Ways to Improve English Speaking Skills
1. Expand your vocabulary
Decide that you will learn a certain number of new words every day. It
could be three, ten or even just one—after one year of one word per day,
you will have learned 365 new English words!
Some good resources for new words are songs, TV shows, books or the
news. Learning words in context will help you remember them more easily,
too.
It’s also helpful to learn words in groups. 
An even better idea is to learn phrases instead of just words.
For example, you can say “how do you feel today?” but a native speaker
might say “how’re you doing?” or “what’s up?” instead. Phrases and
expressions can help you sound more natural when you speak.
2. Improve your pronunciation
You might know a lot of words, but if you fail to say them correctly, you
won’t be understood. So, make sure you know how to pronounce your new
words and phrases, too!
To improve your English pronunciation, you can use:
 Online dictionaries. 
 Informational podcasts. 

 Tongue twisters. 
A really good way to improve your pronunciation is to watch English-
language videos. That way you can hear words as they’re said by native
speakers, while watching exactly how they say those words.
3. Read more in English

Reading in English will help you improve your English speaking skill.
That’s because when you read, you listen to your inner voice say the words.
Reading more means you’ll learn new words in the appropriate contexts,
too, so you’ll know how to use them later when talking with others.
And the more you read, the faster your brain will recognize patterns and
groups of words that normally go together. Seeing these over and over
again will help you remember them, which means it will be easier for you
to use them in your conversations.
Reading online blogs or social media posts may be fun, but it’s always
ideal to use reading materials that have been officially produced in some
way. Books, graded readers and the news are all great options for correct,
well-structured English.
And of course, don’t forget to read out loud, too!
4. Learn to speak for specific occasions
You’ll improve your spoken English much faster if you focus on the reason
you’re learning it.
Are you learning to speak English so you can make friends in America?
Then you should learn the American English dialect.
Are you learning English so you can get a job in an English-speaking
company? In that case, business English will help you the most.
It goes further than that, however. In order to improve your English
speaking skill, you also need to know the words and phrases that you’ll use
in different situations.
For example, the way you speak English to a friend is different from the
way you would speak to a child. Both of those are different from the
English you would use in a business meeting. These are all
different registers of English.
Knowing when and how to use different English registers will greatly
improve your English speaking and fluency.

5. Build confidence in your speaking skills
As it turns out, having confidence is key for improving your speaking
abilities.
The first step to gaining more speaking confidence is to focus on fluency,
not grammar.
When you speak in English, how often do you stop?
The more you stop, the less confident you sound—and the less comfortable
you will feel. Challenge yourself to speak without stopping or stammering
(taking pauses between your words). You can start by speaking to yourself
before you try talking to others.
Of course, you can’t and shouldn’t ignore grammar. But it’s okay if your
sentences aren’t always perfect. Just try to be understood first, and then you
can fill in the correct grammar as you learn more.
Another excellent way to build your English speaking skill is to practice
speaking English with strangers. The more successful conversations you
have, the more confident you will feel.
And don’t be embarrassed when you make mistakes in your spoken
English—because you will make mistakes.
Instead, write down your error. Later, figure out what went wrong. Find the
answers you need to fix and understand your mistakes.
There are many common problem areas for non-native English speakers, so
know that you’re not alone. In fact, understanding your mistakes is one of
the best ways to improve both your speaking skills and your confidence.
6. Sing along to English songs
Did you know that singing is an effective way to boost your speaking
skills and help you master the rhythm, intonation and speech patterns of
English?
It’s true! Music is a great method to include in your language learning
toolbox.

If you want to take your English speaking skill to the next level, try
karaoke. The Sing King Karaoke YouTube channel is full of brand new and
classic English songs from top artists around the world.
7. Retell a story in English
I suggest you try this activity with a familiar story from your own culture.
Try to think in English as you tell your story. Focus on speaking
fluently (instead of correctly). Say every sentence out loud, either to
yourself or to a friend.
The ultimate goal is to try to convey the meaning of words as well as the
cultural details.
You can also try to retell a simple story you learned in English. Just make
sure to use different words than those used in the original.
Learning to tell stories in English will help both your communication skills
and your conversational abilities.
8. Talk to yourself in English
Having a conversation in your non-native language can be intimidating
(scary).
If that’s the case for you, you can start by practicing at home with a very
accessible person: you!
One way to do this is to narrate your day. This means you will talk about
what you’re doing or what you’re looking at.
Try to describe what you see out loud. Or, you can say anything from a
suggestion (“Shall I go get a glass of water?”) to a reminder (“I need to do
the laundry today.”)
You may also want to try talking to yourself in the mirror. Choose a topic,
set a timer for two or three minutes and then just talk.
The point of this exercise is to watch your mouth, face and body language
as you speak. It also makes you feel more like you’re talking to someone.
But don’t pause—talk until the timer ends!

If you get stuck, try expressing your idea in a different way. You can
always look up words after your practice is over.
Another tip is to record yourself while you speak. Listen to the recording
and make note of any wrong pronunciations or long pauses so you can
figure out how to fix those. If possible, ask for feedback from a native
speaker.
Practice is practice, though! Even if you don’t have anyone to correct your
mistakes, just the act of speaking out loud will help you become more
comfortable speaking English.
9. Practice thinking in English
If you think in your native language and then try to speak in English, you
always have to translate between languages. Translating isn’t an easy thing
to do, and can definitely slow down your speaking.
The solution? Think in English.
The best part is that you can practice this anywhere, at anytime.
Try to use English when you’re thinking about your day, or when you’re
trying to decide what food to eat.
You’ll notice that when you think in English, it’s easier for you to speak in
English too, because it takes less time to figure out your response. No
translation needed!
If you need help getting into this habit, try keeping an English diary. Write
in your journal every day. It doesn’t have to be perfect; just work on getting
your thoughts out in English with less and less effort.