How to Speak Well in English (Way Easier than You Assume)

The importance of the English language is increasing every day. English is definitely the fastest spreading language in the world, and also the one with the most non-native speakers.

In an increasingly capitalistic world, the language of choice is English. In pretty much every field of life, the language that dominates is English.

The Free Web Dictionary defines the word 'fluent' as being 'able to express oneself readily and effortlessly'.

Another definition provided for the word 'fluent' is 'Flowing effortlessly; polished'.

'Fluency' is defined by The Free Web Dictionary as 'the quality of being fluent, esp facility in speech or writing'.

As is evident now, fluency in a language is all about being comfortable in it. A person who is fluent in English is one who is able to read or write in English comfortably and confidently.

To many youngsters in developing countries where English is not the first language, the fear of making mistakes while speaking is a very real fear. At the end of the day, it is a matter of confidence. A confident speaker of English will be comfortable while speaking in English.

In order to be a confident speaker of English, one must be able to express oneself without being at a loss for words, which brings us t the next key concept in this discussion.

A confident speaker of English is one who is never at a loss for words, that is, the speaker has a good vocabulary.

So vocabulary is the name of the game!

"So what must I actually do in order to speak well?" is probably the question in your mind at this juncture. Here are some REALLY USEFUL pointers which have my seal of approval stamped all over them, because I have followed, and continue to follow, these tips to improve my English speaking ability. I must make it clear though, that there was a time when I was not conscious I was following these habits. I came to the realization only after a lot of soul-searching because there were a lot of people coming to me and asking me how I had improved my language despite being from the same sphere of influences as them.

This is the most important tip I have to give. Keep reading all the time. Read whatever you feel like reading, but please make it a point to read. Reading, apart from giving knowledge, also causes your brain to unconsciously internalize a lot of new words and the manner of their usage. So read!

Make it a habit to read everyday. Don't be too stiff about it, or you will not keep at it. Read Film magazines if you are a lover of films. Read Crime magazines if you enjoy reading them. Visit websites like Hubpages and Listverse and pick your area of interest, and keep reading!

As a reader, you won't even have to keep track of your progress. You WILL DEFINITELY improve in a big way, even without your immediate knowledge, in as little as a month's time.

Next in importance, speak in English whenever you get the opportunity. If you don't actually speak, how will you be able to appreciate your constant improvement?

Log on to online chat rooms, and chat away with a stranger. If you meet someone who doesn't speak your native language, speak with that person in English. Never let your inhibitions trump you. As people watch your language improve, their respect for you will grow immensely, even if they were sniggering at you, and passing remarks behind your back, in the first place.

Next in importance, and the last point, is this: forget grammar. No native speaker of English ever thinks in terms of sentence structure, subject, object, preposition, etc. while speaking.

If one were to be thinking about grammar before every sentence, life would be a living hell!

There is definitely a place for grammar in the English language, but it is definitely not during casual conversation.

There are loads of coaching centres that claim to improve your English conversational skills, but the fact of the matter is, they focus too much on the things that hardly even matter in conversation, like grammar. I know of a lot of people who have attended such coaching centres (against my advice) and come away with no improvement at all.

Remember, you are not in competition with anyone. You don't need to win the first place in a speech competition. You just need to be able to communicate your ideas and thoughts without difficulty. That's all that matters.