Why is speaking English so darn hard? You know the words, youâve heard them many times before. Youâve even gone over them using all kinds of learning strategies. You can probably think of what you want to say â but your mouth just canât produce the words. So, whyâs this seemingly simple skill so difficult to master? Why Conversational English is ChallengingTo better answer this question, you should know that language learning consists of two things: Input and Output. Input is all the listening and reading â everything about the English language that you absorb. Output is all the writing and speaking. People tend to have a harder time dealing with output, which is what Iâm going to talk to you about today. When the time comes to speak â and for some people, to write â thereâs a mental block that slows conversations down. You have a simple sentence in your mind, but somehow itâs as difficult to say as a tongue twister. Hereâs why: Youâre not getting enough real-world input.Speaking English ConversationWhen youâre studying English from a place where English isnât spoken much, it can be hard to get enough real-world English input. So, how do average native speakers talk during a conversation? Textbooks â along with any other learning materials made specifically for non-native learners â make conversation sound clearer and simpler. The slang words, idioms, accents, fast speed and improper grammar are all left out, to make understanding English easier for you. Before you even start speaking practice, youâll need to practice understanding what real-world English sounds like. Luckily, thatâs what FluentU was made for. FluentU takes real-world videosâlike interviews, dialogues, news shows and inspiring talksâand turns them into personalized language learning lessons. You can just sit back, relax and read along with the subtitles. Alternatively, you can use the interactive learning features like flashcards and vocabulary lists. Everything is personalized to your English level and learning style based on the videos youâve been watching. Itâs perfect for getting practice with conversational English! Speaking is the least practiced skill.Maybe you practice speaking less because you prefer to hold back and listen during a conversation. Maybe itâs because you just donât feel confident enough in your speaking ability. Or, maybe itâs because you study at home or in a classroom, and most of your learning time is spent reading, writing and listening. Unless you have a good conversation partner or live in an English speaking country, getting plenty of English speaking practice can be a challenge. Thatâ why, in general, this form of output is the least practiced. It might seem quite basic to just join in a conversation, but for whatever reason thatâs not always the case. Conversations can be nerve-wracking.So, you find yourself in a circle of people speaking in English. Itâs fun to listen to their conversation, you understand what theyâre saying and youâd like to participate with them. However, once you actually have to say the words, you become nervous and your palms get a little sweaty. Who knows what they might think of you if you say the wrong thing or say it incorrectly? What if they donât understand you? What if you make the whole fun conversation turn awkward? These are all very common and understandable things to worry about when trying to speak. This can help explain why speaking is the hardest part about language learning. So, donât feel back about it â itâs totally normal. Thereâs a ton of things you can do to help you overcome that mental block. 6 Ways to Practice Conversational English All Day, Every Day1. Use your favorite technologyTechnology has made our lives so much easier. It makes doing anything much more efficient, including learning English. Sure, you can practice any of the four aspects of language (reading, writing, speaking and listening) without any technology, but our computers, smartphones, televisions and tablets help us to accelerate our learning practice and do things more quickly and effectively. So, how do you use technology to practice speaking English?
2. Try the Verbling Community discussionsBasically, the Verbling Community discussion board is a bunch of chat groups about all kinds of topics. The creator of the discussion (usually an English tutor) will post a question or interesting fact for others to talk about together. Sometimes they will specifically state what language skills their discussion topic can help with. Essentially, you can use this website to chat with native speakers and other English language learners for free. Other times, the conversations can be totally open and free-flowing. People are always willing to help with mistakes and thereâs no judgement for making mistakes. Everyone there is another language learner, so they understand! As you gradually chat more and more (without being embarrassed of mistakes) youâll find that youâre making great improvements in speaking English. An improved speaking ability means that youâre ready to move on up to the next level of more advanced conversation. 3. Go on HelloTalkHelloTalk is a text-based app that teaches conversation using a messenger type format. It pairs you with real native speakers with whom you can have conversations that vary depending on skill level. Any language can be chosen. Luckily, most people are there to practice their English just like you, so there are plenty of people you can practice with. But you want to practice speaking in particular, how can this app help you with that? Well, thereâs an awesome option on the keyboard that allows you to send voice messages to your partner. They can in turn respond with a voice message of their own. However, if your partner responds with just text, thereâs an option to have the message read to you by the app. This can be extremely helpful with pronunciation as the app does a good job of speaking clearly. 4. Download the WordReference Dictionary App
WordReference is a great tool that is a known lifesaver for language students. But thereâs more than just the dictionary-style website for you to enjoy! The app has some special benefits. Itâll go where you go. You wonât have to lug (carry) around a gigantic book that takes a long time to search through. WordReference truly sets itself apart from other similar apps because it has two specific features that allow you to practice your speaking. First, the app will sound the word out to you. This is a great tool for understanding how a word is pronounced. However, to fully take advantage of this feature to improve your English speaking skills, youâll need to repeat the word out loud, mimicking the way itâs pronounced by the app. Thereâs also an option to hear a British voice or an American voice, so choose whichever one fits the accent of English youâd like to learn. The second feature is that you can easily look up words and see how theyâre used in context. Whenever you search for a particular word, youâll get a definition and example sentences. They arenât just basic sentences either, theyâll show you tons of great real world examples for how to use new vocabulary. Youâll never wonder if youâre using the right word again. Sounds good, right? Plus, there are forums where language learners can ask their questions to the world â and the world responds! Check out these forums to see how native speakers explain their own ways of using English vocabulary. This will help you understand cultural contexts and etiquette behind words. All of this is perfect for practicing your speaking skill because you can say the sentence out loud to yourself, or you can recall a time when the word was spoken to you and you didnât understand why it was used in that instance. 5. Narrate your day like a reality TV showSometimes, we want to get away from all the technology in our daily lives. Donât worryâthere are lots of fun and creative ways to practice speaking without technology. For example, have you ever wondered what your life would look like as a reality television show? Go about your day. As things happen, practice your English speaking by discussing the things you do, as well as the people, things and sometimes problems you encounter. Talk about everything as if you had a million viewers out in the audience, interested in your life. If something was difficult about a particular part of the day, talk about how that obstacle was easy or hard for you to overcome. Perhaps while cooking you can tell the audience what it is youâre making and how to make it. Go through the recipe step by step and talking about why you love it so much. While watching a sports game, try to narrate everything going on like an actual newscaster. Youâll find this speaking practice to be fun and effective, and it can be applied to tons of basic things that you do throughout the day. Youâll see how many words you can remember when you need them. Youâll realize where you get confused and which grammar points are hard for you to figure out while speaking. When you have to pause because you canât remember a particular word or phrase, keep talking using other words to describe what you mean. This will help you leave to be more creative. If you happen to have a way to take notes at the moment, make a note of which words and phrases you forgot. Then, you can look them up and study them for future use in conversation. So, just have fun with it and youâll see your speaking ability improve greatly without realizing it. 6. Translate everything, on the goThis is an exercise that can be worked into many different parts of your life, just like the reality TV show. Often, when done frequently enough, it almost becomes a habit. Pretty great habit to have, right? To give an example: youâre driving on the road and see a billboard with a funny phrase on it. See if you can translate it and speak your English translation out loud with excellent pronunciation. Donât forget to use the awesome apps listed above if you need some help! Just like before, this can be applied to many different things See what you can do throughout the day with these exercises whenever youâre ready to finally improve your English speaking skills and start heading towards total fluency! Oh, and One More Thingâ¦If you liked these tips, you should check out the FluentU app. Like the website, the FluentU app lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials, as you can see here: If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it. The FluentU app makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples. FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities. For example, when you tap on the word âbrought,â you see this: Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word youâre learning. FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more. The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that youâre learning. It recommends you examples and videos based on the words youâve already learned. You have a truly personalized experience. Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play stores. If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn English with real-world videos. Do you get nervous when you have to talk to people face-to-face? Even if you love to talk in your native language, speaking English can make a simple conversation much more challenging. Far too often, English students do not look for opportunities to practice speaking their new language outside the classroom. There are a million ways you can improve your English conversational skills â even if you donât live in an English-speaking country. Here, weâre going to share nine of the best ways to make this happen. In this modern age, you only need to go online to discover tons of great opportunities! The best thing about English is its popularity. Most people speak it at one level or another. All you need to do is look around and take advantage of the resources you already have to carry your speaking to the next level. 1. Talk to your friends and fellow students in English.Think about the people you have a good relationship with. This includes your friends, colleagues and family members. How many of them speak English better than you? How many have a similar fluency level? If there are cool people in your life who speak English, ask them to practice with you. Set up coffee dates and Skype appointments. Chances are, theyâll be eager to talk to you since this benefits them as well. As an ESL teacher, Iâve discovered that most of my students have at least one family member or close friend who speaks English more fluently than they do. Yet they never practice together. Chatting (talking casually), even if itâs just typing, can help with your conversation skills. If you decide to chat in English online, be sure to use good grammar and spellings instead of using online slang. Hereâs the thing about the internet: While chatting, you usually donât want to make the other person wait. This means that youâll try to come up with answers fast. Internet connections are fast these days, so you can still look up words you donât know and answer your chat buddies swiftly (fast). This assists (helps) you to think in English, making you a faster speaker in the long run. If youâre using Skype, you can actually speak too. You donât even have to turn on your camera if you donât want to. The important thing is that youâre practicing your conversation skills! 2. Donât worry too much about accuracy, but donât completely ignore it either.Worried about speaking correctly in your new language? Too much concern (worry) about speaking correctly might stop you from engaging in conversations, so youâll need to relax a little. However, being too laid-back (relaxed) about this wonât help you in the future. I had one student who was a lot more confident in his speaking than all his fellow students, but he never paid attention to his mistakes. At the end of the term, his confidence was still high but his accuracy hadnât improved. Why is this bad? He had the grammar of an intermediate-level student and the speaking skill level of an elementary-level student. He was so confident that he did not care when he messed up (made mistakes). This meant that he would never figure out (learn) the right way to say things. If you want to speak English casually and not use it in your professional life, and you donât care about advancing to a higher level of English, this is okay. But youâll need to really consider (think about) what your goals are with English. 3. Stay in an English-speaking country whenever you can.If you have the time and money, itâs a great idea to go on vacation in an English-speaking country. Youâll have to practice English for the length of your stay. However, not every country, city or town filled with English-speaking people is a great place to practice English. Go to towns and cities that have very few people from your country and other tourists. This way, you wonât pick the easy way out when you feel uninspired, shy or lazy. If there are many people speaking your native language (not English) in your destination, try to avoid these foreign communities and interact with locals instead. When speaking with other people from your home country, insist that you both speak in English if possible. Picking cheaper destinations means your money will last longer and you can spend more time abroad. So, maybe you should avoid London or New York if money for travel is limited. The pricier (more expensive) places also tend to be more touristy, so thatâs one more reason to avoid them. Itâs a win-win! 4. Talk back to the television.While youâre watching movies or television shows in English, youâll have some great chances to practice English listening and speaking skills. Mobile phone ringtones have been around for nearly a decade now, with the first commercial ringtone services said to have emerged in Finland in 1997. Greatest ringtones of all time. We've talked about the worst ringtones countless times. How about the best? Best Songs of 2018 Best Songs of All Time Best Albums of All Time Best. Search free all time best ringtones and notifications on Zedge and personalize your phone to suit you. Start your search now and free your phone. May 4, 2018 - We collaborated with AlVade Music for this video and it took us some serious time to come up the list of some of the best ringtones of all the. Listen free to Best TV and Movie Themes â 100 Amazing Ringtones (Kill Bill: Twisted Nerve (Movie Theme), The Benny Hill Show (TV Theme). Running time. Because most TV shows rely on continuity, theyâre bound to repeat certain things. Pick a TV show or a movie you already love and donât tire of watching. Since you already know whatâs going to happen and what everyone will say, you wonât have to worry about understanding anything. Watch once and just practice paying attention to dialogue (conversations) and how people speak. Pause at regular intervals to emulate (match, typically by imitation) their tone and pronunciation. Repeating what people say will help you sound more natural. The exorcist tv show cancelled. Parental Rating: TV-14 Region: United States Age rating The Exorcist is TV-14 rated, which means it contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age. Do this regularly. You can even record your own voice to catch any mistakes you make while practicing. But there is one problem with using movies and TV shows to learn English. They can be REALLY hard. Luckily, thereâs a solution: FluentU. FluentU takes fun videos like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks, and it turns them into English lessons. FluentU does this in two ways. First, you can watch videos with helpful captions. When you click on the captions, you can see images, definitions, example sentences, and even examples of the word in other videos. Second, there is a âlearn mode.â Itâs a quiz, but it uses the video examples to create questions. The best part? FluentU knows what youâre learning, and it uses it to deliver a personalized experience for you. 5. Donât shy away from speaking English during your trips.You donât need to be in a country whose first language is English to practice. Even if youâre traveling in your own country, chances are good that youâll run into many tourists. Many native speakers actually like and respect the fact that youâre making the effort to speak their language. Non-native speakers tend to appreciate the chance to practice. If youâre looking for common ground (things you have in common), why donât you start by asking each other about places you have been to? 6. Chat with strangers online.With so many social networking sites and active online forums, you can find at least a couple of websites that focus on your interests. Just pick a website you like, create a free account and start chatting with like-minded people. If you notice other users are being strict about grammar and use of language, start by saying that English isnât your native tongue. Theyâll be friendlier and more understanding about your mistakes. And while you shouldnât worry too much about being 100% accurate, it wonât hurt to read what you have typed before sending it out there. This self-editing practice will help you in the professional world as well. 7. Use Meetup and Facebook groups to find others who are practicing English.I use the international networking site Meetup. I get alerts in my inbox when someone creates a Meetup group in an area Iâm interested in, like Italian conversation practice. There are usually several English language practice groups in any major city, so all you have to do is look around. Joining any Meetup group is free. You only have to pay a small fee if you form one yourself. 8. Never miss an opportunity to talk to strangers.This is especially true when youâre spending time in international coffee shop chains or pubs where speaking to strangers is more or less expected. Coffee shops are great places to meet with friends, have a cup of coffee and unwind (relax). Theyâve become so popular that nowadays theyâre frequented by several different demographics (particular groups of a population), so youâll probably see many people about your age. People usually go to coffee shops to work (or play) on their laptops and use the wireless internet connection, so itâs easy to start a conversation by asking how it works (if youâre new there) or helping newcomers with their questions. You donât have to be best friends, but when you spot a foreigner you can offer friendly advice and take it from there. Sometimes people will talk to you first. 9. Take classes in English, especially in areas youâre passionate about.If thereâs a college or institution nearby that offers classes in English and you can afford them, give them a try. As long as the students are encouraged to speak in English, even a cooking or dancing class will make it possible for you to practice your conversation skills. Integrating English into your everyday life might sound like a difficult task when you donât have much free time, but itâll be worth it. Even 15 extra minutes every week will enhance your confidence and fluency. Just make sure you donât completely let go of accuracy, or focus too much on it that it prevents you from conversing freely. Remember, learning English is supposed to be fun! If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn English with real-world videos. This app is only available on the App Store for iOS devices. Description'English Conversation Practice' is the helpful app to practice english conversation for everyone. With a lot of english conversations categorized in different levels, you can strengthen your english listening and speaking skills perfectly. This app also includes many useful resources for real-life situations and examination. Whatâs NewThis update:
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Absolutely itâs an outstanding applicationAbsolutely itâs an outstanding application, but I faced a little problem about this application. Actually when I downloaded a number of audio clips for practicing. But after finished my practicing I cannot find any option for deleting those. Could you please tell me how can I delete those..???? Developer Response,Hi Redoyan Islam, ExcellentFor a long time Iâve been looking for app like this, which provides a diversity of examples and repeating voice versions and easy accessible anytime on mobile. Thanks to this app, my English is getting better. Outstanding english applicationThe app is very rich with material .. the only thing that is devastating that is there is no option to download all the lessons together you have to download it one by one.. please consider to make this option available â¥ï¸ Information
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