Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[amandahj]

Hi, I'm a student in China. I love English very much, but my spoken English is very poor, especially my pronuciation. I really want to improve my spoken English. Would you please suggest some effective ways to improve spoken English? I will appreciate it if you help me. Thank you very much!

[Corey]

Hello,

I have a couple of suggestions. First, you can try to find some native English speakers to practice with. Pronunciation can be very difficult for Chinese speakers, especially vowels and consonant clusters and imitating native speakers may be one way to improve.

Second, Recording your voice on a computer or recording device and listening for obvious errors can help. Of course, you must understand what the correct pronunciation is in the first place. This technique is only suitable for improving pronunciation, not for learning it from the beginning.

Good luck,

Corey
_________________
Niagara Summer Programs

[teacher-simon]

Hi Amanda,

Corey has said some good suggestions, particularly recording your voice and listening back. I am sure you've been to an English Corner before and I know many people suggest this, but I do think English Corners can be really useful if you can be active in your speaking and listening when you are there. Just remember, you can learn a lot from other Chinese students too. I have met many students in China with excellent pronunciation, so try to get together with people like this also.

Another good point about English Corners are they are a really great place to build your confidence. You can prepare some new words and phrases beforehand and then practice them there.
_________________
Simon
English Teacher and Avid Fan of Chinese Cooking
http://www.damn-english.com

[grammy]

you need to work on several skills

these are:

basic sounds, - the phonemse of english
rhythm - english has patterns, - ba ba bap bap ba ba
intonation - does the sound go up or down
elision - how words mix together

listen very closely to how people speak in english, but find examples which are right for your level., mimic/copy sounds and phrasing. concentrate on getting the basic sounds right. - study the phonemic chart and learn how to use it.... here it is...with sounds

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/resources/pronunciation/phonemic-chart

also do lots of listening practice this will help you to understand rhythm and intonation., try www.soundsenglish.com for exercises, or watch you tube all day!

[akasya]

hı I wanna say something... Im an esl student in turkey. this week the teacher wanted me to come the blackboard and answered the question, but ı was very excited, so I couldnt do anything,ı speak because of exciting.... ı dont trust myself .What can ı do for speaking without exciting,Thank you

[charlotfernandez]

Hi...try to visit this sites, they offers a highly recommended books, but this time there is a need to focus �LESS� on FLUENCY and more on ACCURACY!!!!!

http://www.CompellingConversations.com
http://www.esl-book.com
http://www.tefl.net/esl-articles/tutoring-adults.htm

Excellent product description! I�ve used the book and enjoyed � perfect for fluency activities.

Cheers,

Charlz

[kickaaa]

well, i guess practice is really the key coz even if you know lots of vocab, your oral ability really depends on how good you "think immediately and respond" with English.

you might also learn spoken english formally with this guy

http://www.qualifo.com/main/detail/277

good luck!

[rando]

You need to practice a lot. Read a lot and from what you read gather words and phrases or simple sentences and work it out in your daily conversations. In addition, try checking the link below for additional tips on improving your vocabulary, grammar, listening skills and spelling.
http://www.improvingvocabulary.org/blog/category/esl-vocabulary/