4/16/2015 4 Ways to Develop Fluency in English ­ wikiHow

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How to Develop Fluency in EnglishFour Methods: Becoming Comfortable with English Practicing Fluency

Developing Fluency through Immersion Avoiding Common Mistakes in English

Learning the basics of a new language is certainly a challenge, but masteringtrue fluency in a new language is even more difficult. It is, however, possible todevelop fluency in a language that is not your native language with theappropriate learning and a lot of practice. Developing fluency in English can bedone with determination and hard work.

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Take a class. If you are just beginning to learn English, it is best to begin by takinga class. A qualified teacher can guide you through the basics of English and help

you understand the way the language system works.

If you cannot take a class, try to find an online language acquisition program.[1]

Get a translation dictionary. Find a dictionary that offers translations of wordsfrom your native language to English and from English to your native language.

This can help you in the early stages of learning English as you master your vocabularyacquisition.

Expand your vocabulary. Once you have a basic understanding of the way thatEnglish works, spend some time expanding your vocabulary.[2] You may want to

find English flashcards in your language.

If you feel that you have a mastery of everyday vocabulary words but wish tolearn more, try finding some advanced vocabulary flashcards, such as thoseused by American students studying for the GRE, an exam required forentrance into graduate school.Reading in English and circling words that you’re unfamiliar with, then lookingup the words and making an effort incorporate them into your vocabulary is agreat way to increase your vocabulary.

Check your local library for books or classes. Many public libraries offerresources for English Language Learners. They may even host free classes for

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Method 1 of 4: Becoming Comfortable with English

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community members who wish to improve their language fluency. This is more commonin areas with a large community of language learners. The library also may have booksor audio books that you can check out for free.

Find an IPA dictionary. The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) can help youlearn how to pronounce words that you see in writing but don’t know how to say.

The book should provide a guide to interpreting the IPA symbols, but you can also findvideos online that tell you how to say each of the IPA letter sounds.[3]

Read different types of English writing. Try to find a mix of more and less formalwriting, so you can get a sense of both formal and conversational English.[4]

If there is an English newspaper available in your area, pick one up every dayand read through it. This will give you a source for learning new words andcommon sentence structures on a daily basis.Also try reading novels in English. If you find that novels are challenging, tryfinding books meant for children or young adults, then build up to more complexworks.Circle words that are unfamiliar, look them up, and write the definition in themargins of the paper or book. Then try to use a few of the new words in Englishconversation.

Watch a diverse array of English programming. English news reports are agreat way to begin exposing yourself to English because reporters frequently

speak clearly without any significant accent.[5] However, diversifying the types of Englishvideos you watch can help you develop fluency in conversational English so that you donot sound overly formal or stiff in your speech.[6]

Watch movies. Movies that are directed towards children or teens may haveless complex vocabulary and sentence structures and may be easier if you arejust developing proficiency.[7]

TV shows may be a good option as well because they are shorter than moviesand can give you a sense of comic timing and humor, which can be part offluency as well.Turn on subtitles for anything you watch if they are available. Watching thewords while you hear them can improve your pronunciation and vocabulary.

View videos online. YouTube and other video streaming sites have a nearlyendless supply of videos in English. If you wish to improve your work­related

English fluency, be sure to watch videos in your specific field so that you can master thevocabulary and details unique to your professional needs.[8]

Find an English learning buddy. You need to practice speaking English to buildfluency, so having a friend who is also learning English will give you both the

opportunity to learn and practice together.[9]

Alternatively, you could try to find a native English speaker who wishes to learnyour native language and work out an exchange deal (see below).

Get a quality English Dictionary. Having access to a dictionary that offersclear definitions of unfamiliar words can help you understand words and figure

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out how to use them in the appropriate context.[10]

Most dictionaries will provide the word, a pronunciation guide, a definition, andthe plural form of the word, which can usually be made by adding an –s, but canalso take on unusual form such as –es, ­en, or changing the vowel from –us to–a, depending upon the origin of the word.

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Speak in English. Developing fluency requires constant and consistent practicespeaking aloud.[11] It is best if you can speak with native English speakers, but if

you cannot, speak with whoever is available to you. You can even talk to yourself aloudin English.[12]

Immersing yourself fully in English is the best way to become fluent.[13]

Repeat what you hear native speakers say. Repeat sentences of nativespeakers, focusing on pronunciation, cadence, and rhythm. Record yourself

speaking and play it back to give yourself the opportunity to evaluate whether yourrepetition sounds the same as the original.[14]

Remember to think about both what words the native speaker chooses and howthey use the language.

Use a conversation exchange website. A conversation exchange website is likea matchmaking service for language learners.[15] The website will match you with a

native English speaker who is seeking to learn your native language. Through video oraudio chats, you can have conversations in each language and give each otherimmediate feedback and tips.

This type of exchange is best when done on a regular schedule, as frequentlyas possible. Find someone who has a similar schedule to yours and who issimilarly committed to developing fluency.

Listen to other people speaking English. Particularly if you are living in an areawith English speakers, listening to other people’s public conversations can

frequently be a good way to practice your English comprehension and fluency.[16]

Notice things such as the rhythm of their speech, cues for when one speaker isfinished talking and the other begins, and how questions and answers areposed.[17]

Think in English. This may be tricky, but practicing forming thoughts in Englishcan help you almost as much as speaking in English.[18][19] Try narrating your day

in English. For example, you may think to yourself, “I am walking out of my door. I see astray cat on the street. I need to get on the correct bus and go to work now” in Englishrather than your native language.

Method 2 of 4: Practicing Fluency

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Travel to an English speaking area. While a country whose primary language isEnglish is ideal, there are English­speaking communities in other countries as well.

Find such a community or country and stay there for an extended period of time; thelonger you stay, the more proficient your language fluency will become.[20]

Speak only English. Even when you are unsure of exactly what to say all of thetime, find a way to communicate only in English.[21] Not giving yourself the option

to “fall back” on your native language will help you become proficient in English morequickly and understand the system of the language more fully.[22]

Ask people to refrain from speaking other languages. If you are attempting anEnglish immersion in a country that is not primarily English speaking, ask those

around you to speak to you in English whenever possible.[23]

This can be tricky if you are attempting language immersion at home, but yourfamily may benefit from the immersion experience as well; try to make it a funlearning experience for everyone!

Be confident. If you let go of your fear of “messing up” the language and focusinstead on just communicating and getting to know people, you’re more likely to be

successful.[24]

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Use the correct article. There are two types of articles in the English language:definite and indefinite. "The" is a definite article and refers to one specific thing. "A"

and "an" are indefinite articles and refer to a general noun.[25]

If you are referring to any dog at all, say "a dog." If you are referring to oneparticular dog, say "the dog."Use "an" instead of "a" if the noun that follows begins with a vowel sound, aswith "I would like an apple" or "I will be there in an hour."

Pay attention to prepositions. One mark of a non­native speaker is the incorrectuse of prepositions (words such as on, to, in, among, and around). If you wish to

speak as fluently as a native speaker, pay careful attention to how these short words areused by native speakers.[26]

Unfortunately, the rules about when to use a particular preposition areinconsistent. For example, it is common to say either “I’m waiting for the train”or “I’m waiting on the train,” but you cannot always exchange “on” and “for,” aswith “I have a meeting on Monday.”

Method 3 of 4: Developing Fluency through Immersion

Method 4 of 4: Avoiding Common Mistakes in English

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Choose the correct adjective order. Not all adjectives are treated equally inEnglish, and native speakers tend to place adjectives in a certain order before the

noun they modify.

The typical arrangement is: article, judgement, size, shape, age, color,nationality, material.[27] (However, it is best to limit the number of adjectives fora single noun to 2­3).For example, you would say "I have an old brown dog" or "I drive a rusty, box­shaped, 20­year­old American truck."

Resist the thesaurus. A thesaurus can be tempting if you feel that yourvocabulary is limited, but often synonyms listed in a thesaurus may relate to an

alternative form of the word you are replacing.[28]

If you must use a thesaurus, be sure to look up the word you select in a qualitydictionary to be sure that it is an acceptable substitute for your original word.

Memorize irregular verbs. In English, the regular verbs are relatively easy tomaster, but the irregular verb forms are much more difficult. It is best to simply

memorize these verb conjugations.[29] Searching for lists of common irregular verbs andmaking lists or flashcards for yourself may help you master their forms.

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1. ↑ http://www.talkenglish.com/2. ↑ http://www.englishleap.com/other­resources/10­tips­for­speaking­

english3. ↑ http://www.ego4u.com/en/dictionary/ipa4. ↑ http://www.englishleap.com/other­resources/10­tips­for­speaking­

english5. ↑ http://www.englishleap.com/other­resources/10­tips­for­speaking­

english

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Sources and Citations

Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No

4/16/2015 4 Ways to Develop Fluency in English ­ wikiHow

http://www.wikihow.com/Develop­Fluency­in­English 6/7

6. ↑ http://www.espressoenglish.net/how­to­speak­fluent­english­top­10­tips/

7. ↑ http://blogs.voanews.com/student­union/2011/03/28/how­to­speak­english­fluently/

8. ↑ http://www.cmu.edu/icc/handouts/AdviceIncomingStudents.pdf9. ↑ http://www.espressoenglish.net/how­to­speak­fluent­english­top­10­

tips/10. ↑ https://www.butte.edu/cas/tipsheets/research/dictionary.html11. ↑ http://www.fluentu.com/english/blog/how­to­speak­english­well­

fluently/12. ↑ http://www.espressoenglish.net/how­to­speak­fluent­english­top­10­

tips/13. ↑ http://www.englishleap.com/other­resources/10­tips­for­speaking­

english14. ↑ http://blogs.voanews.com/student­union/2011/03/28/how­to­speak­

english­fluently/15. ↑ http://www.espressoenglish.net/how­to­speak­fluent­english­top­10­

tips/16. ↑ http://www.englishleap.com/other­resources/10­tips­for­speaking­

english17. ↑ http://www.fluentu.com/english/blog/how­to­speak­english­well­

fluently/18. ↑ http://www.englishleap.com/other­resources/10­tips­for­speaking­

english19. ↑ http://www.espressoenglish.net/how­to­speak­fluent­english­top­10­

tips/20. ↑ http://www.fluentin3months.com/villages­for­immersion/21. ↑ http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011­09­07/news/ct­x­0907­trice­

column­20110907_1_language­immersion­leslie­lancry­concordia­language­villages

22. ↑ http://faculty.georgetown.edu/spielmag/docs/Immersion_E.htm23. ↑ http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011­09­07/news/ct­x­0907­trice­

column­20110907_1_language­immersion­leslie­lancry­concordia­language­villages

24. ↑ http://www.omniglot.com/language/articles/languageimmersion.htm25. ↑

http://www.scribendi.com/advice/the_10_most_common_esl_mistakes.en.html

26. ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/594/01/27. ↑

http://college.cengage.com/devenglish/fawcett/evergreen/7e/students/esl_errors/error_08.html

28. ↑http://www.scribendi.com/advice/the_10_most_common_esl_mistakes.en.html

29. ↑http://college.cengage.com/devenglish/fawcett/evergreen/7e/students/esl_errors/error_06.html

Categories: English as a Second Language (ESL)

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