WAYS TO IMPROVE your english communication skills
1 Find native English speakers. In certain areas it's the hardest thing to do, but it's the best use of your time. Talking to actual native speakers is the most effective way to improve your English skills, speaking or otherwise. So whether you have to Skype them, call them, or beg them to speak to you, do so. Your progress will be faster this way than any other.
- Even if they're just tourists, invite them to dinner! They get a meal, you get an English lesson. Advertise on Craigslist. Take a class and get buddy-buddy with your teacher. Offer a language exchange. They're hiding out there somewhere!
- Watch people. Watch how their mouths form the words. Watch how emotion is communicated. Watch where the emphasis goes on certain sentences and how that provides context. Apart from just deciphering their words, take notice of the humor, the feeling, and the formality they employ.
- They will be patient with you -- don't worry! You just gotta be patient with yourself. It's much less frustrating to speak to someone who you understand even though they're speaking slowly than to speak to someone you don't understand at all. Speaking quickly isn't impressive if your tongue gets all jumbly.
- A great idea is to get a book on tape, record yourself reading an excerpt from it (or mimicking the narrator), and comparing yourself to the recording. That way you can do it over and over until you get it right!
- When that's a bit too much effort, just read your books aloud. You'll score points on your reading skills and your speaking skills. Half the battle is just getting comfortable with the words!
- There are specialized classes you can take, too. Accent reduction classes, business English classes, tourism classes, heck, sometimes even food classes. If you see something that interests you (let's face it, sometimes grammar doesn't cut it), go for it! You may learn more than you think.
- Heck, talk to yourself in English. Narrate your actions. While you're washing the dishes, say what you're doing, thinking, or feeling. It sounds a little silly (if you get caught!), but it keeps your brain thinking in English before your first language, which is huge. Once you can do that, the rest is just keeping it up.