain English fluency for ESL
students, studying grammar can slow your progress down significantly. Basic grammar is a necessity, but focusing on grammar will
prevent you from being able to speak English fluently in a reasonable time
frame. Grammar is most effective to improve communication and writing skills,
but this only pertains to those who have a solid foundation in English fluency.
If you are studying for an exam or want to learn the details of all the grammar rules, you can study our grammar section at http://www.talkenglish.com/grammar/grammar.aspx.
One commonality among everyone in the whole world is that they learned to speak before they learned grammar. Speaking is the first step for any English learner. So if you are a novice at English, please focus on your speaking and listening skills prior to studying grammar. After being able to speak English fluently, you will realize how much easier grammar is. But it does not work the other way around. Being fluent in English speaking will help you with your grammar studies, but studying grammar will NOT help you with your speaking.
In this article, the four most basic grammar topics are explained, which consists of 1) subject, 2) predicate, 3) verb, and 4) article. This is the absolute minimum you should know. After you become comfortable with speaking, then you can study more advanced grammar topics. For now, please review and study the four items described below.
If you are studying for an exam or want to learn the details of all the grammar rules, you can study our grammar section at http://www.talkenglish.com/grammar/grammar.aspx.
One commonality among everyone in the whole world is that they learned to speak before they learned grammar. Speaking is the first step for any English learner. So if you are a novice at English, please focus on your speaking and listening skills prior to studying grammar. After being able to speak English fluently, you will realize how much easier grammar is. But it does not work the other way around. Being fluent in English speaking will help you with your grammar studies, but studying grammar will NOT help you with your speaking.
In this article, the four most basic grammar topics are explained, which consists of 1) subject, 2) predicate, 3) verb, and 4) article. This is the absolute minimum you should know. After you become comfortable with speaking, then you can study more advanced grammar topics. For now, please review and study the four items described below.
What is a subject?
The subject in a sentence is "who" or
"what" you are talking about. Every sentence needs a subject. If you
don't have a subject, then the sentence is incorrect and nobody will understand
what you are talking about.
In other languages, the subject is not always required. Verbally, the person listening to you will understand what you are talking about, so a subject is not required. In English, a subject is always required.
Here are examples of small sentences with the subject underlined.
"I am hungry"
"My brother is very smart"
"That computer is very expensive"
"We are going to the store now"
"My sister and I will be waiting here"
"The building is very big"
"When are you going to eat lunch?"
"Why are they waiting in line?"
"Who is going to take you to the store?"
In other languages, the subject is not always required. Verbally, the person listening to you will understand what you are talking about, so a subject is not required. In English, a subject is always required.
Here are examples of small sentences with the subject underlined.
"I am hungry"
"My brother is very smart"
"That computer is very expensive"
"We are going to the store now"
"My sister and I will be waiting here"
"The building is very big"
"When are you going to eat lunch?"
"Why are they waiting in line?"
"Who is going to take you to the store?"
What is a predicate?
The predicate in a sentence is the section that
informs the person what the subject is or what it is doing. It is a phrase that
contains a verb. The verb is always in the predicate.
Let's look at the sentences we used in the subject lesson to identify the predicates. They will be underlined.
"I am hungry"
"My brother is very smart"
"That computer is very expensive"
"We are going to the store now"
"The building is very big"
In the above short sentences, we have identified the subject and predicate. In the most basic sentences, you need a subject and an action associated with the subject. Let's go on to verbs to understand this in more detail.
Let's look at the sentences we used in the subject lesson to identify the predicates. They will be underlined.
"I am hungry"
"My brother is very smart"
"That computer is very expensive"
"We are going to the store now"
"The building is very big"
In the above short sentences, we have identified the subject and predicate. In the most basic sentences, you need a subject and an action associated with the subject. Let's go on to verbs to understand this in more detail.
What is a verb?
A verb is an action, existence, or occurrence.
In the simple sentences we used so far, the verb is mostly in the existence
form. They are "am", "is", and "are".
Other types of verbs are action verbs such as:
Wash
Run
Walk
Throw
Jump
Dance
Laugh
Learn
Teach
There are many action verbs, but I only listed a few to let you know what I am referring to. Here are some sentences to help you understand.
"I need to wash my face"
"Jane taught Jill"
"Mike is laughing"
A verb can also start at the beginning of the sentence.
"Throw the ball at the catcher"
"Run towards the finish line"
It is important to understand the verb, but having just a subject and a verb is not sufficient. For example, "Jill run" is not a complete sentence. Although Jill can be the subject, and "run" is the verb, this is not a complete sentence. That is why the previous lesson on predicate is important. With the predicate, we can turn the sentence into a proper sentence. "Jill is running"
Other types of verbs are action verbs such as:
Wash
Run
Walk
Throw
Jump
Dance
Laugh
Learn
Teach
There are many action verbs, but I only listed a few to let you know what I am referring to. Here are some sentences to help you understand.
"I need to wash my face"
"Jane taught Jill"
"Mike is laughing"
A verb can also start at the beginning of the sentence.
"Throw the ball at the catcher"
"Run towards the finish line"
It is important to understand the verb, but having just a subject and a verb is not sufficient. For example, "Jill run" is not a complete sentence. Although Jill can be the subject, and "run" is the verb, this is not a complete sentence. That is why the previous lesson on predicate is important. With the predicate, we can turn the sentence into a proper sentence. "Jill is running"
What is an Article?
Articles seem so easy, but it is extremely
difficult to teach.
"A", "An", and "The" are all articles. It is easy to explain the difference between them, but it is difficult to explain when they are used.
"A" and "An" have the same meaning. They are both indefinite articles. They are only different depending on what word or sound is following. Here is a brief explanation.
You should use "A" when the following word starts with a consonant.
"A dog..."
"A boy..."
"A building..."
"A hamburger..."
You should use "An" when the following starts with a vowel sound.
"An eagle..."
"An umbrella..."
"An elephant..."
"An awesome book..."
"The" is a definite article. The difference is if the noun or subject you are talking about is specific or not. Examples are the best way to understand the difference, so let's take a look.
If you say, "I am going to a library to study", then the person you are speaking with does not know which library. If you say, "I am going to the library to study", then the person you are speaking with knows the specific library you are going to.
"I am going to a coffee shop" (No specific coffee shop)
"I am going to the coffee shop" (A specific coffee shop both the speaker and listener knows)
Here is a slightly different example, but still using the same concept of specific or general.
"I am going to sit in front of one of the computers in the lab"
"I am going to buy a computer"
Although the computer in the lab can be one of many computers, the correct article is "the" because it is still a specific computer that exists in the lab. However, if you say you are going to buy a computer, you cannot use "the" unless you already have the computer specified. Buying a computer can be any brand, type, or size so it is very general. Therefore, you must use "A" in this type of sentence.
Here is another type of example:
"The heat wave is unbearable"
"I heard a heat wave is coming"
The difference between these two sentences is that the "heat wave" is specified in the first sentence, and not specified in the second sentence. In the first sentence, the heat wave is already present and both the speaker and listener knows that the heat wave they are talking about is the one they are currently experiencing. The second sentence is referring to a future heat wave that is not specific.
"A", "An", and "The" are all articles. It is easy to explain the difference between them, but it is difficult to explain when they are used.
"A" and "An" have the same meaning. They are both indefinite articles. They are only different depending on what word or sound is following. Here is a brief explanation.
You should use "A" when the following word starts with a consonant.
"A dog..."
"A boy..."
"A building..."
"A hamburger..."
You should use "An" when the following starts with a vowel sound.
"An eagle..."
"An umbrella..."
"An elephant..."
"An awesome book..."
"The" is a definite article. The difference is if the noun or subject you are talking about is specific or not. Examples are the best way to understand the difference, so let's take a look.
If you say, "I am going to a library to study", then the person you are speaking with does not know which library. If you say, "I am going to the library to study", then the person you are speaking with knows the specific library you are going to.
"I am going to a coffee shop" (No specific coffee shop)
"I am going to the coffee shop" (A specific coffee shop both the speaker and listener knows)
Here is a slightly different example, but still using the same concept of specific or general.
"I am going to sit in front of one of the computers in the lab"
"I am going to buy a computer"
Although the computer in the lab can be one of many computers, the correct article is "the" because it is still a specific computer that exists in the lab. However, if you say you are going to buy a computer, you cannot use "the" unless you already have the computer specified. Buying a computer can be any brand, type, or size so it is very general. Therefore, you must use "A" in this type of sentence.
Here is another type of example:
"The heat wave is unbearable"
"I heard a heat wave is coming"
The difference between these two sentences is that the "heat wave" is specified in the first sentence, and not specified in the second sentence. In the first sentence, the heat wave is already present and both the speaker and listener knows that the heat wave they are talking about is the one they are currently experiencing. The second sentence is referring to a future heat wave that is not specific.
When and When NOT to use an article
One common rule to keep in mind is that articles are not used when
referring to a name.
"Turn right at the burger store"
"Turn right at McDonalds"
"The boy was running very fast"
"Mike was running very fast"
Another example of when not to use an article is when referring to general things in conversation.
"Too much alcohol is bad for you"
"Cigarettes can cause lung cancer"
When you are referring to sports, you do not need an article.
"I love playing badminton"
"Football is a dangerous sport"
In most cases, you don't need an article when referring to a country except when the name is referring to multiple countries or regions. For example, if you say England or Scotland, you don't need an article, but if you are referring to The United Kingdom, then you do need an article.
"Turn right at the burger store"
"Turn right at McDonalds"
"The boy was running very fast"
"Mike was running very fast"
Another example of when not to use an article is when referring to general things in conversation.
"Too much alcohol is bad for you"
"Cigarettes can cause lung cancer"
When you are referring to sports, you do not need an article.
"I love playing badminton"
"Football is a dangerous sport"
In most cases, you don't need an article when referring to a country except when the name is referring to multiple countries or regions. For example, if you say England or Scotland, you don't need an article, but if you are referring to The United Kingdom, then you do need an article.
Intonation
Many people from different countries have
improper intonation because their teacher had improper intonation. In many
situations, being monotone is better than having bad intonation. The worst is
when someone goes up and down too much on every word. Another thing you should
avoid is to end high at the end of a sentence.
To correct improper intonation, you need to remember to start high and end low. You cannot do it any other way. I recommend going to the interview section and listening to one of the audio files provided by a native speaker. You will hear proper intonation. After listening to the audio, record yourself and listen to it. Does it sound the same? If not, then find the areas that are dissimilar and make the necessary corrections.
This advice is very trivial, but intonation is relatively easy to correct. You can fix your intonation with only a little effort. If you have a friend who is a native English speaker, you can usually fix intonation in a couple of lessons. Recording yourself and listening to yourself might be tedious, but having correct intonation can go a long way.
I have had many students who fixed their intonation after 2 small sessions. The advice I gave them was the same as the one above. This will work, and if you want to speak with proper intonation, please follow this advice.
To correct improper intonation, you need to remember to start high and end low. You cannot do it any other way. I recommend going to the interview section and listening to one of the audio files provided by a native speaker. You will hear proper intonation. After listening to the audio, record yourself and listen to it. Does it sound the same? If not, then find the areas that are dissimilar and make the necessary corrections.
This advice is very trivial, but intonation is relatively easy to correct. You can fix your intonation with only a little effort. If you have a friend who is a native English speaker, you can usually fix intonation in a couple of lessons. Recording yourself and listening to yourself might be tedious, but having correct intonation can go a long way.
I have had many students who fixed their intonation after 2 small sessions. The advice I gave them was the same as the one above. This will work, and if you want to speak with proper intonation, please follow this advice.
Speed of speaking
A common mistake of people who obtain English fluency with
improper pronunciation and intonation is the speed in which they speak. Because
they do not have perfect pronunciation and intonation, it is difficult to
understand people who speak too fast. This is the biggest problem I have seen
from people who gain confidence in speaking.
In order to improve your communication, and to hear "excuse me" less often, it is important to have the correct speed of speaking. For people with confidence, my advice is to slow down and to speak clearly. Don't blend words together too much and make sure to separate words with a small pause for words that are difficult to pronounce.
In order to improve your communication, and to hear "excuse me" less often, it is important to have the correct speed of speaking. For people with confidence, my advice is to slow down and to speak clearly. Don't blend words together too much and make sure to separate words with a small pause for words that are difficult to pronounce.
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ReplyDeleteMany of my students ask me How To Improve English and there are so many ways to do it but first of all you need to decide what kind of learner you are. Do you learn better when you speak, when you listen, or do you need to use your sense of touch to focus better? When you decide what type of learner you are, it will be easier for you to choose correct methods of improving your English.
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