15+ Daily Speaking Exercises To Improve Your Speech
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You may not believe us, but speaking exercises are the best and, more importantly, the fastest way to master any language. When you have many conversations in English with different people in various situations, you expand your vocabulary, boost your confidence, and improve your general language proficiency.
There are many variations of the English conversation practice. Some exercises are intended for independent work, while others are for teamwork. In today's article, we will tell you about the best activities you can do daily to boost your speaking skills and sound more natural in every conversation.
The Importance of English-speaking Practice Exercises
Before providing some practical tips, let's discuss one significant thing – why do you need to practice? After all, millions of books, online vocabularies, websites, and applications don't require any actions. Since it's true, many reasons explain the importance of English-speaking exercises for strengthening your skills. Let's dive into that topic and find out the main benefits of practicing together.
- Major confidence booster. One of the best exercises you can do to improve your speaking is a simple conversation with literally anyone. And yes, we know how hard it can be for the first time. If you are unsure of your skills, talking to a person who knows English may seem like something impossible to achieve. But when you start and then do it again and again, your skills grow, and your confidence grows equally.
- Attempts and fails. You need to remember that mistakes in the language-learning journey are entirely normal. No one expects you to be perfect. Moreover, the more failures you have, the faster you achieve your goals. And with useful speaking English exercises, you won't even notice how quickly you will reach the level you want.
- Pronounce like a Pro. If you want to sound like a native speaker, it is not enough to remember thousands of words. No less important is to understand how to pronounce these words and to be able to do it. And English conversation practice exercises are the only way to get your pronunciation on point.
- Learning by listening. When you practice speaking by having a conversation with the other person, you not only talk but listen. And listening is key to learning anything. You hear new words, understand the context in which you can use them, memorize correct pronunciation, and use the exact words in your following conversation. And that is how you master your speaking level step by step.
- Understanding the opportunities. Conversational English practice can help you to see the areas you need to improve and find out topics in which you are still weak. Once again – you don't have to be perfect, and there is no need to be embarrassed by your mistakes. Conversely, this way, you understand what you still have to work on and pay more attention to it, strengthening your skills.
- Trying out the knowledge in practice. If you are having a conversation with someone who knows about you learning a new language, it can be a great way to implement your fresh knowledge and try something new. For example, if you are studying time tenses right now, you can offer your interlocutor to speak some time only in the past or future tense.
Those are not all benefits of English conversation exercises. There are many more advantages, and you will probably find a few more examples when you try them yourself. And to make the studying process easier for you, we prepared various practice activities to start. So don't hesitate, and let's proceed to our next stop!
Practice Spoken English – In a Nutshell
You can do countless things to improve your speaking. And we mean it – only British Council alone has over twenty exercises available online. But there are hundreds of such websites on the Internet, and all of them offer unique solutions and activities. So, how exactly do you choose the best one, and where do you need to get started? Don't worry. We've got you covered. There are some basic exercises essential for learners of any proficiency level.
- Watch movies. You may think it's obvious (and it probably is), but watching your favorite movies and shows is a great way to expand your basic knowledge and speaking skills. Especially if you've already seen it, it would be easier to understand unknown words and phrases from the context.
- Listen to podcasts. It is another proper exercise to practice English. In contrast to watching movies, podcasts don't distract you with the plot and action and allow you to focus on pronunciation and memorizing how the words sound.
- Sing your favorite English songs. It doesn't matter whether you like Shakira or 2Pac. The point is to enjoy your time and still learn how to pronounce different phrases and when to use them in a proper context. And yes, we know that you already do this one.
- Reflect on your finished conversations. You know this feeling, when the conversation was over two days ago, and only now you can find the right words that you could say back then? Well, it's not that bad if you know how to deal with it. Instead of criticizing yourself, you can reflect on every conversation you had. Ask yourself, how did it go, what were your weaknesses, and what can you do to avoid some mistakes in the future?
- Narrate your actions. Probably, one of the best exercises to improve communication skills. You can do it alone – and the main point is to say what you are doing currently in English. Imagine yourself as a book character, and describe every action you make – I woke up a few minutes ago, and now I am going to brush my teeth; now I will make some coffee.
- Record your conversations. The last exercise on our list is to record your conversations with other people and listen to them later. Once again, it will help you understand your weaknesses and strengths and show you what you need to focus on.
These exercises in English are the basics for every learner regarding their age or language proficiency. They will always become handy, even if you've already mastered your skills. And now, you are ready to move from theory to practice.
How to practice English speaking – Best activities to try right now
Regular readers of the Promova blog already know that learning a new language doesn't have to be a burden. Conversely, it is crucial to make this process as fun and effortless as possible, to achieve all goals and reach the top. So if you don't want to go crazy with the boredom of studying millions of rules in a book, look at our selection of exciting and fun English practice exercises to improve your speaking.
Speech Shadowing
Let's start with the simplest exercise. It is connected to the one activity from the basics – you need to turn on your favorite movie. No matter what you watch, Twilight or Die Hard, the point is to find the original version with the subtitles. If everything is set up, we can start our exercise.
- Turn on the movie and wait for the first dialogue.
- Listen to the first sentence and pause the film.
- Read the sentence out loud the way you would typically do it.
- Listen to the sentence again.
- Try to repeat it, pronouncing the words as the actor on the screen did.
- Do it one more time and with other sentences.
It is one of the best speech exercises for adults. When you parody someone’s pronunciation, you end up remembering how to say something correctly, and you significantly strengthen your conversational skills.
Retelling a story
Our second activity doesn't require additional supplies – all we need is your memory, tongue, and a little spare time. Sounds scary, right? But you don't have to be afraid – this activity will help you to understand how to practice oral exercises anywhere and anytime.
- The first thing you need to do is to remember your favorite story. Choose everything you want – a fairytale, a plot of the recently seen video, or part of the stand-up show.
- Stand in front of a mirror if you practice alone or in front of your friend if you have company.
- Imagine yourself as an actor or a book narrator.
- Retell the story as you remember it, with the smallest details.
- Set the time limit – your speech doesn't have to be too long, but it also can't be less than three minutes.
- If you don't know what to say, expand your sentences with different adjectives, nouns, and other words suitable for the context.
Great! You already know one more wonderful exercise. And one more thing – don't forget to turn on your recorder at the beginning of your story. It is essential not only to remember all words but also to hear how you sound. You can also tell the same story twice in a row. It will help you to track your progress.
Transcribing yourself
It is the last activity in this section but is as important as the previous ones. It may take some time, so make sure you have a few hours free. Transcribing is a perfect choice if you are wondering how to practice English alone. This exercise will strengthen not only your speaking skills but writing and listening as well.
- First, take your recorder after the previous exercise.
- Turn it on, and try to write down everything you hear.
- Don't be afraid of making mistakes; just write everything you can hear.
- Try to read the text out loud again.
- Check it for errors using vocabulary, or online services like Grammarly if you type it on your laptop or PC.
Doing this regular practice will strengthen your writing and speaking English. You will understand how to use certain words or expressions better and feel more confident in your language level. If you don't want to write all the story yourself, try some online services that turn the words into text.
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How to improve English-speaking skills online – top tips and platforms
In the modern world, you can find everything you need online. As we mentioned, millions of websites provide various exercises and activities to strengthen your language skills. You might think daily English conversation for speaking improvement is better than anything else, but it's not entirely true. There are many options available online that can also become handy in your studying process.
- Social Networks. We can't imagine our life without Instagram or TikTok. However, you can not only scroll the pages but also turn this pastime into beneficial practice for expanding your speaking skills. You can follow English-speaking bloggers to listen to the pronunciation or find thematic groups to help you find native speakers to talk to about the topic both of you are interested in.
- Language-exchanging platforms. Many websites provide an exciting feature. People from all over the world look for native speakers of the language they want to learn, and in exchange, they provide helpful information about their mother tongue. It is an excellent opportunity to find a friend and sharpen your skills.
- Mobile applications. Once again, we are living in a world of opportunities. If you don't want to talk to anyone, plenty of options are available. For example, you can install a convenient application on your phone or tablet, like the Promova app. Such simple English-speaking practice online will give you access to different lessons and exercises whenever and wherever you want.
- Online tutors. You can also seek help from professional teachers online. Experienced tutors will be happy to help you reach your goals, and they will be able to find a curriculum that is right for you. This way, you will strengthen your speaking skills, grammar, vocabulary, and other essential features.
Finding the most suitable option is essential since it can improve your conversation skills and exercise quality for students of different proficiency levels. You can also try many small tips – for example, changing your device's language to English. Such minor, at first glance, actions can become complete game-changers in your overall experience. So pay attention to the details!
English conversation daily exercises to practice with friends
If you don't like to study alone and have a bunch of friends ready to support you on your journey, we have something special for you. Below, you will find the best activities for group lessons to strengthen your skills in the funniest way. All these exercises were created for ESL students, so you can be assured they are beneficial. Let's look at the best games for those who don't want to practice English speaking online.
Alien Visitor
Imagine yourself as an alien who arrived on Earth from a different planet. You know nothing – even the simplest words are difficult for you to understand. And that is why you need the help of your student-friends. Ask them to explain basic things to you – what is water? What is a cat? What is a mouth? The more you ask, the funnier it gets.
You can practice it with as many people as you want – just ask different questions whenever you turn to another person. And try to set some limits – for example, you can have only two minutes per question. It will liven up an exercise and mobilize all your knowledge.
Taxi Driver
You know how talkative cab drivers can be. So if you want to practice speaking, but don't want to leave your room, just play this scenario with your friends. Let one of you be a driver, and the others will be passengers. Imagine the conversation you can have:
What is your name?
Where are you from?
Is this your first time in New York?
And so on, and so on, and so on… There are numerous variations, so you can easily change the subject and discuss other exciting questions. The best thing about this exercise is that even A1-level students can participate since there are elementary dialogues and discussion topics.
Spider on my shoulder
It is a great speaking practice for a large group of people. And honestly, it's probably one of the funniest English exercises for adults and teenagers. To start it, you need to prepare small cards with descriptions. Here are some hints for you to get started:
- There is a horrible spider on my shoulder. You need to be scared!
- I am so beautiful that you immediately fell in love with me.
- I am upset. Try to cheer me up.
- You think I'm crazy, be careful when talking to me.
- I have an amusing hat on my head.
Those are just examples, and you can create even more amusing descriptions. When the cards are ready, give them to your friends (but make sure they don't see what's on the card). The point of the exercise is to act as the card says when speaking to a person whose task is to guess what's written on the card.
Improving English speaking online with Promova
Now that you know the best exercises to strengthen your English, we will tell you about the best online platform with more exclusive lessons, practical activities, and other incredible features for English learners. And, of course, we are talking about Promova.
Students of this platform have two options to choose from. Those looking for professional help can find experienced tutors here to join personal or group lessons depending on their proficiency level, skills, interests, etc. You can find the teacher that suits you best, create your studying program, and enjoy every minute of the process.
Those who want to learn everything alone can install a state-of-the-art mobile application to access hundreds of lessons distinguished by topics and interests anytime they want. On the Promova app, you can also get the program based on your own preferences and start practicing minutes after installation. So, whichever group you belong to, Promova is the perfect choice for you.
Conclusion
It's impossible to reach the top without practicing. To be a fluent speaker, you need to spend a lot of time learning practical rules, words, and expressions. And to consolidate your knowledge, you have to apply them in practice. That is why we've created this article for you – here you can find enough exercises and activities to significantly sharpen your speaking skills, and impress all your friends during the following conversation.
FAQ
Is it necessary to practice speaking English?
If you want to become a fluent speaker, practice is integral to your studying. First, it can help you to feel more confident about your skills. It can also be an excellent opportunity to analyze and improve your mistakes. And finally, speaking with other people is a great opportunity to learn something valuable from them.
How often do I need to practice English speaking?
In the perfect world – every day. Even spending ten minutes can bring you astonishing results. The more you practice, the better your English level becomes. You can do some exercise even during other daily processes. For example, you can listen to podcasts when cooking or singing your favorite songs in the shower.
What are the best exercises to improve conversational skills?
The best speaking exercises are probably live conversations with native speakers. They allow you to practice and listen, understand the context of different expressions, learn how to pronounce various words, and find your own mistakes. But if you don't have a friend who is fluent in English, you can watch movies, try shadow speaking, or find an online teacher that will be happy to help you.
Could I practice speaking English online?
Definitely yes. Millions of online platforms offer unique exercises and practices specifically for speaking. You can also find an online friend to talk to them or join a language-exchange platform to share your knowledge and learn something new. And don't forget about mobile apps! They will be handy if you like to study on the go.
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