LANGUAGE TRAINING CENTRE - GERMAN | ENGLISH | FRENCH | CHINESE | SPANISH | SWAHILI | KENYA SIGN LANG
Title: LANGUAGE TRAINING CENTRE - GERMAN | ENGLISH | FRENCH | CHINESE | SPANISH | SWAHILI | KENYA SIGN LANG
How to speak English fluently: 14 powerful tips and tricks
Thousands of people achieve fluency in English every year. In this guide, you can discover 12 top tips for learning English so you can, too.
Fluency means speaking with ease and confidence (like a native). Therefore, becoming a fluent English speaker can supercharge your career, open doors to exciting study opportunities, and help you connect with people all across the world.
Want to learn how to speak fluent English to reap the benefits? We’ve got you covered with 12 expert tips for learning English like a pro.
Fluency is the stage of learning a language when you can understand and speak it effortlessly. As it takes a lot of time and effort to reach this level, many learners don’t think it’s realistic.
But thousands of people learn how to speak English fluently every year, and with enough determination, you can, too! To help you out, we asked Unikcolors'expert language tutors for their best advice on how to be fluent in English. So, scroll down for top tips on mastering English.
How to improve English-speaking fluency: 12 expert tips
1. Start speaking English as much as possible
The one thing you absolutely have to do to speak English fluently is get more speaking practice. Almost all advice on achieving your fluency goals will come down to this. Nothing else you can do is as effective or as important.
If you’re living in a country where spoken English is not common, finding opportunities to practice can be difficult. Try some of these methods:
- Buddy up with an English speaker who is learning your native language, and if you don’t know anyone, try downloading a language exchange app
- Schedule 1-on-1 online classes with an English tutor to get expert advice on your English-speaking skills
- Use English-learning apps with speech recognition software
- Connect with a small group of international learners in online or physical group classes at Unikcolors Media Institute.
- When you have reached an intermediate level, attend webinars or live events
- Narrate your own life in English – for a fuller explanation on how to do this, check out YouTuber Bob the Canadian’s advice here
If you can find some creative ways to fit regular English-speaking opportunities into your life, things will start to “click” faster than you think.
2. Start speaking English with a personal tutor
According to Bloom’s 2 sigma problem study, students with 1-on-1 tutoring outperform 98% of those in traditional classrooms. So, if you’re serious about becoming fluent in English, invest in a personal language tutor. Here’s why personal tutors help you progress fast:
- Talking to an expert English tutor gives you much-needed guided practice and instant feedback to correct your errors before they become bad habits
- You’ll be able to ask questions about English regularly
- You can focus on words and phrases that are most relevant to your life and work, making your learning directly applicable
- It’s much easier to stay motivated and stick to a regular learning routine when you feel accountable to and comfortable with somebody
- Study with an English teacher, and you’ll have your own personal language coach to help you with challenging parts of the language, such as tricky grammar or pronunciation
With Unikcolors, 1-on-1 English lessons have never been more convenient or affordable. There are tutors in different time zones and from all across the world, so there will be an expert available at any time. The unique search filter also allows you to choose what you can afford.
3. Expose yourself to English every day
If you want to speak fluently, it’s vital to get as much exposure to English as possible. You should be doing something in English every day, even if you’re not actively studying. There are simple changes you can make to help you level up your English-speaking skills:
- Change your phone/social media/tablet language to English
- Listen to English music
- Read the news in English
- Commit to watching English-language movies and TV shows
- Keep a language journal in English
This technique is called language immersion. It’s a great way to get used to your new language’s sounds and words, which reinforces what you have learned.
4. Make the most of technology
How many apps to learn English do you have on your phone right now? Probably at least one! The digital age has revolutionized language learning, and it’s easy to forget how lucky that makes us.
There’s a wealth of study technology available, so choose carefully. Make sure that you’re using the most effective resources for your own study habits and not falling into the trap of relying too heavily on game-like apps.
English learning apps have many limitations, and you will still need to mix up your activities to learn English faster. As John Fotheringham, creator of languagemastery.com, says, “Language apps are a great supplement to a balanced language diet… but they shouldn’t be the main course.”
It’s also easy to forget what a great resource YouTube videos are for English learners. There are more hours of expert advice on YouTube than any student could watch in a lifetime! Even better, almost every video can be watched with subtitles, played at slower speeds, and paused and replayed until you understand every word.
5. Use resources made for your level
Using resources that match your current skill level is vital for progression. Therefore, you’ll need to determine what your level is before taking a course, engaging in self-study, or enlisting the help of a personal tutor.
For a precise measurement, take one of Unikcolors' placement tests. These tests accurately assess your language skills, identify your strengths, and pinpoint areas for improvement. Once you know your English language level, you can then study using resources perfect for your level. Want some suggestions? Then check out our overview of resources for different levels:
- (A1-A2) Beginners: If you’re just starting out, gamified apps, children’s books, and educational videos designed for beginners will help build a strong foundation with simple vocabulary and repetitive patterns
- (B1-B2) Intermediate Learners: As an intermediate learner, it’s time to challenge yourself with slightly more complex materials – try watching news reports without subtitles or reading simple novels and articles to expand your vocabulary and grasp of grammatical structures
- (C1-C2) Advanced Learners: For those at an advanced level, use resources like movies, podcasts, and books that native speakers enjoy – these materials will refine your fluency by exposing you to everyday expressions and idiomatic language with context
6. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself
Improving your English requires stepping out of your comfort zone. Reviewing what you already know won’t lead to real progress. Put simply, you want to always feel slightly uncomfortable when you’re studying.
For instance, if you usually watch shows with subtitles in your native language, switch to English subtitles. Once you get used to that, take it up a notch by watching without any subtitles. This progression not only sharpens your listening skills but also boosts your understanding.
Talking with native speakers is another fantastic way to push your limits. Whether it’s through language exchange partners or a private tutor, English conversation practice immerses you in real language use.
Along with exposing you to slang and various expressions, chatting in English with a real person challenges you to respond immediately – like a regular conversation in your native tongue.
Just remember: the more you challenge yourself, the more comfortable you’ll become using English in the long run.
7. Work on your pronunciation
Working on your pronunciation is helpful for a few reasons. We all need to be understood, and pronunciation practice helps us speak with clarity. This doesn’t mean that you need to get rid of your accent – not at all. But it will be frustrating for you and other English speakers if they do not understand you.
Some of the work in becoming fluent and pronouncing words clearly is physical. If your native language sounds very different from English, you will need to pay attention to moving your mouth and tongue in a new way. Native Spanish speakers, for example, sometimes say that speaking English for long periods makes their jaw ache!
One exercise you can try is using YouGlish, which is a tool where you can hear any sentence in a variety of English accents. This is great to repeat along to and practice your pronunciation, but it also improves your listening skills.
8. Learn whole phrases, not just individual words
Fluency is being able to speak whole sentences without hesitation. If you learn English one word at a time, it will be very hard not to hesitate when constructing sentences. That’s because you’ll have to translate every English sentence in your head from your native language word by word.
There is another way: Learning new words as part of common phrases can ease mental strain when speaking.
To take a very basic example, if you are learning the word “tonight,” it would help to try and learn a whole phrase, such as “Tonight, I am going to…” This way, when you need to discuss your plans for the evening, your brain has half of the reply prepared – there’s less pausing and thinking involved.
Learning lists of phrases in a new language is also known as sentence mining. Fans claim that it makes them able to use new vocabulary faster and memorize grammar more naturally.
9. Work on your idioms
Mastering idioms is a big part of sounding like a native English speaker and can help you understand what’s going on in various situations.
Do you work in an English-speaking office? Then knowing common workplace idioms can really help you communicate better. For example, here are some useful idioms:
- Back to the drawing board: Start over when a plan fails
- Cut corners: Do something poorly to save time or money
- Out of the loop: Not knowing what’s currently happening
- Touch base: Briefly check in with someone
- Get the ball rolling: Start something important
Using these phrases can make your communication at work smoother. Also, knowing idioms related to your job or culture can improve how you talk with others.
If you want to learn more idioms (cultural expressions), Unikcolors has lots of great articles. You can make your language richer by learning our list of the most beautiful idioms.
10. Accept that you will feel uncomfortable speaking English
For almost everyone, speaking any new language means fighting through a fear barrier. This is completely normal! Your native language is a very precise tool for describing concepts. You are completely aware of the subtle implications your words carry, how to use irony and humor, and how word stress can slightly change the meaning of what you’re saying.
By comparison, speaking any new language feels like using a blunt axe. You can’t say exactly what you mean, you might offend someone or make a fool of yourself, and you certainly won’t seem as smart as you really are. It’s intimidating! Few language learners talk about how uncomfortable this is.
Language expert and polyglot Olly Richards states that language learners have to have a “tolerance for ambiguity.” His method to learn languages quickly includes accepting confusion when learning a language. You’re not going to understand everything or speak perfect English as you try to reach fluency, and that’s OK.
Real progress comes when you get over the embarrassment of putting yourself in English-speaking situations and allow yourself to make mistakes and learn from them.
11. Consider a big lifestyle change
It almost goes without saying the best way to learn to speak English is to move to an English-speaking country. If you’re determined to speak English fluently and can relocate for a few months, this will save you a lot of time as you will have plenty of opportunities to chat with native speakers to hone your skills.
However, for most people, this just won’t be possible. Don’t worry if that applies to you because there are other big lifestyle changes you can make to boost your English level, including the following:
- Get a job or intensive hobby that involves speaking English (you could always teach English speakers your native language.
- Clean out your spare room and use it to host English-speaking travelers via a service like couch surfing
- If others in your household are learning English, create times when you speak only English together – perhaps at mealtimes, on Monday evenings, or in the car
- Fall in love with a native English speaker – this is a guaranteed way to learn to speak English like a native fast!
All of these are big changes, but they’re about building the language into your life. If you’re speaking your native language 99% of the time, then, of course, it’s going to take a long time for English to feel natural. However, if there are English-speaking situations in your routine, your progress will seriously speed up.
12. Plan your conversations when you can
This might seem like a silly tip for people who want to gain fluency. After all, fluency means being able to talk easily about anything you like! But if you aren’t there yet, then a bit of planning might boost your confidence, especially if you want to show native speakers that you know how to speak good English.
If you are heading to an event where you know you can practice your English skills, try planning the small talk you will make ahead of time. Are you going to talk about your kids? Your knitting group? Your job?
It can be helpful to have some conversation starters ready to go so that you can practice the vocabulary that you have been studying. This way, you won’t feel under too much pressure to come up with something interesting to say in the moment.
Need some inspiration? When you sign up for lessons at Unikcolors, you get free conversation starters every week to learn new vocabulary and talk about current trends and events with your tutor.
13. Don’t focus too much on English grammar
Native English speakers disobey the rules of their own language all the time. This is something you’ll know if you’ve ever had to type out a recording of a spoken English conversation. Many British high school students don’t know what phrasal verbs are even though they use them all the time!
Grammar rules are useful to be aware of – they’re essential to study at some point. But they should be lower down your list of priorities than getting English-speaking practice.
Most of the time, you will be understood if your grammar isn’t perfect! Aim to be understandable when chatting to native English speakers, and after a little bit of work, grammatical rules will start to sink in naturally.
14. Expand your vocabulary
Expanding your vocabulary is essential for becoming fluent in English, but it doesn’t have to be a tedious process.
Chatting with natives, reading books, or watching Netflix shows to learn English can naturally enhance your language skills by exposing you to new words. These activities immerse you in the language in an entertaining and meaningful way, making it easier to absorb new words and phrases.
If you’re looking to learn office-related English, you might start with the names of 18 office items that everyone should know. As you advance, delve into B2B business English terms and useful English words and expressions about finance.
To efficiently learn and retain these new vocabulary words, techniques like spaced repetition are highly effective. This method involves reviewing words at increasing intervals to ensure they move from your short-term memory to your long-term memory using flashcards or apps.
How to become fluent in English: Final thoughts
Achieving fluency in English or any language is not a one-time milestone, but an ongoing journey of learning and practice.
In fact, research shows that people continue to learn new words in their native language every day until middle age! So Even after you become fluent, it’s important to keep practicing to maintain and enhance your English skills. Let this inspire you, not discourage you, and remember that the benefits of being fluent far outweigh the effort required.
Becoming fluent in English will help you stand out as a stronger candidate when applying for jobs, boost your confidence, and help you connect with 1.46 billion speakers of this lingua franca.
For more in-depth guidance on how to become fluent in English, register with us at Unikcolors Media Institute to start making progress today!
