1. Self-Esteem
The most important aspect of speaking is having good self-esteem.
Self-esteem is how a person feels about himself. This includes
“self-talk”, how a person thinks or what a person says to himself. What a
person feels determines what he thinks, and what he thinks determines
what he says and how he says it. A person who feels good about himself
will say good things and speak well. A person who feels bad about
himself will think negative thoughts and not have self-confidence. Then
fear will cause a person to not speak. When most Chinese people are
asked how their English is, or if they are told their English is very
good, they immediately respond by saying, “Oh, my English is very poor. I
have no chance to practice.” A student of English should not say this
to himself or to others. A person who says it often enough will begin to
believe it and soon will be paralyzed and unable to speak. Students
will begin to forget what they know since the right brain cannot speak
or use the knowledge stored in the left brain. A person learning to
speak English must put the Chinese custom of modesty (saving face)
aside. When complimented, the correct response is “Thank you.” When
asked, “How is your English?” or criticized, a good answer is “I love to
speak English,” or “My English is improving,” or “I am working very
hard to improve my English.” These positive statements will reinforce
positive thoughts and good feelings. With increased confidence a person
will overcome fear and speak more freely. The mind is the most fantastic
computer in the universe. Saying or thinking negative thoughts will
short circuit the mind or give it deadly viruses.
2. Teaching Others
It is a known fact that the teacher learns more than the student. One
receives more when one gives. When a person only receives, he becomes
crippled and soon dies. First of all, a person who teaches someone else
to speak English forgets his inhibitions and concentrates on helping.
This is a key process in learning. The teacher actually receives more
than he gives. The teacher becomes better at speaking when he gives
others instructions and encouragement. Secondly, the person who speaks
is forced to utilize all the skills of speaking well. The brain is
forced to remember what is stored in the left brain, transfer it to the
right side, translate it from Chinese into English, and then verbalize
it. A teacher must speak to teach. The teacher hears himself speak and
recognizes needs and self corrects while teaching, correcting and
encouraging the student(s). It’s a great method and a self-motivating
process. For thousands of years, this method has been a powerful secret
to learning. Remember that teaching others stimulates improvement.
3. Singing Songs
Singing songs has magic that no other exercise can duplicate. A person
who sings English songs over and over again will automatically memorize
words and phrases. When someone says, “Let’s sing ‘Jingle Bells’ or
‘Happy Birthday’, immediately a person begins to sing the song exactly
right without even thinking about it. There is no hesitation, no
translation, no confusion. Also, singing allows for the practice of
saying words and, at the same time, practices pronunciation because
singers verbalize each word more slowly and exactly with the music.
That’s what music does for a person who wants to speak English. Good
songs with good words are a great aid to speaking fluently. It is
amazing how quickly singing helps a person to speak. Finally, the
Chinese language has many tones and in a way the language is sung. When
songs are sung in English, the brain can quickly connect the thoughts
and meaning with sound.
4. Talking to the TV & Radio
There are English speaking television and radio channels. Watching and
listening to them is important, but talking to them is even more
important. This may seem strange to family and friends, but it is almost
as effective as having a native speaker present. Listening is a great
way to learn, but speaking back and asking questions benefits the mind
and speaking mechanism as if a real person were there. True, the TV and
radio will not answer questions nor pause for comments. Nevertheless, a
person’s listening skills will improve and his ability to ask good
questions and give good answers will also improve. This is a good
method. This method will require concentration since people habitually
just “listen” to the radio and TV. Listening is good, but speaking is
better. It makes all the difference.
5. Reading Aloud and Reading A Lot
Good teachers always emphasize the value of extensive reading. It’s
through reading many stories and books that one absorbs the culture,
meaning, and beauty of a language. So the student must Read! Read! Read!
But in addition to just reading, students should read out loud. Little
children learn to speak by listening to their mothers read to them.
Mothers learn to read and speak better by reading and speaking to their
children. Together, both the reader and listener learn to tell stories,
adding drama and emphasis to words and expressions. It’s important to
read to others whenever possible. If there is no one to read to,
students can read to themselves. It’s important to read aloud a lot!
6. Calling Others on the Telephone
This is one of the most common and most helpful methods of improving
spoken English. First, language students must identify others who are
willing to speak to them in English on the telephone. These can be
friends, classmates, workmates or family members. Students can either
make surprise calls or make appointments to speak with a number of
people every day. At first, conversations may only last a few minutes,
but with practice, time spent speaking will increase. The value comes in
developing the ability to hear and understand the other unseen person.
Repeating parts of the conversation and asking the other person to
repeat parts of the conversation might prove useful. Soon the ear will
become accustomed and the speech will also improve allowing both parties
to better understand each other. This can be a fun and very useful
practice that exercises the brain, ears and tongue.
7. Group Participation
A student in a formal English class at a school, university, or training
company must participate. It is vital to ask questions, offer opinions
and actively contribute to the class’s speaking activities. It’s only
the active participant whose mind and mouth work together to speak and
improve speaking. The left brain of a passive spectator will record what
is seen and heard while the right brain weakens and speaking difficulty
increases. Also, a person cannot participate unless he attends. Active,
dedicated members of a class practice many of the skills necessary to
increase verbal speech.
8. Interpreting for Others
Interpreting is one of the strongest methods of exercising the whole
brain to improve speaking ability. Interpreters must draw on their left
brain reserves while exercising their right brain skills. It is similar
to teaching others, but even more powerful because the person
interpreting must hear in Chinese, mentally understand and translate
information in the mind, then almost instantly verbalizes these ideas
correctly in English. The more advanced the English speaking ability,
the better the interpretation. It is important to begin very early to
interpret, not waiting for proficiency in speaking. Interpreting is not
translating written documents which are mostly a left-brain skill.
9. Memorizing New Words and Phrases
In order to progress in learning to speak English, new words must be
added to the vocabulary. Always having a small list of words and using
them in every day conversation is vital to mastery. Speaking new words
in sentences will bring ownership. Doing this faithfully over a period
of a few years will build a vocabulary as large as most native English
speakers. More effective than just adding new words is adding entire
sentences. Great progress comes when quotes and phrases are not just
memorized but used in daily speech. The key is to Speak! Speak! Speak!
10. Read, Write, and Memorize Poetry
“Words do not convey meaning, they call it forth.” David O McKay. Like
music, poetry enlightens the soul while it exercises the mind in rhythm
and vivid imagery. By reading, writing and memorizing poetry, a person
is exercising one of the highest forms of spoken English. It energizes
both the left and right brain while it conditions thinking and trains
the tongue.
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