3 Mindset Changes that will make Learning Oral English Super Easy
Learning textbook English for a long time but still struggle to speak fluent Oral English? This is problem faced by lot of English language learners. Learning Oral English as an adult requires some special mindset changes and in this blog post we are discussing 3 of them.
Absorb English like a child
Have you ever noticed how children learn English (or any other language)? They don’t study grammar rules or memorize word lists. They don’t study phonetic charts to learn pronunciation. They just learn through application and practice.
If you want to improve Oral English fast, you need to study with a similar mindset. You only learn to speak a language by practicing it continuously. Most adult English learners fall to the trap of learning Oral English the same way they learn History or Biology. This is the main reason they fail to speak English fluently.
At Spoken English Practice, our lessons are 100% conversational allowing students to practice Oral English skills 3-4 times a week with a Native English Speaker. We get students to speak freely without worrying about mistakes. (Of course, we will correct your mistakes at the end of the class). This approach ensures that students learn to speak English without thinking too much about grammar and rules, which is essentially how children to speak English.
Fluency First Mindset
If you are learning Oral English, you goal should be to be a fluent speaker. You don’t have to be a perfectionist in grammar or speak with a vocabulary of 5,000 words. Remember, as long as you speak fluently and clearly most native English speakers will understand you and will not care if you make a small mistake in grammar.
Based on our experience at Spoken English Practice, students who have this fluency first mindset learn Oral English faster. They rely less on studying textbook English and perfect the art of absorbing real English from movies, TV shows and street conversations.
If you are learning Oral English or want to teach your child how to speak English, focus first on fluency, not grammar or vocabulary. This is the fastest and most logical way to improve English speaking skills.
Improve overall – don’t focus on one area of English
Sometimes we get students who ask for lessons specific to their jobs. For example, a person working in the software industry might feel he needs to learn English related to the tech industry and software.
This mindset, while been understandable, limits students from truly learning Oral English skills. You goal when learning English should be to be versatile enough so that you can talk with anyone about any topic. You need to expand your active vocabulary so that you can comfortably communicate in English in a variety of topics.
If you learn English in a real, organic way without memorizing, you will feel confident to use English in day to day conversations or in business communications. Also, you will be able to pass exams like TOEFL and IELTS without any special effort.
So get rid of the mindset that limits your English learning to a specific exam or area. Learn English with a broad mindset and you will see a genuine improvement in your communication skills.
