5 secrets you need to know to speak English with fluency

Are you confused about how to become fluent in English? 

With so much stuff on the internet, it’s hard to know where to start! At IELC, we’ve helped hundreds of students achieve fluency in English. And in this article, we’re going to share some of the secrets that teachers never share with you. If you want to speak English fluently, you’re going to want to read this! 

1. Think in English

When you speak in your native language, you don’t translate first. You just express your thoughts spontaneously. The same goes for speaking another language. You have to learn to think in that language. Rather than thinking in Indonesian and translating into English, you should start to train yourself to think in English…in your thoughts. Of course, this requires discipline and practice…but the results can be incredible! Start slowly and with the right intention you will start to surprise yourself by thinking in English. When this happens, speaking comes much more naturally. 

2. Imitate your favourite actors

When watching films that you enjoy or actors & actresses you love watching, try imitating their lines, complete with accent at tone. Speak the lines aloud & don’t be shy! For even better results, you can record your voice and see how you went. The more you do this, the more comfortable you will become. And who knows, maybe you will pick up that James Bond accent you love. (Helpful hint: don’t try to imitate Darth Vader’s accent from Star Wars – you’ll freak everyone out!)  

3. Talk to yourself in the mirror

Of course, this next one iw something that you want to do with the door closed…otherwise your housemates might think you’re going crazy. But it actually works. So here we go…choose a 2-3 minute monologue and read it aloud in front of the mirror. Start reading from the text but also try to make it natural. Start to improvise a little. Watch yourself, watch your body language and confidence. Pay attention to your expressions and gestures. If you run out of words, use linking words like : “let me think, what can I say more about this topic”…when thinking about what to say next. 

4. Focus on fluency first and don’t worry about grammar

Pay attention to how often you pause when you speak. The more often and longer you pause, the less confident and hesitant you will sound. So, set a timer and challenge yourself not to stop talking for 2-3 minutes. Maybe you will make a lot of mistakes in grammar. It is okay. We focus on one thing first before moving on to another and in this exercise, your focus is on speaking fluently.

5. Learn to pronounce difficult words

There are some words in English that are particularly long and difficult to pronounce. You often know the words you have trouble with. So, start with these words. Write them down and practice speaking them in stages. Set a goal of understanding 2-3 words per day. Use Google to hear how the word should be pronounced either alone or in a sentence and say it at least 1 word 10 times. Repeat it every day for a week and the word will stay forever in your memory.

We just shared 5 secrets to speaking English with fluency that teachers never share with you. They might seem unorthodox but this is precisely why they work! We hoped you enjoyed this article and we wish you the very best in your language learning process. 

If you want to become fluent in English fast, contact us at IELC to see how we can help you achieve your goal. It is our vision to help people gain fluency and confidence in English and we would love to help you too! We offter great Online and On Campus conversation courses for kids, teenagers & adults. We also specialise in IELTS and TOEFL preparation courses. 

Sincerely, 

Harum Natali

IELC Academic Coordinator

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