How to Improve your English Fluency

Here are our top 11 ways to improve your English!

Learning to speak another language is a huge challenge. If you have been studying English for a while, you know there is a significant difference between learning grammar rules, vocabulary lists and actually learning to speak naturally and fluently. The good news is that learning English doesn’t have to be a grueling process. There are any ways to improve your English language skills even as you go about your daily activities.

Read Books

Reading books is the perfect way to learn how to improve your English or speak another language fluently. Don’t feel like you have to jump into the great English classics. You can learn from reading any book, from a young adult novel to a biography. It is even better if you find an English translation of a book you’ve read in your native language since you will be familiar with the story and the turns of phrase.

For example, before you go to the doctor, you can make note of phrases like “my arm hurts”, “I have a fever”, “I need a prescription”, and so on.

Talk To Yourself

You might feel silly doing it, but talking to yourself is one of the best ways to learn another language. This will help you ease into the natural flow of English conversation simply by pretending.

Some people even like to have a pretend conversation in front of the mirror to teach themselves how to shape words properly. This can be especially helpful if your native language has a drastically different pronunciation than English.

Listen And Sing Along To Songs

Chances are, you already know plenty of pop music that’s in English! As you listen to it, try to sing along. This method has real scientific backing and helps English students learn natural English phrasing.

It is also a great way to learn slang terms and pronunciation. But although listening is great, it is not enough on its own! The key is to sing along so your mouth and brain learn how to formulate those sentences and ideas.

Watch Movies

Watching video content in English is an excellent way of learning to speak more fluently. It is ideal because you can turn on closed captions to follow the story both in your native language and in English. If you get to a phrase that you don’t understand, go back and listen to it again, comparing it to the subtitles. Of course, you don’t need to limit yourself to movies! Feel free to watch internet videos or whatever other content is helpful.

Write Things Down

Studies have shown that when it comes to language acquisition, writing things down is the key to remembering them. That is because it forces you to pay close attention to each phrase, including how to use it and all the situations in which it might fit.

Of course, once you write it down, you can refer back to your notes as often as you like. Some people also find that visualizing their own writing helps them remember vocabulary more easily.

Practice Registers

In language learning, registers refer to the way you change your language in a specific setting, such as when speaking to a friend, co-worker, boss, stranger, or child. Each situation affects the grammar, vocabulary, and syntax that you use when you speak. While these registers exist in every language, it can take practice to learn how to apply them properly in different cultures. To practice registers, talk aloud to yourself, first imagining that you are talking to a teacher, then speaking in a formal setting, chatting with a friend, and talking to a child.

Learn In Phrases

Like many other languages, English is more about phrases than individual words. There are patterns in the way that native speakers formulate their sentences. Often, it is more helpful to focus on these phrases when studying English rather than just learning grammar and vocabulary rules.

While those rules are important, they don’t always do a good job on their own of representing a living language. If you like, get a phrasebook and commit the phrases to memory like a script.

Study Grammar, But Focus On Content

What does this mean, exactly? It means that studying the technical aspects of a language — including grammar and vocabulary — are important, but it shouldn’t be your main focus when you are trying to become fluent. Instead, focus on practicing using the language with all the other tips we’ve provided here.

As English becomes more intuitive for you, you will find yourself incorporating these grammar rules without even thinking about them.

Take Notes

Any language learner will tell you that you learn a new set of vocabulary for every situation. Going to the doctor, attending a class, or getting a haircut each has its own turns of phrase you will need to learn.

Feel free to take notes before you put yourself in one of these situations, even if just to use as a cheat sheet. For example, before you go to the doctor, you can make note of phrases like “my arm hurts”, “I have a fever”, “I need a prescription”, and so on.

Learn About Exceptions

English is a notoriously difficult language with plenty of grammatical inconsistencies. Don’t get stumped by these when you run across them unexpectedly. Instead, learn about them so you can recognize them in speech and get used to the ways that English operates, even when it is outside the official rules.

Examples of linguistic and grammatical exceptions in English include the “I before e except after c” rule, irregular verbs, and irregular plural nouns.

Take An Online Class

Taking an online class is an excellent way to improve your English. You can schedule it at your convenience and enjoy practicing natural speech with a teacher. Studying with a partner can make a world of difference, and studying with a great teacher is even better.

Becoming Fluent In English

Becoming fluent in English is a challenge, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable. With the right tools, you will improve your English fluency in no time!