Answer a phone call in front of friends in perfect English. Who among us has never wanted to brag like that? And why? Because fluency equates to success, to class work and, as a result, financial well-being and respect for others.
Spoken English is not only films and series in the original, it is also career opportunities at home, even abroad, where you can safely add a few zeros to the salary and put a dollar sign. It is for these reasons that people are increasingly thinking about the importance and necessity of knowing fluent English.
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What is the level of language proficiency?
Spoken English is not a specific level of language proficiency, but an indicator of speech proficiency at a certain level (from A1 to C2).
For example, if your level is A1, then you can already communicate in the “native” style: ask for water, food, on your fingers and figure out the route or location of the hotel with errors.
On A2, a person can generate up to 20 phrases on the desired topic, which brings him closer to the possibility of surviving among English speakers. However, work can be problematic. For qualified professions in IT, marketing and advertising, technical support, tutoring, economics and finance, business and law, Pre-Intermediate may not be enough.
B1 is considered to be the very entry barrier, which is not ashamed to announce at the interview. For software developers, testers, web designers, managers and sales managers, this level is enough. At this stage, a person operates on 2000 words and is already quite tolerably engaged in a dialogue and expresses his position. To learn to an intermediate level means to speak, if not fluently, then quite easily.
Craftsmen chatting really fluently and naturally, who can confirm B2: at this level, a person understands 95% of the speech addressed to him, uses about 4000 words and instantly translates any materials without losing essence and meaning. So, it’s worth focusing on B1 or B2 - from these levels, students, as a rule, take off into the English-speaking society and feel like a bird in the sky there.
How many words do you need to know to speak?
From 2000 to 4000 different parts of speech: verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs you will need to accurately express your point of view in English.
The more vocabulary in your arsenal, the smoother and brighter your speech. Accordingly, with 5000-6000 words learned, you will be practically fluent in English. There is no limit to perfection, but in order not to get confused and smartly “beat off” all questions and ask them yourself without any problems, strive for 4000 firmly learned words.
About the words for A1 - you can read here. You will learn A2 level words from this article. Units of speech at level B1 - welcome to this material. And finally, compound words B2 - here.
How to learn spoken English?
In order to speak English, you will need several important components:
- Access to authentic materials (i.e. written in English for English speakers) to keep the vocabulary fresh and up-to-date.
- A strong grammar base to put the verb at the right time and correctly use the necessary marker words.
- Enough time to practice, preferably with a native speaker or with a compatriot who knows English an order of magnitude better than you.
- The strongest motivation and understanding of why you need conversational and such an incredible effort.
With these components, unlimited Internet access and systematically allocated temporary resources, you will cope with your goal with a bang.
How much time do you need to study?
It all depends on what level you are at the beginning. If there are “remnants of luxury” after school, university or classes with a tutor in the form of knowledge of simple tenses, 500+ familiar words and at least an approximate understanding of the structure of the language, the process will go faster. On average, you can move from one level to the next in 1.5–2 years.
In some cases, it's faster. If a person diligently makes efforts every day, painstakingly performs all the exercises found on the Internet, diligently reads literature in English, watches films, trains speaking with native speakers or online on special sites, then he can go from zero to conversational in a year with a “tail”.
Of course, we don’t mean as “gurgling” a speech as a CNN announcer or stylistically delightful as an Oxford University blog, but a fairly understandable monologue without long pauses, during which you explain what you need, and you will be understood.. Vocabulary can be simple and repetitive, but there should be no problems with conveying the meaning.
If you swung at a free advanced spoken language, then you have to be patient and work hard for about 3 years.
But we repeat that this is the case when 95% of success really depends on you, namely:
- Regularity of lessons.
- Tracking dynamics and progress.
- Responsibility for the chosen method and change to a more effective one if necessary.
- Search for quality materials of all formats.
- The ability to exercise self-control.
- Identification of "problem" places and work with them.
How to learn to speak on your own?
In order to learn how to conduct a dialogue in English, you need to listen to competent speech and try to repeat after the speaker, and then express your thoughts on your own. Use these learning formats:
- Communication with the carrier.
- Movies, series, TV shows like The Daily Show, Last Week Tonight, Conan.
- Songs, clips, voice messages.
- Podcasts, radio.
- Audiobooks and lectures.
Sources of "real living language":
- esl-lab.com - materials are divided into difficulty levels, so even with basic English, you can start practicing listening comprehension. If you are in doubt about which level to choose, the site provides the ability to determine your initial abilities.
- englishspeak.com - everyday vocabulary in situational dialogues will help you build an active vocabulary. Pay attention to the "slow speech" function if the usual pace is difficult for you.
- audioenglish.org - listen to simple audio tracks and try to retell them.
- eslfast.com - this resource is interesting because there is an audio series for each text. For greater effect, do not read the text, but learn to understand by ear with subsequent verification.
- newsinlevels.com is a great workout for those who want to understand the news. After listening, be sure to retell in your own words.
- breakingnewsenglish.com - choose interesting news and complete tasks for it, among which there are a couple for listening.
- English Addict is a funny channel where an eccentric native speaker speaks excellent English and charges the audience with useful knowledge and positive.
- BBC Learning English - tens of thousands of views can't lie. This is a really entertaining channel with a variety of videos, the main advantage of which is in perfect British pronunciation.
- Business English - Learn with Business English Pod - business English is useful for those who want to communicate freely on professional topics.
- VOA Learning English is a format for those who want to make the most of every minute. Short news clips are perfect for those who want to combine the interesting with the useful.
- Rachel's English is a channel with more than 3 million viewers, which is no wonder - a sweet presenter with a cool American accent and a lot of interesting information will definitely not leave anyone indifferent.
- Hey Nadine - Nadine travels and helps language learners complete their vocabulary with important words for flying and adventure.
- Will Smith is a channel with a language more alive than ever. Charming and talented Will talks to you like old friends in excellent English. You'll like it.
- Veritasium - about everything in the world with clear diction and excellent pronunciation - you can't imagine better. Intriguing videos of different lengths, on which you can really get stuck.
- Simple History - visiting this resource, you kill two birds with one stone - immerse yourself in the history and culture of England and listen to clear and lively speech.
- Learn American English - what's not here: modern idioms, opinions about bitcoin, phrasal verbs, slang. Come in and choose to your liking.
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When listening to any material, you can follow this technique:
- The first time you listen carefully, without distraction, and try to catch the general meaning.
- The second time when listening, you can divide the text into conditional parts: introduction, problem, argumentation, conclusions.
- The third listening will allow you to highlight the marker words that you understand and roughly reflect the essence of each segment.
- Then try to make some written sentences as a "skeleton".
- Try to build a monologue using hook words and phrases you have written.
- Listen again and evaluate how close you came to the essence, whether you managed to reveal it.
- Ideally, if you have a person who could act as an independent expert.
It is important to understand that you should not strive for 100% identity of your and educational options. This exercise is aimed at the ability to extract the maximum understandable information and transform it into your speech using an individual stock of vocabulary.
Formats can and should be "mixed". In this article, we have provided a list of worthy films that you can watch in the original. If you prefer audiobooks, you can take a look at the following resources:
- digitalbook.io - free books will last you a long time.
- freeclassicaudiobooks.com - MP3 and MP4 formats available.
- free-audio-books.co.uk - a huge number of audio books on a variety of topics.
- scribl.com - podcasts, audiobooks, electronic printed versions.
Alternate types of information and remember the most important rule: to learn how to talk, you need to talk. At first you can only partially retell, then you will be able to retell more accurately, a little later you will retell with an accuracy of up to 90% after the author.
The next step is to express your opinion. Do not be afraid to speak out loud and do not worry about mistakes - for those who learn colloquial speech, it is more important to overcome the language barrier.
How to learn to speak as quickly as possible?
We will talk about several modern and working ways to quickly learn spoken English, but first we want to emphasize that with any method it is really possible to get a good result. You just have to take it and do it. Set aside time every day and don't give in to excuses. Yes, of course, the technique is important, but efforts and dedication are more important.
- Organize workspace and chill out in English Instagram feed to make recommendations for American posts and videos, change the interface of your PC and smartphone to English. Let your daily routine smoothly switch to another language: try to communicate with Americans in the comments, write out funny words, listen to world news in the language you are learning. Replace your usual books with English-language ones, for a while give preference not to domestic cinema, but to something from Netflix.
- Learn every free minute: replace your usual applications, Telegram channels, podcasts with educational ones, get a notebook for written notes or create them on your phone. Choose a free online course on Edx, Udemy, Alison or Coursera. If you have really strong motivation, then it will not be very difficult for you.
- A communicative technique or learning through communication in real situations. If you have a partner with whom you can imitate life situations and solve problems in English, that's great. Over time, you will begin to think on it when faced with a similar situation in your world.
- Tutor or courses: if your financial situation allows, then this option is also effective.
- Tutoring: suitable for those who know English at least at level A2 or B1. You can give Skype lessons to beginners or kids for less than market fees and learn to speak fluently in the process.
- Full immersion. If you can leave for a while in an English-speaking society, then you won’t find a better practice than this.
Additionally, you can speed up the process if:
- Train your memory in any way you like: memorize poems, songs, prose.
- Google in English: by the way, the results are much more accurate and better on it.
- Fall in love with the culture of the country: find what interests you the most and collect as much information about it as possible.
- Collect your favorite quotes, aphorisms, phraseological units in a separate file and use them at every opportunity.
- Read complex articles from different fields without the goal of understanding them verbatim: read aloud, highlight beautiful words with a marker, guess the main thoughts.
- Use during oral training only those times in which you are 100% sure: it is better to understand 4 times from and to than to swim in all without understanding what the Present perfect continuous is.
- Avoid long pompous phrases: this way there will be fewer mistakes.
- Do not learn unnecessary words: you will not need lists of birds, animals, stationery, furniture. Learn the words people use to communicate.
- Pay attention to small things like introductory and linking words, colloquial patterns and clichés a la “be healthy”, “thank you very much”, “by the way, isn’t it time for us”, “besides”, “that is”, “I have in mind"
- Repeat after everyone: after the media from the video, after the announcer from the live broadcast, after the main character of the film. The more you say out loud, the more you remember.
Is it possible to learn spoken language for free online?
Today, this feature is available to anyone with access to the Internet. Some of the platforms for self-study we have cited above. Here is another selection of websites for beginners who want to learn to speak English for free:
- trainyouraccent.com - listen to native speakers and repeat.
- elllo.org - meet people from all over the world and listen to 1000+ English interviews.
- focusenglish.com - dialogues on everyday topics from the life of Americans.
- newfiction.com - fresh audio books on current topics.
- talkenglish.com - dialogues and monologues of ordinary people with frequently used vocabulary.
- listenaminute.com - 400 minutes of recordings on all possible topics with tasks for self-control.
- ted.com is a resource that will replace all the rest: learning mixed with global topics of our time: innovation, parenting, humanism, self-development, nature, the future, social standards and much more. Recommended.
- learnoutloud.com is a treasure trove for those who pump their listening and speaking skills.
- englishclub.com - dictations, monologues, dialogues, works - everything for you to become more successful.
- howjsay.com - check the learned words for correct pronunciation.
If you are a supporter of an integrated approach, then catch a selection of free courses for practicing English speech from scratch:
- Beginner English Conversation Course - even if you are not a beginner, then repeating from scratch is a good idea.
- BBC Learning "Lower Intermediate" is a solid and high-quality course for those who want to learn from native speakers.
- Speak English With Confidence: English Speaking Course - suitable for those who want to chat like a true Anglo-Saxon and who already speak the language at A2.
- English Speaking Basics - 3 sections consisting of set expressions and basic colloquial constructions.
- Daily English Conversation is a YouTube video course.
As you can see, there are really a lot of materials. It's up to the small thing - to choose a strategy and maintain inextinguishable motivation.
How to check the level of English proficiency?
Unfortunately, it is possible to reliably determine the level of spoken language proficiency only with a native speaker or at international exams such as IELTS, BEC, TOEFL.
Most tests evaluate only those facets of knowledge that can be measured mechanically: reading, listening, writing. But do not be upset, because there are indirect verification methods that you can turn to if there is no option to talk with a professional.
An exemplary test is your vocabulary, which can be measured with this and this tool. After passing, you will approximately know how many words you operate on, whether you are guided by synonyms and antonyms.
This quiz will tell you a fun fact at the end: what age of the speaker is your knowledge. Just don't worry if you own at the level of 7-8 years. For non-native speakers, this means competent user.
Knowing your base, you can further adjust the curriculum - continue to build vocabulary or focus on speaking.
On this web resource, in addition to the general test for knowledge of the language, there is a beta version of the Speaking test. You can try to pass it. However, all tests are compiled according to different principles, so you should focus on the average option.
But we have prepared this test for you as a dessert - prove yourself if you are a connoisseur of TV shows.
By the way, do not neglect such an option as a free trial lesson in many courses, where the methodologist determines your level.
How to improve communication in English?
Switch to English-language content - as soon as you cross the 85% barrier, you will feel how your reality changes. Soon, some phrases will be firmly entrenched in memory, while others will pop up depending on the context. With regular screenings, you will unconsciously copy the speeches of the characters that you especially liked, and this is good. Because learning a foreign language is, for the most part, the correct copying of authentic data.
Find an English-speaking client - if you are a freelancer with knowledge from A2 and above, and you have the opportunity, then look for at least one project in English. Working moments, the importance of the tasks set, the desire to get an international case will play their role.
Practice listening skills - listen to lectures by English professors or interviews with celebrities while washing dishes, cooking or dusting. You will not notice how in a couple of months you will begin to distinguish not only words, but also phrases, and humor, and the general meaning.
Talk a lot - record voice messages, video chat with a friend on Facebook, choose a site to chat from this list - do not focus on possible mistakes, try to speak out. As a result, you will have several hundred reinforced concrete phrases and expressions for all occasions.
Stay curious - if you are unfamiliar with a word or, conversely, suddenly become very interested in how English would be "what's the difference" - immediately google it without delay. Think about what words interest you the most: maybe it's about relationships and love, or about shopping and fashion, or about yachting and golf, gnomes and dragons. Whatever. Create thematic lists and make monologues on them.
Find a show that grabs you - maybe it's How I Met Your Mother or something modern like Stranger Things, Riverdale, The Haunting of Hill House, whatever. The main thing is that you like the story. Look thoughtfully, pause and repeat. You can even arrange a cosplay with the same amateurs - the main thing is that you understand that learning can be cool and educational.
Arrange checks every 3 months - take all the tests available to you to understand if things are moving or if you need to adjust your classes.
Create a second account in English - by the way, there is such a training technique associated with creating a legend about yourself as a native of the United States or Great Britain. You don't have to go so far as to create a new profile for the sake of keeping it exclusively in another language. Yes, along with hashtags. Yes, you even need to subscribe to residents of New York or London. Yes, you only need to like English memes. Yes, and select publics that you have read before, but only in a different language. It's funny, you'll appreciate it.
Use our blog and the materials in it - we make complete guides and instructions that definitely work, so do not waste time in vain and keep all the web resources, tips, tricks and articles for yourself. So you will definitely be able to show off Fluent English in the near future. We wish you good luck and pleasant results!
As a conclusion
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