We are so fortunate to live in a world with easy access to the English language. However, sometimes the excess information can get difficult to filter and process.
Learning any language is usually associated with grammar first and sadly that can be one of the more difficult aspects of a language.
However, here are 10 ways to improve your English fluency that don't include Grammar.
English fluency is not just about grammar. It is about correct sentence structure and good vocabulary too. If you can get your sentences correct just by learning proper sentences from your surroundings, your English will automatically get better too.
- Absorb as much English around you as possible.
English is all around you so observe and understand as much as you possibly can. It could be through social media, magazines, books, television, blogs or even through instruction manuals. You can read instructions on everything to learn new words or ideas. There are instructions on shampoo bottles, mobile phone handbooks, on websites, on food packaging. It's everywhere and you can probably pick up a lot of phrases and information from these unorthodox sources.
2.Read something short or long every single day.
Make it a point to read something in English everyday. For better results, read it aloud so you can hear the pronunciation as well. Many times, we feel we know the pronunciation of something until we have to say it out loud. You could read a blog, a short story, a speech, an essay, a book or a magazine.
3.Listen to podcasts about your favourite genre.
Listening is an important part of English learning. It makes the words and sentences more real and memorable. You learn the pronunciation and the context. You can listen to an audiobook or podcast anytime. Try finding a source that also has subtitles so you learn audio-visually. The more ways you expose yourself to a word or phrase, the better the chances of you retaining the information.
4. Learn two words each day by making sentences with them.
Try not to overwhelm yourself with too many new words. You probably will not remember even one of them. Learn upto two new words each day and create numerous sentences using those words. Make some sentences long and some short to learn a variety of unfamiliar words. The key to this is repetition. Creating twenty sentences with a word one time and never looking at it again is futile. Randomly flip back to previous words and make more sentences with them.
5. Write something in English every week.
English thinking is important for English fluency. Writing is a good way of inducing this thinking. Pick any topic, simple or complex, write something about it and then read it out loud. The process of thinking in English, penning your thoughts and actually reading them aloud will help you improve your fluency in the long run. You can always read your own writing again and again or even try to improve it by using new words you may have learned.
6. Listen to English music.
Music is much more catchy than any other learning method. Listen to nursery rhymes, songs or even jingles on repeat to discover new words. Eventually you will notice that you have certain words or phrases stuck in your head. Use those words and phrases when you speak. Odds are that you might sound more poetic!
You and I...in this beautiful world…green grass, blue skies...in this beautiful world...
Does that ring a bell?
6. Speak in English to atleast 5 people each week.
You cannot really expect English fluency without actually speaking! It is like expecting crops without sowing any seeds. Find five good English speakers that you can speak to each week. They do not have to be the same five people every week. The more the merrier. Keep speaking to someone whose English is better than yours. This is the surest way of improvement.
7. Learn something from advertisements.
Weird right? How can advertisements help you?
You can learn a lot of vocabulary through advertisements. They can be big hoardings or newspaper ads, as long as they are in English.
You will see certain words that you might like to use. The mega sale is here or do you want a phone with the latest cutting edge technology?
There is so much to learn from these. They can also be super memorable, with the colours, pictures and fonts. There is always something to learn from everything.
8. Watch talk shows.
You may love watching shows and movies and you may find yourself in similar situations as those characters but not always. You will however find yourself identifying with real people. Watch how people answer and ask questions. You may get some ideas.
9. Stop translating your sentences.
You will need to learn less grammar if you simply stop translating sentences from your native language. Every language has a different sentence structure. Therefore, directly translated sentences will always sound incorrect. So learn English sentence structure independent of translation. You will definitely sound much better.
You cannot learn English just by doing the above but once you improve yourselves in some aspects, you will feel more confident about the more technical aspects like grammar. Also, you will be able to identify grammar rules in your existing knowledge.
Speaking English is a lot about confidence so don't get too much in your head and just try your best. You're probably much better at English than you think you are.
