Importance of English Speaking Skills
Are you the one who struggles to express ideas and opinions in English? Some people are good at writing English but they find it difficult to speak English.
- English is a universal language as it is spoken globally. It is vital for communication with people from different countries.
- English proficiency creates career opportunities for job seekers. Many companies hire employees with a good command of English, especially if you are in customer service or on an international assignment.
- When you want to access online resources or do research you can read and widen one’s horizons about the happenings around the world.
- There are student exchange programs that allow students to study in prestigious universities worldwide. Knowledge of English empowers them to cultivate cross-cultural communication.
- It is entertaining to watch movies and music from other countries. People can connect culturally if they have sound knowledge of the English language.
Challenges of Learning English at Home
- Learning English at home doesn’t allow face-to-face interaction with fluent speakers.
- It isn’t easy to maintain consistency in learning English.
- Due to the absence of a teacher, correcting pronunciation and grammar mistakes is impossible. Self-learning at home may lead to repeated mistakes.
- Due to the absence of necessary books, learning materials improving vocabulary and grammar can be challenging.
- A learner learns faster when he interacts in real-world situations. One uses idiomatic expressions, nuances, and informal language while interacting with others.
Learn English without Classes
It is possible to learn English without formal classes. Train your mind and tongue to speak English. Start speaking English whenever you are alone in your room. You can talk about your daily routine or your past incident. Make sure you enjoy the process of learning. Be disciplined and determined to your learning goals. Remember your reason to learn something must be stronger than your excuses. The willingness to learn English will be reinforced if you speak in English day in and day out to be comfortable with it. Don’t be scared to make mistakes just be ready to correct them.
1. Set Clear Goals
- Set specific goals that can be accomplished. Learn ten new words every day and make sentences with them.
- Engage in a conversation with your friend or sibling in English. Remember to train your tongue to speak clearly and fluently.
- Use the SMART criteria to achieve your English-speaking goals.
- Specific– your five specific goals.
- Learn 10 new words daily.
- Ask ten small questions and answer them.
- Narrate a scene from an English movie.
- Introduce yourself and others, make requests and ask for directions, ask for permission, make an inquiry, etc.
- Learn the Pronunciation of ten new words.
- Measurable – Make a video recording, and later watch the video to observe your performance.
- Achievable – Making 5 sentences or asking 5 questions every day is an achievable goal.
- Relevant – What you learn should help you become a fluent speaker. Make sure that you enjoy the process of learning English and make it your priority.
- Time-bound – You can learn English in 30 days.
2. Create a learning environment
- Make sure you dedicate a specific corner or set aside a table with books and other resources for learning like Kindle, flashcards, etc.
- Label all the household items with English names.
- You can buy magazines like Readers Digest which will help you to foster love for English language.
- Stick posters with motivational quotes in your room.
- Create a bulletin board to pin the new words learned every day.
- Make it a rule that you speak only English at home.
- Use a good dictionary and make it a habit to look for word meanings.
3. Start with Basics
- Grammar: Master the foundational rules like subject-verb agreement, tenses, articles, capitalization, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, etc.
- Vocabulary: Make a separate notebook for vocabulary words. You can also use apps to learn vocabulary like Anki, Quizlet, Memrise, Duolingo, Word Up, etc. Don’t forget to use these words in your daily conversations.
- Pronunciation – Some online dictionaries are helpful to learn the pronunciation of difficult words. For example: Dictionary.com, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary, Forvo, BBC Voices.
4. Practice Speaking Daily
- Mirror practice: Create opportunities for yourself to speak in English. Stand in front of the mirror, and speak for two minutes about your daily routine, or the daily happenings. The motive is to make yourself comfortable with the English language.
- Self-talk– is also known as self-explaining. When you self-talk in English, you train your brain to think in English. Speak loudly to get speaking clarity and to correct pronunciation errors.
- Role-playing– Try to pretend conversations in real-life scenarios. For example: Doctor-patient role play, at the restaurant, at the bank, etc.
5. Leverage Online Resources
If you can’t buy books, take advantage of online resources.
- YouTube channels: Some of the channels that can help you to speak English are: Raphel’s English, VOA Learning English, Lingua Marina, BBC Learning English, On the go with EF.
- Apps: Apps like Rosetta Stone, FluentU, Duolingo, Hello Talk, Babbel can assist you in English Speaking.
- Podcasts: Some beneficial Podcasts for English Learners are; 6-minute English, The English We Speak, All Ears English Podcasts, Stories Podcast: A Bedtime Show for Kids of All Ages, Luke’s English Podcast.
6. Engage with Media
- Watch English movies with subtitles. This is a way to understand the context of the movie. You understand the meaning of the spoken words, and once you get a knack of the language, you can watch English movies without subtitles.
- Listen to English songs to improve pronunciation, vocabulary, and listening skills. You can look for the meaning of difficult words in a dictionary.
- Read books, blogs, and newspapers in English. Understand the writer’s perspective. Keep a pen to underline new words and phrases that you come across.
7. Find a Speaking Partner
- You can find a speaking partner on platforms like italki or Cambly. A speaking partner will help you correct your mistakes in real-time. A partner will help you develop confidence in social situations. He will hone your oral communication skills.
- Other platforms to find a speaking partner are Meet Up, Conversation Exchange, Tandem, and Facebook groups.
- Practice speaking with family and friends. Interaction with family members is more engaging.
Conclusively, we all aspire to be a better version of ourselves. Home is the best place to learn English. Read, write, speak, and explore your opinions. English Vedas will help you to learn English at home.