Want to Practice English on Skype? Read This First
Want to Practice English on Skype? Great idea. But Read this first so that you pick the right Conversation Partner and use your time productively.
Skype is a free software that allows people from all over the world video chat. This means you can speak with people online, just like you are face-to-face with them. And Skype is totally free and very easy to install.
Skype is a great way for English learners to practice speaking with native speakers from the US or UK. The only way to become really fluent in English is by practicing with native English speakers and Skype is a tool that can be used for continuous interactions with native English speakers.
However, there are some important factors you should consider if you want to practice English on Skype:
Always pick Native Speakers to Practice English on Skype
The real advantage of English practice on Skype is that you can learn from Native English Speakers. If you do not live in an English speaking country, finding native English speakers to practice with is probably a challenge and Skype helps you overcome this.
However, you will also gets a lot of requests from non native English speakers. Our experience is to limit practice with non native English speakers if possible. It is very easy to learn wrong pronunciation or an bad accent and practicing with non native speakers will increase chance of this happening.
So, to gain the maximum value of Skype, keep your English practice on Skype strictly to learning from Native Speakers.
Pick a teacher who works like a Conversation Partner
If you want to practice English on Skype, find a teacher who works like a Conversation Partner. A traditional English teacher who teachers grammar and vocabulary and who does not let you speak during class is not suitable.
The key to improving English speaking skills is having real Conversations, with real people. Conversations can be about anything – politics, culture, food, children, fashion, music etc. Remember, these have to be real conversations where you speak English naturally.
So if you want to practice English on Skype and improve fast, pick a Native teacher who works more like a Conversation Partner than a traditional English tutor.
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Focus on Fluency, not Grammar or Vocabulary
If your goal is to be really fluent in English you should not waste too much time on Grammar and Vocabulary. If you are learning English as an adult, you probably know enough grammar and vocabulary already. What you lack is fluency.
Practice English on Skype with fluency as the core goal. Stop worry about every grammar mistake you make. Instead, speak as much as possible without interruptions and this will build your confidence and make you fluent naturally.
Expand your vocabulary and fine tune your pronunciation as you go, but never stop speaking English. That is the only way you can fail.