TL;DR
To speak better in any language, stop worrying about perfection. Build vocabulary, focus on speech patterns and natural phrasing, visit old material to reinforce your knowledge. Finally, speak a lot without fearing mistakes. Striving towards perfect grammar and pronunciation becomes counterproductive when it discourages you from experimenting with the language. Fluency comes from consistent input and relaxed, frequent practice.
Speaking can frustrate many language learners. Your ability to speak doesn’t always reflect how much time you’ve put in, how much you understand, and your actual competency in the language. I’ve been there. When I started Turkish (and a dozen other languages) I realized that improving my speaking skills required a shift in mindset and priorities. Here are seven key principles that made the biggest difference for me.
1. Don’t Obsess Over Pronunciation
Perfect pronunciation does not have to be a top priority for language learners. A slightly more subtle accent does not increase your ability to communicate
When speaking, you want to remove as many mental barriers as possible. Focus on your message, not on whether or not you’ll be identified as a non-native speaker. Personally, I’d embrace the accent. If you’re able to express yourself well, an accent adds charm to the message.
Time and energy are better spent focusing on the intonation and natural rhythm of the language. To speak more fluidly, it’s worthwhile to grasp a language’s cadence. Listen to lots of audio and imitate the way phrases rise and fall.
2. Build Vocabulary First to Speak Better
Vocabulary is more important than grammar. If you want to improve your speaking, you’ll need lots of vocabulary. You can often communicate despite wonky grammar, but there’s no way around a lack of vocabulary.
To expand your vocabulary, immerse yourself in the language through reading and listening. Contrary to popular belief, vocabulary grows through exposure, not memorization.
3. Avoid Stressful Activities
There’s nothing wrong with consulting grammar rules or drilling conjugations. However, the fear of making mistakes cannot outweigh the importance of speaking fluidly and spontaneously. Precision comes with time. Pausing the conversation to ponder a grammar rule or question whether or not you formulated a phrase correctly interrupts communication.
Embrace that speaking is spontaneous. Focus on fluidity. While speaking, aim to imitate patterns and natural phrasing, not grammatical perfection.
4. Treat Grammar as a Description, Not a Prescription
Similar to my last tip, grammar is useful until it inhibits your ability to stay flexible and embrace the language (including its inconsistencies). Native speakers often do not speak with perfect grammar.
Accept that there are discrepancies between grammar rules and how a language is actually used in real life. Don’t lose yourself in correctness and embrace what sounds natural.
I’m not advocating for an abandonment of grammar altogether, but rather a balance between grammar and real-life communication. Use grammar to understand structures and phrasing, but don’t be too quick to dismiss language that deviates from the rule.
5. Master Common Patterns to Improve Speaking
Expanding your vocabulary seems like an endless process, but patterns (phrasing) are more finite. Pay close attention to recurring phrases and sentence structures that you encounter while reading or listening. They form the foundation of fluent speech.
Certain transitional, argumentative, and reaction phrases are used almost automatically by native speakers. If you’re able to identify and incorporate them into your speech, you’ll not only speak more fluidly, but also sound more natural.
6. Revisit Content Often
Language learning doesn’t have to feel like a constant, uphill battle. Add some variety to your listening and reading by revisiting old material. This may sound counterintuitive, but it’s a solid strategy to boost your confidence and solidify understanding.
As you progress, you’ll find returning to the LingQ Mini Stories or other previous lessons easier and smoother. With a stronger grasp of the language, you’ll also notice more. Returning to easier texts with a more advanced level allows for deeper learning. The reassurance and fortified knowledge, naturally, lead to more confident, fluid speech.
7. Speak a Lot, Make Mistakes
Let’s end with the most important tip: speak as much as possible, and do not fear mistakes. Mistakes are part of the process. As a language learner, I’ve made the same errors in Turkish again and again. However, I learn from the mistakes and improve.
Better speaking skills do not appear out of thin air. There’s no use in waiting until you can produce language perfectly. It’s going to be an imperfect process. Fluency does not emerge from perfection, but persistence.
Final Thoughts
Ironically, improved speaking skills require distancing yourself from the pursuit of perfection. Your goal is to express yourself naturally and fluidly, not perfectly. Mistakes will happen. Grammar, phrasing, and pronunciation contribute to your speech, but overthinking any of them is more of a hindrance. As long as you keep showing up, keep listening, keep speaking, you will speak better. The key is to enjoy the process, because the learners who stay with it are the ones who ultimately succeed.
FAQs
1. How long does it take to speak better?
This depends on how much time you spend with the language. The more immersion (listening and reading) and speaking practice that you get, the more quickly you’ll see results.
2. How important is pronunciation?
Your pronunciation needs to be clear and understandable. Aside from that, don’t spend too much time and energy trying to mask your accent. Besides, capturing a language’s rhythm and intonation is a better use of time than eliminating your accent.
3. Is grammar important for speaking?
Yes, but as an occasional reference tool to help you notice or understand patterns. Grammar is less helpful if you think that you need to master the rules before speaking.
4. How much vocabulary do I need to speak well?
You don’t need thousands of words to start speaking. High-frequency words will come naturally, but you’ll need to tailor your learning material to capture more niche words that align with your interests.
5. Is drilling or memorizing helpful?
Speaking is spontaneous, so drills don’t translate into fluent conversation. If anything, it’s best to focus on patterns and common phrasing in the language. Speech patterns really highlight how much of spoken language is automatic.
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