Stop Apologizing For Your Poor English, Do This Instead

You have likely felt the need to apologize for your poor English more often if English is your second language.

For instance, if someone requests you to restate something, your initial reaction is to apologize and go ahead and explain that English isn't your first language. You probably apologize for presuming they didn't hear you due to your weak English speaking abilities.

Or, somebody probably asks you a query you cannot grasp. You assume that since your English is poor, that is why you didn't understand well what was asked. So you reply, "My English is not that good, can you please repeat that?"
Why is this so? Why do you feel the need to say sorry?

That's OK, but how can you improve your English? In this article, we have compiled some tips to help you improve at speaking, reading, and listening to English. So, let's get you started on becoming a better English conversationalist.

5 Tips To Improve English Speaking Skills

Many individuals are adept at the nuances of the English language, but many struggle when it comes to conversing with native speakers. Speaking and listening more often is the only way to become fluent in another language. Here are a few pointers to help you speak English more effectively.

1. Don't Hold Back—Speak Up!

Be assured and speak with as many individuals as possible! Don't be afraid to make errors! Your articulation and vocabulary will improve as you practice more, giving you more assurance. Just like studying an instrument or a new activity, speaking is a competence that can only be improved by actually doing it.

2. Read Out Loud

Read a book or a newspaper aloud to yourself. You might also locate the screenplay for your preferred TV show and perform it! As you can focus solely on how your spoken English sounds without being concerned about grammar and syntax, this is an excellent approach to improving pronunciation.

3. Document Your Practice Dialogues.

When a conversation has ended, pause to consider how it went. To what extent do you believe you comprehended? How at ease did the subject matter make you feel? Did you come across any unfamiliar words? Doing so will boost your self-assurance next time you converse (and provide you with specific areas to concentrate on, like unfamiliar language).

4. Locate A Conversational English-Speaking Buddy

It's crucial to find an English conversation partner to practice your English. If there are English-speaking neighbors, consider incorporating casual discussions into your routine. If you can't do that, think about hiring a private instructor who you can communicate with online using services like Google Hangouts and Skype.

5. Remember To Use Technology

A smartphone is an effective tool for language acquisition. You can look for reading material, communicate with instructors, or even record your voice! You can also find different platforms or apps where you can connect and communicate with English speakers, such as Speechling, ChatRamdom, and so on.

5 Tips To Improve English Reading Skills

Practicing "reading comprehension", or the capacity to comprehend anything you read is essential. It ensures that you comprehend the text anytime you read any English material. Below, we have included some tips you can use to better this skill beyond just greater book reading.

1. Learn To Use The Staircases And The Scaffolding Approach

It is believed that to acquire a skill well, you must first master smaller components that will enable you to "grow" your knowledge and abilities.
This also applies to reading comprehension. You may have to practice other abilities first to comprehend what you read truly.

You might want to work on your reading speed (or slowly). Pick books appropriate for your ability level instead of challenging ones; that's what you might want to do. Start simple, start small and slow, and then progressively get more challenging. Keep this in mind as you strive to enhance your reading comprehension and all other English language abilities!

You must already be familiar with what a stairwell is. You employ it to ascend a building in stages to a higher level. The next steps—and the smaller steps included within them—will act as a stairway up to the higher reading comprehension levels.

2. Consistently Set Out Time To Read

Anyone can read for pleasure anywhere. You may read a lighthearted novel on the bus, in bed, or at work. However, you must concentrate and learn if you have a read to increase your comprehension.

This indicates that you must set aside a certain period for reading. Creating a schedule for your reading will enable you to concentrate without worrying about being distracted. You should keep calm throughout this time and try not to get sidetracked.

Make an effort to read intently for at least thirty minutes each day. That is how you can successfully and truly increase your reading abilities. You'll get better the more you read.

Do this:

1. Find a place to sit that is quiet, cozy, and well-lit.
2. Before you sit down, prepare anything you could need. You might need a notebook, a pen, a dictionary, and a beverage to drink.
3. Plan out how long you'll read. Good minimum duration is 30 minutes.
4. Please turn off your electronics in silent mode before putting them away.
5. Even though it might not seem critical, you must turn the sound off on the equipment.
6. Your brain will be aware when you read if you have a routine for getting ready, and you will be more concentrated before you even begin.

3. Choose Good Books to Read

Consider the following two factors while selecting books (and other writings) to read:

1. Your areas of interest
2. How well do you read?

It would be best if you read what you like whenever you can. Additionally, pick novels that are just a little bit harder than the English level at which you feel most at ease. It would be best if you pushed yourself hard enough to learn something new, but not so hard that you lose interest in what you're reading.

4. Ask Yourself Questions During And After Reading

Reading the words is only one aspect of learning to read English literature. You can do a few things to help yourself comprehend the content before, during, and after reading.

Browse the text before beginning to read. That implies that you should skim the text rather than read it. Spend some time browsing after reading to review what you just read. Try to summarize the text in a few brief sentences, either orally or in writing.

Reflecting on what you're reading will help you assess what portion of it you understood and identify any remaining questions.

5. Enhance Your Fluency

Reading. Is. Interesting.

Do you realize that you had to stop each time you saw a period?
Imagine reading a whole book or article like way, pausing after each word. Wouldn't it be challenging to comprehend?

Reading in whole sentences instead of word-by-word makes it more difficult to comprehend what you're reading. Because of this, increasing your fluency is crucial before trying to understand better.

Fluency is the quality of your reading. There should be a specific cadence to the words when you read aloud in your thoughts. The language needs to flow effortlessly, much like when someone is speaking. That is how a native English speaker would read a book in English.

Choosing slightly easier materials to read can help you improve your fluency, or it might require some time and practice. However, it will benefit you later if you try to increase your reading fluency. You'll become a better reader and speaker. Reading will also seem more enjoyable and natural as a result.

5 Tips To Improve English Listening Skills

Let's look at some advice for enhancing your English language abilities, how to put it into practice, and why it works.

1. Listen Actively Rather Than Passively

Active and passive listening are the two types of listening.
Listening when concentrated is active listening. You are attempting to fully comprehend the significance of what is being spoken. Simply hearing what is being said without actively trying to grasp it is known as passive listening.
For instance, when listening to English songs or podcasts while not paying close attention, you are passively listening.

Passive listening is a method for enhancing English listening skills. Sadly, that isn't the case. Passive listening, in my experience, doesn't aid in word understanding, vocabulary retention, etc. I don't learn anything new if I don't make an effort to comprehend the language I'm listening to fully.

2. Refrain From Using Subtitles

I get what you're thinking, but...
It takes effort to watch a video without subtitles—especially one in English. However, enhancing and practicing active listening can be a terrific technique.
After all, real life doesn't have subtitles!

Be assured that I'm not asking you to suffer through a full movie without subtitles! The key in this strategy, as in all the others before it, is to take baby steps.

Turn off the subtitles for the first minute of every movie you watch. This means that you must practice active listening for one minute before watching a movie passively! If you are addicted to a TV show, this is an excellent habit to develop. Don't know where to start? We have a list of best Netflix shows and movies perfect to help with your English.

3. Play Online ESL Listening Games

English learners who are having trouble getting better at listening might have fun playing interactive listening games.

Websites with excellent ESL listening games include:

1. ESL Kids Lab has easy listening drills for beginners. Practice comprehending basic terms for everyday items, jobs, and more.
2. Teach this: You can play these games with your pals to learn English, even if they were made for English classes.
3. Randall's ESL Online Hearing Lab: This website has many English listening quizzes and tests. There is something for everyone, from beginners to experts, and they are arranged by level.

4. Determine Meaning First Based On The Conversation's Context

Sometimes, before needing to go to a place where a certain language is spoken, we do not have sufficient time to learn a language fully. Besides , the earlier you begin speaking authentic English, the better!

Using context cues is one of the finest ways to comprehend English while still learning the language. Try to pick out familiar words, whether speaking English or listening to English audio. These can be used to determine a word's definition and to understand what a person is attempting to say.

5. Tune To A Single English Podcast Each Day Weekly

Select one episode of a podcast that you find fascinating or entertaining. Even when you're driving, taking the bus, doing the chores, etc., spend a week listening to that podcast every day. Choose a few words or sentences you find challenging to grasp, then look them up on the initial and subsequent days. Replay the audio after pressing "pause."

You ought to be able to recognize and comprehend these terms after a few days. The podcast's key passages can be memorized, and practicing reciting them aloud can be beneficial. Consider how you and the speaker differ from one another. You'll discover that by the final day, you can comprehend much more than you could on the initial day. It will be simpler to listen to fresh English audio when your ear gets used to having heard this English podcast session.

English Is Interesting to Learn With These Tips!

The universal language is English. Speaking English will increase your options for education and employment. Additionally, it will make it easier for you to enjoy some of the leading entertainment right from Hollywood.

Ensure to practice often when trying to improve your speaking abilities. Never give up! You can use technologies to make it function for you, practice on your own, or with the assistance of others. If you want to learn more on how to communicate, have a look at our best techniques to improve your communication skills in English!.