Have you been struggling to grow in your career because you can’t speak good English? Wondering how to improve English communication skills? (Spoken English Coaching)

Improving English skills requires strategy – if you know how to go about it, it can be done easily!

How to improve English grammar?

Grammar consists of all the rules for using English correctly. First, these need to be learned properly.

Start from the bottom…

…and work your way up! Cover all the elements of grammar in sections, to make sure you don’t miss out on anything:

• nouns and verbs, and their different types 

• articles, adjectives & adverbs, prepositions & conjunctions – where and how to use

• punctuation

• singular & plural

• how to form negative sentences

• tenses 

Understand the logic behind the rules

Most English grammar rules have a reason. When you make a mistake, find out why – knowing this will help you avoid making the same mistake in future.

For example, 

“I like baking my parents and my dog.”

What’s wrong with this sentence? No commas!

Commas are required to separate nouns or ideas. So, the correct sentence is “I like baking, my parents, and my dog.”

Develop a reading habit 

Besides sitting and learning all the rules, the best way to improve grammar is by reading! From books, magazines to online content, there is always plenty to read based on your interests. You will get a feel for how English “sounds” when used correctly.

How to improve English speaking skills?

The next step to improve English communication skills is to focus on your speaking.

You may need to improve speaking for many reasons – to give better presentations, to ace an interview or simply to gain confidence for any situation. Whatever the case, these tips will help!

Focus on pronunciation

Good pronunciation is essential to speaking English – you must say each word as per the standard way of saying it, so that your listener understands. The best way to improve is by listening in English – watching movies or TV programs, listening to online podcasts and YouTube videos helps.

But remember, pronunciation does not mean putting on a fake accent!

Focus on pace and intonation

The key is to speak clearly. For this, you should maintain a good speed. If you are taking long pauses in between words, you are going too slow. If you are getting out of breath, you are going too fast! Pay attention to your speech and moderate your speed.

Intonation refers to where your voice goes higher and lower when speaking words and sentences. Again, listening in English is one of the best strategies for improving this!

Practice!

The only way to improve speaking is by doing it as much as possible. Speak to classmates, teachers and friends in English. Record yourself speaking on a variety of topics and review it for mistakes.

Need more tips to improve English pronunciation? Click here!

How to improve English writing skills?

Another important thing to keep in mind to improve English communication skills is writing.

Whether you’re a college student or a working professional – being able to write in English is essential. Here’s how you can improve:

Focus on Vocabulary 

You need to have a strong vocabulary – this includes knowing a lot of words, what they mean, where you can and cannot use them, and how they are spelt.

There are many strategies for improving vocabulary, including reading more, using a dictionary and thesaurus, and keeping a word journal.

Important Grammar 

You need to be good at grammar basics to write well – but sentence construction and tenses need more attention. Follow this guide:

• sentences: simple, compound, complex, compound-complex

• tenses: present, past and future – in simple, continuous, and perfect forms

• also look at: active and passive voice

Focus on Structure

Learn how to organise your thoughts and put them in order. This is important whether you are writing a personal letter, a work email, or a college assignment!

Keep this blueprint in mind, and adjust it for your needs:

• Introduction: the main topic(s) you are going to address, and why

• Body: divide it into paragraphs, where each contains one idea

• Conclusion: a small summary, and ‘call to action’ (what the reader can do)

More tips: 

• Move from simple to more complex ideas

• Use examples 

Practice!

Like speaking, writing improves with practice. Practice writing letters and essays about any topic. Ask someone you trust to review it, and work on their feedback. You will soon see an improvement!

Get started on improving your writing skills with us! Click for more.

How important is listening in communication?

A big part of learning how to improve English communication skills is learning to be a good listener. Here are 5 reasons why it is important to listen in communication:

1. To understand what the other speaker is saying: you need to accurately gain the meaning of what they say. This includes understanding accent, speed of talking, pronunciation, construction of sentences and vocabulary.

2. To respond accordingly: once you know what the other is saying, you can respond accurately and appropriately. 

3. To engage in successful exchange of ideas: failure in communication happens when the speakers do not understand each other – often because they aren’t listening.

4. To avoid misunderstanding: misunderstandings are common when the speakers are not listening and miss important points that the other makes.

5. To read between the lines: a good listener can understand how the other speaker is feeling, or hidden meanings they are conveying, through the way they speak.

How to become a better listener?

• Practice listening in everyday conversations: do not let yourself get distracted when someone is speaking.
• Listen to good material: like on TV or radio, especially with native speakers. This helps you get used to different accents, improve vocabulary and pronunciation, and other skills required for communication.

Some More Ways to Improve English Communication

Finally, to learn how to improve English communication skills, you need to focus on a few other things as well. It’s not enough just to know how to speak and write well!

Since communication always involves other people, there are a few more things to keep in mind.

Improve Reading Skills

You should understand what the other person is trying to say – whether they are having a conversation with you or they have written you a message. If you don’t have good reading skills or a strong vocabulary, you may not be able to understand them. 

That is why your reading skills are important. Practice both of these as much as possible to improve your comprehension, by reading books, magazines and newspapers.

Pay Attention to Context

Not all communication works the same way! Sometimes you need to communicate in a formal situation, like an important meeting or an interview. But at other times, you need to communicate in a more casual way, like in a shop or with a friend. 

In both cases, you cannot use the same types of words.

You also need to pay attention to being polite, to moderating your volume, and to using the correct tone. You cannot speak rudely, loudly or aggressively in an interview!

You must pay attention to where you are and who you are speaking to, and use English accordingly.

Challenges to Good Communication

When you’re trying to improve English communication skills, there may be some obstacles that can prevent you from effective communication. Knowing what they are can help you see where you need to improve.

These are some of the main challenges to communication.

Lack of clarity

Communication requires one person to give a message, and the other person to understand it. Failure of communication happens when the message itself is not clear.

If you lack a strong vocabulary or grammar skills, then the other person will not understand what you are trying to say.

Ignorance of Technology

E-mails, video conferencing and phone calls are all a part of communication. 

Not knowing how to write a good email or fumbling in a video call can hinder your communication, and it leaves a poor impression on whoever you are speaking to, whether it is a boss or client.

Irrelevant Information

Only required and important information must be told. If you add extra information haphazardly, or if there is no clear structure and objective to what you are trying to say, then your listener is left confused!

Insufficient Listening Skills

Good communication isn’t just about the speaker – the listener is also important. As a listener, you need to be attentive and to understand complex language clearly.

Lack of Feedback

Finally, the listener needs to respond! If there is a mistake, misunderstanding or miscommunication, good feedback can help rectify it. When you are the speaker, you must make it easy for the listener to give you feedback and take it into consideration. When you are the listener, pay attention, ask questions and ask for clarifications.

Communication in the 21st century: How it affects You

In the last two decades, the development of technology, internet and social media has transformed the way we communicate. So part of how to improve English communication skills is learning to understand and adapt to these changes. 

Here are 3 important changes for you to keep in mind.

New Rules for Communication

E-mail took over as the primary mode of communication among individuals and companies from the early 2000s – gone are the days of letters! And now in the post-Covid era, video conferencing has become an essential tool.

These changes mean that you need to learn how to write an email, how to speak on a video call, how to make an online presentation, and how to use other elements like colour, images, sounds and videos to improve the way you convey any message.

Reach More People

Social media platforms, from LinkedIn to Instagram, have huge audiences – by learning how to use these platforms smartly to post content, you can communicate with thousands across the world… and make new connections or gain clients, as the case may be.

Improve your English

Online platforms make it easier to access plenty of content in English – from television and news streaming platforms, to thousands of well-written newspapers and blogs. With more exposure, the better your English becomes.

You must also learn how to use online resources like Dictionaries or Grammar-checkers to help you to improve the message you want to send to others.

We have a range of videos focused on English communication! Watch this video to learn about common mispronunciations: 

Want more like this? Check out our page on Youtube!
 

Putting all these tips into practice may seem difficult to do on your own. If you really want to learn how to improve English communication skills, you may want to opt for English coaching. At Hurray, we offer a variety of courses for people at different levels. To know more about it, reach out to us at info@hurrayedutech.com or call us at 9900426501.

Hurray offers Study Abroad consultation, IELTS/PTE/OET and Spoken English programs. Visit our website https://www.hurrayedutech.com/ for more information.