Struggling with English Pronunciation? Here’s How to Improve Your Speaking Skills

1. Observe the mouth movements of those who speak English well and try to imitate them. When you are watching television, observe the mouth movements of the speakers. Repeat what they are saying while imitating the intonation and rhythm of their speech.

2. Until you learn the correct intonation and rhythm of English, slow your speech down. If you speak too quickly and with the wrong intonation and rhythm, native speakers will have a hard time understanding you. Don't worry about your listener getting impatient with your slow speech—it is more important that everything you say be understood.

3. Listen to the 'music' of English. Do not use the 'music' of your native language when you speak English. Each language has its own way of 'singing.'

4. Use the dictionary. Try to familiarize yourself with the phonetic symbols of your dictionary. Look up the correct pronunciation of words that are hard for you to say.

5. Prepare a list of frequently used words. Make a list of frequently used words that you find difficult to pronounce and ask someone who speaks the language well to pronounce them for you. Record these words, listen to them, and practice saying them. Listen and read at the same time.

6. Buy books on tape. Record yourself reading some sections of the book. Compare the sound of your English with that of the person reading the book on the tape.

7. Pronounce the ending of each word. Pay special attention to 'S' and 'ED' endings. This will help you strengthen the mouth muscles that you use when you speak English.

8. Read aloud in English for 15-20 minutes every day. Research has shown it takes about three months of daily practice to develop strong mouth muscles for speaking a new language.

9. Record your voice and listen for pronunciation mistakes. Many people hate to hear the sound of their voice and avoid listening to themselves speak. However, this is a very important exercise because doing it will help you become conscious of the mistakes you are making.

10. Be patient. You can change the way you speak, but it won't happen overnight. People often expect instant results and give up too soon. You can change the way you sound if you are willing to put some effort into it.

Listen to music of English: Words are songs we sing to express our inner selves. These sound like real tips that could come in real handy. All we need to do is train ourselves to speak English as comfortably and perfectly as we speak our mother tongue. Thank you!

Good one, Malini.

Few additions:

1) Do Sisley B exercises frequently.

2) It is often observed that in an attempt to speak better English, people often tend to add an accent to their English that is uncalled for and often annoys the listener. Hence, try to develop a neutral accent. This can be done by listening to and imitating UK speakers rather than American speakers. For this, one may watch BBC, Discovery Travel and Living, etc.

3) Concentrate on grammar. Basic grammar is often neglected, and emphasis is placed on learning more and more words, which is incorrect. Remember, it's better to speak correctly but with fewer words than to speak numerous words without proper grammar in place.