Struggling with English Communication at Work: How Can I Improve?

Good Afternoon Everyone. Currently, I'm working in a Japanese MNC as an Assistant External HR and Admin. However, my weak point is that my communication skills are lacking. I am not fluent in English. Could you please provide me with some suggestions on how I can improve my English? Any notes would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Ridima

Just you have to do easy tasks like reading English newspapers and novels, and try to think in English instead of your mother tongue. If this is not possible for you, then consider taking some classes.

English is an easy language to learn. Since it is not your first language, you need to practice a lot. Like Mr. Govind S. said above, you should try to think in English.

Read English Newspapers

Read English newspapers like the Times of India, Indian Express, or any other. Subscribe to one of those papers. Carry a dictionary with you. You can buy a mini pocket dictionary, English-Hindi or English-Your mother tongue. Whenever you feel you do not understand any word, look it up in the dictionary.

Practice Speaking and Listening

Try to speak in English with your colleagues at the company where you work. Watch English news channels. If you are on any social networking sites like Facebook, try to chat with your friends in English. To learn English, you have to surround yourself with English.

Don't feel disheartened if someone mocks you or criticizes you. Be ready for criticism. Practice, practice, and practice. You will surely learn.

Regards,
Boney Sharon

A very easy step is to daily watch the news in your own language and, at the same time, watch the English news. It will help you to understand. Read any English newspapers aloud daily for a minimum of half an hour to one hour. Speak in English confidently whenever there are opportunities, whether you are right or wrong.

Regards,
Shankar

Ways to Improve English Communication Skills

1. Newspapers are the best source.

2. Find some old books at your home related to your career or belonging to your younger brothers and sisters in the family. You will discover some interesting words that you had previously ignored.

3. Spend at least one hour in front of the TV and watch debates and English news on Indian channels. If you are interested in business, watch CNBC 18, etc.

4. Try to teach younger students in your neighborhood (tutoring), even if it is free. You will also learn from them. This practice will improve your grammar, which cannot be improved anywhere else.

5. Think of some words in your mother tongue and try to find their English equivalents, then incorporate them into your daily routine. The internet is the best source for this purpose.

6. Last but difficult - when you are alone, speak in front of a mirror. This practice will help reduce your hesitation and shyness in speaking English.

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Improving Your English Communication Skills

First and foremost, attempt to talk to your family members and friends in English. Initially, you may feel hesitant and shy. Get rid of that feeling because you should be strong in your conviction that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE IN THIS WORLD. What one requires is the resolve to achieve their goal in life. The English alphabet has just 26 letters, and all permutations and combinations occur within these letters only. Unfortunately, in English grammar, you will find more exceptions than rules. Hence, keep logic aside and just copy how others speak and write. Simply follow.

Keep practicing—reading and speaking—like how a lot of suggestions have come up in the above responses. Please avoid making spelling mistakes; it is the first rule. There are options available for spell check. If you sincerely follow the guidelines, sooner rather than later, you will be able to communicate like others. You can also attend language classes—one way of serious, structured learning.

Best wishes

Rule to Master Any New Language: HSRW

I have a rule to master any new language: HSRW = Hear, Speak, Read, Write! Try to listen to as much good English as possible by watching BBC news and programs. Attempt to speak in English whenever feasible and check for your mistakes or ask others to correct you if you wish. Start by reading easy English first, as suggested by many; for example, daily newspapers. When you come across a new word, please go and look it up in a dictionary.

All the best to you. P.N. - Phonetics play a great part in UK English.

Happy learning!

Regards,
Dr. VSRege

Ridima,

There are some helpful suggestions provided in the comments. I would recommend starting by getting yourself a good grammar book. I noticed several errors in the brief description you provided above. Here are a few corrections and suggestions:

- "Currently, I'm working in a Japanese MNC as an Asst. Ext. Hr & Admin." (Consider using "currently" at the beginning of the sentence and avoid using "but" to start a sentence.)
- "My communication is very down." (Consider revising to "My communication is weak.")
- "I am not fluent in English." (Watch out for capital letters and ensure correct punctuation.)
- "So please give me suggestions on how I can improve my English. Please provide any notes." (Use "suggestions on how I can improve my English" and avoid redundancy.)

Having a strong foundation in grammar is essential for effective communication. When learning new words, try using them in sentences and practice speaking with someone who can help you improve. Reading books is also a great way to enhance your language skills.

Regards,

Fluency in English speaking can only be achieved with a lot of practice. Think about the people around you who speak good English—most of them went to English medium schools or had an environment at home that provided them with enough practice.

For someone who did not have an environment conducive to developing English speaking skills, the only option is to engage in lots of speaking (or conversation) practice, overcome the fear of making mistakes, and strive for fluency.

If you are seeking quick results, consider joining the new practice-based fluency programs available in the market. If you prefer not to spend money and are willing to invest more time, try to find friends with whom you can converse daily in English and who will kindly help you correct your errors.

Thank you.

Members have given very practical and wise suggestions. I suggest that, in addition, you "listen" to news from papers like "Mint." There is this option in the e-paper. You just need a net connection and a computer. This way, you can listen to news in English and repeat the same news until you are clear about the pronunciations of words. Then read the same news yourself to practice. Do not worry; it is not a difficult language to learn and master.

Regards,
Col. Rathi

Don't lose your confidence and try to create something new at work. I agree with my respected senior, but I have a small suggestion for you: become a cinephile for English/non-regional movies.

Tips for Cinephiles:

When you watch a movie, read the subtitles. If you prefer to mute the TV volume, improve your communication skills sooner.

Regards,
Abhijit Biswas

"Perfection is not achieved completely by anyone in the world. But if you keep pursuing perfection, you may eventually reach excellence."

One thing I wish to tell you is that, being a city-based person, you might have been listening to and feeling the English language. The only thing you need to do is put it into practice without any fear.

Suggestion for Improving English Skills

My suggestion is to first pick up any 10th-grade level grammar book and read it from the first page to the last. Then, write to me about your feelings.

Best of luck.

Regards,

First of all, never think that you cannot do it; always keep your confidence levels high. It is very easy to speak like an expert; you just need some basics and grooming. You will be able to speak fluently in English; just keep speaking and follow these simple tips:

1. Watch your favorite cartoons in English. This may sound childish, but it really works because they use very simple and understandable language.

2. The more you listen, the more you can grasp, so keep listening to some movies that are in simple and plain English.

3. Listen to some English songs/albums with lyrics displayed for a few days, and try to listen to them without lyrics and sing along. This improves listening skills, which in turn improves your speaking skills.

4. Refer to primary level grammar books (6th to 10th grade) instead of high-level grammar books.

5. You may have good friends around you; speak to them in English every day. Even though they may tease you initially, they will definitely cooperate.

6. Read Indian English novels initially and then move on to foreign author novels. Also, refer to a good dictionary whenever you encounter a new word.

7. Take a case study and work on it.

8. Create a play with 2 or 3 characters and perform it with your friends using English dialogues. This is a fun activity that helps improve speaking skills and spontaneity.

9. Watch the news in English.

10. Last but very important, choose a topic and speak to yourself in front of a mirror. This practice gives self-motivation, improves your presentation skills, and enhances your fluency in English.

Hope you will try these tips and achieve the best results.

Wishing you all the best.

Nice suggestion, but please stop using all caps while commenting. It's totally unnecessary!

I just want to point out that while it's good to be encouraging, it's not fair to give unrealistic hopes. Someone mentioned that you can be fluent in English easily. Um... not really. I agree that English is an easy language in comparison to many Indian languages. However, it still needs a lot of practice to achieve perfection.

Practice Makes Perfect

That being said, it is possible, but I strongly advise practice, practice, and more practice.

Regards.

Faced the same problem. I belong to a city where speaking English during our schooling or graduation days was seen as showing attitude. To overcome this communication hurdle, I joined a spoken English course and met like-minded individuals. I started watching movies, which helped me improve in terms of intonation, rhythm, and fluency.

Joining International Chat Sessions

Joining some international chat sessions is another vital help as you get new words every day, which improves your vocabulary. The last thing is to not only use your mother tongue but to at least use the learned words in English.

Regards,
Sushobhan

Hi, a lot of people have given inputs, so here I go too. These suggestions are from my own experience. Some may suit you, some may not. Please pick and choose.

Remember that improving English (or learning and mastering any language) is a long and continuous process and can't happen quickly.

Start Small

You can start small by reading papers, books, etc., and listening to the radio and news for a short time daily.

TV Serials for English Improvement

TV serials (Star World, Zee Cafe, Comedy Central, etc.) are a great source of entertainment and English improvement. Disclaimer: culturally, some might be a little shocking, but you can stick to simple, family-oriented serials. There are some that air on Comedy Central.

Use a Dictionary

Please get a dictionary on your phone and on your PC. I suggest WordWeb. Do a search and you will find this free dictionary, which is very user-friendly. It is available on PC and on the phone.

Building Confidence

Many have talked about confidence. I agree. Don't be bogged down by the pressure of learning English. Be persistent and with time, you will see the improvement.

Regards

If you want to improve your English, follow all the things mentioned above. My suggestion to you is to speak with people in English. Don't think that your English is not good and you can't speak, etc. Just speak with everyone in English. Whatever you know, say it in English. When you speak with them in English, they will automatically reply in English. Then you will know how to speak and automatically start speaking fluently.