Improve English today!
Preventing miscommunication
People using English as a second language tend to make a lot of assumptions and ask fewer questions. You must be confident in your speaking ability by asking questions and getting clarification. Improve English by preventing miscommunication.
Key Expressions:
Asking for clarification
- Could you repeat that?
- Could you say that again?
- I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.
- What do you mean by (statement)?
- Do you mean that (statement)?
*Be confident in your ability to ask for clarification. Do not try to guess what the other person is saying. If you do not understand what was said, please ask. Memorize the expressions above and use it every time you need clarification.
Knowing how to do something and being able to do something is very different.
Just because I know how to do something doesn’t necessarily mean I will be able to do something. For example, I can learn how to play golf by watching instructional videos on Youtube or buying an instructional book on how to hit a golf ball. I can watch the video a hundred times and know every little detail on how to hit a golf ball. However, unless I actually go to the golf course or a driving range and practice, I won’t be very successful.
Speaking English is no different from learning other skills. First, you must learn the vocabulary, grammar rules, and sentence patterns. Then, you need to practice by speaking out loud what you have learned. Whether you are speaking to a real person or speaking to yourself, it’s absolutely necessary for you to practice speaking out loud.
Make English learning a lifestyle.
Learning English is not easy. It requires a lot of time, effort, and dedication. If you really want to improve your English, you must make English learning a daily routine. It may not be easy or even possible to set aside one or two hours to study English every day, but you must. Perhaps you should get in the habit of studying English few minutes throughout the day. Maybe 5 minutes after waking up, 10 minutes during lunch, 5 more minutes during break time at work, and so on. If you continually get in the habit of thinking about English, those few minutes will add up and improve your English speaking ability.
Improve English by having a specific goal.
You need to set realistic goals if you want to improve your English. I will assume your final goal is to become a fluent speaker and it is totally possible. However, you will not become a fluent speaker overnight. It requires years of hard work and dedication. You should think in the short term when learning English. Break down your final goal into more specific goals and attack that area until you master it. Then, move on to another small specific goal and so on. You will need to master English one section at a time. Over time the collection of the skills you master will result in you becoming a fluent speaker.
Improve English by taking one step back before going two steps forward.
Lot of English learners will eventually hit a wall while learning English. You will feel like you are not getting better even though you are studying and practicing regularly. When this happens to you, just be patient and trust the process. You can also try to review the basic sentence patterns you have already mastered to get a better understanding of the English foundation. Doing this will improve your confidence and improve your understanding of English fundamentals. If you master the basics, it will be easier to advance because every difficult and complicated sentence patterns and grammar rules will be built on top of it.
