Learning how to write and read in English is well and good. However, often there is not enough academic practice provided when it comes to actually speaking the language. Although it is definitely the most important part of your language skills development.
When it comes to actually conversing with somebody, that doesn’t get any easier when you have to do it in another language. Having a conversation with someone can be tricky in itself – you need to speak, you need to listen, and surely you don’t want it to get boring or awkward.
The most crucial point in that regard is of course to practise, practise and practise again. Nonetheless, here are some tips that can make it easier for you to have a conversation with someone.
Stick to the basics (and revise)
Most people would say that it is easier to have a good conversation the more words you know. That is true, but only partly. You can have a perfectly fine chat with someone without having mastered their language. What you really need to keep in mind are the mere basics, as it is those that the whole conversation is going to be based upon. You can practise these on your own as well and revise them continuously. The biggest advantage of knowing your basics in and out is that it makes you feel more safe and confident in your speaking, which will definitely benefit your chats.
Acquire additional vocabulary in topics you’re interested in
In order to have a proper conversation, you naturally need to have the according vocabulary. Nothing is a worse conversation stopper than not knowing how to express yourself. We know, learning new words can be an exhausting and long-winded process. Stick to the topics that interest you the most and which you would probably want to address when talking to someone. If however you find yourself in a situation where you just cannot remember the word you want so say, it is always okay to describe it the best you can. After all, you’re still learning!
Learn specific words, such as conversation starters
Needless to say, there is no one way to start or have a conversation. Every person you will talk to is different, the have individual interests, ideas, or personalities. If you normally struggle to start a conversation with someone, because you don’t know them (well) or you don’t know what to talk about, you can use conversation starters. They are short questions or statements that will help you and your conversation partner(s) to find something to talk about. You can use different ones according to the situation you find yourself in. For instance, when approaching a stranger in the street, you might ask them for the time or the way.
Talk to native speakers
This might sound fairly obvious, but one of the best opportunities to really improve your conversational skills is to practise with (or just talk to) a native English speaker. You’ll soon notice that you slowly start to pick up colloquialisms and speaking habits, which will gradually make your English sound more natural over time. Moreover, native speakers are more likely to notice when you make mistakes, and if you tell them to, they can correct you on them so that you can improve.
Embrace your mistakes
First of all, when you make a mistake, you should not worry too much about it. Everyone, even native speakers make mistakes in their speaking sometimes. There are two ways you can react when you notice that you made a mistake. You can of course repeat what you said in a correct way, this will also help you to achieve a certain learning effect. Sometimes though, if you don’t want to disrupt the conversation you are having, you can also just continue speaking without correcting yourself. You should do this for instance when taking a Speaking exam.
Check this short video to know how to improve your English speaking skills by yourself
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