How can I learn to actually speak English?
I created Elevate English after hundreds of students asked me this question. I can read, write and understand English, but I always feel blocked when speaking. What should I do?
Many students have this problem because they studied English in school or from grammar books. They don’t have enough practice using English in real, everyday situations.
I developed The Elevate Method to help English learners at all levels improve their speaking and overall language skills naturally. This method is based on theories from psychology, linguistics and my experience as an ESL teacher. It has four steps, which I will describe below.
I call this method “learning naturally” because it is similar to how we learn our native language as children: through listening and others correcting us. This kind of learning is based on language exposure (acquisition) instead of direct teaching (like in school).
The Elevate Method
Learn basic words and grammar
- When we learn languages as an adult, it is still necessary to study some basic vocabulary and grammar. But after a student can understand some spoken and written English, it is important to move on to the next steps to keep improving
- Often taught at school
- Language learning apps like Duolingo (free!) or Babel
- Basic English Grammar private lessons
Input: Listening and Reading
- You must practice listening and reading content that is one level higher than your current level of English, so you learn new words and expressions. If you are not sure what your level is, you can take this free Level Test by the British Council
- Elevate English Podcast with transcriptions
- News and current events for English learners
- Read simple books for English learners
Output: Speaking and Writing
- While listening and reading can help you learn a language, you still need practice speaking to become fluent
- Practice speaking or texting with a tandem partner or other students learning English
- Join English Facebook groups or discussion forums to practice writing
- Take private lessons with a native speaker (mine start at $8 USD!)
- Work on overcoming your fear of speaking. Everyone makes mistakes, that’s how we learn!
Regular Practice
- Make learning English a fun daily habit
- Take conversation classes or speak with a language partner at least once a week, but more often if you can
- Consume as much English content as you can, but only about things you are interested in! (TV shows, movies, YouTube, podcasts, blog posts, articles, books, video games, etc)
- Try language immersion at home