1- Most English Classes Are Like This -
Your English teacher has ten years of teaching experience and is certified to teach English as a second language. He even displays his ESL Certificate proudly on the wall.
He teaches you advanced grammar lessons filled with rules and exceptions. You know all about regular verbs, prepositions and present continuous tense.
He uses phonetic charts to help you improve pronunciation.
You are given a list of 3,000 English words to be memorised as part of the English course. He quizzes you on these words. You have studied most of these and can remember the meanings.
You get comprehensive notes from classes. You write down every important thing your teacher says.
Your English Teacher talks talks talks!!!
BUT...You Can't Speak English Fluently! Why?
The biggest reason why you can’t speak English fluently and confidently is that your English teacher never lets you speak in English in class.
Your teacher gives lectures, asks you to take notes, gives you homework and asks you to study.
How will you learn to speak a language if you don't speak?
FACT - You will improve English Speaking ONLY if you speak a lot.
If your goal is to just pass English exams like TOEFL or IELTS, use memorisation techniques and prepare for these exams. However, if you want fluency in English and speak with a clear accent with confidence, find an English teacher who works more like a conversation partner than a teacher.
If you want to improve your spoken English fast do these things:
- Find an English tutor who works as a Conversation Partner, not a Professor. If you can find a Native English speaker, it is even better.
- Get corrections when you make mistakes but ask your teacher not to correct you all the time – you simply will not remember every correction, so it is better to develop confidence rather than worrying about mistakes.
- Increase English “inputs” – Watch TED Talks, watch American/British Late night shows, Listen to BBC or NPR. Read the Times of India or Hindustan Times. Expanding your Vocabulary is something you can do without a teacher. :)
