Australian Police (Victoria) vs Pakistani

'I am tongue-tied when my husband asks his English colleagues for dinner. When they speak English, I sit there smiling and silent.'

'I am worried because I cannot make small talk to my English speaking colleagues at work.'

'I have an important job but I feel like an idiot when I speak English because I can't express myself to a high level.'

These are all common problems in speaking English. Why? well, the fact is we can understand far more than we can say so reading and listening to English are almost always easier than speaking or writing. We often have lots of English stored away - but we can't always say it! Yes, this is frustrating but here are 2 truths about speaking English socially:

1) Fluency beats accuracy so don't worry about making mistakes or sounding stupid As a native English speaker, I can tell you that it is boring to listen to non-native speakers who are hesitant and concerned with accuracy and getting every word correct. It is far easier to listen to someone who is fluent, has some 'life' in her voice but who makes some mistakes. Believe me, fluency beats accuracy every time in social conversation. Aim to be a fluent speaker rather than an accurate one socially.

2) Speaking English fluently is mostly about confidence. This is so true. If you are shy in your own language, then you will not be especially confident when speaking English. The good news is you can be better in social situations by encouraging others to speak more, by listening well and showing your listener you are interested. Then, find your moment and contribute on a related theme. Here's how:

i) Ask questions - or know some phrases to encourage the other people to speak The truth is people generally love talking about themselves. Ask plenty of open questions starting with 'why, when, where or how ' to get the other person speaking. However, forming questions in English can be difficult to do correctly so here is a great universal phrase which will get a conversation going and is always grammatically correct: 'Tell me about....' Try it. It works. 'Tell me about your country/holiday/family/dog/what you think of my country' You will soon have your conversation partners talking to you naturally in English. This is your first step.

ii) Know some phrases to encourage conversation and be a good listener Apparently, Prince Charles uses this technique when listening. He simply repeats the last part of what a person says and add 'so' at the beginning as a kind of question to encourage the other person to continue and show he has been listening. Here is one sample exchange: Man:' I'm a Fireman and I've worked here for 14 years' Prince Charles: 'So, you've worked here for 14 years?' Man: 'Yes, 14 years. Before that.........' So, there are certain phrases that show we are interested and can encourage the other person to continue. We also say 'really' (rising intonation) 'is that so?' or if we are surprised we can say 'never!' or even more informally 'no way!' when you show you are a good listener, it encourages more conversation - and this is good news for you.

iii) Know some phrases for continuing the theme Hopefully, the more the other person speaks, the more of a chance you have to formulate your own thoughts. Now it's your turn to contribute by speaking about something that is related to the conversation, such as: 'that reminds me when..... 'that's just like when I....' 'that's the same in our country' 'that's so different than....'

iv) Know some phrases for when you need help You might need to ask the to slow down, repeat or explain a word or phrase. Don't be shy, most people will be happy with your request and be ready to help or modify their speech. 'Sorry, what was that?' 'Sorry' could you repeat/slow down?'

v) Practice your English Listen to real English so different accents/words/English voice become more familiar. Try the BBC Learning English site for a series entitled 'Six minute English.' You can read the tapescripts, too if it helps. This is an excellent site for all aspects of learning English.

Practice on your own. Think of a word/theme and time yourself trying to speak about it for 60 seconds. Try again, do you sound less hesitant?

Practice with a teacher. You can do this face-to-face or by phone. Learning English by phone is an excellent way to practice since it concentrates only on speaking and listening so every minute is focussed on these key skills. Explain your particular issues to your teacher who should give you some useful phrases, simulate role-plays and have you speaking as much as possible. You should have a good relationship with your teacher so you feel comfortable to make mistakes in English. Your teacher should give you meaningful tasks to do outside the class, like initiate a conversation with a shop assistant or listen to some dialogues and extend a dialogue by writing some more, ready to practice next time.

With the right English training, you should improve your confidence and fluency quickly. Why wait?

Louisa Walsh is passionate about teaching English and is partner in T


Australian Police (Victoria) vs Pakistani... by JahazVId