Struggling with English Fluency at Work: How Can I Improve My Speaking Skills?

Hello Friends,

Greetings of the day to all of you.

My name is Sashi Kant. I am working in an MNC.

Friends, I am not feeling comfortable here because of my poor English knowledge. I feel shy when they talk to me. I am very good in my subject, but unfortunately, I came from a Hindi medium educational background, and because of this, I could not gain command over the language. Due to this weakness, I am facing a lot of trouble in my daily life.

Friends, will you please suggest the easiest source to remove this problem forever? Can you tell me how I can improve my fluency in spoken English? I will be highly obliged if you do so.

Your friend

Dear Friend,

You have good written skills; that is what I noticed after reading your post. If we have the intention to learn English, we can easily overcome this problem. Still, I am facing the same issue, meaning a lack of communication skills.

Currently, what I am doing is, whenever possible, I am trying to talk with my friends and colleagues in English. I am also using this community as one of the sources to enhance my English skills. I am trying to draft emails on various situations, etc.

To my knowledge, speaking with others is an easy way to enhance communication skills. Talk to your close friends and colleagues and ask them to correct your language; after that, practice it. Don't repeat the same mistakes.

If possible, read newspapers and try to talk to more people in English. I am sure it will help you to some extent.

I wish you all the best.

Dear friend,

First, take it easy... Practice makes everything possible. Your writing skills are good, so you only need to practice. Talk to your friends or anyone, even to yourself, in English. You will definitely do well. It is your determination to become a good English speaker; all you need to do is take action, dear. Believe in yourself.

ALL IS WELL.

Dear Jacob,

Your reply is truly awesome. The way you explained things is really good and much appreciated. I am also facing the same problem. I am trying to overcome this issue through reading English articles and talking with friends, etc. Anyway, thanks a lot for your suggestions for English learners.

I kindly request you to continue sharing good articles about English.

Regards,
Sravan

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. Record your own 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. 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 in the effort.

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. 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.

Dear Gopal,

Hi, I am working as a senior accountant in the construction industry. I am proficient in handling accounts in our company. However, I come from a Telugu medium background, so I struggle with speaking fluent English and writing letters. At times, I contemplate attending interviews in multinational corporations, but I am apprehensive because of my lack of proficiency in English. What should I do? Please help me.

Regards,
Gopal

Hi Gopal,

For anything you do in life, a clear goal/vision, adequate motivation/enthusiasm, hard work/discipline, and the ability to take risks/challenges are critical attributes.

However, if you are seeking help in learning English, what you require are the key attributes called 'discipline' and 'enthusiasm' with which you can achieve anything you want.

Your enthusiasm is the reason you wrote in to Citehr. The next test is to be disciplined and follow the suggestions given here.

1. My first suggestion is to read as much in English as possible. A standard daily English newspaper and the Reader's Digest have very good reading material.

2. Make more English-speaking friends and make a determined effort to speak only in English, even if you keep forgetting words or tend to stammer, or your friends tend to laugh at you. This will require a lot of willpower, but believe me, you will soon improve.

3. I would also suggest you try to learn at least 3-5 new words and look up the meaning in a dictionary. Then try and use these words in your daily work and in your communication.

4. If you still feel that professional help is needed, then you will have to attend English-speaking classes.

5. Finally, if you can, do visit my blogs regularly and try to learn the new words in it and also be inspired by it. You can click on the links below for instant access:

- www.actspot.wordpress.com - Daily Inspirational & Motivational Blog
- www.poweract.blogspot.com - Weekly Inspirational Blog

Hi Shashikant,

Which city are you in? Maybe you could look at some Spoken English classes to be more confident.

Best regards,
Mercy

Hi, I can only say one thing: if you want to be perfect in any area, the only substitute is practice. Watch Star movies and try to chat with people who can speak English well. I'm sure if you do it consistently, your language will surely improve.

Dear Shashikant,

All the above suggestions are very good. Follow them scrupulously. One more thing I would suggest to you is to become a child in learning any new thing. A child is new to the world. He tries and knows the world. He/she is not bothered by who laughs at him/her when he/she commits a mistake. The child is also not shy when his/her ignorance is revealed. See how you picked up your own mother tongue or how any child picks up one's own mother tongue. Whatever your present age, become a child for learning English conversations.

Regards,
Shyam Agrawal

Dear Additya,

Many people are facing this problem, but I feel in your case the issue may be hesitation or fear of being laughed at.

1. The first thing you need to do is come out of your hesitation or fear.
2. Read stories or news that you like. For example, if you are interested in films or celebrities, then read only page 3. Even one newspaper is enough for a week, but make sure you enjoy reading thoroughly. You should not get bored with it; otherwise, you will lose interest.
3. While reading, try to read it loudly and with expression. The reason behind this is that it will help you to express yourself. Because many times, we are good at reading, but when it comes to expressing ourselves, it sounds like we are reading a book.
4. Confidence plays an important role in this case. Even if you could not recall the word you want to express, your confidence level will help you to explain things differently to get through the situation.

Regards,
Rahul

Dear Friends,

You all have provided very good suggestions and guidance on how to speak English fluently. I want to express my sincere gratitude to each one of you.

I would like to extend a special thanks to Aditya for initiating this question, as a result of which you all offered very useful tips on improving English skills. These suggestions are beneficial not only for him but for every English learner.

Once again, thank you all very much.

Regards, Sravan

Hey, there are so many ways to improve your English. Start reading newspapers, books, and don't just read it but use the dictionary. Try to note down the meanings of difficult words and then use those words in your statements. You don't have to use tough words right from the beginning; use simple and common words. Also, try to talk to yourself in English; that's the best way to get rid of your problem. And most importantly, don't try to run away from the situation like this.

Regards,
Sachin

Hi Friend,

I too was from a Hindi medium (Read and Write) until STD VI. I developed my communication skills by always speaking in English with others, reading newspapers, watching English news, and watching lots of English movies without subtitles. If you make any mistakes in communication, try to identify the mistake and correct it yourself by listening to the correct version through any form of media. Make sure not to repeat the same mistake in the future. Good luck. I will be expecting a post in the near future that shows you excel in English.

Regards,
Mukesh

Dear all,

It's really interesting and motivating to know about so many suggestions to improve oneself. But I feel that the first thing which is most important to get rid of is your EVALUATION APPREHENSION, i.e., to stop worrying about what others are thinking about you. When you are not confident in your English skills, you may be very concerned about others' opinions, which can lead to more mistakes and increased self-consciousness. Be confident.

Remember, RIGHT PRACTICE MAKES A MAN PERFECT.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Not a big problem. The four skills, i.e., reading, writing, listening, and speaking, are complementary. They help in each other's improvement. You have a multinational atmosphere. Get involved in it. Follow certain tips:

1. Make English your thinking language.
2. Do not hesitate to speak in English with anyone.
3. Do not translate; let it come automatically.
4. Make English your language of communication. Talk to everyone in English.
5. Read something in English every day. Read aloud.
6. Brush up on your English grammar.
7. Memorize some idioms and phrases. They will add spice to your conversations.
8. Once you start speaking English properly, do not stop.

Regards,
Ajay Sharma
09815850241

Good afternoon,

All answers are important. I find the answer of ACT very informative, especially when complemented by the answer of amot 84. For me, reading aloud and thinking in a foreign language are very important. I have also noticed that searching for something (eBay, courses, patterns, etc.) that you truly desire obliges you to find the right words and understand what you read, thus helping you learn new words. This process can make you "specialized" in a particular subject. You acquire knowledge of words that others do not use, which can boost your self-confidence.

Regards.

Hello Shashi,

Don't worry about your problem, yaar. I also faced the same issue during my college days because I am from a Tamil medium background. Later, I realized that I had to learn, or else I could not survive in the corporate world. I took it as a challenge and followed through.

1. Try to talk to friends who know only English (a few of my classmates from Gujarat & Bhutan).
2. Read children's books (LKG to 5th standard).
3. Whenever I hear a new word, I try to use it in my conversations.
4. Read English novels even if you do not fully understand them.

I did all these things during my undergraduate studies. Currently, I am reading English novels with understanding (Chetan Bhagat's "Two States," "3 Mistakes of My Life," etc.).

So, don't lose hope. If Shashi can do it, who else can?

Regards,
Indhu

It seems from your question that you can write but cannot speak English fluently. You should not feel nervous and start speaking in English without any hesitation. You may also join English speaking classes in your town. You will certainly improve. Have self-confidence and start speaking English.

Thank you.
M.L. Barber

Dear friends,

In order to increase your English language skills, you need to read the newspaper daily so that you can learn new words and their meanings. Another important thing is that the more you practice, the more expertise you gain in English.

Improving English Speaking Skills

It's a common problem among us Indians. A lot of us can write well but can't speak. Speaking English is a skill—just like cooking, singing, or playing the guitar. You need practice.

Join a program that gives you a lot of spoken English practice. Listen to TV news discussions. Just as you can't become a better singer just by reading books about singing, similarly, you can't become a fluent English speaker by reading manuals. Practice is the mantra. Figure out the best way to get the right practice.

Regards