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Do you remember the constant improvement process you went through as a child to really learn your native language? This process still remains the same when trying to learn and improve how you communicate using English as a child or an adult.
First we listen to a language, then we speak it. After that we read the language, and finally we write it down. Listening, speaking, reading and writing are the four language skills you need to practice in English if you want to communicate clearly and confidently.
Listening and reading are ‘receptive’ language skills, describing the sensory way in which you are being exposed to an authentic language as it communicates meaning to you. By contrast, speaking and writing are ‘productive’ language skills, meaning they result from an action you take to actually form the English language yourself as part of the process to establish meaning through communication.
In this Blog Post, you will discover ten simple ways to improve your communication using English as an adult or child – with each way being categorised under the four language skills you already know.
Listening plays a crucial role when trying to improve your English. Among other things, effective listening encourages understanding and also helps you to improve accuracy when speaking.
How do you improve your listening skills? This you can do by listening actively, and paying attention to both what and how something is being said. You can listen to:
It does not matter whether it is old or modern English songs – listen to whatever music you like.
But make sure you listen carefully to the lyrics as well.
Watch and listen to English films or television shows several times – first with the subtitles switched on, and then without the subtitles once you feel more comfortable and familiar with what the film or show is about.
You can also download and listen to many English radio programmes at home on your computer or mobile phone.
Try to attend live performances of plays or presentations organised by English-speaking schools or English classes in Johor Bahru.
Speaking is sometimes seen as the hardest of the four language skills to initially master, but once you can speak a few simple sentences there are many ways to quickly improve your speaking:
There are lots of opportunities to speak using English made available to you today through amazing new technology, particularly in terms of access to Social Networking sites.
So join some of these sites and actively engage in ‘Voice Chats’.
Listening to yourself speaking will sound funny at first, but this will help you to realise where you need to improve your spoken English.
You can repeatedly listen to yourself speaking, and then make several new voice recordings until you are satisfied with the results.
To really improve your spoken language skills, you must actively talk with English-speaking people, especially if you can find a private native-speaking English tutor in Johor Bahru.
Play a game together, have a meal, or do anything that will keep you talking in English through different social situations. You can also enrol in an English Communication Class.
If you can develop strong reading skills, this will greatly improve your understanding and use of English, particularly when speaking and writing. You can read:
Read books written in English you have already read in your mother tongue, or even English books that have been made into films (where you can also watch the film as well!).
Always start with an easy-to-read book – and this means you can enjoy reading children’s books as an adult.
If you have not yet changed the primary language on your computer or mobile phone to English, do it now!
In this way you can begin to associate meaning and functions with certain words, and thus start to further build up your English vocabulary.
To write in English may feel intimidating, but with a determined willingness to learn and a little self-discipline, you will be able to do it.
Using a pen and some paper or a blank book, always be ready to write down useful English words you come across every day – along with their meanings and examples of how to use the words in a sentence.
Whatever English words you write down in your ‘Vocabulary Book’ in this way can help you to remember and use the words better, and will certainly improve your written English.
Look out for interesting Blogs written in English on the Internet, and then add some English comments to the Blog yourself. People now use Blogs to express their thoughts and ideas about many different topics, often being written as very simple text.
Take part actively yourself by reading a Blog written in English, and then share your feedback and ideas on the Blog as well. You don’t have to write some text that is very long – just a few simple sentences about what you think or feel about the topic will be great to share online with everyone.
Finally, one more essential thing you can do immediately to improve all of your English communication skills is start an English Course at an English-speaking educational institution.
And, of course, for you to really improve your speaking, writing and understanding of English, you must practise regularly. Remember, the key to mastering any new foreign language is … constant PRACTICE!