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.
Source: ebookee.org
nice post :)
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