how to understand english speech

How to speak English fluently: Expert strategies to perfect your language skills

When you can speak English fluently it opens up new opportunities, connects you with people from different cultures, and expands your horizons in life.

But what does it even mean to speak fluent English , and what are some practical steps you can take to reach a level of fluency you are happy with?

In this article we have 8 practical tips, tools, and strategies for how to speak English fluently , covering everything from vocabulary expansion to pronunciation techniques.

Give these a try and you’ll be well on your way to greater confidence, clarity, and fluency in English.

What is a fluent English speaker?

Fluency in English is not about speaking the language perfectly but being able to communicate with confidence and a natural flow .

A fluent English speaker can understand others and express themselves easily in English conversation, without hesitation or frequent interruptions to check for comprehension.

In terms of CEFR levels , C1 (Advanced) is considered the point at which you can express yourself fluently in any situation. However, even at level B2 (Upper-Intermediate), learners start to experience fluency in terms of becoming confident speaking about unfamiliar topics.

Keep in mind that even native English speakers can struggle with certain grammar rules and obscure words, so don’t get discouraged if some aspects of the language present a challenge.

See fluency as a journey, not a destination. As an English learner , there will always be more for you to learn and improve on – so enjoy the ride and don’t forget to look back and see how far you’ve come!

8 Tips to become fluent in English

Let’s get onto our tips to speak English fluently and confidently so you can make the language a bigger part of your life.

1. Embrace daily English exposure

Consistent exposure to English is key to improving your skill level. Integrating English practice into your daily routine can help you improve your speaking, listening, and comprehension skills.

The easiest way to do this is through English immersion . Although you may not be able to live in an English-speaking country, you can do plenty of other things to expose yourself to English throughout your everyday life.

These include:

• Listening to podcasts in English
• Reading the news to learn English words about new topics
• Switching the language on your phone and other devices to English
• Practicing sports or hobbies with English-speaking friends
• Using an English learning app to complete short lessons every day

Actively seeking English exposure and diversifying your learning methods can quicken your journey toward fluency.

2. Build a strong vocabulary foundation

Effective communication in English requires a rich vocabulary. This means having all the words you need to express yourself precisely and concisely.

For instance, using words like “fortunate” instead of “very lucky” or “exceptional” instead of “very good” adds precision to your language. Find some more synonyms for ‘very’ here.

To expand your vocabulary, try memorizing example sentences along with new words, as this helps you learn and remember new vocabulary in a more natural way. Spaced repetition is another effective technique for actively reviewing words and retaining them in your long-term memory.

Don’t forget to learn about American and British English vocabulary differences so you can speak confidently with people from different countries.

We have more tips for learning new English words in a separate guide.

3. Prioritize pronunciation and accent

Pronouncing words clearly is fundamental to fluent English speech. You may also need to work on reducing your native accent so that people can understand you more easily when you speak English.

Here are a few techniques you can use to practice pronunciation and sound more like a native English speaker.

Practicing phonetics

Phonetics plays a key role in helping learners grasp and articulate English sounds with precision. By practicing phonetic exercises, you can master English pronunciation and sound more like a native speaker.

This website has a great list of pronunciation exercises that you can do to master different sounds used in the English language.

Another helpful technique is to practice tongue twisters ; fun phrases designed to challenge your pronunciation skills. Choose tongue twisters that use simple words and target sounds you struggle with the most, as this will help you improve your skills quickly. Here’s one to get you started:

She sells seashells on the sea shore.

Consistent phonetic practice will build your confidence and enhance your English speaking fluency.

You may also it helpful to take lessons with a personal language tutor who can give you individual guidance on your spoken language skills. Or, as a more budget-friendly option, language apps Mondly and Busuu both have speech recognition features to give you immediate feedback on how you pronounce words and phrases.

Observing native speakers

Simply observing native speakers can significantly improve your accent and pronunciation. By listening to their speech and imitating their pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation, you can enhance your own speaking skills.

You should also pay attention to the shapes people’s mouths form when they speak English, and try to copy these.

There is no shortage of content to help you with this strategy for speaking English fluently. Try it next time you are watching things such as:

• YouTube videos
• English movies

You may want to pause the video regularly to try and repeat what was said or to go over tricky words.

Of course, you can also do this by meeting up with native English speakers at a language club or other event, which will help with the next point as well!

Engaging in conversation practice

Without conversation practice, you will end up with a lot of knowledge but probably not much fluency in English.

Speaking practice helps broaden your knowledge of the language and enhances your ability to think and respond quickly, as conversations often require immediate responses.

Moreover, practicing speaking allows you to learn from your mistakes and improve both your vocabulary and understanding.

It’s helpful to know some good conversation starters so that whether you’re in a classroom setting, enjoying dinner with friends, or just chatting to a stranger, you’ll always have something to talk about.

Meetups are also a good place to practice speaking English, as you’ll find people who are happy to have basic conversations and guide you to improve your pronunciation and accent.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes; it’s a natural part of the learning process. Continued practice will enhance your confidence and fluency in speaking English.

4. Enhance listening and comprehension skills

The other main element required to speak fluently is listening comprehension . After all, it’s no good being very confident with what you say if you can’t understand another person’s response.

By exposing yourself to authentic spoken English through various media, you can become familiar with different English accents, intonations, idioms, and colloquial expressions . Some ways to do this include:

• Watching English movies and TV shows to absorb new vocabulary, slang, expressions, and accents
• Listening to English learning podcasts or audiobooks to practice understanding spoken English in different contexts
• Engaging in conversations with native English speakers to improve your listening skills and learn from their natural speech patterns
• Learning English idioms so you know the meaning of these figurative expressions and can use them yourself

Actively engaging with a variety of listening materials can help improve your spoken English and your understanding of others.

5. Master grammar and syntax

Although speaking English fluently does not mean having perfect grammar and never making mistakes, correct grammar and syntax (word order) are important for avoiding misunderstanding.

While it is true that even native English speakers can struggle with certain grammar rules , it is essential to dedicate time to understanding grammar and sentence structures to become a proficient English speaker.

There are plenty of resources available to help you improve your grammar skills , such as:

• Grammar books
• Online exercises
• Language learning apps
• Tutoring services

Identify your weak spots and focus on strengthening them to become a better English speaker. Consistent practice and study of grammar will refine your language abilities and improve your English fluency.

6. Build confidence and overcome the fear of mistakes

Confidence in your English speaking abilities is key to achieving fluency and talking with a natural flow.

It’s completely normal to feel uncomfortable when speaking a new language, but putting yourself in English-speaking situations where you feel safe to make mistakes and learn from them will help you become more confident.

Don’t forget to celebrate your successes and remind yourself of how far you have already come on this journey. As your confidence grows, so will your ability to speak English fluently.

7. Utilize technology and online resources

Take advantage of the incredible websites, online courses, classes, and apps available to help English learners start speaking english more fluently without having to attend lessons in a physical classroom.

Online resources to check out include:

• Online English courses and lessons
• Websites for learning English
• Language exchange platforms
• Online games to learn English

These resources can help you practice speaking, listening, and comprehension at your own pace and convenience.

What is the best app to learn English speaking fluently?

If your goal is to speak English fluently, we recommend a language app that includes:

• Lessons up to level C1 or above
• Daily lessons
• Speech recognition technology
• Interactive conversations
• A free trial or limited free content so you can decide whether it’s right for you

Gymglish , Mondly , and Busuu all meet these requirements and have other exciting features for you to explore.

Find the one that best suits your learning style, and you’ll be on your way to speaking fluent English with confidence.

8. Set realistic goals and track your progress

To maintain motivation and ensure success, it’s important to set realistic English learning goals and keep track of your progress.

By setting specific goals, such as memorizing ten new English words by the end of the week, you can provide direction and focus to your language learning journey.

Breaking down significant goals into smaller milestones can make them more achievable and less intimidating. For example, setting a longer-term target like holding a basic conversation in English after two months of study can be an incredibly motivating goal to work towards.

Setting achievable goals and measuring your progress will help maintain your motivation and lead to consistent improvement in your English speaking skills.

In conclusion, there is no set formula for how to speak english fluently and you should see it as a journey that requires dedication, practice, and the right resources.

Here’s a reminder of the areas you should try to incorporate daily as you develop your English language skills toward fluency:

• Learning new English vocabulary
• Pronunciation practice
• Comprehension practice
• Improving grammar
• Building confidence

Embrace the learning process, set realistic goals, and utilize technology and online resources to accelerate your progress. The world awaits you as a confident and fluent English speaker!

What does ‘fluent English’ mean?

Speaking fluent English means that you can:

• Express yourself confidently and without too much hesitation
• Write and talk at length with a natural flow
• Communicate effectively on a broad range of topics, even unfamiliar ones
• Understand subtle jokes made in English

It doesn’t necessarily mean that you never make mistakes, although as you continue to practice regularly, your accuracy should improve too.

How many words do you need to know to be fluent in English?

To be fluent in English, you need to know around 5,000 words to understand 98% of most ordinary texts. However, native speakers typically know 15,000 to 20,000 word families in their first language.

It is important to note that vocabulary size alone does not guarantee fluency, as other English skills such as grammar, pronunciation, and cultural understanding also play a vital role in achieving fluency.

You can find some more interesting English language statistics here.

How long does it take to become fluent in English?

With dedicated study and practice, an adult can become fluent in English in an average of 2-3 years. This time frame can be influenced by factors such as the similarity between your native language and English, the amount and quality of practice, and your motivation and commitment to learning.

Learn more about how long it takes to learn English and what else affects this.

How do I know if I am fluent in English?

To gauge your fluency in English, consider the following:

• Can you express your thoughts, ideas, and feelings in English without having to translate from your native language first?
• Can you understand English spoken at a natural pace by native speakers?
• Can you read English texts and understand the main ideas without frequently consulting a dictionary?
• Can you write in English and convey your thoughts effectively?
• Can you use English in a variety of contexts, such as at work, in social situations, or when traveling?

These are all good indicators of someone who speaks English fluently.

How to Understand Native English Speakers: Natural Conversation + Vocab.

Advanced (C1-C2)

Understand Native Speakers

To be honest, it’s difficult to understand native speakers. Listening and understanding two native speakers of any language when they’re speaking fast seems impossible. Why? There are many reasons why it’s hard to understand this fast-talking native speakers, but let’s talk about a few reasons:

• you haven’t learned connected speech
• you’re not used to their accent(s)
• you’re not at an advanced enough level in English
• they have poor speaking habits
• you don’t know what you’re listening for

I’ll talk briefly about all of these. Let’s begin with the last point.

Why Are You Listening?

To understand native speakers, you have to know why you can’t get what’s being said. Sometimes you don’t understand what’s being said because you have no true reason to listen. This can go in conjunction with the speaker having poor speaking skills. If they’re not good speakers, or they’re simply not interesting, you may not give them the attention you need to because you’re bored, or it’s too much cognitive effort. So, if you understand native speakers may be more up to them and their faults as opposed to yours.

Assess Your Skills

Additionally, you may not have the English language skills to comprehend what the speaker(s) are saying. For example, you don’t know common grammar structures or basic frequently used vocabulary words and phrases.

Similarly, it’s possible you don’t have enough training in deciphering between and understanding different English accents. For example, I’m from the South of the U.S. We speak with what’s called a “Southern Drawl.” People from the West Coast or East Coast can understand me, but they have their own distinct accents/dialects of American English as well. Compound that with the fact that their are “micro-accents” within each of these regions and you can see why it’s difficult to understand some native speakers of English. This can also be said for Canada, the U.K., Ireland, etc.

Connected Speech for Fluency & to Understand Native Speakers Better

However, the best way to learn to speak English at a near-native level, and understand it, is to perfect connected speech. Connected speech is exactly that, connected speech.

We all know at this point that spoken English is different than written English: there’s little to no correspondence between pronunciation and written word. This becomes even more severe when fluent individuals begin to speak because they often squish words together, which alters the sound. Sometimes they leave sounds off, or add them to the word preceding it thus essentially linking it. That’s connected speech: connecting utterances together.

Speak and sound like YOU: enroll in the 2021 beta Fluency course for intermediate adults.

The #1 Best Way to Learn English, Vocabulary, and Understand Native English Speakers

Episode #56: “ The #1 Best Way to Learn English, Vocab, & Understand Native English Speakers ” is a conversation between me and my good friend. My friend’s name is SaitCan. He’s from Belfast, Northern Ireland , but he was born in Bodrum, Turkey .

SaitCan grew up in a bilingual household: Turkish and English. He and I speak about this in this episode. We speak about other things, too. In fact, this episode is only 1/3 of our conversation which lasted 90 seconds.

We Met in Istanbul, Turkey

He and I met each in 2014 when he was studying abroad at Boğazici University in Istanbul, Turkey and I was teaching English in Istanbul. He’s always good craic and I’m sure you’ll see what I mean in this episode.

What’s the best way to learn English?

You’ll learn that in this episode as well as 90+ new vocabulary words, phrasal verbs, expressions, and idioms spoken by two native speakers of English.

Yes, we speak fast, but so what? You’re already a rockstar at this language, you genius. Besides, you have the transcript below if you’re still not feeling confident, or if you don’t understand.

Happy learning from me and my favorite Northern Irishman, SaitCan!

P.S. —Happy B irthday, SaitCan!

Transcript (Excerpt)

Yeah, for sure. That’s the best way to learn because you hear but I remember, like, learning that stuff back in school learning German or Spanish at, like, high school level. And it’s all very static and, like, language you would never use.

Ashley Rhone 

[laughs] Yeah!

Except that, you know, I mean, like, “I like to go to the shop.” No one ever talks like that. Are you—you’d sound like a shit if you did.

You’re not going to have a conversation with somebody in German…

(Intro Music)

Ashley Rhone

Hey, welcome back, and a big hello to those of you who are joining me for the first time. My name is Ashley Rhone, and I am an English coach at paradigmenglish.com . Welcome to the Living in English:365 podcast .

If you haven’t already noticed, today’s episode is different. In fact, it’s so different that I need to probably give you a bit of background information before we jump in to the rest of this episode. So, first of all, the person in the clip you just heard, his name is Sait Can.

Who’s That Guy?

Sait Can is one of my really good friends. And he is so nice and kind, and you guys should really be thanking him. But he has agreed to just come and have a chat as to native speakers speaking to help you. I heard you guys saying that it’s very difficult for you to understand two native speakers when they’re speaking together. And so, I’ve listened, and here’s a special treat for you because this conversation is entirely for you.

What’s the Episode About

He and I are talking about different things in this episode. This is just an excerpt from it.

So the beginning part we’ll be talking about cars, we’ll be talking about things that are happening in our life and daily situations because on this podcast, the goal of this podcast is to help you use your English in everyday situations: daily. No matter where you are, to make it a habit of using English and being proficient at it.

Course Update

Just an update. The application for my fluency course opens in a few days. In fact, it opens on March 21. If you go to my website, at paradigmenglish.com you will see it for the Fluency Academy.

Important Notice

So a couple of things about this episode. I did NOT edit out any of the obscenities , profanity , if you will, expletives or expletives however you want to say it, but I left it there for clarity and because this is how he and I naturally speak.

So a little bit about him. He is actually from Belfast in Northern Ireland. And he actually was born in Turkey. He was born in Bodrum. So, Western Turkey in the Aegean region, and he lived there with his family until he was about three. So, he grew up in a bilingual household.

Turkish technically was his first language even though his mother is Irish and his father is Turkish. He did grow up speaking Turkish and English. Now, he did move to Belfast when he was a little older after the age of three. But he does return each year to visit his family there. And of course, he did study abroad at Boğaziçi university.

I hope you enjoy this episode. And I have a couple of things that I want you to focus on when listening to this excerpt of a more than 90 minute conversation between he and I.

Your Assignment

First, I want you to listen for the filler words. Sometimes whenever you forget a word or you forget a phrase or you just lose your train of thought . You need words to help you fill in that space. Some of you are very good at this. Some of you need a little bit more practice. So, I want you to listen to the filler words, filler words such as “like,” “umm,” “hmm.” These types of words, “okay,” “so.” Listen to these and listen to how he and I use them, in which contexts we’re using them.

Also, listen for connected speech. You’ve heard me speak about connected speech in my blog posts, as well as on a couple of different podcasts episodes, in fact, but connected speech is one of those things that really separates you from being just an okay speaker of English to being a really good one that sounds fluent and native like, so, connected speech. You need to look at the way that he and I are linking our words together, even our ideas together. Those times where you can’t quite tell what word it is. That’s because we’ve connected our speech. Listen to those.

Happy Birthday and Happy St. Paddy’s Day!

And one final word before we get started. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of you celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. I already have an episode about this. It’s Episode 21. Also, remember I am from the southern part of the United States. So how you hear me speaking now is not how I would naturally speak to people in my family. I am Southern. So you will hear me actually go into my southern dialect or accent whenever I’m speaking with Sait Can. And of course, I’ll be speaking at a more rapid pace. It’s faster. One last thing. The day after St. Patrick’s Day is actually Sait Can’s birthday. So, Happy Birthday, SaitCan.

Listening (Advanced)

How’d the thing with the car go?

Good. Yeah, I think we got, um, we got one picked out . Just need to fill in the paperwork now. Shite. Get it ordered Monday.

Oh, you had to order it!?

Should be here at the end of the month I think.

Yeah, it’s like this lease thing.

So, you get it leased. And—

Ahh. I see.

Car Shopping

then they switch them for, like, [incomprehensible] was why kind of stuff. So it should be done. End of the month, I think.

You put something special on it? Some extra?

Yeah, you look at—hmm?

Customized Car

Supped out ? I don’t know. I don’t know I’ve never, like—I’ve been with someone to buy a car, or get a car. But I’ve never actually, like, done it myself.

Either way, I’m not that fucking into cars really.

uhnn. I’m not either.

Car Buying Culture

Do you guys have that whole culture of where you have to, like, barter for the car? Like, we don’t have this whole thing where we negotiate and haggle stuff, but only with cars—

No, the fuck. They wouldn’t entertain that kind of shite over here.

We usually don’t. Right? It’s something you—we would we would expect back in Istanbul, maybe, but yeah, like—

Oh, fuck yeah.

Like that’s the only —that I can think of at least— that’s the only part of our culture where we have that where you kind of have to, like, negotiate the deal or they’re gonna absolutely swindle you.

I know, that’s going out, that’s going out. Well, I don’t know, some stuff is like that, I suppose with custom built anything, it’s, you can sort of go right, mmm, and give offers or whatever else. But that’s kind of going the way of the dodo , I think, that whole bartering system . Which I quite like.

Getting the Deal

It’s a nice sort of, like, well sorta. Well, to an extent , you know? If you know what the value of something is, and you sort of… you can negotiate with people that way. And yeah, you can get a good deal. Like, you see those shows and stuff like, you know, pawn shows whatever else or you know.

That’s true.

They take, they take the piss.

Yeah, exactly.

So it was worth like five grand . I’ll give you like 50 pay for it. No, fuck off!

Exactly that. This is the antique , dude, are you serious? No.

Yeah. I know. Get ripped off constantly.

Yeah, that’s that’s why I don’t like it. When like, it just feels dishonest. Like, can you just not do that? Can we just talk about the actual price? Because the minute you drive, for example, the car like the minute you drive it off a lot. It’s worth… I don’t know how much less.

Yeah, at least, what, 20% less or something?

Yeah, it depreciates .

It’s some BS .

Selling Things Online

It’s like that. Have you ever tried to sell stuff— but like I like a bunch of stuff whenever we were moving house. There’s loads of stuff that was in storage that I don’t want anymore. So I just started to sell on eBay and people are like that. Like, you’d be surprised what people will do.

Or just be surprised at the effort some people put into just get the most minimal amount of money off anything. Like, it was, sorta, of it was like this—I don’t know what the fuck even it was it was ages ago I was selling something.

And it was, it wasn’t expensive. Just like something I didn’t want but it was, ballgame , was something like a fiver. Five pound or something. And someone, like, sent me an offer of like, 4.50 it’s like, why did you even bother typing in the computer for the sake of 50 p. I mean, it couldn’t have been be worth your time. Oh, yeah, fine, but like, why did you? Like, is it that much of a difference to your life? 50 p off? Jesus.

Negotiating the Price

You know, just to feel like they did something. I mean, if I would—

Maybe that’s it, Yeah.

Yeah, I wouldn’t have wasted my time .

I mean, you also didn’t care. Right? You also didn’t care? You just wanted to get rid of it

No. I didn’t care. Yeah. No, I didn’t mind. It was like, it’s more so just to cover the cost of, like, the postage for the thing. Like, I wanted, it’s in my way to go and send to deliver—it was, like, a coffee machine or something or piece of a coffee machine or something like that. I don’t know. But, you know. But, you know, that like, Oh, well, someone could use it. Or, I could perfectly bin rust, you know, drive to the dump to get rid of it. But, what the hell.

yeah, I mean, it’s better if someone uses it.

Some people are just frugal to such an extreme. Whenever I was a teenager working in the supermarket. You’d do, like, reductions and stuff, of stuff that you needed to get rid of that day. And like, you would half it in price, or whatever. But, there’d be people who would, sort of pick it up and sort of mosey about the shop for about four hours because the reductions would get done every hour.

Oh my gosh !

So, whatever, let’s say you half the price then in an hour later, you would half that again, and then, you know. There’d be somebody would pick it up and then have that thing, come back to ya’ in hour and then get you to scan again so that you—they’d get like another 10 p[ence] off it or whatever.

What the heck !

Cheapskates

And they’d do that for like—yeah, they would—that’s what I’m saying. They would spend like three and a half hours just to get, maybe, a sum total of 40 p extra off of what, you know, a loaf of bread or something. And thing is, right, I used to just think, okay, well, fair enough. Some people aren’t flushed with cash and, you know, and money’s tight for some people and, you know, that’s alright. But these people weren’t, you know, I mean.

They’re just cheap!

They were— Yeah, they—exactly, because I knew who they were. You know, even if I didn’t know them, I knew them vicariously through other people to go, “Oh, that’s my neighbor. She’s just extremely tight ,” or whatever else, you know. That you know, she has, she owns, she’s has a car. She’s not like, on the breadline . She’s just, if she can get ten p[ence] off of something, that’s a victory for her, you know, something like that.

You know, I don’t have time don’t have time to waste for that, like, that’s a lot of time a whole afternoon, eve— whatever it’s like wasted walking around the supermarket for 10 p off.

No. I’ve never heard—

People Who Wait in Line

It’s like that, you know, there was like a [Hans lebirth] part, like a skit he did about people who wait in line at like midnight or something for like a new release of a book or whatever is like I’d rather you know, have the luxury of sleep in my own bed to not have to sit and sleep in the street for 12 hours. I mean, think about what that is per hour like is worth your time.

I don’t know, have you never done that? Because I’ve done it twice. I remember when one of the Harry Potter books was released back in the—

Ah, fuck that.

No, like, I totally did it.

As a cultural sort of, if you’re a big, big fan, I get on it sort of like it’s not even, you know, because you need to have it right then and there.

It’s the whole sort of, like, waiting in line as a pilgrimage —I get that part as a fan. And it’s sort of like, you know, there’s a there’s an atmosphere of everyone in lines, or like, you know, there’s a, you know, everyone does that, you know, there’s the accumulative fandom there.

And they’re all sort of like, you know, in line, and they’re sort of, you know, all excited together. I’m sure that’s part of it. But it’s not uncommon for like having to do it for hours on end, like how long you’d gotta wait?

Camping Out

Oh, I don’t remember. I don’t know, I got there pretty early. So I think it dropped at 12. And that shop wasn’t even open until then, so I was pretty, you know, it was it was pretty. I also had pre-ordered. So all I had to do is like go to the front and get my thing. There was like a complete line for us. And then people who just came, but I remember like—Huh?

they camp out for like, fucking overnight and shit. Like, fucking..

Yeah, they’re—they’re done too much. I would not be doing that, that that’s a waste of my time . I might wake up early in the morning, like, pretty early and sit there and you know, have a breakfast. Like if I’m with a friend, I remember that Lady Gaga came to Oklahoma City probably like more than a decade ago at this point. And I remember, like—

Waiting for Gaga

I know, but I remember waking up really early and driving to the— I live in the Capitol now. But I wasn’t living there at the time. So, I remember, like, going there early in the morning and getting tickets. But I was only waiting for like, a couple hours. If I had to wait overnight. It’s a wrap . I’m not doing that. That’s doing too much. I got stuff to do.

I thought—I’m talking about. I mean, it’s more specifically, the people, bring a fucking tent and the deck chairs and, like, they’re there for like a day and a half. What the hell’s wrong with you?

I mean, maybe they’re—

I don’t know what they’re doing. Like, that has got to be boring. And, and is it that serious? I don’t know. I don’t know.

That’s what I’m saying like if I guess a pilgrimage, and you won’t be part of the atmosphere of like, you know, the release of something that you have, you know, quite a big fan of, whatever but I mean, it’s within limits,

That’s how I feel. I’m not, as my aunt always says—.

Maybe I just don’t give a shit of anything not much. That’s all.

I think that’s what it is [laughs].

Maybe I’m just jealous . I wish I cared so much about something that I would, you know, wait eight hours for something. There’s a thing like that night a friend of mine I think he’s, he started his own restaurant. He’s doing pop-ups and stuff of, I don’t know even what he’s what he’s making but whatever, like a small pop-up, but I guess small pop-up to get his restaurant going. And there’s like, there’s like queues that are formin’ because that’s the way it is now, you know, there’s a hype generation.

Hype Generation

You know, things are sort of, you know, it’s like 15-seconds of fame as opposed to 15-minutes, which is great for him. This get a bit of a buzz around him, but, like, I would never wait in fucking line for a fucking sandwich.

I mean, it depends how long it is like—

No, I think 10 minutes, fine. I’m talking about a half-an-hour like two hours. No…

Oh hell no. I’m not doing that. No, no.

That’s what I’m saying.

And it’s freezing . No way.

Kebabs in Berlin

I think I did that once when I went to visit one of my friends in Berlin and there was some kebab shop that was nearby, and we waited there and we were probably also pretty drunk. So it didn’t seem like forever, but that’s the only time—

At least time can pass quicker.

Yeah, I mean, maybe. I don’t even remember, but I’m not waiting in line for—plus I’m like a vegetarian, like, how long do you gotta wait for vegetables? Like come on. Right

More Waiting in Line

I don’t know. It’s just it’s there’s like just diminishing returns on, like, if you wanna wait ten minutes. Eh, no problem. I don’t mind that.

But like, when people go “this is a three- hour wait,” and people go “Okay, fine.” Imagine how, you know, someone says stagger in a straight line, about a few meters for three hours. Fuck off!

Well, especially with the COVID stuff. Like, we got to be a whole, you know—

Six feet away from everybody.

Jesus Christ.

I don’t know, like I had a—

If people wanna do it, then fine. But it would bore the arse off me.

I got stuff to do. That’s how I fee— even if I don’t have stuff to do, I don’t have time for that. So…

No, God yeah. No not at all.

There was some, there’s some barbecue place here. That I mean, I never ate there. Because I don’t eat—what am I gonna do at a barbecue place? But it, um, it’s called Bobo’s Chicken. And it’s really popular.

Sounds nice.

Facebook Privacy

Apparently, it’s good. I couldn’t tell you from firsthand . But, um, I just saw one of my friends on Facebook post about it. And he’s like, yeah, Bobo’s chickens back open. And I thought, okay, like, why did it close? Maybe you shouldn’t be there if it closed down and now it’s back open , but whatever. And he sent a picture of the line and it was literally staggered look like it was going across the street, like around the pavement. I thought, oh my God. Dude, are you serious right now? Are you gonna really wait there for some chicken? How much chicken is there in the world that they can supply you with? Like all these people?

You see that in, like, these different cultures become a real big, big element of culture. And I like this part, especially if food trucks and stuff you know, things become really and you didn’t get advertised for nothing I like through Instagram and and social media. So, things can come very popular very quickly. But, I don’t know.

Hmm. I don’t know.

I think people kind of like that, because then they can also sort of, like, you know, post about what they’re gonna go, wait in line for this thing as if they’re part of the whatever buzz is going on, you know?

Do You Photograph Your Food?

Yeah, I just feel like—

But, fuck that.

Yeah, that part that—

Personally.

all of that part. I’m like, I don’t want people to know what I’m doing where I’m at. I don’t care. Like, why are we taking pictures of food? Just eat your damn food, Eat it. Eat your food. I don’t care where you are.

But there’s a big divide happening now because of that kind of stuff. You know, I mean, a lot of people, some people are just more than ready to relinquish their privacy. You know?

I’m not. I mean, I want to hold some semblance of, I don’t even know what the word for that would be. But I’m not.

17:36I don’t know. I don’t—maybe it’s a female thing. Also, I don’t want to, I don’t want people to know where I am. I’ve got some people on my Facebook. I’m kind of like, ah.

Some people just did this. They don’t mind doing that. Like, there’s loads of people who just post like the inside of the fucking house and every aspect of what they’re doing per day. Like what the hell’s wrong with you? Do you care about you know, people who, like hundreds of people of privacy, it’s like, it’s no, it’s good to end window. People don’t seem to give a shit about it. They’re more than happy to, like, hand that over. I mean, it’s become a very rare commodity to have any sort of element of privacy, you know?

I mean, I think it’s—

Often in the sense also been handed over every time I click on any fucking website,

any website. Exactly. I was just talking to my mom about that the other day. It’s like everywhere you go, can we install cookies, cookies, cookies, I’m like, screw these cookies. I’m like, you can’t even see anything now without the damn cookies. Wanting them to store cookies. Oh, gosh. But I don’t know. I think with the especially with social media—

Well, there’s somebody like that, I dunno.

I’m tired of it. I’m like, I want to go back to like, the early 2000s and 90s. You know. And you’re old enough that you’ll remember that you want to go back to the time before all this social media when people couldn’t get a hold of you. Like I like that someone’s calling me you know I’ve been trying to reach you all day and I’m like yeah, really? That’s like called three times. But I don’tknow. Yeah, dude and your birthday is next week. Yeah, I can’t hear you.Can you not hear me? Sait Can?

Living in the Countryside

[laughs] No, okay. Just it was cutting out a wee bit there. I think like a connection problem or something.

Ah, okay. Sorry! I could probably change my… oh, mine should be fine here.

No, I guess it might be my connection maybe a bit shite here. I dunno.

Are you not in Belfast?

No, I’m in the countryside.

Which would be where?

Connectivity Issues

But the connection pretty decent here. It’s just a bit— waiver sometimes that’s all.

Well, I mean, if you’re in the countryside, I would I would imagine somewhat. That’s how my parents are now. They’re in the middle of—well, I won’t say in the middle of nowhere . They’re just kind of on the outskirts , but basically, I mean, they have a horse it’s like it’s not like they’re in the middle of the city. But their connection is garbage. Garbage.

Ireland basically is one big countryside. There’s there’s Belfast there’s Dublin and then basically everything outside that, is fields.

Well that’s—

so countryside is like, you know, it’s still basically what we’d feel you know, at the time.

House Repair

Right. And you guys were fixin’ your house. Have you finished that? I forgot what you said?

Yeah no, it’s like 99% done now. It’s just little bits and pieces that need done. Today we’re just getting a few bits of the kitchen get done. Recently, a lot of stuff’s gotten polished up quite quickly. So, like, we’re in the house now, so, we’re inside and fixing stuff up. Like, the reflection—fixing, like the granite for the marble — or, for the kitchen stuff. Yesterday, that got finished.

(end excerpt)

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Free English Lessons

How to understand fast speech – video.

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In this lesson, you can learn how to understand fast speech.

You’ll see how to understand fast english speakers more easily. you’ll also get a simple, step-by-step plan to improve your ability to understand fast speech in english., 1. study pronunciation.

Imagine a situation: you’re going to the airport to meet someone who’s arriving. You’ve never met this person before, but you have a photo. The photo does not look anything like the person you’re supposed to meet. What do you think? Will you be able to recognise this person? Obviously not. There’s a similar connection between understanding spoken language and pronunciation. If you don’t know how to pronounce words and sentences correctly, then you won’t recognise them when you hear them. More specifically, if you don’t know about the features of native English pronunciation, then you’ll find it difficult to understand any natural speech. So, what are these ‘features’ of native English pronunciation? What should you work on? Let’s look at an example:

• That house looks smaller from the outside.

Even in this short sentence, a lot is happening. First, the ‘t’ at the end of ‘that’ is generally not fully pronounced. In British English, it would be reduced to a glottal ‘t’, which means that you start pronouncing a /t/ sound, but you never fully release it. In American English, the /t/ might also be softened to a /d/ sound.

Next, the words are all joined together. ‘House looks’ sounds like ‘how slooks’. In fact, all of the words are linked, so that the whole sentence is pronounced as one sound. ‘From’ is pronounced weakly, so you say /frəm/ and not /frɒm/. The last two words—‘the outside’—are linked by adding a /j/ sound in the middle: ‘the_/j/_outside’.

There are many pronunciation points to be aware of here. We won’t go into more detail, because we’ve covered many of these points in other videos. However, here’s the main point: if you don’t know about these pronunciation features, you’ll struggle to understand any English speech. You might feel like all speech is “too fast”. Actually, the speed might not be the problem. Connected, fluent speech can sound much faster if you’re not aware of these pronunciation features. You don’t need to be able to use these pronunciation features perfectly, but you should know about them and be able to use them at least sometimes. Then, you’ll find it much easier to understand native English at any speed.

Working on your pronunciation is the most useful way to improve your ability to understand fast English speech, but what else should you think about?

2. Start Slow

There’s an idiom in English: you have to learn to walk before you can learn to run. In the same way, many English learners who say they can’t understand fast speech also have problems understanding slower speech. We hope it’s obvious that if you can’t understand slower speech well, then you’ll struggle with faster speakers. This might sound too obvious. However, many English learners realise that they have difficulties understanding fast speech, but don’t realise that they also have problems understanding slower speech fully. First, you need to test your ability to understand slower speech. To do this, you’ll need four things.

One: you need a video or audio file which is not too easy and not too difficult. English textbooks often have listening exercises which are carefully designed for a specific level. If you don’t know where to find good listening materials, then use English textbooks as a starting point. We also have many listening lessons on our website: Oxford Online English dot com.

Two: you need a way to control the playback speed. You can use a YouTube video, where you can use the speed controls to set the playback speed to point seven-five or point five. Or, you can use VLC media player , which has speed controls, so you can play something at 90 per cent speed, 80 per cent, and so on. VLC is probably better, because you can control the playback speed more precisely. By the way, if you have other suggestions for tools to listen at variable speeds, let us know in the comments!

Three: you need an accurate transcript of the audio or video. For example, you could use a YouTube video which has subtitles, or a song where you have the lyrics. Be careful with YouTube subtitles, as many of them are automatically generated, and these are not accurate.

Four: you need a pen and paper. Your goal is to test how well you understand slow speech. So, take your video or audio. Adjust the playback speed until it feels easy to you. Listen to a few sentences to get warmed up. Next, pause the playback at the end of a sentence. Listen to the next sentence, pause the playback, then write the sentence down. Check against the written transcript. If you’re using a song, then work in lines instead of sentences. At this stage, you need to be really strict with yourself. Double check what you’ve written against the transcript. Count your mistakes: every missing word is one mistake, every wrong word is one mistake, and every extra word is one mistake. If you want, try it right now! It’s a good experiment.

How many mistakes did you make? If you made more than one mistake, then adjust the playback speed down, so that the audio is slower. Listen to the next sentence and do the same. Repeat until you find a speed where you can write down the sentence you heard without making more than one mistake. This is an important step, because you need to build a base for your listening skills. That means you need to be able to hear every word, and you need to be able to hold a sentence in your head after you’ve heard it. Again, it’s essential to be strict with yourself and pay attention to small details. Actually, even making one or two mistakes is a problem. Your aim is to write down the sentences without making any mistakes.

If you can’t do this even at slow playback speeds, then you need to find something easier to listen to. Find something which you can understand at 70 per cent or 80 per cent of full speed. Remember that ‘understand’ means that you hear every word. It’s not enough for this to understand the general meaning. You need to hear every single word perfectly. Take your time on this practice, and get it right.

Once you’re comfortable with this, you’re ready for the next step.

3. Understanding Fast Speech

On the other hand, if you make more than one mistake in a sentence, then adjust the playback speed down. It’s useful if you can adjust the playback speed in small amounts. VLC media player lets you do this by pressing the square bracket keys on your keyboard. Press the left bracket key to adjust the speed down by 10 per cent; pressing the right bracket increases the speed by 10 per cent. You have the same goal: you need to hear every single word. Try to get to a playback speed of 120% or 130%. If you can hear every word even at these speeds, then find something more challenging to practise with and start again. For this, you need to be patient. If you do this regularly, you *will* make good progress, but your progress will not be a straight line.

There will be days and weeks where you don’t feel like you’re getting anywhere. Don’t give up! With any work like this, it’s better to do it little and often. Start by doing ten to fifteen minutes of practice every day. Do this for a week or so. If you’re feeling motivated, go up to half an hour a day. Don’t try to do too much; doing it regularly is the most important thing.

As with all listening practice, you should try to use a variety of listening sources. Listen to different sources, on different topics, and with different speakers and accents. This is the core of your training. If you do this regularly, your ability to understand fast speech will improve quickly. However, you have to be consistent, and you have to be strict with yourself regarding mistakes. Otherwise, you won’t get such good results.

There’s one more point you should think about to understand fast speech better.

4. Support Work

There’s a feeling you get sometimes when you’re listening to a foreign language. It’s that feeling when everything is coming too fast, there are too many words you don’t know, and you’re fighting to keep up. But, at some point things break down, and what you’re hearing turns into soup. You know the feeling? It’s common. It’s what happens when there is too much for your brain to process.

There are no quick fixes; there aren’t any magic solutions, and you’ve already seen the most important points you can use to deal with this. But, there’s one more thing you can do. Vocabulary is a big part of understanding. In particular, when you hear a word you don’t know, it often takes your attention. You start wondering what it was and what it means. While you’re paying attention to that unfamiliar word, you can’t pay attention to what you’re hearing, so you miss more things. This makes it more difficult to tune back in. At some point, you get the ‘soup effect’, and you can’t understand most of what you’re hearing. This isn’t just about vocabulary. It also depends on pronunciation and speed, which we’ve talked about already. It sometimes depends on grammar, too.

So, your listening practice should be supported by language work, especially vocabulary work, but also grammar work if your grammar is weak. If you hear a word which you don’t know or don’t understand, that will always be a problem. You can find many other videos on our channel to help you learn vocabulary, as well as grammar if you need it.

Let’s finish with a challenge. Can you use the training techniques you saw in this lesson every day for one month? Try to do at least ten minutes a day, every day for one month. If you make it, tell us in the comments, and let us know if you feel a difference or not.

Thanks for watching!

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English with Kim

How to Understand Fast Native English Speakers During Conversations

Want to understand fast native English speakers during conversations in English?

Do you feel a little stressed out when trying to follow what fast-talking Americans are saying? 😕

If so, you’re not alone .

Most non-native speakers tend to stress out before interacting with native English speakers because they’re afraid they’re not going to catch every single word .

Don’t worry – I’ve got you covered!

In this article and video, I share my tips on how to handle interactions with fast talking Americans so that you can feel more confident in conversations in English.

Before we get started, I want to let you know that I do feel for you. 💜

After all, it can be really awkward to admit that you don’t necessarily understand every single word you hear.

Because listening skills often develop more quickly than speaking skills, you may feel like the fact that you missed a word reflects on your ability to speak English .

I know that’s not the case.

The reality is that sometimes we just miss words . This happens to native speakers as well!

In this video, I want to put you at ease.

I want you to understand that missing certain words or feeling a little lost when a native speaker is speeding up and speaking incredibly quickly is completely normal , even for native speakers.

Let’s talk about the skills you need in order to handle these situations comfortably.

Try to understand the emotion being expressed by fast speech.

First, let’s look at the reasons why native speakers speed up and speak so fast .

By understanding why we speak so quickly in the first place, you’ll feel more prepared when you’re interacting in a social situation .

First things first, in any language, most of us speed up when we’re feeling excited, enthusiastic, passionate, or emotional about a certain topic .

If you hear a native speaker starting to speak really, really quickly, they’re probably sharing something that you need to pay attention to.

When someone is speaking passionately and emotionally about a topic, it can be a little stressful to tell them to slow down.

Are you really going to interrupt someone  and say, “Excuse me, could you slow down and speak a little more slowly?”

Probably not. That will probably interrupt the flow of conversation and make you feel even more uncomfortable.

If you’re in a situation where the other person is speaking very emotionally about a topic, pay attention to the underlying reason “why.”

What’s the underlying emotion you can distinguish from their tone?

Their intonation will convey a lot of meaning even if you can’t understand every single word.

Listen for Words That Are Emphasized with Word and Sentence Stress

To understand native English speakers, you need to realize that we don’t necessarily think we’re speaking quickly.

Instead, we’re speaking efficiently .

In English, we use word and sentence stress in order to draw your attention to the most important words in the sentence .

If we’re speeding through a certain word, it’s probably not important enough for you to hear!

I want you to listen for the words, or even better, the syllables in these words that are the longest, the loudest and the highest in pitch .

In order to  stress words , we make one syllable of a word longer, louder and higher in pitch.

When you’re listening to an American who is speaking really quickly, pay attention to the words that are longest, loudest, and highest in pitch .

These are the words that carry the meaning of the sentence .

By tuning your ear to focus specifically on these particular words, you’re going to get the meaning of the sentence without needing to hear every single detail.

In my experience, most non-native speakers put too much pressure on themselves by trying to catch every single word and detail of the sentence.

Native speakers don’t do this. Native speakers listen efficiently .

We listen for the words that receive the most stress in the sentence.

To understand someone who’s speaking quickly, pay attention to these emphasized words.

This will enable you to follow along with the key points of the sentence.

Listen for Words and Ideas That Are Repeated

So far, we’ve discussed paying attention to tone of voice to identify the meaning behind the words, as well as listening for word and sentence stress in order to hear the key words in the sentence.

Next, I encourage you to focus your attention on words and ideas that seem to repeat themselves .

If you’re listening to someone speaking passionately on a topic, they’re probably going to come back to their main ideas again and again .

In the most typical American communication style , we tell somebody what we’re going to say to them, we say it and then we repeat ourselves again once we finish.

If you miss the point at the beginning of the sentence, try to tune your ear to the key message .

What’s the underlying idea or theme that you hear throughout the person’s speech?

It’s perfectly okay if you miss a few details as long as you understand the underlying meaning .

Ask for Clarification When You Miss Something Important

If you feel like you have missed a key point in the person’s speech, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification.

In fact, clarifying what you heard and confirming your understanding are two of the most essential conversation skills in English, in my opinion.

If you get the sense that you’ve missed something important, you can ask the person to repeat themselves .

You can say something like:

• Would you mind repeating that for me again?
• Would you mind going over that one more time?

Even better, you can get more specific:

• Could you clarify what you mean by your last point?
• I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. Could you repeat your last point?
• I don’t think I got your meaning. Could you go over that again?
• Just a second, I need a little more clarification on your last point. Could you repeat that?

As you can see, all of these questions show that you’re listening carefully to the other person, but they enable the other person to repeat themselves .

You want to jump in and ask for clarification right after the point that you missed . If you understood the rest of the sentence, there’s no point in asking them to repeat everything they’ve already said.

In fact, when you ask them to clarify a specific point , you may actually help the other person be more clear.

Sometimes it’s not the fact that you didn’t understand, it’s that the other person needs to repeat themselves to be extra clear!

Confirm Your Understanding By Repeating Their Points in Your Own Words

In addition to asking clarifying questions, you can show what you understood by repeating back some of their points in your own words .

Some expressions we use to confirm our understanding are the following:

• Let me see if I understood you correctly.
• Can I just check what I got from that?
• What I heard you say was…
• I think you’re saying…
• In other words… (and then restate their point in your own words).

When you repeat back the points you did understand , the other person can clarify anything else that you may have missed.

These are subtle ways to keep the conversation going without slowing down the flow of the person’s thoughts.

Feel More Confident When Interacting with Someone Who Speaks Quickly

Please don’t feel stressed out when you interact with someone who speaks really quickly!

Remember that they’re showing enthusiasm, excitement, emotion, or passion for the topic through the way that they speak.

Instead, focus your attention on the stressed words .

Pay attention to the meaning that you get through their intonation .

Listen for ideas that come up again and again .

Try to catch the key points by the way they emphasize them.

And if you do have any doubts, be sure to ask for clarification and confirm what you heard .

As your ear adjusts to the way that we speak, you’re not going to be intimidated by the speed of speech!

You’re going to be pay attention to the key words by listening to what’s most important in the sentence.

I hope you feel more confident interacting with native speakers now that you’re prepared with these tips!

If you have any other suggestions for what you can do if you’re interacting with a fast-speaking native speaker, please leave a comment below the video.

3 thoughts on “How to Understand Fast Native English Speakers During Conversations”

Hey Kim, it’s still difficult to catch native speakers (especially in movies ) . I’m sure if say the same dialog, I m going to understand it all in spite of your rapid speech. Thanks

You’re right – it can take time to catch what native speakers are saying, especially when they have regional accents or abbreviate their sentences and questions. Have you seen this video on training your ear? This may help: https://englishwithkim.com/train-your-ear/

You know miss Kim you help à lot Now I watche I philosophy vedeos and I understand because of your help Thank you Kim you know whith you only in 8 months I have made a huge progress because all people around me be choked how fast I grasped this lunguage and getting the flow of sprach Thank you a lot for you and Leo frome Actualized. Org

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Improve Your English Listening Skills: Learn How to Understand Fast English Speakers Better

As you spend more and more time conversing in English, you’ll realize that apart from learning how to speak English the way, you also have to sharpen your listening skills.

The sharper your English listening skills are, the better you can speak and converse in English in the most natural way.

When you chat and talk to natural English speakers, you’ll come across those who speak maybe a tad too fast for you. But keep in mind that this is really common.

When you go to a restaurant or any place really busy, chances are they will all speak really fast. Don’t worry, I’ve got some tips for you so that you can understand them and catch up!

Don’t Get Overwhelmed

The first thing to do is to not get overwhelmed and discouraged. Just because you are having a hard time understanding fast English speakers, it does not mean you have poor listening skills. But there is definitely room for improvement.

As long as you continue to persevere in your journey to learn English, you are always on the right track.

Learn About Speed, Stress and Intonation

If you are a beginner at learning English, you may be saying your sentences at a much slower pace. That’s alright. But as you progress, you must be able to adapt to situations when speaking slow and speaking fast are necessary. Of course, this goes hand-in-hand with being able to improve your listening skills so that you understand the people you are conversing with.

Saying – each – word – really – slowly in conversations can make you sound robotic. If you want to sound natural and conversational, it’s important to develop the right speed when talking.

Stress can change the meaning of your entire sentence. By putting stress on one word, you are able to define your message further. Here, let me give you some examples:

I think your English is great!

• Try saying this as part of your listening skills exercise. Stressing I in the sentence means you want to emphasize that you disagree with what someone else said.
• You are stressing the action of thinking, possibly to differentiate it from other actions such as feel, (can) see, etc.
• You are stressing that the person you are talking to has great English, and not someone else’s English.

You are emphasizing the language English. As opposed to maybe the person’s Spanish or French skills.

This is how you raise and lower the tone of how you speak. What you want to avoid is to always end in a high tone. You will sound like you are always asking a question, even if you are actually stating a fact.

Your English listening skills can be sharpened if you take notice of how others use intonation too.

Intonation is your tool to show the non-verbal components of your message, such as sounding surprised, or stern, or sad.

Improve Your English Listening Skills With These Tips

• Watch and listen to material that feature natural English conversations such as TV shows, movies, podcasts and radio shows.
• Music is also a great way to enhance your listening skills and your English vocabulary too. Especially since modern music has lots of natural English conversational lines injected in their lyrics.
• Turn your idle time into learning time . If you have some free time, such as if you are commuting and riding the bus, or you are waiting for something, or maybe you are just cleaning the house, take this as an opportunity to continuously learn. Play English material in the background or grab your earphones and listen privately too.
• Make it a habit. Make a conscious effort to be consistent in learning and listening to English material . I have no doubt that doing this regularly will definitely polish your listening skills.
• Don’t be afraid to progress your learning. If you feel like you are already very comfortable in listening and understanding the easier English conversation materials, don’t hesitate to advance yourself to harder ones. Learning English is a continuous journey and process.

Here’s another post sharing a couple more secrets on how to improve your English listening skills. That’s it! I think you’re all set!

I’m excited for you to try out these tips and techniques. Remember that we are in this wonderful journey of learning the English language better together!

Until our next lesson!

Gabby Wallace, M.Ed TESOL

About the Author Gabby Wallace is the Founder of Go Natural English, where you can quickly improve your confidence speaking English through advanced fluency practice. Even if you don't have much time, this is the best place for improving your English skills. Millions of global intermediate - advanced English students are learning with Gabby's inspiring, clear, and energetic English lessons. Gabby has a Masters Degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Boston University and 20+ years experience helping students become fluent through her online courses and membership program.

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14 Tips On How To Improve Speaking Skills (Speak Like A Pro!)

If you feel nervous or flustered when it’s your time to talk, use these actionable practices to be more articulate and well-spoken in the workplace and beyond.

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Whether you’re chatting with coworkers at lunch, having an important conversation with your boss, or giving a big presentation, speaking with confidence and charisma can transform your daily life.

Research shows that communication skills are strong predictors of your success in the workplace and relationships . Yet, so many people still struggle with verbally expressing themselves. Excellent speakers benefit from:

• Improved communication
• Getting their ideas heard
• Earning more respect
• Being interrupted less
• Having more loyal and deep connections
• Not being underestimated or overlooked

If you are hesitating or flustered when it’s your turn to talk, here are 14 actionable tips for improving your speaking skills.

Watch our video below to learn powerful presentation skills in person, on video, and in meetings:

How to Improve Speaking Skills at Work and Beyond: 14 Action-Packed Tips

Most kids learn to talk around 1 to 2 years old, but learning to express yourself verbally is a lifelong learning experience. You can excel in your career and get what you want by mastering the art of talking. 

Many tools are available to improve your speech, whether you’re a native speaker or an English learner. Here are the top 14 science-backed ways to speak better: 

#1 Stay in your zone of genius (only talk about what you know)

You may notice that the most professional-sounding people tend to stay in their zone of genius when speaking publicly. You won’t hear Oprah pretending she’s an expert in electric cars. Nor will you hear Elon Musk advising about spirituality and personal development.

They both stay in their realms of expertise, which naturally makes them sound confident when they speak. They’re not faking it— they know what they’re talking about!

If you struggle to speak with conviction, you may inadvertently talk about topics you don’t know much about. Instead, focus on your zone of genius.

Your zone of genius is the mental space where your skills and interests converge .

It includes the subjects, facts, and stories you know the most about. These things are easy for you to talk about with others because you’re knowledgeable and passionate about them. 

Avoid talking off the cuff about topics you’re not familiar with. Not only does this make you sound uninformed or untrustworthy, but it can send off the message that you are a “know-it-all.” 

Masterful conversationalists are usually not afraid to say, “I don’t know.” Similarly, a public speaker won’t add random facts or opinions that they can’t back up with authentic knowledge on the topic.

Pro tip: Not a master in your subject? No worries! Most people have limited knowledge in a particular field. Try learning from the Three Book Rule, which states that if you read 3 books on a specific topic (for example, tennis), you’ll be more knowledgeable than 99% of the population.

#2 Read books or articles out loud

Reading is one of the most underrated tools for becoming a great speaker. It can make you sound more articulate and smooth in your speech. Plus, you learn new vocabulary and better comprehend the book in the process. 

Unlike conversations or spoken speeches, written text tends to have a better structure for learning, as authors and editors have worked together to keep the text free of grammatical errors or awkward sentences. Reading books aloud helps you learn to speak more smoothly in day-to-day conversations. 

Repeat this exercise at least once per week (or every night before bed if you’re determined):

• Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.
• Choose a book you enjoy, flip to a random page, or continue reading where you left off.
• Read the page out loud from start to end.
• Take note of words you had trouble pronouncing or sentences that sounded awkward out loud. Notice how fast or slow you read and the tone of your voice. Depending on the character’s speaking, you can also practice changing your voice if you’re reading fiction. This can help you practice vocal variety.
• Look up the pronunciation of specific words if needed. 
• Now read the page or passage out loud again. Change your performance based on what you noticed in the first round. Emphasize important points with a shift in volume or inflection (highness or lowness of your voice)  
• Optionally, use voice memos on your phone to record yourself reading.
• Listen back to your recordings and find places where your inflection, cadence (the rhythm of speech), and volume change. Do these align with the overall message of the piece? 

If you feel unsure about reading aloud, try listening to audiobook samples to hear how different speakers recite written words. You can also use a free resource like Librivox to listen to free audiobooks.

#3 Use tongue twisters to practice enunciation

Mumbling speech can make it challenging to understand what you’re saying. When people mumble, it sends the message that they don’t want to be heard or feel embarrassed by their speech. On the other hand, people who enunciate their words are seen as more intelligent. 

Eloquent speaking is undoubtedly an art, but it starts with the simple act of training your mouth to move in a certain way. Those silly tongue twisters from your childhood can be surprisingly useful. Repeating related sounds can improve your English speaking skills and articulation of specific words. 

Repeat these 10 times each or until you can say them over and over without fumbling: 

• Red leather, yellow leather, red leather, yellow leather.
• Sally sells shells by the seashore.
• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
• How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
• You know New York, you need New York, you know you need unique New York. 
• I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen. 

Use tongue twisters regularly and as a vocal warm-up before you do a lot of talking. 

Bonus Tip: Learn the Art of Stage Presence

Did you know that public speaking is actually a skill? Many people struggle with stage anxiety because they feel they ‘missed the memo’ on public speaking or they are lacking because they do not have a natural stage presence. Not true!

Stage presence and public speaking are skills you need to be taught—very few people have them naturally. 

Watch our video below to learn the 7 steps to overcome stage fright and beat performance anxiety:

Here are all the aspects of public speaking you can master.

• How to make a first impression with an audience
• How to have stage presence
• Powerful body language
• How to speak with a commanding voice
• What to do with your hands while speaking

For every speaking skill you add to your toolbox, the less speaking anxiety you will feel.

If you want help really diving into your presentation skills, be sure to sign-up for our course…

Master Your People Skills

• Create a Memorable Presence
• Communicate with Confidence
• Achieve Your Goals

Have a question about the presentation or People School? Email Science of People support .

#4 Talk to yourself

One of the easiest ways to step into your power as a speaker is to start talking to yourself. People often dismiss those who talk to themselves as crazy when, in reality, talking to yourself is entirely normal. 

Scientists have found that talking to yourself is beneficial for enhancing your performance in sports, finding things you lost, and solving problems. A practice called mirror meditation combines neuroscience and self-reflection to overcome insecurities like physical appearance and public speaking. 

You can use self-talk with or without a mirror to achieve two primary goals:

• Build your confidence : Psychologists say that talking to yourself in a mirror can help externalize your inner dialogue and sort through your thoughts. Speaking positive things to your reflection is a form of positive affirmation. For example, you can calm your nerves before talking to someone important by telling your reflection, “You’ve got this! You are well-spoken, eloquent, and powerful with your words. You’re going to rock this conversation. I love you.” You don’t necessarily have to say these things out loud, but you want to signal to your mind that you are your number one fan (and you should be!).
• Rehearse before big moments (and sort through your thoughts) : For example, you can rehearse what you’ll say to your boss while you’re driving in the car on your way to work. Don’t worry about acting looking weird—nobody will be able to hear you. Use verbal recitation to gather your thoughts, so you can repeat the key points you want to discuss in the meeting. Similarly, before a big speech, you may want to walk around your room and go over a speech script in your head or out loud. 

Both methods can work synergistically to improve your speaking skills drastically. But the most important thing to remember about self-talk is: Avoid talking to yourself negatively whenever possible , especially before a critical communication event like a meeting, presentation, or important lunch. 

Listen to your internal voice and avoid internal statements like:

• “You sound stupid.”
• “I am horrible at public speaking.”
• “Your voice sounds embarrassing.”
• “You idiot, get it out already.” 

Replacing negative self-talk takes practice. Replace critical self-talk with positive affirmations ( here are 120 great ones ) and learn more about silencing your inner critic so you can feel more confident in your speech.   

#5 Learn from the best (& mimic them)

Humans are psychologically programmed to mimic each other. Mirror neurons are primal “monkey see, monkey do” parts of our brain that imitate the actions we see in other people. They explain why babies naturally smile when you smile or why you can learn to swim by watching others move in the water. 

Recent research has also revealed how these neurons are critical for learning language and communicating with others. You can even “hack” your mirror neurons to help you become a better speaker. Think about the best speakers you know and try a few of these simple practices to pick up on their best qualities:

• Watch a video of your favorite speaker three times in a row. Notice their tone of voice, stature, and vocal quirks. Learn a few sentences from the speech and try to re-enact them in a mirror. For example, if you want to mimic the conversational yet profound tone of Denzel Washington, watch this video of his speech at a graduation:

• Pretend you’re an actor and recite lines from a movie character you like. You can find specific scenes from movies on YouTube. Analyze how the script structure impacts your feelings about that character’s confidence and self-expression.
• Listen to a podcast of someone you admire and repeat things they say out loud. Podcasters are great speakers because they only have their voice to capture your attention. For example, Rob Dial of The Mindset Mentor is authentic, empowering, and energizing podcaster who speaks directly to the audience’s needs. 

Pro Tip : Speech mimicry helps you learn to speak more confidently in public or on stage, but remember to stay true to your unique qualities. You don’t want to copy other people’s words, or you will be inauthentic. Instead, take note of the specific qualities you want to adopt—such as a deeper voice, a slower pace of speaking, or a particular type of vocabulary—and integrate these into your existing communication style. 

#6 Always remember your MVP

An MVP isn’t just the star of a sports team. It’s the Most Valuable Point you need to make in any communication setting. If everything else you say was forgotten, what is one sentence that gets your point across?

Before you go into a meeting with your team, give a speech, or check in with your boss, think about your MVP. For example,

• I’m going into this check-in with my boss to ask for a raise of X dollars. 
• I want to sit down with my significant other tonight and resolve our miscommunication about X. 
• My main goal for today’s work lunch is to get to know 3 new things about each of my colleagues. 
• The key purpose of this article is to help people improve their speaking skills in various settings.  

Regardless of the communication setting, an MVP gives purpose to your words. 

Bonus: If you want to sound really convincing, practice turning your MVP into a specific sentence or two. Something like:

• “My performance in the past 6 months has doubled the company’s revenue, and, as a result, I believe I deserve a higher raise.”
• “There was a miscommunication earlier, but after some deep thinking, I realize it was my fault, and I am truly sorry.”

Having a concrete sentence or two memorized can help deliver your speech powerfully and convincingly.

#7 Sound more confident by speaking louder and lower

Speaking isn’t only about what you say but how you say it. A 2017 Yale study found that the sound of your voice is what makes people:

• Believe what you’re saying
• Feel certain emotions 

Think about it: How do you feel when you hear someone using filler words like “um” or “like” in every sentence? What about someone who talks softly? Or someone who raises their voice at the end of a statement to make it sound like a question?

You probably won’t perceive them as confident in what they’re saying. You may even be less likely to do business with them, believe their story, or give them what they’re asking for. 

There are three keys to sounding more confident when you talk:

• Speak louder (but don’t yell) : When you feel nervous, you may naturally talk more softly. But this can create a negative feedback loop that makes you sound (and feel) less confident. Instead, make your voice sound stronger by speaking at a moderate volume that you adjust based on the room and audience size. 
• Speak lower : Research shows that people who speak louder and lower are perceived as more dominant and authoritative. This is particularly important for women who talk in soft, high tones. You don’t need to change your natural voice completely; instead, practice speaking in the lower end of your range. 
• Talk at a moderately fast pace : If you speak too slowly, you could sound boring. People who drone on in a monotone don’t tend to keep our attention for long. On the other hand, if you speak too fast, you could sound annoying or difficult to understand. Studies have found that people who talk at a moderately fast pace (about 195 words per minute) seem more intelligent, persuasive, and attractive. Measure your voice with a Metronome app for Android or iOS and try to land in the 110-160 word per minute range.

Remember that your optimal vocal volume and pitch may change depending on your audience. Learn more tips about How to Speak with Confidence and Sound Better .  

Watch our video below to learn how to sound confident on the phone with 5 simple steps:

#8 Prepare your voice

Have you noticed your voice sounds groggy in the morning or strained after singing too loud on the drive to work? It’s not the best vocal state for negotiating a business deal or asking for a raise. 

Vocal care isn’t just for singers or public speakers. Proper preparation ensures your voice doesn’t crack when it comes time to speak up in a meeting. To sound better when talking, remember to:

• Use deep breathing : Shallow chest breathing can make you sound more jittery or nervous when talking. Deep belly breathing exercises can help improve your oxygen levels while simultaneously calming your body. 
• Exhale first : When it comes time to speak, most people breathe and start their sentences with an inhale. Instead, remember to exhale first. Blow out a strong breath just before you start talking.
• Stay hydrated : Your voice is directly affected by your level of hydration. Research even finds that hydrated voices sound better . If you are about to speak for an extended period in a speech or meeting, drink plenty of water in the hours leading up to the event.
• Use our 5 vocal warm-ups in our article and video below:

5 Vocal Warm-Ups Before Meetings, Speeches and Presentations

#9 Start and end with the best points

The serial-position effect explains why people remember the first and last things you say the most clearly. Whether talking to your coworkers about a project or giving a big pitch to a client, you should emphasize the best points at the beginning and the end.  

This is particularly important for presentations, but you can apply it to daily conversations. When preparing to speak, the first thing to do is brainstorm all your key points and ideas. It helps to jot them down on flashcards or digital slides. Arrange them so that the juiciest or most essential points come first. Then, reiterate them at the end as well.

For example, if you’re selling your marketing services to a client, the very first lines of the presentation may emphasize why your agency’s package is the best one available. This is sort of like a thesis. You might start with: “Top Level Agency is a one-stop shop for your marketing needs because we do all web design and digital production in-house (no freelancers or contractors!), offer 24-hour emergency technical support, and monthly payment plans.” 

Then, you can introduce yourself, explain the package offerings, and dig into more details. At the end of the presentation, repeat the key benefits they’ll get from working with your company. 

People remember the beginning and the end ! Avoiding burying your important points in the middle! Many people tell stories chronologically and accidentally bore their audience with background stories and foundational info that leaves a bad first impression. 

Pro Tip: Practice your opening and closing line the most. If you have these, you know you will start and end on a high.

#10 Master the art of presentations with 4 quick tips

From job interviews to congratulatory speeches to workplace meeting presentations, speaking in front of a group of people is a life skill that we all must practice at some point. It’s how you sell yourself, your ideas, or your products and services. Yet over 30% of Americans list public speaking (glossophobia) as one of their biggest fears. Fortunately, overcoming glossophobia can be as simple as preparation and practice. 

Here are four quick tips to transform your presentation skills:  

• Start with a hook : First impressions are everything! A sparkling one-liner, a fascinating story, or an intriguing question are the easiest ways to capture your audience’s attention before you dig into the details. Notice how Vanessa Van Edwards’ Tedx Talk starts with a funny phrase about her awkwardness: 

• Cut out excess info : A short presentation packed with information is far better than a long, boring drone full of fluff. Cut down your speech to the basics so that everything supports your main point. Avoid irrelevant facts or boring anecdotes. 
• Don’t just talk : The most captivating presentations use multiple modalities. Instead of just standing and talking, an engaging presenter will layer on the graphics, charts, videos, and visual demonstrations. 
• Pretend you’re a performer : In his book, Steal the Show , actor, and coach Michael Port says the quickest way to boost your confidence is to simply act like you’re giving a performance and you don’t have any stage fright. Transform your negative inner talk to something positive by tricking your mind into thinking you’re capable and confident in your speaking skills. 

Pro Tip : If you are planning for a big presentation and fear losing the audience’s attention, consider making your presentation more interactive by inviting the audience to participate. You can use non-awkward icebreakers , “raise your hand” questions or a social media poll on a related topic. 

Some presenters even invite an audience member to the stage for role-playing or a mini-case study. For example, in a meeting presentation about how you plan to improve upselling techniques in your stores, you may invite a coworker to act out a customer-salesperson scenario. 

Want more tips? Take your presentations to the next level with these 10 Presentation Ideas That Will Radically Improve Your Presentation Skills . 

#11 Use meaningful hand gestures

People who “talk with their hands” are naturally more magnetic. Studies show that gestures increase the value of spoken words by up to 60%! But you don’t just want to flail your hands around without purpose. Our analysis of the top TED Talks of all time found that there are specific movements that portray confidence.

These 7 powerful hand gestures include:

• Show the number : Any time you mention a number, use your fingers to add a visual element of that amount. 
• Increase or decrease : Spread your hands closer or farther away to demonstrate the intensity of a conversation point. For example, if you say, “this is a small problem,” you may close your hands together to show a small space. 
• Feel it in the heart : When discussing something emotional, gesture toward your heart or chest region. You may naturally put your hand over your heart when you say, “this means so much to me.”
• Guide your explanations : Use your hands to give a visual guide to a complex explanation. For example, suppose you’re discussing two opposing viewpoints. In that case, you might gesture to the right for Point 1 and to the left for Point 2.
• Bring things together : When you discuss the convergence of points or groups, bring your palms together in the center to demonstrate these two things merging. 
• Emblems : Cultural hand motions like thumbs up, A-OK, or pointing with an open hand can be used to highlight specific talking points. 
• You-me-we : Bring people into what you’re saying by gesturing towards them, yourself, and then between you. 

Watch this video with Vanessa Van Edwards to see how each gesture works:

Here are another 60 Hand Gestures You Should Be Using and Their Meaning . 

#12 Learn to decode body language (and use it to your advantage)

Have you ever wished you could tell what people are thinking? Decoding body language is an underrated social superpower. If you understand how to tell if your boss is being confrontational or your colleague is withholding information from you, you can have a major communication advantage. 

You’ve probably heard the statistic that 65 to 90% of communication is nonverbal. Unspoken cues often give us more insights into people than what they say out loud. Some of the most notable body language cues to look for include: 

• Lip pursing : People may be subconsciously holding something back. If you accidentally purse your lips during a speech, it may make you seem to withhold something from the audience. 
• Raised eyebrows: When someone is guilty, they might subtly raise their eyebrows to show fear. On the other hand, eyebrow raises can also indicate amusement or surprise. Take notice of your eyebrows while talking in the mirror and use them to emphasize your points.
• Touch : A light touch on the arm can be a thoughtful way to get someone’s attention or help. Combined with speaking in a soft or friendly tone, this can help you appear more kind and more compassionate.
• Firm handshake : A nice firm handshake can portray you as confident but not domineering. Deliver your handshakes with a well-rehearsed introduction like “I’m Joe. It is a pleasure to meet you.” 
• Laughing : In awkward situations, subordinates might laugh to appease the person in power, while superiors may refrain from laughing to uphold their status. As you speak, notice when you awkwardly laugh out of nervousness versus when you laugh because something is actually funny.  
• Sitting versus standing : A sitting person is physically lower than a standing person, making them potentially seem inferior or easier to reprimand. You almost always want to be standing when you are giving a speech or a presentation. On the other hand, sitting while having a tough conversation with your significant other can help create a level playing field for open-hearted discussion. 

Note how you use body language as you talk to others daily. There are so many ways you can combine speaking skills with a specific position or nonverbal cue to portray more confidence, kindness, or influence. Learn more about understanding Body Language In the Workplace: 15 Cues You Must Know . 

#13 Work on pronunciation with this app

Whether you are a native English speaker or learning the English language, countless words in the dictionary aren’t pronounced the way they are spelled. But proper pronunciation can make you sound more knowledgeable and well-spoken. 

The most commonly mispronounced words include:

• Desert vs. Dessert 
• Comfortable

Do you think you’re guilty of mispronunciations? Use the free app, Say It ( Android ) ( iOS ) to check your speech. Oxford University Press developed it to help practice sounds, words, and sentence pronunciation. 

Pro Tip : If you accidentally mispronounce a word in conversation or a presentation, don’t be afraid to correct yourself. It happens to everybody, and there is no shame in saying “excuse me” and repeating it. If you have an accent, embrace it! As long as people understand your words, pronunciation shouldn’t be an argument of tomAYto versus tomAHto. 

#14 Improve your listening skills

Paradoxically, the best speakers tend to be the best listeners. After all, communication is a two-way street. Listening is one of the most valuable social skills because it helps you:

• Understand other people
• Make deeper connections
• Demonstrate that you’re interested in what others have to say 
• Avoid dominating a conversation
• Learn how to speak better

Listening is particularly important if you feel shy or socially awkward . Next time you’re having a conversation, practice active listening with:

• Loud listening : When someone else is speaking, strategically use sounds like “oh,” “ah,” or “wow” to show you are engaged.
• Eye contact : Avoid using your phone or diverting eye contact when someone is talking. Instead, casually hold their gaze for 3-5 seconds to show that you care. But don’t be overbearing with eye contact , or you might appear weird.
• Asking questions : Show that you were paying attention to another person’s story or presentation by asking questions about what was said. Just be sure you don’t interrupt them or cut anyone off while inquiring.
• Wait for your turn to talk : A great conversationalist’s most obvious skill is knowing when to talk. Your decision to speak while someone else is still talking could send the message that you think your opinion is more important than theirs. Politely wait your turn and even leave a few seconds of pause after someone else finishes their thoughts. 

Stuttering and Language Processing Resources:

Do you struggle with stuttering or other language processing issues? You definitely can get help! Here are some great resources to check out:

• The Stuttering Foundation
• Find a Speech Therapist

Key Takeaways: Speak Better with Planning and Practicing

Nobody is born a masterful speaker, but the most charismatic people have cracked some communication code. Fortunately, the secrets to their verbal success are accessible to everyone. Start speaking better with these simple practices:

• Talk louder, lower, and at a moderate pace : If you find yourself speaking soft and slow, it can help to increase the volume, lower the tone, and speed up the rate of your words. This will help you sound and feel more confident while talking. 
• Mimic speakers you admire : Find people you want to sound like and listen to them regularly. Identify the characteristics you want to mimic, like their cheeriness, articulation, or authority. Learn lines from their videos and recite them as you watch.  
• Read out loud : Written words tend to be more edited than spoken ones. Practice reading your favorite books out loud so you can 
• Master pronunciation and enunciation : Avoid mispronunciations and mumbling. Instead, use the internet to learn how to pronounce words you’re unsure about and train your mouth to enunciate specific words with tongue twister exercises. 
• Use hand gestures: Your hands are among the most underrated tools for speaking. Use them to your advantage by emphasizing essential points. 

Whether you’re talking to an audience of 2 or 2,000, public speaking can catapult you to higher levels of self-development and professional success. To take your speaking skills to the next level, learn these 15 Science-Based Public Speaking Tips to Be a Master Speaker . 

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Learning a language? Four ways to smash through the dreaded ‘intermediate plateau’

Senior Lecturer in Applied Linguistics, Swansea University

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Jill Boggs does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Swansea University provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.

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How can I improve my English? This was a question frequently posed by my students in South Korea. My initial advice was straightforward – dedicate time and effort.

However, both my students and I found this advice unsatisfying and overly simplistic. As a fellow language learner who had reached only an intermediate level of Korean after years in the country, I empathised with their frustration. What could propel the linguistic skills of my South Korean students and I forward?

For language learners dedicating hours each week to mastering a second language, the journey often feels interminable, as if they’re making no progress. The advice to “keep calm and carry on” hardly seemed adequate.

The breakthrough came after I left Korea, a revelation that arrived too late for my students there but not for countless others. I learned about language scholar Paul Nation’s own teaching methodology . He suggests a balanced approach to language learning and it transformed my entire perspective. He proposes that language education should be evenly divided among four critical strands:

1. Meaning-focused input

This involves being exposed to the language through listening and reading. It’s not just about understanding the gist of what is said or written but engaging deeply with the content. Watching movies, listening to music, or reading books in the target language can improve comprehension skills.

2. Meaning-focused output

Speaking and writing in the language are just as important. This encourages learners to produce language, thereby helping to cement knowledge and build confidence.

Language learners should seek opportunities to converse with other users of the language being learned, and not necessarily “native” speakers either. Writing emails or even starting a blog in the target language can also help.

3. Language-focused learning

This includes more traditional study methods such as grammar exercises, vocabulary flashcards and pronunciation practice. While these activities have developed an unfortunate, and perhaps unfair, reputation for being tedious, these tasks are essential for building a strong foundation in any language.

It needn’t be dry and boring either – you can make a game of it. One of the motivational benefits of language-focused learning is how clearly improvement can be seen. Yesterday, you may only have known 47% of vocabulary items, but today you scored 72%.

It can be harder to detect incremental improvements in listening or speaking, for example. But this particular strand is an opportunity to show yourself how much you’ve learned. Language games and apps for drilling vocabulary and grammar can be fun and fulfilling while providing a sense of accomplishment at the same time.

4. Fluency practice

Finally, fluency practice challenges learners to use the language smoothly and quickly, without having to pause for thought. This could involve timed sessions of conversation practice, speed-reading exercises, or impromptu speech drills.

Notice that this isn’t just about speech. Why is reading or writing fluently important? If reading and writing are slow, tedious processes, will we as learners want to do them very often? Probably not, so learning to use language with ease facilitates yet more language learning.

By integrating these four strands equally into your study routine, even outside of the classroom, the path to language mastery becomes clearer and more structured. If you’re feeling stuck in your language journey, examine the habits you’re using to learn.

Are you primarily using flashcards for vocabulary and grammar? These activities are useful, but they should only comprise about 25% of your total learning time. Are you primarily watching films? Again, consider how you might balance that meaning-focused input (if that’s how you’re using them) with learning activities in the other three strands.

Not every study session needs to comprise these four strands. But your overall study habits should include more or less equal time in each one.

And about my own Korean ability, once I started teaching my applied linguistics undergraduates in the UK about Paul Nation’s four strands, I became aware of the fact that most of my own Korean learning was in the language-focused learning strand.

So, I put down my flashcards and started reading Korean novels and watching Korean films. Despite no longer living in Korea, where I had enjoyed the advantage of being surrounded by the language, my language skills increased sharply while living in the UK. This surprised my Korean friends and I when I returned there for visits.

For those like me who are feeling stagnant in their language learning journey, re-balancing your approach may just be the key to breaking through the plateau.

• Language learning

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How Google's huge defeat in antitrust case could change how you search the internet

In the most significant legal ruling against a major technology giant in more than two decades, a federal judge says Google illegally monopolized online search and advertising by paying companies like Apple and Samsung billions of dollars a year to install Google as the default search engine on smartphones and web browsers.

By monopolizing search queries on smartphones and browsers, Google abused its dominance in the search market, throttling competition and harming consumers, U.S. District Judge  Amit P. Mehta  said in his 286-page decision. Google owes much of its more than $300 billion in annual revenue to search ads.

“ Google is a monopolist , and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,” Mehta wrote.

The massive win for the Department of Justice could fundamentally reshape how Google does business . It also could change how we use the internet and search for information. 

The DOJ filed antitrust charges during the final weeks of the Trump administration, making good on Donald Trump’s pledge to challenge the runaway power of Big Tech. That mission continued during the Biden administration, which has been aggressive in pursuing antitrust cases.

“This victory against Google is an historic win for the American people,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “No company – no matter how large or influential – is above the law.”

The case is the most significant victory for the DOJ in a monopoly case in decades, said Notre Dame Law School professor Roger Alford, who served in the DOJ’s antitrust division. “Not since Microsoft lost in the 1990s have we seen a case of this magnitude.”

Google said it would appeal the decision. “This decision recognizes that Google offers the best search engine, but concludes that we shouldn’t be allowed to make it easily available,” Kent Walker, president of global affairs, said in a statement.

Shares in Google's parent company Alphabet slipped following the judge's ruling. They closed down nearly 5% Monday, part of a broader tech stock selloff .

If upheld, the decision will be a “major boost” for other antitrust cases pending against Google as well as other major tech players like Amazon, Apple and Meta, said Loyola University Chicago School of Law professor Spencer Weber Waller.

Monday’s ruling did not include remedies. Remedies will be decided separately, likely after an appeal. One remedy could see Google losing its ability to strike device deals that have helped make its search engine so ubiquitous.

Devising the right remedy is critical to restoring competition to the marketplace, Waller said.

“There are no fines or monetary penalties in these types of cases, but the court will have to decide whether Google should be broken up in some way. More likely, it will order Google to eliminate the exclusive contracts and licensing restrictions that have reinforced its monopoly position for years,” he said.

Google has argued that its distribution deals are common in the business world. It pays for its search engine to be on phones the way a food manufacturer pays to promote its products at eye level in a grocery store aisle. 

The way Google sees it, if you don’t like Google, you can switch the default search engine on your device. But people don’t switch, Google says, because they prefer Google. 

If Google was not the default search engine on so many devices, would consumers still use it for 90% of web searches?

During the 10-week trial, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella testified that Google’s unchallenged dominance created a “Google web.”

“You get up in the morning, you brush your teeth and you search on Google,” Nadella said at one point in his testimony. “Everybody talks about the open web, but there is really the Google web.”

Nadella has expressed concern that Microsoft’s disadvantage would increase as artificial intelligence becomes a major component of search.

In a research note Monday, Baird Equity Research senior analyst Colin Sebastian pointed to a range of tactics Google's arch-competitor Microsoft has used to grow the market share of its Bing search engine over the years, from paying users to use its search engine to embedding it in Office.

“People clearly prefer Google to Bing,” Sebastian said.

Chamber of Progress CEO Adam Kovacevich said Monday's ruling hands Microsoft an unearned boost.

“The biggest winner from today's ruling isn't consumers or little tech, it’s Microsoft,” Kovacevich said in a statement. “Microsoft has underinvested in search for decades, but today’s ruling opens the door to a court mandate of default deals for Bing. That’s a slap in the face to consumers who chose Google because they think it’s the best.”

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Independence Day 2024: Uplifting quotes, wishes, and messages to share

Ayush mehrotra   .

30 Heartfelt Independence Day 2024 wishes and messages

• Happy 78th Independence Day! Let's honour the bravery and sacrifices of our freedom fighters by working towards a better and brighter India.
• May the spirit of freedom fill your heart with pride and joy. Happy Independence Day!
• On this special day, let's salute the heroes who fought for our freedom. Happy Independence Day!
• Jai Hind! May our tricolour always fly high as a symbol of peace, prosperity, and pride.
• Wishing you a day filled with pride, joy, and gratitude for the freedom we enjoy. Happy Independence Day!
• Let's celebrate the unity in diversity that makes our nation so unique. Happy Independence Day!
• May we always stand strong as a nation and work together for a prosperous future. Happy 78th Independence Day!
• As we celebrate our freedom, let's pledge to protect and cherish it forever. Happy Independence Day!
• Let us remember the golden heritage of our country and feel proud to be a part of India. Happy Independence Day!
• On this Independence Day, let's commit to building a nation that our future generations will be proud of.
• Happy Independence Day! May our country continue to flourish and prosper in peace and harmony.
• Freedom is the most precious gift. Let's cherish and celebrate it every day. Happy Independence Day!
• Wishing you a day filled with patriotic spirit and love for our nation. Happy Independence Day!
• Happy Independence Day! Let's honour the sacrifices of those who gave us the gift of freedom.
• May our flag always fly high as a symbol of our unity and strength. Happy Independence Day!
• Let's pledge to work together for a peaceful and prosperous India. Happy Independence Day!
• Jai Hind! May the pride of being an Indian remain in our hearts forever.
• Wishing you a day of pride, joy, and unity as we celebrate our freedom. Happy Independence Day!
• Let's cherish the freedom we have and strive to make India the best it can be. Happy Independence Day!
• May the colours of our flag always remind us of the sacrifices made for our freedom. Happy Independence Day!
• Happy Independence Day! Let's celebrate the spirit of freedom and the strength of our nation.
• Let's honour the courage and dedication of those who fought for our freedom. Happy Independence Day!
• May we continue to uphold the values of justice, equality, and liberty. Happy Independence Day!
• Happy 78th Independence Day! Let's work together to build a brighter future for our country.
• Wishing you a day filled with pride and love for our nation. Happy Independence Day!
• Let's celebrate the freedom we enjoy and strive to protect it every day. Happy Independence Day!
• Happy Independence Day! May the spirit of patriotism always inspire us to work for a better India.
• Let's honour the legacy of our freedom fighters by upholding the values of our nation. Happy Independence Day!
• May our country continue to progress and prosper in unity and peace. Happy Independence Day!
• Jai Hind! Let's celebrate the spirit of independence and the pride of being an Indian.

Memorable quotes by freedom fighters on Independence

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13 Speeches in English for Listening and Speaking Practice

Giving a speech in front of a whole room of people can be pretty scary. Especially if you are giving a speech in English as a non-native speaker.

But you can learn from the best.

You can watch videos of famous, effective speeches in English to learn how to do it the right way .

In this post we will share 13 amazing speeches in English that you can use to become a more confident speaker yourself.

1. Speech on Kindness by a 10-year-old Girl

2. “the effects of lying” by georgia haukom, 3. “education for all” by cameron allen, 4. gender equality speech by emma watson, 5. “rocky balboa speech” by sylvester stallone, 6. 2008 presidential acceptance speech by president barack obama, 7. “this is water” speech by david foster wallace, 8. “the great dictator speech” by charlie chaplin, 9. 2018 golden globe speech by oprah winfrey, 10. “i have a dream” speech by martin luther king jr., 11. “the gettysburg address” by abraham lincoln, 12. “britain does owe reparations” by shashi tharoor, 13. mark antony’s speech by william shakespeare, and one more thing....

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Level: Beginner

Do you think people should be kind to one another? This speaker sure does. And she knows how to convince you of the same.

This is a perfect informative speech for beginner English learners . The speaker is a child who is able to speak fluently but with simple words . She also uses her gestures and facial expressions to communicate her emotions with the audience.

This speech is perfect for listening practice . However, learners should be aware that her pauses are not perfect. Learners should focus more on her words and the content of the speech than her intonation or pacing while practicing.

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Even though the speaker is a student in the fourth grade, her speech is one of the most interactive speeches I have seen. She starts with a game and is able to make her main point through the game itself.

English learners will enjoy her speech especially because the vocabulary she uses is simple and can be easily learned. But it does not feel like a beginner wrote this speech because she uses her words so well.

If you want to learn the art of making basic arguments while speaking, you should watch this speech. She is able to convince her audience because she is able to connect with them through games and stories.

She also uses scientific studies to back up (support) her main points.

Level: Intermediate

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This is a short and simple speech about why everyone in the world should get an education. Because the speaker is a child, the speech does not have complex words or sentence structures.

This is also a classic example of an informative speech. The speaker presents the main argument and the facts simply and clearly . She also gives the basic definitions of important terms in the speech itself.

This speech is perfect for English listening and speaking practice because it is so short but also full of useful information. It is also a good example of the standard American English accent .

Emma Watson is a famous English actress who is best known for her role in the “Harry Potter” movie series as Hermione. She is also a United Nations Women Goodwill Ambassador .

In this speech, she is trying to both inform and convince the audience  of why men should support feminism. Feminism is a movement that asks for equal rights and opportunities for women.

She mixes her formal tone with personal stories to do this. The speech is also a good example of British English .

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This is a speech taken from the movie “Rocky Balboa.”  In this scene, Rocky, played by Sylvester Stallone, is talking to his son.

His speech is a classic example of a motivational speech . In these kinds of speeches, a person tries to inspire someone else, especially when the listener feels hopeless or is full of shame.

The basic message of the speech is that no matter how strong a person is, he or she will always face difficulties. And even though the message does not sound positive, Stallone’s way of speaking still makes it inspiring.

Stallone is able to communicate his message with love, even though he is criticizing his son and telling him difficult facts about the world. Generally, this is called “tough love” in English.

Listeners should also notice how he uses gestures to make his point .

Compare this speech with the Oprah Winfrey and Martin Luther King speeches (later in this list). All of them inspire their audiences but have really different tones. Stallone’s speech is the most informal and personal while Martin Luther King’s speech is the most formal and written for a large audience. All these speeches are in American English.

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Barack Obama was the first African American elected as president by U.S. citizens. He gave this speech after he won the election.

English learners can discover a lot from his speech. Obama talks about the most important issues Americans were facing back then and are still important to them. He also uses a kind of American English that is easy to understand . His speech is mainly about the values that he and Americans stand for.

Obama’s accent is a mixture of standard American English and the way of speaking commonly popular in African American communities. He is an expert in using pauses so that the audience can follow his words without breaking his rhythm.

As the speech is longer than most others on this list, you may want to listen to it in parts rather than beginning-to-end.

Level: Advanced

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This speech is a perfect example of the mixture of casual and formal English . David Foster Wallace was an award-winning American writer who wrote about the culture of the U.S.

In this speech, he talks about the value of an education in liberal arts (general academic subjects, as opposed to technical/professional training). He believes that this kind of education teaches you how to think and think about others.

This is a good example of American English. Be aware that in some parts of the speech he also uses swear words (rude/offensive words) to create an emotional impact on the audience. This is very close to how people generally communicate with one another in daily life.

So, this speech is better for learning casual English even though it is a speech given at a university.

Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Charlie Chaplin is generally known for his gestures and facial expressions. In this movie, he proves that he can use speech as well to inspire and entertain the viewers.

The movie “The Great Dictator” is a satire about the rise of authoritarian governments in Europe. The word “authoritarian” means a person or a government that believes in controlling others and does not believe in freedom.

In this speech, Charlie Chaplin copies Adolf Hitler , but his message is exactly the opposite of Hitler’s ideas.

The interesting thing about the speech is how Chaplin uses short sentences for the most impact . There is also a lot of repetition that makes it easy for the audience to follow the speech.

Chaplin uses the tone, rhythm and pitch of his voice to make the speech interesting instead of using varied words. Chaplin’s speech can be categorized as inspirational or motivational. It does not use formal words but neither is it casual or informal.

Oprah Winfrey is an American talk show host and actor who is known around the world for her interviews. In the 2018 Golden Globe Awards, she was awarded the Cecil B. deMille award .

Her speech at the award show is about many different topics related to American society. She is the first African American woman to be awarded the prize . She talks about how watching an African American celebrity get another big entertainment award many years ago changed her life.

She also talks about sexual assault and the search for justice in American society. The MeToo movement is the main subject of the speech.

Even though the speech is in formal English , Oprah is able to make it emotional and personal .

Learners should focus on how she uses chunking in her sentences . Chunking is the technique of grouping words (called chunks) in a sentence with a slight pause between every chunk. It also helps with intonation and the rhythm of speaking.

This is one of the most well-known speeches of the last century . Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader of the civil rights movement in the U.S. The movement demanded that people of different races should be treated equally. This speech summarized the main vision of the movement using metaphors and repetition .

The speech begins by referring to the “Emancipation Proclamation.”  The proclamation (official announcement) was an order by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 that freed many slaves in the U.S. Martin Luther King talks about this because most of the slaves were African Americans and it was their first step towards freedom.

Advanced learners can learn about the history and cultural conflicts of America through this speech. It is also a perfect example of the use of formal English to convince other people .

Some of the words used in this speech are no longer common in American English. “Negro” is often regarded as an insult and learners should use words like “African American” instead.

This speech, delivered by the 16th president of the U.S. (Abraham Lincoln, whom we just discussed above) is considered to be one of the best speeches in English .

Lincoln delivered this in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania where many soldiers had died fighting a civil war. It was fought between Americans who wanted to ban slavery and people who did not. Lincoln was there to dedicate a graveyard to the soldiers.

In this speech, Lincoln reminds the people why this was an important war. He mentions that the U.S. was created on the values of liberty and equality. And this civil war was a test of whether a nation based on these values can last for long or not.

He honors the soldiers by saying that they have already “consecrated” the land for the people of America. (“To consecrate” means to make something sacred or holy.) He reminds the audience that they have to make sure that the idea of America as a nation of freedom continues so that the efforts of these soldiers are not wasted.

This is a very short speech . Learners can easily listen to it multiple times in a practice session. But only advanced learners can understand it since it has several difficult words in it. For instance, “score” is an outdated term used for the number 20. And when he mentions the word “fathers” in the first line he is actually referring to the leaders who had founded the country of America.

Even though Shashi Tharoor is not a native English speaker, his English is so fluent that he sounds like one. Learners from India will instantly recognize him because he is famous there for his English skills.

In this video, he is giving a speech as a part of a debate at Oxford University . He lists out arguments that support the idea that the U.K. should give reparations to its colonies. “Reparations” are payments to a country or community for some harm done to them. A colony is a region or a country that is controlled by another country by force.

Britain had a large number of colonies throughout the world between the 16th and 20th centuries. In this speech, Tharoor tries to convince his audience that the U.K. should give something for the damage they did to the countries they had colonized.

This is one of the finest examples of a formal speech in today’s English . Learners who want to go into academics can learn how to organize their arguments with evidence.

The speech is also great for vocabulary practice . Plus, Tharoor has deep knowledge of both the national history of the U.K. and the colonial history of India. Apart from the content of the speech, his way of speaking is also impressive and is similar to formal British English .

This speech is part of a play called “Julius Caesar”  written by William Shakespeare. The play is based on the life and murder of Caesar who was a leader of the Roman Empire. The speech is considered to be one of the finest pieces of English literature .

It is also one of the best examples of the use of rhetoric (the art of speaking and persuasion).

Mark Antony makes this speech after Caesar is killed by other leaders of the Roman Empire. Antony was a close friend of Caesar’s and here he tries to remind the people of Rome that Caesar was actually a good man. He has to convince the people that his murderers like Brutus are actually criminals. But he has to do so without directly blaming the murderers.

Advanced learners should know this speech mainly because of its cultural value.

Many words in this speech have been replaced by other words in today’s English. “Hath” is the older form of “has” or “had.” “Thou” has also been replaced by the word “you.”

So rather than memorizing the vocabulary, learners should focus on how Damian Lewis delivers the speech instead. The intonation, tone, pitch and rhythm is similar to the formal English used today. He is also good at conveying emotions through pauses and expressions.

If you keep watching videos of native speakers talking, you’ll get used to hearing how different people talk in English. After watching these speeches, you could look for more speeches or interviews on YouTube. 

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The best way to learn the art of speaking is to first copy great speakers. Try to speak the same words in a style that is natural and comfortable to you. These speeches in English are the perfect material to master it!

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Singapore PM Lawrence Wong promises policy reset to widen social safety net in first National Day Rally speech

• Financial help for retrenched workers and more parental leave among measures in Wong’s first National Day Rally as prime minister

In his first National Day Rally on Sunday, Singapore’s new Prime Minister Lawrence Wong declared a reset of policies that would involve the government widening its social safety net.

This includes providing an unemployment payment scheme and increasing state-sponsored parental leave by 10 weeks, amounting to 7½ months in total for parents.

However, analysts This Week in Asia spoke to said Wong’s announcements represented a refresh of existing policies and fundamentals, rather than a complete reset.

They also pointed out that the rally speech seemed to allude to more information being released over the course of the year, dispelling beliefs that it was an election speech. Singapore’s next general election must be held before November 2025.

Mustafa Izzuddin, a senior international affairs analyst at Solaris Strategies Singapore, likened the speech to the first part of a blockbuster film which concludes with “to be continued” and said: “Now the litmus test is to maintain the momentum for when the election takes place.”

The speech, which saw Wong address Singapore in Malay, Mandarin and English, is one of the key political speeches in the city state and the first major one Wong has given since his swearing-in speech in May.

Wong, who took over the reins from Lee Hsien Loong, the son of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, said Singapore had reached a stage where everyone wanted a “refreshed Singapore Dream”.

“Realising our new ambitions will require a major reset – a major reset in our policies, to be sure; but equally important, a major reset in our attitudes too,” said Wong, 51.

Analysts noted that Wong spoke at length about his personal life, including difficulties adjusting to his kindergarten as a child and attending neighbourhood schools.

“The speech was more heartfelt, more personable, more relatable. It was more down to earth and connected to the common man,” said Felix Tan, an independent political observer.

Wong took a wide approach to the policy reset, announcing new measures in almost all spheres of Singapore life, from the economy and families to housing and education.

Support for retrenched and unemployed workers is an issue that the Singapore government has been studying, amid opposition calls for unemployment insurance.

According to official data, Singapore’s unemployment rate dipped to 1.9 per cent in 2023 after peaking at 3 per cent during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

Wong said the government sought an alternative to unemployment insurance after finding that the experience of other countries was not positive, as workers who received unemployment benefits might find it more attractive to remain jobless.

“But we also know that losing a job is a major setback, which can seriously destabilise workers and their families. And we have to do something – to lessen the strain on those who are affected,” he said.

The government would introduce a new SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme to provide temporary financial support for lower- and middle-income workers who had lost their jobs, Wong said.

A maximum of S$6,000 (US$4,560) over a period of up to six months would be disbursed to such workers, Wong said, urging workers to go for training, career coaching, and job-matching services.

“This is the essence of our renewed social compact. We will have your back and stand by you; but you too must take responsibility for your actions, and make an effort to pull yourself up,” Wong said.

Tan found the unemployment payout surprising, saying: “Singapore has never been a welfare state. It has never said that it’s going to be a welfare state. But this government has said it will try to help Singaporeans nonetheless.” He noted that the payouts were likely to come with a lot of conditions attached.

From next year, the government will also provide a new training allowance under the SkillsFuture Level-Up programme for workers to receive a stipend of up to S$3,000 a month if they take time off from work to study full time. Singaporeans aged 40 and above can benefit from this.

The city state also aimed to build a “Singapore made for families” and to achieve this, Wong said from April 1 next year employers would be required to grant a full four weeks of paternity leave.

Singapore first introduced government-paid paternity leave in 2013 and last year announced a doubling of the leave from two weeks to four for fathers of children born after January 1, 2024. Employers currently have the discretion of whether to grant the additional two weeks.

Fathers currently have four weeks of paternity leave, but can also share up to four weeks of their wives’ 16 weeks of maternity leave.

However, this would be replaced with 10 additional weeks of shared leave, Wong said. “The additional leave will be shared between parents – it means either fathers or mothers can take it,” he said.

The initiative will be rolled out in two tranches. From April 1 next year, six weeks of shared parental leave will be provided. This will be increased to the full 10 weeks a year later.

This means that aside from the current four weeks fathers enjoy and the 16 mothers have, both will have 10 weeks of government-paid leave to share between them.

“That’s 30 weeks, or about 7.5 months, of paid leave, which parents can take to spend time with their children,” Wong said.

He also announced a new scheme providing support for families thinking about having a third child and those who already have three or more young children. More details will be shared at next year’s Budget speech, which typically takes place in February.

“I hope this move will go some way in reassuring young couples – we are building a Singapore made for families; and we will help you keep a good balance between your working and parenting responsibilities.”

On measures for education, Wong revealed that the Gifted Education Programme (GEP), a long-established pillar of the city state’s education system that identifies and stretches “students with higher abilities”, will be revamped and available to all schools as well, as part of the prime minister’s vision of a more inclusive society.

According to Wong, the GEP, which was introduced in 1984, will be replaced with a new approach across all primary schools, as opposed to the current form which involves “gifted” students changing schools if their primary schools do not offer the programme. Nine primary schools currently offer GEP.

“Every primary school will have its own programmes to stretch these students in their areas of strength and interest,” Wong said.

He added that beyond the school-based programmes, there would be some students who could benefit from “even further stretch in particular subjects”.

“They can come together for after-school enrichment modules in a nearby school, to learn and interact with one another,” Wong said, adding that Education Minister Chan Chun Sing would provide more details at a later date.

While this was “a significant change”, Wong said it was “consistent with our philosophy in education” that the government would care for and develop every child regardless of their starting points.

Earlier in his Mandarin speech, Wong acknowledged that the Chinese community in Singapore was very concerned about the standard of Mandarin in the city state, since many, like him, spoke mainly English at home.

“Although English is our working language, we are fundamentally an Asian society, not a Western one. We want to retain our Asian heritage and preserve our traditional values,” Wong said.

“Our bilingual and bicultural edge has enabled us to draw the best from the East and the West. It has also allowed us to connect with other countries. This is why we have been able to maintain our unique competitiveness over the years.”

He announced changes to the education system that would allow more students to take a more advanced Chinese language subject regardless of their overall grade.

Currently, students wishing to take the Higher Chinese Language advanced subject must ensure their overall grades for the Primary School Leaving Examination – which children take when they are 12 years old – meet a certain standard.

Students who want to take Higher Malay and Tamil will also benefit, and the education ministry will reveal more details at a later date, according to Wong.

He added that the government would continue to support the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, the clan and trade associations, Chinese media and cultural groups to actively promote Chinese culture in Singapore.

Looking ahead, Tan said Wong’s call for a major reset in Singapore attitudes alongside the policy changes would be a “very tall order”.

“They are well-intentioned policies but it will be challenging to change mindsets and attitudes in line with the spirit of these policy changes,” he said.