How can I improve my speaking skills?

How can you get better at finding the right vocabulary to express an idea, putting the words in the correct structure while also worrying about the correct pronunciation and intonation to use in a conversation? This may sound stupid, but the best way to improve your speaking skills is talking!

Don’t forget to listen!

This might be counterintuitive, but a big part of being able to speak a different language is actually taking the time to listen to other fluent or native speakers and pay attention to not only what they’re saying, but how they’re saying it. We’ll show you how to do that in the following tips.

Expressions native speakers use.

Don’t focus solely on translating separate words. Sometimes it’s easier to learn full sentences and expressions that are used a lot in English. If you watch a movie, pay attention to what collocations the characters use to express ideas. More about collocations here.

Don’t pronounce words the way you think they should sound, but the way they do sound!

English pronunciation has a lot of kinks that make it harder for learners to find patterns in how to pronounce certain words. So instead of basing your pronunciation entirely on the spelling of a word, try listening and memorizing how fluent speakers actually say it.

Read things out loud!

One of the Speaking tasks on the PTE Academic Test is reading a text out loud, another one consists of listening and repeating what is said. A good way of practicing this, and your speaking in general, is to read texts out loud. This is also a good way of better memorizing things you’ve learned.

Watch your favorite English language movies and shows!

You can also watch movies, series and videos with subtitles, pause sentences and try to repeat what has been said, trying to copy the pronunciation and intonation used by the characters.

Learn all about the Speaking section of the test!

Doing well on this section of the PTE Academic is not only about your speaking skills, but also about the knowledge you have of the tasks in the exam. Before taking the test, be sure to get familiar with what is going to be asked of you, and some of the secrets for doing well.

Just speak!

Okay, this one may sound kind of obvious, but bear with me. The best way to learn how to speak another language is putting yourself out there and trying to actually speak. Talk to yourself (even if you seem a bit crazy), talk to friends, people on the internet… The important part is speaking!

Need more help improving your speaking skills?

We hope these tips helped you with some of your concerns about how to improve your speaking skills! We have an Instagram page where we also give exclusive tips! Don’t forget to also check out our other blog entries for more, and also our courses that can help you on your PTE journey.