english speaking country essay

English Speaking Countries | Overview, List & Facts

Sumita Johnson has worked as an instructional design manager and a learning and development professional for more than 15 years. She has also taught English to Primary and high-school students. She has a Masters degree in English Literature. She also has numerous professional certificates, such as 150-hour TESOL Certificate, Gamification, TAA40104 in Training and Assessment, Online Course Facilitation and Diplomas in Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) and Information Technology.

Artem has a doctor of veterinary medicine degree.

Table of Contents

English-speaking world, top english-speaking countries, how many english-speaking countries are there, lesson summary, how many speak english in the world.

Approximately 400 million native speakers worldwide speak English. It combines both native and non-native English speakers in the world. As a result, it is the most widely spoken global language in the world.

How many countries have English as their official language?

As of October 2021, the follwoing countries have English as their official language. These are:

Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, The British Virgin Islands, Cameroon, Canada (except Quebec), Cayman , Islands, Dominica, England, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Republic of Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Scotland, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, The Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Wales, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Where is English spoken in the world?

English is the primary native language spoken in countries, such as the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

English is also spoken by a majority of people as a second language in countries, such as Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Sweden in Europe.

With over 1.1 billion speakers, or roughly 15% of the global population, English is undoubtedly one of the most spoken languages in the world. Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, and French round out the top five. No matter how hard it is for people to learn English, more and more people enroll themselves in English-speaking courses daily.

The countries where English is their primary spoken language are:

• The United States
• The United Kingdom
• New Zealand

Ireland is not a part of the United Kingdom and became a republic in 1949. Northern Ireland remains part of the UK. The first five countries in this list are collectively considered the anglosphere , the countries where English is the main native language.

Majority of speakers in English

As of 2020, the United States tops the chart with 316 million English speakers. Next in line is India, with a total of 194 million English speakers. The following list contains countries from most to least English-speaking populations.

• United States
• Philippines
• United Kingdom
• Netherlands
• South Africa
• Sierra Leone
• Switzerland
• Republic of Ireland
• Papua New Guinea
• Puerto Rico
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Solomon Islands
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• U.S. Virgin Islands
• Isle of Man
• Republic of China (Taiwan)
• Saint Lucia
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Federated States of Micronesia
• Marshall Islands
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Cayman Islands
• British Virgin Islands
• Cook Islands

English as the Official Language

Many countries, such as the United States, use and practice English as their primary or de facto language, even though the government has not declared or recognized English as their official language. This means the English language is used in business enterprises, education, and official documents but, in some countries, may not be what the majority of the population use as a primary language. An example of this would be India, where Hindi is the most commonly spoken language but English is used as a first, second, and third language by the majority of the population.

There are 51 other countries and territories which have English as their de jure (official, in accordance with law) language or their de facto (not official by law) language. In alphabetical order, they are:

• South Sudan

Canada recognizes both French and English as their official languages. Jamaica as an island nation uses English as its official language.

The United States of America might have the largest population of English-speaking people, but English is not officially recognized as its primary language.

Among African countries, Lesotho is the only African nation with English as its official language.

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• 0:05 The English Language
• 0:57 The UK, Australia, &…
• 2:49 Belize, Cameroon, & Liberia
• 3:48 Lesson Summary

The Netherlands has emerged as the most proficient, best English-speaking country in the world. According to the English Proficiency Index (EPI) conducted in 2020, Netherlands topped the charts in its nation's acquisition of English skills, with a score of 652 and a number one ranking position out of 100 countries or regions and is also ranked #1 out of 34 countries in Europe. In 2016, Netherlands received an overall score of 72.16, closely followed by Denmark with a 71.15, and Sweden with 70.81. Norway (68.54) and Finland (66.61) followed suit.

Because of trade relations with the United Kingdom, European nations developed their English-speaking proficiency.

England and its Influence on the Global Domination of English as a Language

Thanks to England and the colonization of many countries, the English language spread worldwide. This is the reason so many countries, such as Canada, Australia, South Africa, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines, speak English today. There are more second- and third-language English speakers in the world than those who speak English as their primary language . Wherever the British empire grew, and whatever lands and nations it conquered, the more people learned and spoke English. In 1922, when the British Empire flourished, it had colonized 25% or one-quarter of the world.

During the 19th century, the United States as a world power influenced English being spoken by more countries and used as a global language, a lingua franca. English is now a global language for trades, business, opportunities, studies, economic, professional, and personal development.

The four nations with the highest percentage of English speakers but still don't recognize English as their official language are:

The seeds of the British empire were sown back in the 16th century. As it sent out expeditions and explored the world, many regions and countries were colonized. The British wanted to - and did - take over countries abundant with resources and riches. British colonization of states, regions, and countries took place over many centuries.

• 1655 - Jamaica
• 1670 - New England, Virginia, and Maryland and settlements in Bermuda, Honduras, Antigua, Barbados, and Nova Scotia
• 1787 - Sierra Leone
• 1795 - Malacca
• 1802 - Trinidad and Ceylon
• 1814 - Tobago, Mauritius, Saint Lucia, and Malta
• 1819 - Singapore
• 1840 - New Zealand
• 1840s - Fiji, Tonga, Papua
• 1841 - Hong Kong
• 1857 - India
• 1878 - Cyprus
• 1882 - Egypt
• 1899 - Sudan

With over 1.1 billion speakers, English is one of the most spoken languages in the world. Many countries and territories either have English as their de jure (official, in accordance with law) language or as their de facto (not official by law) language. The United States of America doesn't have an official language, despite it having the largest number of English speakers.

The British empire colonized many countries and, as a result, the people of these countries learned English and continue to use it in trade, business, education, and economic development.

There are countries, like India, where a majority of people speak English but it's still not considered an official language. There are countries where English is the official language but it's not the primary language, and there is a third category where English is the primary language and is also the official language.

During the 19th century, the United States as a world power influenced English being spoken by more countries and used as a global language, a lingua franca, for world commerce.

Video Transcript

The english language.

What language(s) do you speak? It's probably a language that isn't limited to your home country. As people have immigrated to different parts of the world, as ideas and books have spread, so, too, have the languages used to communicate them. English is a West Germanic language that developed in England over hundreds of years, but one that is now spoken all over the world as English people and ideas have historically spread throughout the world.

While it's safe to say that most nations in the world have English speakers, it's hard to label every nation as an English-speaking country as a result. Therefore, we'll limit our scope to countries where English is an official language. This, interestingly enough, doesn't include the United States of America, a nation that uses English as its primary language but one that doesn't have any official language whatsoever.

The UK, Australia, & South Africa

English is the official language of the United Kingdom, which includes the nations of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. England is known for its recently deceased monarch Queen Elizabeth II, its capital city of London, and its great love of soccer (football). Located on the same island as Northern Ireland is the country of Ireland, another English-speaking nation.

Australia and its neighbor, New Zealand, are two other major English-speaking countries. Australia is well known for its kangaroos and crocodiles, and New Zealand is commonly associated with its picturesque nature and great love of rugby. Rugby is also a very popular sport in South Africa, which has many other official languages besides English. While Canada doesn't have as many official languages as South Africa, it still has a couple of them. They are English and French. Canada is a country pretty famous for its hockey and its tasty maple syrup.

English is spoken in Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea is a country that, up until very recently, had many uncontacted Stone Age tribes, some of which were cannibalistic. While not home to cannibalistic tribes, English is an official language of India, a country that is home to well over one billion people!

There are certainly far fewer people in Jamaica, as well as many other island nations that have English as their official language:

• St. Kitts and Nevis
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Belize, Cameroon, & Liberia

Central America, despite being known for lots of Spanish-speaking people, is actually home to a country called Belize, one that has English as its official language. There are also many African nations that maintain English as an official language.

One of them is called Liberia, a country known for being a place to which many freed African American slaves came. Another African country that has English as an official language is Cameroon, known for being a historical soccer powerhouse on the continent. The people of Namibia also speak English. It's a country through which a great desert, called the Namib, runs.

Other African nations with English as their official language are:

You can now clearly tell that English , a West Germanic language that developed in England, is a very widespread and popular language spoken by many people throughout the world, including countries such as:

To name just a few!

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People and Culture in English-Speaking Countries

In addition to being the most widely used language in the world, English is widely spoken as a native language around the globe. The English-speaking culture is extremely influential all over the world and the English language is indeed the main tool of world communication. The English language itself can vary significantly depending on the peculiarities of pronunciation and dialect. Often there are cases when residents of two different countries do not understand each other due to the fact that they speak different versions of the English language. There is a well-known example in the United States when TV channels broadcasting British sitcoms provide them with subtitles so that the American audience can understand what the actors with a pronounced British accent are talking about. However, it should be remembered that English-speaking peoples live in countries with their own unique cultural characteristics.

It is not only dialects that differ but also the cultures of English-speaking countries. American culture, for example, is distinguished by a mixture of progressive and conservative morals, the value of individuality and respect for another person’s personal property and boundaries. British culture in the modern sense, is most often associated with unusual eccentric humor, honed tact and etiquette, as well as strict adherence to traditions (Fox, 2017). Other parts of the British Isles are filled with original independent cultures with their own official languages; among these peoples are the Irish, Scots, Cornish, and Welsh. Of the exotic countries of the Caribbean islands where they speak primarily English, the state of Jamaica deserves special attention. It is a country full of political controversy and civic upheaval but with a deeply spiritual and mesmerizing culture expressed in reggae music. Many other countries, such as Canada, Australia, or African Liberia, also deserve attention, which only confirms how countries with one language can differ greatly in culture, political system, and mentality.

Fox, K. (2017). Watching the English: The hidden rules of English behavior. Hodder and Stoughton.

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IELTS essay, topic – People moving into English speaking countries

• IELTS Essays - Band 6

Millions of people every year move to English- speaking countries such as Australia, Britain or America, in order to study at school, college or university. Why do so many people want to study in English? Why is English such an important international language?

Secondly, many companies prefer to employ people who can speak English because if the companies create new in different countries, the employers are able to move the new branch without new people and the branch company is still able to communicate with the central company. In fact, one of the largest companies in the world (Google) has created some in different countries and each of the Google is able to discuss things or otherwise communicate even though they are in different countries because they all use English to communicate.

In conclusion, many people move to English speaking countries for further studies because they believe that it will improve their English skills and in order to become a successful person in the future, mastering English is .

This essay is too long (313 words instead of 250-265). It isn’t a problem on its own, but wasting time on writing more content that you don’t get extra marks for is not wise. Also, the more content you write, the more room for mistakes you create. There are a lot of poorly structured sentences and grammatical errors (see comments underlined in blue). Overall, this looks like a Band 6 – 6.5 essay.

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Studying the English language in an English-speaking country is the best but not the only way to learn language. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

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To get an excellent score in the IELTS Task 2 writing section, one of the easiest and most effective tips is structuring your writing in the most solid format. A great argument essay structure may be divided to four paragraphs, in which comprises of four sentences (excluding the conclusion paragraph, which comprises of three sentences).

For we to consider an essay structure a great one, it should be looking like this:

• Paragraph 1 - Introduction
• Sentence 1 - Background statement
• Sentence 2 - Detailed background statement
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• Sentence 4 - Outline sentence
• Paragraph 2 - First supporting paragraph
• Sentence 1 - Topic sentence
• Sentence 2 - Example
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Our recommended essay structure above comprises of fifteen (15) sentences, which will make your essay approximately 250 to 275 words.

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Some families send their children to a foreign country to be educated. Discuss both the advantages and disadvantages of this course of action. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Some people believe that nowadays we have too many choices. to what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience., some people believe that children should study all subjects at school, while others think they should only study subjects they are good at or find interesting. discuss both views and give your opinion.", some people say that the computer is an integral part of modern education. everything can be taught and learnt better. to what extent do you agree or disagree, the chart shows requests for information at a tourists office in the united kingdom from january to june.

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Ielts writing task 2 sample 133 - why do so many people want to study in english, ielts writing task 2/ ielts essay:, millions of people every year move to english-speaking countries such as australia, britain or america, in order to study at school, college or university., why do so many people want to study in english why is english such an important international language.

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• Our Country Essay

500 Words Essay On Our Country

India, our country is the finest example of ‘unity in diversity. People from different backgrounds and religions live here in peace and harmony. Moreover, our country is known for having a variety of languages. So much so that you will find a different language at every 100 kilometres in our country. Through our country essay, we will take you through what India is.

Unity in Diversity- Our Country Essay

India is a unique country that harbours different kinds of people that speak different languages, eat different foods and wear a variety of clothes. What makes our country special is that despite so many differences, people always live together in peace.

Our country, India, lies in South Asia. It is a large country that is home to approximately 139 crore people. Moreover, India is also the biggest democracy in the whole world. Having one of the oldest civilizations, it is a very rich country.

Our country has fertile soil that makes it the largest wheat producer in the whole world. India has given birth to famous personalities in the field of literature and science. For instance, Rabindranath Tagore, CV Raman, Dr Abdul Kalam, and others are Indians.

It is a country that is home to thousands of villages. Similarly, the fields of India are fed by the mighty rivers. For instance, Ganga, Kaveri, Yamuna, Narmada, and more are rivers of India.

Most importantly, the coasts of our country are guarded by the deep oceans and the mighty Himalayas are our natural frontiers. Being a secular state, India has a variety of religions that prosper happily together.

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Famous Things of Our Country Essay

The culture of our country is immensely rich and famous worldwide. The different languages we speak and the different Gods we worship does not create differences between us. We all share the same spirit.

The spirit of India runs throughout the country. Further, India is famous for having a lot of tourist spots. For instance, the Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar, Gateway of India, Hawa Mahal, Charminar, and more are quite popular.

These attractions bring together people from all over the world. Similarly, we have Kashmir which is known as paradise on earth. The natural beauty of Kashmir, the mighty rivers and gorgeous valleys truly make it a paradise.

Besides that, India is famous for having a very rich food culture. There are so many cuisines found within our country that it is not possible to have it all in one trip. We get to have the best of everything due to the richness.

Conclusion of Our Country Essay

All in all, our country has a thousand-year-old culture. It is also given the world the gifts of yoga and Ayurveda. Besides that, India has contributed significantly to the field of science, music, maths, philosophy, and more. It is an essential country in almost every sphere globally.

FAQ on Our Country Essay

Question 1: What makes our country special and different from other countries?

Answer 1: Our country is special and unique as it is responsible for giving many inventions to the world like the number zero, the game of chess, the value of pi, and more. There are around 90,000 kinds of animals in our country and about 50,000 plant species.

Question 2: How can we improve our country?

Answer 2: We can improve our country by sharing resources so we lower our ecological footprint. Further, it is essential to promote education and empower women. We must work together to reform the system so everyone gets a better life in our country.

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Describe a Foreign Country: Speaking Part 2

Posted by David S. Wills | Feb 22, 2018 | IELTS Tips , Speaking | 0

In the IELTS speaking part 2 you may be given a cue card that asks you to describe a country . Now this may be a country you have visited , a country in which you have lived , or a country you want to visit . There are various possibilities, and so it is important you analyze the question carefully. The question we are going to tackle today, however, is describe a foreign country you have never been to.

Analyze the Question

So here is the cue card:

Describe a foreign country you have never been to. You should say: where the country is when you will go there why you would like to go there and explain why this is a good country to visit.

Here it is again as an image file:

You must first consider what you need to say, and the cue card format is pretty simple. However, don’t let your imagination wander too far. Before you plan an answer, you must make note of the essential points .

The key things you should talk about are:

• where – ie location (Asia? Europe?)
• when – ie a time (next summer, when I get the chance)
• why – this may be the part you will speak about most
• why – this is also an important part that you might want to talk about at length

Making Notes

You should begin by making notes on these points. For me, I’m going to choose New Zealand. It’s a country I’ve wanted to visit since I was a child, and I’ve never managed to travel there. I feel it is a country I could talk about comfortably. However, you should choose a country you think is best for you to describe. Look at the points discussed above – can you provide reasonable detail for each of them? If not, then choose a different country.

So looking at the key areas to discuss:

• Where is New Zealand? It’s on the continent of Oceania, in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean. It is in the Southern hemisphere, and the nearest country is Australia.
• When will I go there? I would like to go in the next few years. This year seems unlikely, but maybe next year or the one after that. (I can talk about work commitments here.)
• Why would I like to go? Because it looks like it is a really beautiful place. It seems to have an interesting climate, a fascinating culture, and lots of cool animals to see.
• Why is it a good place to visit? Because it is a modern, advanced nation with a good tourist infrastructure.

Sample Answer

One country that I’ve never been to is New Zealand. It’s located in the Southern Hemisphere, on the continent of Oceania, and its nearest neighbor is Australia. It is quite far away from where I live, so I haven’t yet had the chance to visit. I would like to go there in future, though. This year I will be too busy working but maybe I will get the chance to visit next year, or the year after that. There are many reasons that I would like to visit New Zealand. For one thing, it looks like a stunningly beautiful country. Its natural scenery seems captivating to me, and I’d love to travel around seeing the mountains and rugged coastline. In these places, there are many amazing animals to see, and I’m a big fan of wildlife watching. In addition, New Zealand has a long and fascinating history, which I’d like to explore. New Zealand seems like a good country to visit for those reasons, as well as because it is a modern nation with a good tourist infrastructure. People there speak English, which is also a bonus.

Language Points

Be careful to use your vocabulary accurately and without repetition. When describing a country you may be tempted to over-use words like “beautiful” and “interesting”. You can try to use synonyms to help avoid these problems. Remember that this is a good chance to incorporate some appropriate adjectives and adverbs to give your language more color. There is no need for specialist vocabulary, but any terms that you remember related to geography may come in very useful.

Here is a related video that contains some ideas and vocabulary you could use for this topic:

You can use Google to find ideas for your speech. When practicing, it might be useful to use Wikipedia for terms related to the geography or culture of a country. Of course, it is important not to copy directly from any source, but you can see how language is used in such descriptions.

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David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

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IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer: Studying Abroad (Real IELTS Test)

by Dave | Real Past Tests | 4 Comments

This is an IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer about students living abroad written by me, Dave, a former IELTS examiner.

I did this question with one of my classes and I found that it was a great teaching tool for two reasons.

Firstly, because students very slightly misunderstood the question. That slight misunderstanding led to lots of them getting band 5 for task achievement.

Here is the question:

Compared to the past, more people are now studying abroad because it is more convenient and cheaper than before. Do you think this is beneficial to the foreign student’s home country? Will this trend change much in the future? Real Past IELTS Cambridge Tests

There is one tricky part. The topic is simple enough – more and more people study abroad now (you can ignore the convenience and cheaper part; it’s not important for the questions that you have to answer).

The tricky part is in the first question – will it be beneficial to the foreign student’s home country ?

A lot of my students focused on individual benefits: a better career, more money, etc.

That is irrelevant to the question and will get you a band 4 or 5 for task achievement.

Instead, you must focus on the benefits for the home country: more specialised knowledge, more creative ideas, economic development, etc.

The second part of the question is simpler – just state whether or not you will think it will continue and why. For this part you could talk about individual benefits like making more money as the reason why the trend will continue.

Secondly, this question lends itself to a really detailed, specific answer and that is the most important skill to pracitce for your IELTS writing task 2.

I’m sure that you can think of lots of famous examples from your country of entrepreneurs, scientists, or politicians who studied abroad at some point.

Read below for my essay, analysis and more!

Consider supporing my efforts to write these essays but signing up for my exclusive IELTS Ebooks here on Patreon.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer by Dave: Studying Abroad

Compared to the past, more people are now studying abroad because it is more convenient and cheaper than before. Do you think this is beneficial to the foreign student’s home country? Will this trend change much in the future?

Nowadays, there are more and more students choosing to study overseas due to a variety of benefits for their own future life and career. From my perspective, I believe that this trend can also be beneficial to the foreign student’s home country and will continue developing in the next few years because of these benefits.

I think it is beneficial to the foreign student’s home country because after they finish studying, they may choose to come back and contribute to their homeland. For example, Vietnamese Professor, Ngo Bao Chau was announced by the 2010 International Congress of Mathematics as one of four mathematicians to win the Fields Medal, which is the world’s most prestigious mathematics award. After returning to Vietnam, he started to help and encourage aspiring Vietnamese from universities to study mathematics further. He not only contributed directly to the burgeoning field of Vietnamese mathematics but also continues to serve as aspirational example to students of the rewards of studying abroad and then returning home.

In the future, I believe that this trend will continue as both foreign and domestic countries will support students through scholarships. For example, in Vietnam it is common for students to apply for scholarships to study in countries like the USA, the UK, Australia, France, and so on. These countries have the means and are willing to support students from foreign countries because it enhances the diversity of their campuses. Additionally, the government in Vietnam encourages studying abroad through scholarships for underprivileged students. They do this because students who study abroad typically return to Vietnam and help push forward economic development, as in the case of Ngo Bao Chau.

In conclusion, I feel that there are clear advantages for the foreign student’s home country because of their potential academic and economic contributions after coming back home. Developing nations in particular should invest heavily in programs to send students abroad, besides funding their own educational infrastructure, if they want to have the kind of secure foundation that will allow the country to flourish for many years.

Word count: 340 (a bit high – aim for 300!)

1. Nowadays, there are more and more students choosing to study overseas due to a variety of benefits for their own future life and career. 2. From my perspective, I believe that this trend can also be beneficial to the foreign student’s home country and will continue developing in the next few years because of these benefits.

• My first sentence is a topic sentence that lays out the topic for the whole essay. Don’t waste much time writing this sentence, just quickly paraphrase the general topic for the essay.
• The second sentence gives my opinions about the two questions asked. This is important for your task achievement and cohesion/coherence scores. You don’t have to include your main ideas in your introduction.

1 . I think it is beneficial to the foreign student’s home country because after they finish studying, they may choose to come back and contribute to their homeland. 2. For example, Vietnamese Professor, Ngo Bao Chau was announced by the 2010 International Congress of Mathematics as one of four mathematicians to win the Fields Medal, which is the world’s most prestigious mathematics award. 3. After returning to Vietnam, he started to help and encourage aspiring Vietnamese from universities to study mathematics further. 4. He not only contributed directly to the burgeoning field of Vietnamese mathematics but also continues to serve as aspirational example to students of the rewards of studying abroad and then returning home.

• The first sentence is my topic sentence for this paragraph which contains two parts: the topic (benefits to the home country) and my main idea (come back and contribute. Keep this sentence short, simple and clear!
• My second sentence begins my example. Don’t waste any time getting to your example. The faster you start writing about it, the more you will be able to develop it fully.
• The third sentence continues my example. Don’t run away from your examples – keep developing them fully because it will help your task achievement, cohesion and coherence and force you to use more good vocabulary.
• My final sentence concludes the paragraph and adds further detail to my example. The more you develop your example, the higher your task achievement score will be!

1. In the future, I believe that this trend will continue as both foreign and domestic countries will support students through scholarships. 2. For example, in Vietnam it is common for students to apply for scholarships to study in countries like the USA, the UK, Australia, France, and so on. 3. These countries have the means and are willing to support students from foreign countries because it enhances the diversity of their campuses. 4. Additionally, the government in Vietnam encourages studying abroad through scholarships for underprivileged students. 5. They do this because students who study abroad typically return to Vietnam and help push forward economic development, as in the case of Ngo Bao Chau.

• My first sentence is a topic sentence that contains both the topic and the main idea for the whole paragraph. Focus on one main idea so that you can develop it 100%!
• The second sentence begins my example right away – just like in the last paragraph.
• My next sentence develops my example.
• The fourth sentence further develops the example – keep developing!
• The fifth sentence further supports my main reason by detailing the reason why countries invest in scholarships.

1. In conclusion, I feel that there are clear advantages for the foreign student’s home country because of their potential academic and economic contributions after coming back home. 2. Developing nations in particular should invest heavily in programs to send students abroad, besides funding their own educational infrastructure, if they want to have the kind of secure foundation that will allow the country to flourish for many years.

Vocabulary Practice

Try to write a definition or a synonym for the vocabulary in bold below.

Nowadays, there are more and more students choosing to study overseas due to a variety of benefits for their own future life and career. From my perspective , I believe that this trend can also be beneficial to the foreign student’s home country and will continue developing in the next few years because of these benefits .

I think it is beneficial to the foreign student’s home country because after they finish studying, they may choose to come back and contribute to their homeland . For example, Vietnamese Professor, Ngo Bao Chau was announced by the 2010 International Congress of Mathematics as one of four mathematicians to win the Fields Medal, which is the world’s most prestigious mathematics award. After returning to Vietnam, he started to help and encourage aspiring Vietnamese from universities to study mathematics further. He not only contributed directly to the burgeoning field of Vietnamese mathematics but also continues to serve as aspirational example to students of the rewards of studying abroad and then returning home.

In the future, I believe that this trend will continue as both foreign and domestic countries will support students through scholarships . For example, in Vietnam it is common for students to apply for scholarships to study in countries like the USA, the UK, Australia, France, and so on. These countries have the means and are willing to support students from foreign countries because it enhances the diversity of their campuses. Additionally, the government in Vietnam encourages studying abroad through scholarships for underprivileged students . They do this because students who study abroad typically return to Vietnam and help push forward economic development , as in the case of Ngo Bao Chau.

In conclusion, I feel that there are clear advantages for the foreign student’s home country because of their potential academic and economic contributions after coming back home. Developing nations in particular should invest heavily in programs to send students abroad, besides funding their own educational infrastructure , if they want to have the kind of secure foundation that will allow the country to flourish for many years.

variety lots of different kinds

From my perspective I think

trend general direction

beneficial good for

benefits the verb form meaning something is good for

contribute add to

homeland where you’re from

announced make public

mathematicians academics who study math

prestigious renowned/sought-after

encourage support

burgeoning emerging

aspirational something to look up to (adjective)

rewards benefits

scholarships money to study abroad

apply for scholarships ask for scholarship money

the means the ability to be able to

enhances makes stronger

diversity different races, genders, orientations, etc.

underprivileged students poor students

push forward economic development boost the economy

contributions efforts/help

invest heavily put money into

educational infrastructure schools in a country

secure foundation strong infrastructure that will last

flourish do very well

Pronunciation

vəˈraɪəti  frɒm maɪ pəˈspɛktɪv trɛnd  ˌbɛnɪˈfɪʃəl ˈbɛnɪfɪts kənˈtrɪbju(ː)t  ˈhəʊmlænd əˈnaʊnst  ˌmæθɪməˈtɪʃənz  prɛˈstɪʤəs  ɪnˈkʌrɪʤ  kənˈtrɪbju(ː)tɪd  ˈbɜːʤənɪŋ ˌæspəˈreɪʃ(ə)n(ə)l  rɪˈwɔːdz ˈskɒləʃɪps əˈplaɪ fɔː ˈskɒləʃɪps  ðə miːnz  ɪnˈhɑːnsɪz  daɪˈvɜːsɪti  ˌʌndəˈprɪvɪlɪʤd ˈstjuːdənts pʊʃ ˈfɔːwəd ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk dɪˈvɛləpmənt ˌkɒntrɪˈbjuːʃənz  ɪnˈvɛst ˈhɛvɪli  ˌɛdju(ː)ˈkeɪʃənl ˈɪnfrəˌstrʌkʧə sɪˈkjʊə faʊnˈdeɪʃən ˈflʌrɪʃ

More Vocabulary Practice

Nowadays, there are more and more students choosing to study overseas due to a ____________ of benefits for their own future life and career. ____________ , I believe that this ____________ can also be ____________ to the foreign student’s home country and will continue developing in the next few years because of these ____________ .

I think it is beneficial to the foreign student’s home country because after they finish studying, they may choose to come back and ____________ to their ____________ . For example, Vietnamese Professor, Ngo Bao Chau was ____________ by the 2010 International Congress of Mathematics as one of four ____________ to win the Fields Medal, which is the world’s most ____________ mathematics award. After returning to Vietnam, he started to help and ____________ aspiring Vietnamese from universities to study mathematics further. He not only ____________ directly to the ____________ field of Vietnamese mathematics but also continues to serve as ____________ example to students of the ____________ of studying abroad and then returning home.

In the future, I believe that this trend will continue as both foreign and domestic countries will support students through ____________ . For example, in Vietnam it is common for students to ____________ to study in countries like the USA, the UK, Australia, France, and so on. These countries have ____________ and are willing to support students from foreign countries because it the ____________ of their campuses. Additionally, the government in Vietnam encourages studying abroad through scholarships for ____________ . They do this because students who study abroad typically return to Vietnam and help ____________ , as in the case of Ngo Bao Chau.

In conclusion, I feel that there are clear advantages for the foreign student’s home country because of their potential academic and economic ____________ after coming back home. Developing nations in particular should in programs to send students abroad, besides funding their own ____________ , if they want to have the kind of ____________ that will allow the country to ____________ for many years.

This is a video related to studying abroad. You can use some of the ideas here about listening to practice while you watch.

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Some claim that studying abroad has great benefits for a student’s home country. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Number of individuals believe that learning in foreign has more advantages for learner’s native nation.i agree with this statement to large extent and I will explain my veiws in the upcoming fragements. The most conspecious reason is dream to study in abroad .in this modern era there are a lot of students who want to get their higher education in abroad so,they may have a better future because they want some different experience and they believe that they can become indepent by stuying in develped counrty .moreover some people come back to their nation so they can improve it and help to make it a well updated country for instance ,a person named vo cain in chicago studied phd mathematics in usa and came to his his hometown and established an acadamy for the students who wanted to study with the same method that he learnt from his university,this is the reason in support that its beneficaial to get education in abdroad for student’s home counrty . On the other hand,there are a lot of students who study in foreign coumty and stay their for lifetime .because they claim that they would get better future there.when the learner complete their study they get a white collar job in that nation and then the person would have a permanent residence and may secure their upcoming years.if government want their individuals back they should give them a good education and other services in there nation. To conclude .although many students study in abroad to get pr but there are some people who come back to their hometown to serve the nation which is beneficial for their counrty

Well written!

Careful with the definite article ‘the’ and your spelling – lots of minor mistakes with that and punctuation.

Keep working hard!

Very good advice. Through this article, you can clearly know what kind of planning to make in your career, and there are clear learning and working methods Thank you

You’re welcome!

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Studying the English Language in an English-Speaking Country is the Best- IELTS Writing Task 2

Updated On Feb 25, 2022

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Studying the English language in an English-speaking country is the best but not the only way to learn the language. agree or disagree with this statement?

Opinion Essay

Introduction

Sentence 1 – In a general sense, studying the language widely spoken in a country is beneficial for an individual.

Sentence 2 – However, there are multiple other ways through which one can learn the language with as much expertise.

Body Paragraphs

Paragraph 1 – Students in non-English speaking countries are exposed to the language throughout their formative years and schooling. An example of how India has dedicated English learning centres.

Paragraph 2 – Elaboration on the exposure of English in India’s schooling. Addition of the widespread availability of learning material makes learning English easy.

Restate your views.

Sample Essay

In a general sense, studying the language widely spoken in a country is beneficial for an individual. However, there are multiple other ways through which one can learn the language with as much expertise. I agree with the latter point of view.

The usual case suggests that students from non-English speaking countries learn the language from schooling and such experiences prior to moving to a country where English is the native language. Perhaps their hold on the language isn’t flawless, but they possess the basic understanding based on which they can polish their written as well as spoken English. One can learn from other sources too. For example, there are dedicated classes for gaining expertise in written and spoken English for students in India, a country where the native language is Hindi.

Taking the example of India again, the education system offers good exposure to English. They are acquainted with the language right from pre-school, and learn it all the way through their twelfth grade. In my eyes, English being a universal language really helps this cause since one can find exposure and learn it almost anywhere. One can even find online lectures and guides to learn English.

It is true that learning English in an English-speaking country is beneficial. It is true for a lot of reasons, like speaking and listening daily since everyone converses in English, thus creating a profound understanding of topics like punctuation, tonality, etc., which would often be overlooked in any other circumstance. But, one can learn these ulterior, and somewhat auxiliary skills at a later point in life and learn the core of the language anywhere.

To sum it up, even though it is preferable to learn English in an English-speaking country, an individual can learn a reasonable level of English in his own country.

Band 9 Sample Essay

In today’s fast-paced world, people are becoming increasingly serious about language acquisition. Undoubtedly, a huge number of individuals are pursuing their education in an English-speaking country as they believe that foreign countries have more updated and modern educational approaches, where learners acquire their English communication skills through interaction. However, some people argue that individuals might learn English effectively and efficiently in their homeland by utilizing various resources. I concur with the latter viewpoint.

Being the world’s second-most spoken language, English is indeed a complex language for non-native English speakers. However, individuals can learn English with the help of various resources available at their disposals, such as listening to English radio programs or watching TV shows and documentaries, or reading English novels or books. Apart from this, there are a plethora of resources on the internet via which individuals can learn English.

With the popularity of the internet and its supremacy over the world, it has become an effective learning tool, allowing people to use both free and paid English language courses to enhance their English speaking skills, which are often worth the money spent. One can also improve their communication skills from the comfort of their homes by e-reading books or blog articles and listening to online podcasts. Further, English being a universal language, the majority of students in non-English speaking countries learn English in high school and universities. Although their spoken English isn’t always of the highest standards and finest quality, their grammar understanding is typically extremely advanced.

Although, learning English in an English-speaking country is far more convenient as it will make it easier for an individual to become accustomed to the English accent, the costs such as housing, food, and other living expenditures may hinder their commitment to learning in a foreign country. Thus, the individual can save money and utilise it to learn the language in his own nation.

To recapitulate, I believe that if a person is gifted and committed to learning, they can master the language in their own nation rather than relocating to an English-speaking country.

Meaning- Resulting in benefits; advantageous. Example – Government policies are having a beneficial effect on the economy.

Meaning- Expert skill or knowledge in a particular field. Example – John possesses an expertise in ocean sciences.

Meaning- Education received at school. Example – I completed my schooling from the Doon School in Dehradun.

Meaning- Existing before the event. Example – Naveen said he’ll be late to the event since he had prior engagements.

Meaning- Associated with the place of a person’s birth. Example – Ram is a native of Himachal Pradesh.

Meaning- Without any defects; perfect. Example – His handwriting is so beautiful that the teacher once said it’s flawless.

Meaning- make someone aware of or familiar with. Example – The new staff should be acquainted with safety measures.

Meaning- Beyond what is immediate or present. Example – I think his ulterior motive is to loot the country.

Meaning- providing supplementary or additional help and support. Example – The Indian Air Force provides auxiliary support to the Army.

Meaning- More suited or desirable. Example – Shopping during Diwali season is preferable because of all the discounts.

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Soon after graduating with a Master’s in Literature from Southern Arkansas University, she joined an institute as an English language trainer. She has had innumerous student interactions and has produced a couple of research papers on English language teaching. She soon found that non-native speakers struggled to meet the English language requirements set by foreign universities. It was when she decided to jump ship into IELTS training. From then on, she has been mentoring IELTS aspirants. She joined IELTSMaterial about a year ago, and her contributions have been exceptional. Her essay ideas and vocabulary have taken many students to a band 9.

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How To Improve Your English: An Empirical Study

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Why Knowing English Is So Important?

As an international language, English is widely spoken by people all around the world. The English language is the most common language that is used in sciences, books, magazines, newspapers, movies and other media of news or entertainment. Most of the things written on the internet are in English. So knowing English will allow us access to an incredible amount of information. Because of its important role, English is considered as one of the most popular languages in many countries. Its main purpose is to make students be able to know how to communicate with others if they leave the country for university or business. It helps us to communicate with other people from other countries.

English is the dominant business language all over the world and it has become almost necessary to speak English if we are willing to enter a global workforce. Meeting new people from another country could be hard if you can’t speak English because you won’t be able to communicate well. Mastering English as a native speaker enables you to communicate your ideas clearly and effectively in spoken and written forms. Most of the higher-paying jobs go to those with a fluent way of speaking English. English is very important because if you want to go abroad, a very few people understand other languages. Figure of speech is important to the English language because it gives the listener something to relate to.

We should study English in the correct way, so that we can make the most of the time we spend learning English. Discovering ways to improve their English is a problem which baffles many students.

Reasons for Learning English

English,whether you like it or not, is very important in tour life. We must improve our English skills. Nowadays, English has official or special status used in at least seventy five countries with a total population of over two billion. Around 750 billion people are believed to speak English as a foreign language. Most of the students think English is a wasteful and boring subject, so they study English recklessly. There are many reasons why you should study English. First of all, studying English will help you a lot when you study further. Most universities abroad use English as a second language after their mother language.

Many of the books were written in English, although the advertising also used English as a main language. Three quarters of the world’s mail is written in English and over two thirds scientist and lecturer read and teach in English. If we don’t study English,we will have a problem in doing and searching books in the library for revision. Anyone who wants to attend university in the US, must pass a test proving that he or she is fluent in English.

Other than that, it will also help you a lot when you travel. Through the UK, US, Canada, traveling and shopping are often made easier to understand and speak in English. The most important is, you can explore their regions and more easily communicate with locals to learn about places when you travel. So, knowing English can also benefit when traveling in locations and you can go travel the world without worrying because if you get lost, you can speak in English clearly. Furthermore, English language also helps greatly in your job. The international business community often uses it for communication, among people who do not speak the native language. Speaking and understanding English can let person more easily communicate with others and find more job opportunities not only in his or her country, but around the world as well. The interviewer will interview you in English and if you poor in English,the chances for you to get the job are very slim. It’s can also help you to communicate with your clients when you works under an international company.

Apart from that, speaking English will also help you a lot when you want to present a slideshow in front of the department and chairman. Moreover, you are enable to enjoy an entertainment programs. A huge amount of popular entertainment of American movies and TVprograms are often comes out with subtitles for people who don’t language. Knowing English can allow you understand the subtitles of dialog that subtitles frequently miss it. If you watch Chinese, Japanese or Korean movies, you must also read the subtitles in English. Thus, we must improve our English skills and so we can watch great movies such as Twilight, Merlin, The Maleficent and others.

Last but not least, you can also enjoy reading literary works. You can buy and read exciting novel books. There are many literary works or classic novels that were written by Willian Shakespear. Examples of the books that were written by Willian Shakespear are Romeo and Juliet and Twelfth Night. Most of the literary books were exciting to read.

If English isn’t your strength and an essay is required, seek professional help

StudyMoose’s essay writing service is a crucial resource for those whose proficiency in English might be intermediate, but are faced with the challenging task of writing an academic paper in English at the university level. It can be daunting to perfect grammar and sentence structure while also ensuring your content is accurate and well-argued. This is where StudyMoose steps in. You can hire a professional English writer from their team, whose expertise ensures your paper is grammatically flawless and academically sound. Their goal is to help you secure high grades without the stress of worrying about English grammar or language nuances in your assignment . With StudyMoose, you can focus on learning and leave the language complexities to their experienced writers.

Ways to Improve English

There are three ways to improve English. First of all, We have to learn many English words and study English grammar in great detail. Reading is the best way to increase vocabulary and learn how to avoid making grammar errors. If we read magazines written in English, regular reading will make it easier for us to remember the many new words we come across. Having a dictionary is just like having a teacher close at hand. We need to use a dictionary to look up those words that we don’t know. It makes reading a very enjoyable pastime.

Secondly, besides learning to read English, we must learn to understand spoken English, and practice speaking. Try listening to radio stations, if at first you don’t understand, keep listening and maintain a regular habit of listening to radio stations. Repeat after the broadcast and learn how to pronounce correctly and frequently.

Thirdly, we should try to talk with Americans, find native English-speaking people who will give us conversation practice. Don’t be afraid to speak, afraid to be laughed at. If we never learn to take risks to open mouths, it will be impossible to improve speaking skills. There is no reason to be ashamed of speaking poor English. If we can learn from our mistakes, failure can become part of our success. In fact, the secret of success may come from failure. In conclusion, There is no shortcut to learning English. Persistence is the major secret of success. If you want to use English as your native language, don’t ever give up trying to achieve your goal. If we are prepared to work hard at it, we will be successful in the end.

Benefits of Learning English in Britain

Studying a language in a country where it is widely spoken has many advantages. It is, therefore, a good idea to study English in a country such as Britain. Every day, there are opportunities to practice listening to and speaking with British people. Also, students can experience the culture firsthand,which is a great help when trying to understand the language.

This is especially true if they choose to live with a British family,as exchange students for instance. Furthermore, if students attend a language school full-time, the teacher will be native speaker. In this case, not only will students’ speaking and listening skills improve,but attention can be given to developing reading and writing skills as well. In general, even though it is preferable to study English in an English-speaking country,a reasonable level of English can be achieved in one’s own country, if a student is gifted and dedicated to study.

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How to speak English fluently: 12 powerful tips and tricks

1. Start speaking English as much as possible

2. start speaking english with a personal tutor, 3. expose yourself to english every day, 4. make the most of technology, 5. use resources made for your level, 6. work on your pronunciation, 7. learn whole phrases, not just individual words, 8. accept that you will feel uncomfortable speaking english, 9. consider a big lifestyle change, 10. plan your conversations when you can, 11. don’t focus too much on english grammar, 12. try some karaoke, summary: conversation practice is the key to fluency.

Fluency is the stage of learning a language when things just “click.” It takes a lot of time and effort to reach this level, so many learners don’t think it’s realistic.

But thousands of people learn how to speak English fluently every year, and with enough determination, you can, too! To help you out, we asked Preply’s expert language tutors for their best tips and advice on speaking English. Keep reading to find out what they said.

How to improve English-speaking fluency: 12 expert tips

The one thing you absolutely have to do to speak English fluently is get more speaking practice. Almost all advice on achieving your fluency goals will come down to this. Nothing else you can do is as effective or as important.

If you’re living in a country where spoken English is not common, finding opportunities to practice can be difficult. Try some of these methods:

• Buddy up with an English speaker who is learning your native language. If you don’t know anyone, try downloading a language exchange app .
• Schedule 1-on-1 online classes with an English tutor to get expert advice on your English-speaking skills.
• Use English-learning apps with speech recognition software.
• Connect with a small group of international learners in online group classes.
• When you have reached an intermediate level, attend webinars or live events.
• Narrate your own life in English. For a fuller explanation on how to do this, check out YouTuber Bob the Canadian’s advice here .

If you can find some creative ways to fit regular English-speaking opportunities into your life, things will start to “click” faster than you think.

If you are serious about becoming fluent in English, invest in a personal language tutor. Here are some benefits:

• Talking to an expert English tutor even once a week can dramatically boost your progress.
• You’ll be able to ask questions about English regularly.
• You can discuss new words relevant to your own life.
• You’ll receive feedback on your English conversation skills in real time.
• It’s much easier to stick to a regular learning routine when you feel accountable to and comfortable with somebody.
• Study with an English teacher, and you’ll have your own personal language coach to help you tackle parts of the language that you find particularly challenging.

With Preply, 1-on-1 English lessons have never been more convenient or affordable. There are tutors in different time zones and from all across the world, so there will be an expert available at any time. The unique search filter also allows you to choose what you can afford – prices start from $10/hour.

So, if you’re serious about speaking English fluently, sign up with Preply.

If you want to speak fluently, it’s vital to get as much exposure to English as possible. You should be doing something in English every day, even if you’re not actively studying. There are simple changes you can make to help you level up your English-speaking skills:

• Change your phone/social media/tablet language to English.
• Listen to English music.
• Read the news in English.
• Commit to watching English-language movies and TV shows .
• Keep a language journal in English.

This technique is called language immersion . It’s a great way to get used to your new language’s sounds and words, which reinforces what you have learned.

If you’re interested in getting as much English into your daily life as possible, you might want to check out our articles on learning English with podcasts or learning English with stories .

How many apps to learn English do you have on your phone right now? Probably at least one! The digital age has revolutionized language learning, and it’s easy to forget how lucky that makes us.

There’s a wealth of study technology available, so choose carefully. Make sure that you’re using the most effective resources for your own study habits and not falling into the trap of relying too heavily on game-like apps.

Apps have many limitations, and you will still need to mix up your activities to learn English faster. As John Fotheringham, creator of languagemastery.com , says, “Language apps are a great supplement to a balanced language diet… but they shouldn’t be the main course.”

It’s also easy to forget what a great resource YouTube videos are for ESL learners. There are more hours of expert advice on YouTube than any student could watch in a lifetime! Even better, almost every video can be watched with subtitles, played at slower speeds, and paused and replayed until you understand every word.

Check out our article on top YouTube channels for learning English to help you on your mission to start speaking English fluently.

If you’re determined to speak confidently and fluently, it can be tempting to skip over resources made for intermediate-level English learners and jump straight into content made for fluent English speakers.

Every ambitious language learner has done this at some point or another! However, the reality is that you’ll get a lot more from your study hours if you use resources made for your level.

For instance, instead of watching the latest American blockbuster with subtitles in your own language, try watching an episode of an English-language cartoon without any subtitles. You will understand far more and gain more vocabulary from the context.

Working on your pronunciation is helpful for a few reasons. We all need to be understood, and pronunciation practice helps us speak with clarity. This doesn’t mean that you need to get rid of your accent – not at all. But it will be frustrating for you and other English speakers if they do not understand you.

Some of the work in becoming fluent and pronouncing words clearly is physical. If your native language sounds very different from English, you will need to pay attention to moving your mouth and tongue in a new way. Native Spanish speakers, for example, sometimes say that speaking English for long periods makes their jaw ache!

One exercise you can try is using YouGlish , which is a tool where you can hear any sentence in a variety of English accents. This is great to repeat along to and practice your pronunciation, but it also improves your listening skills.

For more practical exercises that you can bookmark and return to any time, check out our English pronunciation resources .

Fluency is being able to speak whole sentences without hesitation. If you learn English one word at a time, it will be very hard not to hesitate when constructing sentences. That’s because you’ll have to translate every English sentence in your head from your native language word by word.

There is another way: Learning new words as part of common phrases can ease mental strain when speaking.

To take a very basic example, if you are learning the word “tonight,” it would help to try and learn a whole phrase, such as “Tonight, I am going to…” This way, when you need to discuss your plans for the evening, your brain has half of the reply prepared – there’s less pausing and thinking involved.

Learning lists of phrases in a new language is also known as sentence mining. Fans claim that it makes them able to use new vocabulary faster and memorize grammar more naturally.

Not sure which sentences to start with? Try this free list complete with audio recordings of native speakers, or invest in an e-book like this one .

For almost everyone, speaking any new language means fighting through a fear barrier. This is completely normal! Your native language is a very precise tool for describing concepts. You are completely aware of the subtle implications your words carry, how to use irony and humor, and how word stress can slightly change the meaning of what you’re saying.

By comparison, speaking any new language feels like using a blunt axe. You can’t say exactly what you mean, you might offend someone or make a fool of yourself, and you certainly won’t seem as smart as you really are. It’s intimidating! Few language learners talk about how uncomfortable this is.

Language expert and polyglot Olly Richards states that language learners have to have a “tolerance for ambiguity.” His method to learn languages quickly includes accepting confusion when learning a language. You’re not going to understand everything or speak perfect English as you try to reach fluency, and that’s OK.

Real progress comes when you get over the embarrassment of putting yourself in English-speaking situations and allow yourself to make mistakes and learn from them.

It almost goes without saying the best way to learn to speak English is to move to an English-speaking country. If you’re determined to speak English fluently and can relocate for a few months, this will save you a lot of time as you will have plenty of opportunities to chat with native speakers to hone your skills.

However, for most people, this just won’t be possible. Don’t worry if that applies to you because there are other big lifestyle changes you can make to boost your English level, including the following:

• Get a job or intensive hobby that involves speaking English . (You could always teach English speakers your native language on Preply!)
• Clean out your spare room and use it to host English-speaking travelers via a service like couch surfing .
• If others in your household are learning English, create times when you speak only English together – perhaps at mealtimes, on Monday evenings, or in the car.
• Fall in love with a native English speaker. Of course, this is something you absolutely cannot plan, but it’s a guaranteed way to learn to speak English like a native fast! Read our stories of people who have learned a language for love .

All of these are big changes, but they’re about building the language into your life. If you’re speaking your native language 99% of the time, then of course it’s going to take a long time for English to feel natural. However, if there are English-speaking situations in your routine, your progress will seriously speed up.

This might seem like a silly tip for people who want to gain fluency. After all, fluency means being able to talk easily about anything you like! But if you aren’t there yet, then a bit of planning might boost your confidence, especially if you want to show native speakers that you know how to speak good English.

If you are heading to an event where you know you can practice your English skills, try planning the small talk you will make ahead of time. Are you going to talk about your kids? Your knitting group? Your job?

It can be helpful to have some conversation starters ready to go so that you can practice the vocabulary that you have been studying. This way, you won’t feel under too much pressure to come up with something interesting to say in the moment.

Need some inspiration? When you sign up for lessons on Preply, you get free conversation starters every week to learn new vocabulary and talk about current trends and events with your tutor.

Native English speakers disobey the rules of their own language all the time. This is something you’ll know if you’ve ever had to type out a recording of a spoken English conversation. Many British high school students don’t know what phrasal verbs are even though they use them all the time!

Grammar rules are useful to be aware of – they’re essential to study at some point. But they should be lower down your list of priorities than getting English-speaking practice. Most of the time, you will be understood if your grammar isn’t perfect! Aim to be understandable when chatting to native English speakers, and after a little bit of work, grammatical rules will start to sink in naturally.

There’s no hack to become fluent fast, but using songs to learn English comes pretty close. Music is fantastic for learning languages, especially now that so many songs can be found on YouTube with free lyric videos.

Learn how to sing some of your favorite songs from memory, and you’ll easily gain new English words and phrases! Learning songs is also helpful for improving your listening skills and absorbing grammatical rules more naturally.

Fluency is not a one-time destination to be conquered but a continuous process of learning. Once you have achieved fluency, it will still take a degree of practice to keep your English language skills at the front of your mind.

The truth is everyone who speaks any language at all is still learning; research has shown that most people continue to learn an extra word in their native language every day until middle age !

Try to find this fact motivating rather than off-putting, and remember to celebrate every small success along the English-learning journey. If you’re reading this article, you’ve already mastered an impressive amount of English!

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Ben is a content writer and former English teacher obsessed with languages. After graduating with a Journalism degree from Falmouth University in 2012, he left the UK for Barcelona. Ben now spends his time producing articles and improving his Spanish and Catalan with his patient friends.

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How to Speak English Fluently: 33 Easy Tips

Do you want to learn how to speak English well?

Read on for 33 solid tips that will help you speak English more fluently, in less time.

Our team includes language learners from different countries who picked up English as a second language as well as native English teachers, so these are all based on our own experiences.

From pronunciation practice to handy online resources, consider this your roadmap to becoming confident speaking English. 

1. Get Clear on What Fluency Means

2. immerse yourself in english every day  , 3. accept that english grammar has a lot of exceptions, 4. use mirroring to answer english questions, 5. focus on whole phrases instead of single words, 6. learn intonation, body language and gestures, 7. use speech-to-text for text messaging, 8. talk yourself through everyday activities, 9. memorize and use conversation starters, 10. share your opinions online, 11. get direct feedback, 12. read along with podcasts, 11. learn some english slang, 12. look out for common pronunciation issues , 13. pay attention to the sounds native speakers use , 14. record your own english-language audiobooks , 15. record what you want to learn, then listen to it throughout the day, 16. think directly in english instead of translating, 17. set specific language goals, 18. figure out your weak spots, 19. don’t be afraid to make mistakes when talking, 20. record your mistakes , 21. review and test yourself often, 22. practice using new words right away , 23. expand your vocabulary with spaced repetition, 24. learn basic grammar rules  , 25. but don’t worry too much about grammar , 26. get comfortable first with the english words you know, 27. learn from everyone who speaks english, 28. hire a personal tutor, 29. make sure to use resources appropriate for your level, 30. consider a big move, 31. pre-plan conversations that you’ll need to have, 32. sing some karaoke, 33. remind yourself why you want to speak english, helpful resources for learning to speak english fluently, faqs about how to speak english well, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

You know that you want to become fluent in English, but what does that mean?

There are two parts to fluency: knowing the language and knowing how to produce the language.

Being fluent means that you can use the English language comfortably. You can communicate freely and you can have conversations with native speakers without having to constantly look for help.

Fluency can also be seen in how you speak. You can know plenty of English vocabulary, but if you have to pause or repeat a lot when speaking, your fluency might not be so obvious to someone. If you speak very slowly or in a very flat, unemotional manner, then you won’t sound very fluent, either.

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On the other hand, sounding fluent doesn’t mean you actually are speaking good English.

To be fluent in English, you need to master both the language and how you speak it!

There’s often an expectation that you must know a certain number of words for fluency. But it’s important to remember that you can’t just study the words and grammar. It can be scary, but you’ll also need to practice speaking.

The tips below will help you master your speaking skills so that you can speak proper English and sound good doing it. Don’t forget how important both features of fluency are!

To read about how many words you need to know to be considered fluent, read this post:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/how-many-words-do-i-need-to-know/

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• Slow down or loop the tricky parts
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Studying English for an hour once a week isn’t usually enough to make any real progress. The best way to quickly improve your English is to spend at least a few minutes practicing every day.

There’s a special language learning method called “immersion.” With immersion, you try to surround yourself with the language as much as you can in your day-to-day activities. You want English to become part of your daily schedule so that you’re frequently learning and practicing until it becomes natural to hear and speak the language.

You can create immersion in a lot of fun, creative ways, besides just constantly studying English from a book or a course! You can switch your phone settings to the English language. You can start watching and listening to English movies and songs, keep an English diary or volunteer in a place where English is required.

Immerse yourself in English as much as possible every time you study. Challenge yourself to listen to, read and even say things in English that you think might be too difficult for you. If you want to speak English fluently, you need to make it an essential part of your everyday life.

Watching authentic movies and videos can help with this, by exposing you to the natural sounds of the language.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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Sometimes, you can find patterns in English grammar, but other times English doesn’t make sense at all.

For example, why are “read” (pronounced reed) and “read” (pronounced red) the same word, but said differently depending on whether you’re speaking in the past or present tense? Or why is “mice” the plural of “mouse,” but “houses” is the plural of “house”?

• Learn words in the context of sentences
• Swipe left or right to see more examples from other videos
• Go beyond just a superficial understanding

Unfortunately, there are many exceptions to English rules. It’s easy to get stuck on learning how to speak English properly if you try to find a reason for everything. Sometimes, English is just weird! So the best thing to do is just memorize the strange exceptions and move on.

Listen carefully when someone asks you a question in English and you’ll answer perfectly every time. English questions are like mirrors:

• Does he…..? → Yes, he does .
• Can she….? → Yes, she can .
• Is it….? → No, it isn’t .

If someone asks you a question and you’re not sure how to answer, start by thinking about the words used in the question. The person has already said most of the words you need to make your answer.

Instead of just memorizing English grammar, start to look for patterns like this one. There are a lot of simple ways to “cheat” and make it easier to remember the right words.

Speaking English fluently means being able to express your thoughts, feelings and ideas. Your goal is to speak English in full sentences, so why not learn it in full sentences?

You’ll find that English is more useful in your everyday life if you study whole phrases, rather than just vocabulary and verbs. Start by thinking about phrases that you use frequently in your native language, and then learn how to say them in English.

True English fluency is about more than just vocabulary and grammar. If you can figure out intonation , body language and gestures, you’ll really look and sound like a native speaker.

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• Start with multiple-choice questions and advance through sentence building to producing your own output
• Go from understanding to speaking in a natural progression.

Intonation is the “rise and fall” or tone changes in how a person speaks. Body language is how a person uses their own body to support (or go against) what they mean. Gestures are hand and body movements that work together with what someone is saying.

It’s not easy to learn these three things because they seem very natural. One way to learn is to just watch how native English speakers communicate with each other.

One way to study these aspects of the language is by hiring an English teacher, if that’s in your budget. Another is watching YouTube videos, if you can avoid getting distracted with other videos.

You can practice speaking English even when you’re texting people. Just speak your texts instead of typing them!

You may need to change your settings to enable speech-to-text first. Then, find the “speech” option on whatever keyboard you’re using. Often, you just need to tap a microphone icon on the right side of the keyboard.

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But what if most of your communication is with friends and family in your native language? Microsoft Translator has a way around this. Check to see if your native language is included in Microsoft’s Conversations feature—if it is, you can speak out loud in English, and have your words automatically translated into text in your native language.

Your chat partner can speak in your native language and have their words show up for you in English. This way, you get English speaking (and reading) practice while having the conversations you’d be having anyway.

Think about all the things you might do that have a beginning, a middle and an end. For example, following a recipe when cooking dinner or putting together a piece of furniture.

Try writing out instructions for a process in English and make them as simple as possible.

For cooking something, your instructions might start like this:

• Peel the garlic.
• Dice the garlic.
• Peel the onions.
• Slice the onions.

Once you have your instructions, follow them. In the meantime, say what you’re doing out loud. For example, “Now I’m cutting up the onions. Uh oh, my eyes are starting to water!”

A more challenging version of this would be to keep an audio diary. Record yourself on your phone describing your day or a specific experience, from beginning to end. This would force you to learn words that you often use in everyday life (or think about!), and you’ll also get more comfortable with speaking smoothly.

You might miss out on opportunities to practice English speaking if you just can’t think of anything to say.

An easy solution to this is to memorize conversation starters or ideas for beginning conversations. You can find lots of these online. For example, here’s a list of 250 conversation starters from Conversation Starters World.

Of course, you wouldn’t want to use all of these at any moment. It would probably seem weird if you just walked up to someone and said, “What three words best describe you?” But memorizing some ideas will help you feel better about talking to people in casual situations or to keep conversations going when talking to exchange partners .

To really learn English speaking, you need to learn how to express yourself in English. Even if you have ideas for conversations, it can be hard to know how to put them into your own words.

You can practice this by participating in conversations online. Posting on social media, leaving comments on articles or writing reviews are all good approaches.

Goodreads is a site where people leave their thoughts about books they’ve read. Writing about books and movies is always a nice way to practice sharing your opinions in English, because they give you a lot to think about!

But if you don’t have time to do this, there are simpler options: Watch a short video on YouTube and leave a comment underneath it. Post short opinions on Twitter about anything. There are many options for practicing your English skills before you speak out loud!

To improve your speaking, you can ask directly for feedback. Since you usually can’t do this with casual conversations, it might be worth setting up a language exchange , where you can ask the person to tell you directly if any of your sentences sound awkward or unnatural. 

There are even apps for this, like Go Correct where you can connect with English teachers. HelloTalk also allows you to chat (or voice call) in English, and then your conversation partner will literally mark out your mistakes. 

For self-studying, you can work on your grammar and sentence constructions when speaking by typing out a simple message or paragraph. Try running this through Grammarly to check your grammar. Afterwards, correct any mistakes you might have made, then try reading everything out loud! 

Podcasts and audiobooks don’t just make for amazing English listening practice —they can help with your speaking too! Most of the top English podcasts have word-for-word transcripts.

What you can do is download the transcript and then try reading the first few lines out on your own. Then play the podcast while reading along out loud, matching the speed and accent of the speaker. This is a handy technique that’s called shadowing, which can really help with your intonation and pronunciation. 

Of course, choose a podcast that matches the type of English you’re learning. This would usually be American or British English since you’ll also have to imitate the accent! 

While you should be focusing on learning standard English, it can be helpful to know English slang words and phrases so that you can “stay current” and understand modern English speech. Slang is always present, especially online , so you can’t really avoid seeing it.

Knowing slang , idioms and other casual expressions can improve real English fluency, because they can let you follow along with the kinds of conversations that happen today.

If you want to learn some great English slang, check out this post and this helpful video:

Learn popular American slang words with this guide, which covers must-know terms like “hype,” “bae” and “simp.” You’ll find these all over the internet (and even…

While there’s no single “correct” English, if people have trouble understanding you, it’ll be hard for you to speak confidently.

There’s no magic to improving pronunciation—you just need to learn the mechanics, and then practice. It’s all about how you move your mouth and use your lips, tongue and throat. For this, you should watch native speakers while they’re talking and observe not just what they say, but how they say it.

It’s also helpful to know about well-known pronunciation issues . Sounds like th and r  are difficult for a lot of English learners, but your native language has a major impact on your pronunciation. Try looking up the most common pronunciation mistakes made by speakers of your native language!

To read more about English pronunciation rules, check out this post:

English pronunciation can seem tricky, but with this guide, you will be able to speak clearly in no time! This post will take you through the 25 most important English…

When most students listen to a native English speaker, they focus on understanding what all the words mean. This is definitely important, but there’s a lot more you can learn from listening.

If you listen closely to English speakers, you’ll notice that sometimes vowels in English are pronounced as uh, such as in “th e “ , “ a gain” and “reas o n” . This is called the schwa sound . It’s the most common sound in the English language, but most English learners don’t notice it, which leads to sounding a bit different from a native speaker.

In English, words also aren’t pronounced in a disconnected way. Sometimes one word flows into another —for example, “leave it” and “no idea” both sound like they have no spaces between the words. Native speakers do this a lot!

Try to remember these details the next time you speak and your English will begin to sound more natural.

When we think of practicing a language, we often think of putting ourselves in situations where we have to use the language. But the truth is, a lot of confidence and fluency come from actually speaking. This technique can help you do a lot more of that.

Think about your favorite books. Even if you don’t have any favorite books that were written in English, you can probably find some in English translations. For example, the Harry Potter series has been sold all over the world.

Take any English-language book that you already enjoy, and record yourself reading it in English. This will take you a while, of course. But it’s a way to practice your English pronunciation every day in a way that’s fun and interesting for you.

Once you finish recording the book, you’ll have a homemade audiobook of it to listen to, which will give you a way to practice your listening skills, too.

Use the same technique described above to learn English in general while also practicing your speech.

For example, let’s say that you’d like to get better at talking to waitstaff. Maybe you see a blog post that includes examples of English conversations to have in restaurants . Instead of just reading the post and trying to remember the examples, record yourself reading it!

This will give you multiple opportunities to remember the material: when you first read it, when you read it out loud and when you listen to yourself reading it later.

Stop thinking of yourself as someone who is learning English, and start thinking of yourself as someone who speaks English. It’s a small change, but it’ll make you feel more confident and help you to better use the English you already know.

This also means you need to start thinking in English. If you want to say the word “apple” in English, for example, you probably think of the word in your native language first, and then try to think of the correct word in English. Instead, try imagining a picture of an apple, and then just think of the English word “apple.”

Real fluency happens when you stop mentally translating conversations. This is the biggest step from learning English to just being an English speaker!

Fluency is a very high level to reach and will take a long time to achieve, so “becoming fluent” can be a pretty unclear goal. Having such a big, non-specific target won’t be helpful in planning out your studies.

That’s why you should think of more concrete and obvious goals that can lead you to fluency. By themselves, they may seem like small steps, but all together they’ll provide a steady path in your English learning journey.

Good goals should be specific and achievable. When setting a goal, you should decide exactly what you want to learn, and how long you want to spend learning it.

Here are some examples of good goals:

• Learn 30 new English words in 30 days
• Have a conversation with a native English speaker this week
• Learn to conjugate five irregular verbs before your next tutoring lesson
• Perfect your pronunciation of 10 words over the weekend (then ask a native speaker to tell you how you did!)

Make sure that the goals you set are reasonable and challenging enough to keep you motivated . You want to achieve your goals without over-stressing yourself!

You might find some parts of the English language are especially difficult for you. These “weak spots” can be anything: grammar usage, pronunciation, sentence formation and so on. It’s important that you find out what they are so that you can focus on improving them.

English does have a lot of tricky features, and some can be even trickier depending on your native language. Pay attention to what you’re having problems with and dedicate more studying to it.

You want to make sure you improve in all parts of the English language without lagging behind in any of them.

To read more in depth about common errors in English, check out this post:

Read this to learn the 26 most common mistakes in English, why people make them and how to correct them. This guide includes common grammar errors, like subject-verb…

Sometimes, it can be difficult to put all those rules and words together into a simple sentence. Don’t let the fear of saying something wrong stop you from speaking at all.

Even if you think you’re making a mistake, keep speaking anyway. Most of the time, people will understand what you’re trying to say, even if you make a mistake.

Plus, the more you speak, the easier it gets, and the faster the right words will come to mind.

To read about some common mistakes when speaking a new language, check out his post:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/errors-in-language-learning

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes… but also make sure that you understand them!

When you know that something went wrong in your English conversation, make a note of it (in your mind or, better yet, on paper). In your own time, study what exactly made you trip up. Did you use the wrong vocabulary? Was something pronounced incorrectly? Maybe you were using the wrong tense in your sentences?

Mistakes are inevitable and necessary, but to lower the chance of repeating the same mistakes, you must learn (and not run away!) from them.

Reviewing what you learn is just as important as, well, actually learning!

Without proper review, you can easily forget a lot of previously learned material. This can greatly slow you down in your path to fluency because advanced English constantly builds upon basic, easier concepts. That’s why you must frequently test your skills.

You can review your learning in a number of different ways. You can make your own vocabulary quizzes , do translation exercises or have quick training sessions with a speaking partner. There are also online resources that you can use for review .

You should also think about when to review. Maybe you want to review right after you finish a new topic or after completing a whole unit of study. Or maybe you want to be extra studious and just review every time you study English!

Your reviews and tests will help you see your progress in English. Seeing how much you’ve improved can greatly increase your motivation to learn!

If you want to find out some free websites for testing yourself, check out this post:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/test-your-language-skills/

There’s an expression in English: “Use it or lose it,” which basically means if you don’t practice an ability, you might forget it. This idea can be used to help you remember new English vocabulary.

The best way to remember a new word is to use it right away so that it stays in your memory. When you learn a new word, try to say it in sentences a few times over the next week and you’ll be less likely to forget it.

Sometimes, you may learn a word or phrase that might not be immediately useful to you. It’s okay to not focus on memorizing that vocabulary right away, especially if there are other more important things to learn.

Do you want to find out the most common 1028 English words? Then check out this post:

The most common words in English, when added to your vocabulary, can give your communication skills an instant boost! Read on for a list of 1,028 words you will most…

Aside from using new words on your own, there’s a trick to remembering English vocabulary for good and making your reviews efficient: spaced repetition. 

If you keep it up, you’ll avoid a common pitfall: learning new words—and then forgetting them. 

No need to keep track of this manually too! There are flashcard apps like Anki  that make reviewing automatic, and many language learning apps with flashcards already have this feature. 

To read more about spaced repetition, read this post:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/srs-spaced-repetition-language-learning/

Speaking English confidently also means having a good grasp of grammar. While you can pick up grammar just from listening and reading a lot of English, studying grammar intentionally still helps. You’ll probably have to memorize irregular verbs , which aren’t very predictable when they change tenses.

Other tricky grammar topics include subject-verb agreement —for example, saying “he smile” instead of the grammatically correct “he smiles.” Here are other tricky topics that confuse even native speakers sometimes:

• Your vs. You’re
• Fewer vs. Less

Since it’s easy to forget a new grammar concept, you can get it to stick faster in your mind with quizzes and exercises. Most grammar books, including “ English Grammar in Use”  and “Practical English Usage” , have exercises that you can work through. There are also tons of exercises and drills online about practically every grammar topic. 

To read more about English grammar rules, see this post:

Check out these top 12 English Grammar tips that can help you avoid common mistakes and speak like a natural! Whether you’re a learner or a native speaker, these tips will…

While you should still devote some time to studying grammar, don’t worry too much about having to get it right all the time. The key to learning a language is finding a balance between studying and practicing. Speaking English fluently isn’t the same as knowing perfect English grammar—even native English speakers make grammar mistakes!

Fluency is about being able to communicate. That’s why it’s also important to go out and practice your writing, reading, listening and speaking skills in the real world. As you keep practicing, you can learn plenty of grammar rules along the way.

When you’re writing and saying your own sentences, focus on using the words you’re already familiar with. You may want to use more difficult, advanced English words to sound more fluent, but you should stay true to your skill level and keep practicing what you already know.

Make sure that you’re “comfortable” with the English you use, instead of just trying out new, unfamiliar words just because you want to. Doing so can lead you to say incorrect or strange things.

Of course, you do want to learn more and more words and skills to advance. We recommend studying a new word for a little while in context (in sentences and videos) before you use it in real conversations.

Learn the 300 most used words in English here:

Are you looking for an English vocabulary list of common words? Click here to find out 300 useful English words, including nouns, verbs, adjectives and more. If you master…

You don’t have to only learn English from textbooks and teachers—anyone who speaks English can help you practice.

Imagine how you’d feel if someone asked you, in your native language, how to pronounce something. Would you be angry? No! You’d probably be happy to help, just like most English speakers are happy to help you.

If you know any English speakers, whether it’s a friend or co-worker, take advantage of the opportunity to practice and learn from them. Make sure to also ask any specific questions you have and be open to feedback.

Sometimes you have to “throw money at the problem.” This common English idiom means that sometimes, you have to invest in your future. And because this future is about speaking English, it may be a wise investment to hire a personal language tutor.

It’s like having a teacher to yourself for hours at a time. You can ask literally any question you want and get an immediate answer, and you don’t have to follow a textbook unless you want to.

To learn about some amazing websites for hiring an English tutor, read this post:

Find English tutors online to guide you on your language-learning journey with this 2024 guide! Read on for 16 excellent websites for finding a suitable English tutor…

Tailoring learning materials to your own proficiency ensures that you’re not overwhelmed by complex content or bored by material that is too basic. This approach promotes a balanced and gradual progression, allowing learners to build a solid foundation before advancing to more challenging concepts.

Level-appropriate resources also help learners stay engaged and motivated, fostering a positive learning experience. By gradually increasing the complexity of language input, learners can develop their skills in a systematic manner, leading to improved comprehension, vocabulary acquisition and overall language proficiency. 

To find out where to get some great online English resources, check out this post:

Free online English courses are a convenient and accessible way to learn the language at your own pace. Check out these 26 resources you can get online for free (or mostly…

This isn’t for everyone, I know, and there are many, many considerations you need to deal with before moving, but I can promise you this: there’s no faster way to learn English than by being completely immersed in an English language culture. 

You’ve got lots to choose from. The United States of America, of course, but also the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia , Canada and plenty of smaller countries too: Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and lastly, Trinidad and Tobago.

To learn about even more English-speaking countries, check out this post:

How many countries speak English? To date, we count 96 countries that speak English as a native language, an official language, or a lingua franca in the context of…

Thinking ahead about potential topics, relevant vocabulary and common phrases allows you to feel more confident and prepared during conversations. This proactive approach helps alleviate anxiety and enhances their ability to express themselves more effectively.

Pre-planning also encourages you to anticipate potential challenges in communication, enabling you to strategize solutions in advance.

Additionally, it allows individuals to focus on specific language aspects they aim to improve, such as pronunciation or grammatical structures. 

To find out some basic conversations to have in English, see this post:

English small talk is easy to learn. It will help you fill in silences and make other people happy to chat with you. All you need are these seven great topics, and you…

Yes, really.

Singing karaoke provides a relaxed and enjoyable environment for practicing pronunciation and intonation. Singing along to English songs helps you develop a natural feel for the rhythm and melody of the language, improving your overall oral communication skills.

Karaoke also exposes learners to a variety of vocabulary and colloquial expressions found in song lyrics, contributing to an expanded understanding of conversational English.

Additionally, it fosters a sense of confidence and comfort with the language, as singing allows learners to express themselves creatively.

To read more about learning through karaoke, see this post:

Put your English studies to music with these awesome karaoke resources! Don’t like the crowd? These musical programs can be used at home or on the go!

No matter what your reason is for wanting to learn English, from work, academics, friendships, dating or travel, this is your number one motivator!

If you remind yourself each day why you’re learning English, you’ll be much more likely to stick with it.

So write it down, put it on your bathroom mirror or fridge and think about this reason every day. Believe me, it works.

To read about some of the best reasons to learn English, check out this post:

Why learn English? There are plenty of great reasons! Yes, learning English can be difficult, but it is extremely valuable. Check out these 13 reasons why learning English…

The English Speaking Practice app

This app lets you practice having basic conversations in English. It’s really simple to use!

Just choose a subject that you want to hear a conversation about. Then, listen to the conversation. After that, you can take a quiz to test your understanding, or use the “Record” tab to practice speaking.

Decide which person in the conversation to speak for, and go through the dialogue talking as them. You can then save the recording and play it back.

The SayHi translation app

This is a simple voice translation app that you can use to have bilingual conversations. However, you can also use it as a quick way to look up translations or to practice speaking, as long as the app has an option for your native language.

Set up the translator for a conversation between English and your native language. Then, try speaking English and see how your English translates. This will give you an idea of how well the app understands your English speech.

Also, if you ever forget how to say something in English, you can speak your native language into the mic and see how it translates into English. This can be much faster than using a dictionary!

Preply for Private Tutoring

Preply, an online language learning platform, is a valuable resource for English language learners looking to enhance their speaking skills.

Choose a suitable tutor by reviewing profiles and trying trial lessons for compatibility. Consistency is crucial, so schedule regular lessons for continuous improvement. Come prepared with topics or questions to ensure focused learning.

Actively engage in conversations during lessons, embracing mistakes as part of the learning process. Supplement Preply lessons with external resources like language apps or podcasts.

Practice English outside of lessons through activities like watching movies or reading books. Seek constructive feedback from tutors, addressing common mistakes. Expand vocabulary by discussing various topics during lessons and exploring recommended materials. Leverage Preply’s platform features, such as chat options and lesson reviews, for enhanced communication and progress tracking. 

American superhero movies and TV

Watching English-language movies and TV, in general, is a good way to get used to natural speech.

American superhero movies and TV series are especially great for learning English because they’re meant to appeal to a wide audience, sometimes including children. This means that it’s usually pretty easy to figure out what’s going on.

Another reason why superhero stories are easier to understand is that they tend to be very dramatic and emotional. Characters will often talk about what’s happening in a very loud and obvious way.

While there’s a lot to choose from, a good way to start is with some of the CW network shows that are available on Netflix, like “The Flash” and “Black Lightning.” These shows have a lot of talking in them, and focus a lot on relationships between characters. You can keep up with them for multiple seasons and become used to the way different characters talk to each other, all while being entertained by exciting storylines.

The English TV YouTube Channel

This YouTube channel has a bunch of videos that you can use to hear different types of English speech and conversation. For example, this video  includes over 50 minutes of multiple conversations between native English speakers.

The audio in this video and others like it on the English TV YouTube channel are actual recorded conversations. American English is the dialect of English mostly used in these conversations, but there are examples of British English and Australian English , as well.

These conversations are also spontaneous (done without a script, natural), so this is the way that English is actually spoken by native speakers. There’s a bit of slang used, but these conversations will help build your listening skills so that you can understand English speech in real life.

Loecsen Learn English

This is a free online English course with a big focus on speaking. To practice your English speaking, scroll down to “Start a new quiz.” You’ll then be able to choose from different lists of phrases that you can listen to and repeat.

When you repeat a phrase using the microphone on your computer, you get to see if the program is able to understand your speech. This is useful even if you already know the material in the lessons because you get a chance to speak English out loud and practice your pronunciation.

How can I improve my English pronunciation?

• Practice regularly by listening to native speakers, mimicking their pronunciation.
• Use pronunciation guides, online resources, or language learning apps for targeted exercises.
• Record yourself speaking and compare it to native speakers to identify areas for improvement.

What are some effective ways to expand my English vocabulary?

• Read widely in English, including books, articles and online content.
• Make use of flashcards or vocabulary apps to memorize and review new words.
• Engage in conversations with native speakers to encounter and learn new words in context.

How can I overcome the fear of speaking English in public?

• Start by practicing with friends or language exchange partners in a supportive environment.
• Gradually expose yourself to larger groups or join conversation clubs to build confidence.
• Remember that making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process and an opportunity for improvement.

What are some effective strategies for improving English fluency?

• Engage in regular conversations with native speakers or fellow learners.
• Watch movies, TV shows or listen to podcasts in English to improve comprehension and fluency.
• Set aside dedicated time each day for language practice, focusing on speaking and listening skills.

Are there specific tips for learning English as a second language?

• Immerse yourself in English-speaking environments whenever possible.
• Take advantage of language exchange programs or conversation partners.
• Use language learning apps and online platforms to supplement traditional learning methods.

How can I maintain consistency in learning and practicing English?

• Create a schedule and set realistic, achievable language-learning goals.
• Integrate English into your daily life, such as labeling items in your home in English.
• Stay motivated by celebrating small achievements and tracking your progress over time.

If you’re wondering how to improve your English speaking skills, there isn’t one easy answer.

Learning how to speak English fluently isn’t something that happens overnight. Because of this, it’s important to have tools and techniques ready for practicing every day.

Ultimately, if you have activities that you enjoy and that require you to speak English, your skills will improve more and more over time.

Try the resources and suggestions above, and pay attention to how they make you feel. Which ones help your confidence? Which ones seem to help you speak English over longer periods of time?

Use the methods that work for you, and your speaking will come together naturally.

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.

For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:

FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.

The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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As China’s Internet Disappears, ‘We Lose Parts of Our Collective Memory’

The number of Chinese websites is shrinking and posts are being removed and censored, stoking fears about what happens when history is erased.

Chinese people know their country’s internet is different. There is no Google, YouTube, Facebook or Twitter. They use euphemisms online to communicate the things they are not supposed to mention. When their posts and accounts are censored, they accept it with resignation.

They live in a parallel online universe. They know it and even joke about it.

Now they are discovering that, beneath a facade bustling with short videos, livestreaming and e-commerce, their internet — and collective online memory — is disappearing in chunks.

A post on WeChat on May 22 that was widely shared reported that nearly all information posted on Chinese news portals, blogs, forums, social media sites between 1995 and 2005 was no longer available.

“The Chinese internet is collapsing at an accelerating pace,” the headline said. Predictably, the post itself was soon censored.

“We used to believe that the internet had a memory,” He Jiayan, a blogger who writes about successful businesspeople, wrote in the post. “But we didn’t realize that this memory is like that of a goldfish.”

It’s impossible to determine exactly how much and what content has disappeared. But I did a test. I used China’s top search engine, Baidu, to look up some of the examples cited in Mr. He’s post, focusing on about the same time frame between the mid-1990s and mid-2000s.

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