Five Tips To Becoming Fluent In English

As we become older, picking up a new language becomes increasingly difficult, especially from within a country where that language isn’t widely spoken. Nevertheless, with the advent of the internet and an ever shrinking world, foreign languages are accessible as ever. To become fluent in another language, however, is far more challenging. Here are five tips to help you on your way to becoming fluent in English.

5. Utilise as many resources as possible

Lessons and courses can be an integral part of picking up a new language but textbooks should be your only English resource. Reading newspapers, watching English television and using English internet sites will all improve your reading, writing and oral English skills.

4. Study often for short periods of time

Learning a new language is a far too difficult task to manage with weekly one hour lessons. When tackling something as complex as a new language, an hour is often too long to concentrate for. Frequent breaks will keep you sharp and ready to absorb information. In addition, by studying for short periods of time a few times a day, English will be permanently fresh in your mind.

3. Perfect your grammar

Like every language, English has its own set of rules on grammar. To become truly fluent these need to be ingrained as second nature and come to you without thinking. Poor grammar sticks out like a sore thumb and will separate fluent and novice speakers.

Remember that almost every native English speaker has spent the best part of ten years in studying their own language in school, so start small. You could opt to invest in textbooks, enrol on a course or learn English online, for example.

2. Practise speaking as much as listening, reading and writing

People often say they can understand spoken English but struggle to speak it. The key, as is often the case, is that practise makes perfect. People often perfect their reading, writing and listening skills but fail to become fluent in a language, simply by misjudging their priorities.

One way to do this is to record yourself speaking and listen to it back. If, for example, you have decided to learn English grammar online, read the course material, write it down but then say it out loud. Record it and listen back to perfect your grammar, pronunciation and accent.

1. Immerse yourself in the language

The single, most efficient way to becoming fluent in English is to surround yourself with English speakers as much as possible. It is the way native English speakers learn and it is the way you learnt your own first language.

Immersing yourself in the language does not necessarily mean you need to move to an English speaking country. Regularly attending classes held in English, speaking in English with your family and friends or even watching English TV or listening to English radio programmes are all ways of exposing yourself to the spoken language.

Surrounding yourself with English speakers will force you to think in the language, a very important part of becoming fluent. Moreover, you will get to grasps with some of the many English colloquialisms that lessons often do not provide.

At the end of the day, being fluent is very different from being understood and by following these steps you will soon differentiate yourself from the majority of English speaking non-natives.