How can I improve my speaking skills?

[Mangalakumar]

Hi Alan and All,

I have a question on Oral communication and I think you would answer better if you could understand my background.

I am an Indian non-native English speaker. Some of us speak English just by converting our thoughts to English..But I found that sometimes native speakers in our office is not able to understand whatever I am talking if I talk in that way...

One technique of language learning is repeating whatever language native speaker is using at a particular situation. Sometimes when a native speaker faces changes for sentence, i used to think i have used improper language and how native speaker would have spoken at this situation to avoid awkward ness. Is there any product available which has all these details?

Please advise.

Thanks
Mangal

[Emile]

I have some experience of Indians dealing with native speakers (in a call centre environment). Generally, the first issue is pronuniciation or clarity of speech and the second is speed. You might find a huge difference if you just slow down a little and try to speak as clearly as possible.

As for language products where you can listen and repeat, you could get a language tape or CD for your car and repeat it when you drive to work. You can get them at any good bookshop, or you could even download a podcast.

my site:
www.roadtogrammar.com

[Mangalakumar]

Any inputs from others?

[Torsten]

Hi Mangalakumar,

What do you think of Emile's response? Her ideas are very good and I agree with her. You said: "Some of us speak English just by converting our thoughts to English." Could you please explain what you mean by that? Are you saying that you think in your mother tongue and try to translate your thoughts into English? As you know, this technique is very tricky as you are bound to use phrases no native speaker has ever heard. If you want to improve your speaking skills you have to listen to English on a regular basis. So, what do you think of Emile's suggestion to buy CD's that you can listen to when you are driving in your car? For more information, please read this: How to learn English?

Regards,
Torsten

PS: Input is usually used in its singular form.
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Jan]

Hi,
What do you think about your personal attitude.
Is there any place to improve.
I have read about graphology that if some people finish words ending with "m" making these "m's" very,very small "at the end almost the line".It means they are mostly careless, and without any tact in relations with people.If you force somebody like that to write ends of words with "m" slow and without deformations , they would be recognized suddenly as had been changed in their personal character as well... ?
If we start to concentrate doing some tasks maybe we are able to stop ours bad behaviour in language.
Regards
Jan

[Mangalakumar]

Emiley - Thanks. I am searching for Good Cds for pronounciation. I think sometimes i am hurrying up and that may cause native speakers to misunderstand..Poor pronounciation+fast is the first problem.
Torton - Thanks for your reply and yes, am still thinking in my mother tongue and converting my language while speaking..As you said, the whole problem is with the phrases and clauses. When I speak with Indians, they are clearly understanding the language even though their mother tongue is different. Cud be due to similarity of languages.
Jan - Really thank you for your input..I really got a punch in my face...Yes..I do not value whatever I am talking to others much and start telling something carelessly..Let me try to be more concentrated on my speech...

All - Please advise if you would have used some CDs that is proved to be good..Thanks for changing the subject of my post...

[Che Gevara]

If you want to improve your speaking skills you should read and communicate in English as much as possible...
_________________
Bombing for peace is like f.. for virginity