English can be a difficult language to learn for many people. In addition to the rules of spelling, grammar, and syntax, you also need to learn how to speak properly and understand the tone of voice.
While English is not a tonal language, the inflection with which someone speaks can give almost as much information as the words they say.
Learning how to listen and speak with correct pronunciation and inflection is key to having fluent conversations in English, especially with native speakers.
Here are 10 great practice English speaking exercises to help you learn to speak like a pro!
1. Watch Movies & TV in English
There are two ways to approach this method:
- Watch programs in your native language that have been dubbed with English
- Watch English-origin programs
Watching your favorite shows and movies you know by heart but with English audio is fantastic for hearing how phrases in your language are translated into English. As we know, idioms and phrases aren’t always directly translated, since they don’t make sense in every language.
For example, ऊंची दुकान फीका पकवान oonchee dukaan pheeka pakavaan literally translates to “high-end faded dish,” which is nonsense in English. An interpretive translation would be “Great boast, little roast,” which makes sense but is a very rarely used turn of phrase in English.
Instead, we might say “All flash and no substance,” or “All sizzle, no steak.”
Learning with the help of English programs will teach you these phrases as well as pronunciation, intonation, inflection, and pacing.
If the program is English originally, you can also see how people’s mouths and expressions move as they speak, helping you learn articulation and body language.
You can also experience different types of English! Try North American, UK, and Australian shows so you can hear and see the difference between the regions.
2. Listen to English Music
Find lyric videos on YouTube to help you follow along with the words to English songs!
While many songs might be too difficult to follow, especially if you’re a beginner, there are thousands of songs in all different musical genres to learn with.
Since songs are easy to memorize, you can learn the lyrics and sing them to practice your English, and even use the lyrics in real-life situations!
Musical lyrics are great for learning poetry and phrases.
Some great songs to increase your English fluency include:
- “Your Song” by Elton John
- “Paradise” by Coldplay
- “Where is the Love?” by Black Eyed Peas
- “Lose Yourself” by Eminem
- “Sugar Sugar” by The Archies
- “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Frank Sinatra
- “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” by The Rolling Stones
- “Love Me Do” by The Beatles
- “Wonderwall” by Oasis
- “My Number” by Foals
- “For Those About to Rock” by ACDC
- “Don’t Dream It’s Over” by Crowded House
- “Truly Madly Deeply” by Savage Garden
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3. Subscribe to English Podcasts
For getting used to hearing regular speaking voices, podcasts are a fantastic way to learn specific vocabulary in a relaxed setting.
You can find podcasts about any subject you like and as you listen, you’ll learn how people talk about this subject in English.
Podcasts often have scripted portions, news segments, interviews, and candid chats, and range from very serious tones to hilarious laughing between friends. Listen and learn how each of these situations sounds in English!
You’ll be able to pick up on vocabulary, pacing, and intonation.
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4. Watch YouTube in English
There are thousands of YouTube channels dedicated to teaching people about the English language. This method is great for learning new words, grammar, syntax, phrases, and more! The only downfall is that these teaching channels tend to have stiff-sounding dialogue as examples because they want to speak slowly and clearly so you, the learner, can understand completely.
But, there are just as many channels that have easy-to-understand videos that are candid, such as “Americans React to ___” and “Brits Try ___.” Find videos of English speakers trying something from your home country and enjoy learning how they speak about something you are very familiar with!
You can also find hundreds of videos where people who speak different languages compare words with each other. This is a fascinating topic globally! See if you can find videos where an English speaker and a speaker of your native language get together to compare.
5. Find Tutorials for Articulation Tips
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For advanced help with learning English, search for videos that focus on the phonetics and mouth movements required to make certain sounds in English.
Many English learners have a hard time mastering certain sounds that are prominent in English, like “th” as in “those” and the English “r.”
Other pronunciation and articulation challenges, especially by people who know Hindi or another Indian language first, include properly sounding “v” and “w,” articulating diphthongs, and refraining from aspirating certain consonants.
6. Learn Tongue Twisters
One last way to learn more about English on your own is to find and practice tongue twisters. These can be exceptionally difficult even for native English speakers, so don’t fret if you’re finding them difficult!
The aim is to increase the dexterity of the tongue and lips to be able to speak more quickly and with precision. Actors and people who perform public speaking often do these diction exercises as warm-ups to ensure they don’t trip over their words.
Some classic ones to practice with are:
- Red leather, yellow leather.
- Unique New York.
- Red wristwatch.
- English horseradish sauce.
- A wet red work rag.
- Free flea spray.
- Where are all our oars?
7. Practice with a Mirror
Now, to dive deeper into all the previous methods you’ve been practicing!
In front of a mirror, try saying song lyrics, lines from movies or TV, tongue twisters, and see how you are moving your mouth with your diction exercises. This can be especially helpful for those minute corrections like learning how to say an English “th.”
If you find that you trip-up often, seeing yourself and understanding how your mouth is moving vs how it should be moving can help you correct the problem.
As you progress, you can also see if your facial expressions and body language match the examples you’ve been observing.
8. Sign Up for a Chat App
How about practicing with other English learners or native speakers?
Apps like Tandem, HelloTalk, Speaky, and Lingbe are great for connecting with other people around the world who speak your target language. Many times, the other person will want to learn your language while you learn theirs, so you can both learn from each other.
It’s a great way to make friends and meet new people from all over the world and learn how real English speakers talk and text.
9. Write a Script
To put your skills to the test, you can write a scene for yourself to practice.
You know how basically every low-level language practice takes place in a cafe and has to do with ordering coffee and seeing the menu? You can write your own, more exciting version, or make up something more interesting all on your own.
Write what your characters say to each other, what they do in the scene, and name the objects being used.
You’ll practice vocabulary, grammar, and dialogue!
Next, practice reading your script out loud.
For more practice, record yourself as you read it! Don’t worry, nobody else has to hear it, so don’t bother yourself if you don’t like the sound of your own voice. Remember, it’s for practice and it’s only for you, so you don’t need to worry about feeling silly.
For even more challenge? Try sharing your written scene with a chat app buddy! You could even read it to them over a voice note or call! They can help give you pronunciation tips and tell you if your dialogue makes sense for English speakers.
"Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things." - Flora Lewis
10. Practice Describing Events
This is a great practice you can do every day, no matter where you are.
In your mind, describe what’s going on around you in English.
You can use simple words, and there is no pressure to be perfect. You are just trying to build your active recall for vocabulary and sentence-building.
If you are alone, you can try saying everything out loud (or, if you don’t mind people overhearing you, you can practice even if you aren’t alone).
This is similar to scene writing, except you aren’t controlling the scene, you’re simply using real life as your inspiration.
Once again, you can record yourself or practice with a chat app pal for even more speaking practice.
Try out these 10 speaking exercises and watch yourself become proficient in English quickly!
Remember, English is a hard language for people to learn, even native speakers. Have patience and consistency and you will make great progress. For professional and personalized help with your pronunciation, you can always enlist the services of a private tutor here on Superprof.
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