The following is a great collections of advise I found from the web.
Many English learners worry too much about tense. If you stopped 100 native English speakers in the street and asked them about tense, 1 of them might give you an intelligent answer - if you were lucky. The other 99 would know little about terms like "past perfect" or "present continuous". And they would know nothing about aspect, voice or mood. But they can all speak fluent English and communicate effectively. Of course, for ESL it helps to know about tenses, but don't become obsessed with them. Be like those native speakers! Speak naturally!
Taken from https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses.htm
Taken from https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses.htm
1. Practice reading out loud
One of the most important aspects of gaining confidence when speaking English is to be well-spoken. This means speaking clearly and ensuring you articulate your words. A great way to achieve fluidity in your speech is to practice reading out loud. Start with something simple or a text you know well. Practice reading in front of a mirror and listen to the way you say the words. Once you are more confident you can practice reading aloud in front of a friend or family member; you can even graduate to a more difficult text the more comfortable you become. The more you practice the more confident you will feel.
2. Listen to and mimic English news anchors
If you’re unsure as to how to act confident in your speech, one of the best ways to learn is to watch other people. Watch their mannerisms and listen to the way they pronounce their words. Your best source of articulate speakers can be found on television, specifically news anchors – in fact this should be your first pick when choosing a native English speaker to emulate. To get yourself started, pick a news station to watch every day (or every other day), watch how the anchors sit, gesticulate, and listen to how they speak. You can even record a short news segment and report on the story at the same time as the anchor. Keep practicing the same segment until you can repeat it without the news anchor.
3. Record yourself
This one might be a little difficult because most people don’t like the sound of their own voice – I’m sure James Earl Jones is impartial to his, but he’s probably the only one. However, the more you practice and listen to yourself, the more comfortable you will become with the sound of it. The key is to listen carefully to the playback and see where you can improve. Listen to the way you pronounce words and how your voice sounds. You can then compare it to how the news anchor sounds.
4. Use a conversation partner
Much like tennis players benefit from a sparring partner, an English student can also benefit from a conversation partner. This is exactly what it sounds like. After you’re confident from practicing by yourself, it’s time to recruit a friend to be your conversation partner. Speaking in front of another person is a great way to conquer your fear of speaking in public. Also speaking English with another person will actively improve your command of the language, so this has an added benefit.
5. Speak slowly
A tell-tale sign that someone is nervous is if they speak too fast. Some people are naturally fast talkers and so may not be nervous at all, but they will be perceived as being nervous by people listening, which means it is to your advantage to slow yourself down. Not only will you seem to be nervous, but if you speak too fast you’re likely to trip up on your words, which will probably result in another blow to your confidence.
Instead of trying to reach the end of your point as fast as possible, focus on slowing yourself down, give your words more weight which will produce a better rhythm to your speech. There’s another side of the coin that’s important to consider, if you speak too fast your audience won’t have time to digest everything you are saying and the meaning will most likely be lost on them.
6. Lower your vocal range
We mentioned earlier about a certain famous actor with a voice like rich mahogany. But it’s not just James Earl Jones who speaks with a deep voice (okay, admittedly this is his natural voice but it doesn’t matter because the man was the voice of Mufasa from The Lion King), many other public speakers will usually give a speech in a lower vocal range. Generally speaking a voice in a lower range has more authority. But make sure you don’t force it, as this can sound unnatural.
7. Check your posture
Want to give off a confident vibe? Stand up straight. Not only is standing up straight great for your health – nice work healthy posture, but it is also a great way to present yourself as a confident individual. Body language is just as important during a conversation as are your choice of words. If you stand up straight with your shoulders back and your head held high your confidence will precede you. There’s another excellent addition to having the correct posture. Your body is now perfectly aligned and as a result freed up, allowing you to speak clearly and confidently. Being hunched over not only impedes your vibe, it also impedes your diaphragm. An important thing to remember is: correcting your posture will take a lot of work, the key to achieving a healthy posture is to discipline yourself and practice.
The main message you should take away from this blog post is this: the best way to improve your confidence when speaking in English is to practice. Practice as often as you can. If you mix some of the tips mentioned above into your practice routine, you’re bound to notice a stark improvement in how confident you feel and how confident you seem when speaking in English. Keep checking Work.com.mm for more useful career tips and general advice and all the latest job listings from the top employers in Myanmar.
8. Fake it ’till you make it!
There’s a saying in English, “Fake it ’till you make it.” It means to pretend to be good at something, and pretend to feel confident. As you continue and build your skill, your fake confidence will be replaced by real confidence.
When you get a chance to speak to people in English, take it! Stand up straight and tall. Jump into the conversation and speak as if you’re completely fluent.
9. Realize that your mistakes don’t matter.
When I was a teenager, I used to think that everyone at school was looking at me and judging what I looked like, what I wore, and how I acted. As I got older, I realized that no one really cared what I did; they were too busy worrying about themselves.
That’s true of your English skill, too. The people you’re speaking with probably don’t care whether your grammar is good or bad. They have their own problems to worry about.
Not only that, but English speakers are already used to understanding foreign accents. Most English-speaking countries have a lot of residents who were born in different countries. So native English speakers have a lot of experience with speaking to people with different accents. They may not even think about the fact that your English isn’t perfect.
10. Take it easy.
Just because you’re speaking to someone in English doesn’t mean that you have to try out every word and every grammatical structure you know.
When you’re in a conversation, your first job is just to listen to the other person. If you’re listening carefully, you won’t have time to worry about your own language problems.
Your next job is to respond to what other people are saying. Your response can be a smile or frown, a few simple words, or a short question. It doesn’t have to be complicated.
Don’t feel like you have to express every idea that you have in English. Some of your ideas might be too complicated for you to talk about right now. It’s OK to save them for later and say something a little simpler instead.
11. Prepare.
In the end, the best way to feel confident is to become a better English speaker. Certain kinds of practice can be really helpful for boosting your confidence:
Taken from: https://goonline-english.com/how-to-gain-confidence/
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Want to speak more confidently when you’re learning English? There are lots of simple tricks that you can use to talk with more confidence – even if you don’t feel truly confident on the inside.
Don’t worry, everybody makes mistakes when they’re talking in English – even native English speakers:
It’s common to feel nervous about talking in English while you’re learning the language, but don’t be scared. No one’s going to laugh at you – in fact, they’ll be happy to help. It’s important to realize that the best way to learn to speak fluently in English is to get plenty of daily practice – and this means you can’t be afraid; you have to accept the fact that you’re going to make mistakes and open your mouth and talk anyway!
Be positive. Confidence is an attitude. You need to adopt an ‘I can’ mindset and try not to focus on the negatives.
Practice, practice, practice
The more you speak out loud the more confident you’ll become. Get into the habit of speaking in and listening to English every day and it will soon become second nature. There are lots of ways that you can fit daily English speaking into your everyday life:
Read out loud. As babies we learn our native language by listening to and mimicking the language we hear around us from our parents and family. Only later do we learn to read and write the language. When we learn a new language at school or as adults we often learn by reading and writing first, and by listening and speaking second.
The reason many people learning English can read and listen is because that’s all they practice. But in order to speak English confidently, you need to practice speaking. Don’t stop at the listening portion, and when you study, don’t just listen. Whether you’re reading, writing or listening, speak the material out loud and practice what you hear.
By practicing speaking out loud your mouth and brain will become used to working together and making the shapes and facial expressions needed to pronounce things correctly. Soon they’ll work together without you having to think about it, and your English conversation will become more fluent.
Relax. When you speak English, take it slowly, don’t rush it. Talking too fast can stress you out and make you seem nervous. Breathe, relax, and give yourself time. This will reduce the pressure you feel, and help you to speak more clearly and with confidence.
Taken from https://englishlive.ef.com/blog/language-lab/speak-confidently-english/
One of the most important aspects of gaining confidence when speaking English is to be well-spoken. This means speaking clearly and ensuring you articulate your words. A great way to achieve fluidity in your speech is to practice reading out loud. Start with something simple or a text you know well. Practice reading in front of a mirror and listen to the way you say the words. Once you are more confident you can practice reading aloud in front of a friend or family member; you can even graduate to a more difficult text the more comfortable you become. The more you practice the more confident you will feel.
2. Listen to and mimic English news anchors
If you’re unsure as to how to act confident in your speech, one of the best ways to learn is to watch other people. Watch their mannerisms and listen to the way they pronounce their words. Your best source of articulate speakers can be found on television, specifically news anchors – in fact this should be your first pick when choosing a native English speaker to emulate. To get yourself started, pick a news station to watch every day (or every other day), watch how the anchors sit, gesticulate, and listen to how they speak. You can even record a short news segment and report on the story at the same time as the anchor. Keep practicing the same segment until you can repeat it without the news anchor.
3. Record yourself
This one might be a little difficult because most people don’t like the sound of their own voice – I’m sure James Earl Jones is impartial to his, but he’s probably the only one. However, the more you practice and listen to yourself, the more comfortable you will become with the sound of it. The key is to listen carefully to the playback and see where you can improve. Listen to the way you pronounce words and how your voice sounds. You can then compare it to how the news anchor sounds.
4. Use a conversation partner
Much like tennis players benefit from a sparring partner, an English student can also benefit from a conversation partner. This is exactly what it sounds like. After you’re confident from practicing by yourself, it’s time to recruit a friend to be your conversation partner. Speaking in front of another person is a great way to conquer your fear of speaking in public. Also speaking English with another person will actively improve your command of the language, so this has an added benefit.
5. Speak slowly
A tell-tale sign that someone is nervous is if they speak too fast. Some people are naturally fast talkers and so may not be nervous at all, but they will be perceived as being nervous by people listening, which means it is to your advantage to slow yourself down. Not only will you seem to be nervous, but if you speak too fast you’re likely to trip up on your words, which will probably result in another blow to your confidence.
Instead of trying to reach the end of your point as fast as possible, focus on slowing yourself down, give your words more weight which will produce a better rhythm to your speech. There’s another side of the coin that’s important to consider, if you speak too fast your audience won’t have time to digest everything you are saying and the meaning will most likely be lost on them.
6. Lower your vocal range
We mentioned earlier about a certain famous actor with a voice like rich mahogany. But it’s not just James Earl Jones who speaks with a deep voice (okay, admittedly this is his natural voice but it doesn’t matter because the man was the voice of Mufasa from The Lion King), many other public speakers will usually give a speech in a lower vocal range. Generally speaking a voice in a lower range has more authority. But make sure you don’t force it, as this can sound unnatural.
7. Check your posture
Want to give off a confident vibe? Stand up straight. Not only is standing up straight great for your health – nice work healthy posture, but it is also a great way to present yourself as a confident individual. Body language is just as important during a conversation as are your choice of words. If you stand up straight with your shoulders back and your head held high your confidence will precede you. There’s another excellent addition to having the correct posture. Your body is now perfectly aligned and as a result freed up, allowing you to speak clearly and confidently. Being hunched over not only impedes your vibe, it also impedes your diaphragm. An important thing to remember is: correcting your posture will take a lot of work, the key to achieving a healthy posture is to discipline yourself and practice.
The main message you should take away from this blog post is this: the best way to improve your confidence when speaking in English is to practice. Practice as often as you can. If you mix some of the tips mentioned above into your practice routine, you’re bound to notice a stark improvement in how confident you feel and how confident you seem when speaking in English. Keep checking Work.com.mm for more useful career tips and general advice and all the latest job listings from the top employers in Myanmar.
8. Fake it ’till you make it!
There’s a saying in English, “Fake it ’till you make it.” It means to pretend to be good at something, and pretend to feel confident. As you continue and build your skill, your fake confidence will be replaced by real confidence.
When you get a chance to speak to people in English, take it! Stand up straight and tall. Jump into the conversation and speak as if you’re completely fluent.
9. Realize that your mistakes don’t matter.
When I was a teenager, I used to think that everyone at school was looking at me and judging what I looked like, what I wore, and how I acted. As I got older, I realized that no one really cared what I did; they were too busy worrying about themselves.
That’s true of your English skill, too. The people you’re speaking with probably don’t care whether your grammar is good or bad. They have their own problems to worry about.
Not only that, but English speakers are already used to understanding foreign accents. Most English-speaking countries have a lot of residents who were born in different countries. So native English speakers have a lot of experience with speaking to people with different accents. They may not even think about the fact that your English isn’t perfect.
10. Take it easy.
Just because you’re speaking to someone in English doesn’t mean that you have to try out every word and every grammatical structure you know.
When you’re in a conversation, your first job is just to listen to the other person. If you’re listening carefully, you won’t have time to worry about your own language problems.
Your next job is to respond to what other people are saying. Your response can be a smile or frown, a few simple words, or a short question. It doesn’t have to be complicated.
Don’t feel like you have to express every idea that you have in English. Some of your ideas might be too complicated for you to talk about right now. It’s OK to save them for later and say something a little simpler instead.
11. Prepare.
In the end, the best way to feel confident is to become a better English speaker. Certain kinds of practice can be really helpful for boosting your confidence:
- Practicing speaking will make you a better speaker. Even if you speak by yourself, you’re training the muscles of your mouth and throat to produce English sounds.
- Reviewing things that you’ve learned in the past, rather than trying to learn new things, can make you feel more sure about what you’re saying.
- If you know that you’re going to talk about a specific topic, learning specific vocabulary for that topic will make you feel a lot more prepared. For example, if you’re going to a job interview, make sure that you know how to describe your education background and job history.
- Practice and preparation can be a big help for building confidence. For example, rehearsing and rewriting your English presentations can help you to memorize the material. The more familiar you are with your material, the smoother your presentation will go and the easier it will be for you to speak with confidence.
- Finding a technique that works for you can also help you feel comfortable when speaking aloud. You may find that simple breathing exercises can quickly make you seem calmer. Or you could try visualization techniques that make you feel more confident and positive as you raise your hand to participate in class.
- Reviewing what you’ve learned does require you to spend more time on learning English. However, this step can make a huge difference in your confidence levels if you take the time to go over your newly learned skills. The more familiar you can become with new English vocabulary and grammar, the better your delivery of spoken English will become.
- Your attitude and your mind set are just as important as the time you take to learn and prepare. First, remember that you can speak English and that you possess an excellent source of English vocabulary. Try to always be positive about your English skills and focus on the English concepts that you have mastered and not on the English skills that you need to improve on.
- Lastly, think about being calm. Remind yourself to relax and use your English knowledge.
Taken from: https://goonline-english.com/how-to-gain-confidence/
********************************************************************************************************************
Want to speak more confidently when you’re learning English? There are lots of simple tricks that you can use to talk with more confidence – even if you don’t feel truly confident on the inside.
Don’t worry, everybody makes mistakes when they’re talking in English – even native English speakers:
It’s common to feel nervous about talking in English while you’re learning the language, but don’t be scared. No one’s going to laugh at you – in fact, they’ll be happy to help. It’s important to realize that the best way to learn to speak fluently in English is to get plenty of daily practice – and this means you can’t be afraid; you have to accept the fact that you’re going to make mistakes and open your mouth and talk anyway!
Be positive. Confidence is an attitude. You need to adopt an ‘I can’ mindset and try not to focus on the negatives.
- When you’re listening to English conversations concentrate on the words you can understand, rather than focusing on and worrying about the words you don’t understand yet.
- Instead of taking criticism to heart, turn it into a positive. When someone points out your mistakes, don’t take it personally – it’s a chance for you to improve your English. Ask them to explain where you’re going wrong, and offer you some advice as to how to improve.
- Say yes. Don’t turn down opportunities to practice your English – even if it takes you out of your comfort zone. Whether it’s meeting someone’s English-speaking family or friends, talking to someone in English online, or joining your friends on a holiday to an English-speaking country, accept the challenge, say yes, and you won’t regret it.
Practice, practice, practice
The more you speak out loud the more confident you’ll become. Get into the habit of speaking in and listening to English every day and it will soon become second nature. There are lots of ways that you can fit daily English speaking into your everyday life:
- Talking to English-speaking friends and family face-to-face, over the phone, or online – talking with someone supportive can give you the confidence you need to later reach out and start conversations with people you don’t know
- Using Skype to talk to an online study buddy – even if it’s just a little every day, getting used to speaking in English will boost your confidence and help your English fluency too
- Join conversation classes – English Live’s online conversation classes allow you to speak with English language learners who are at the same level as you. You’ll learn from listening to and talking to each other in a supportive online environment – and the more you speak up in class the more you’ll see your progress grow and the more confident you’ll become
- Travel – travelling is a lot of fun, and it forces us to speak English too. Being completely immersed in English, and surrounded by native English speakers, you’ll learn fast. You’ll get used to a range of accents and dialects, and meet new people along the way.
Read out loud. As babies we learn our native language by listening to and mimicking the language we hear around us from our parents and family. Only later do we learn to read and write the language. When we learn a new language at school or as adults we often learn by reading and writing first, and by listening and speaking second.
The reason many people learning English can read and listen is because that’s all they practice. But in order to speak English confidently, you need to practice speaking. Don’t stop at the listening portion, and when you study, don’t just listen. Whether you’re reading, writing or listening, speak the material out loud and practice what you hear.
By practicing speaking out loud your mouth and brain will become used to working together and making the shapes and facial expressions needed to pronounce things correctly. Soon they’ll work together without you having to think about it, and your English conversation will become more fluent.
Relax. When you speak English, take it slowly, don’t rush it. Talking too fast can stress you out and make you seem nervous. Breathe, relax, and give yourself time. This will reduce the pressure you feel, and help you to speak more clearly and with confidence.
Taken from https://englishlive.ef.com/blog/language-lab/speak-confidently-english/
