Spoken English: Ways to Improve Your Speaking Skills

The idea of gaining fluency in speaking English is not just related to technical aspects like grammar and vocabulary. It is also related to gaining confidence in expressing oneself with a clear line of thought and being able to speak without hesitation and in a natural way. Irrespective of the learner’s age, English speaking practice is the most suitable route to becoming successful. Here’s how PlanetSpark’s English Speaking Courses can help. 

Reasons to Practice English Speaking

Some of the main reasons to practice English speaking skills can be attributed to the following points:

1. Real-World Situations:

Being able to speak English fluently can help in the following areas:

• Improved and enriched social interactions while networking and travelling
• Easier to understand workplace discussions and conversations
• Higher grades, better performance, and discussions for a student

2. Enhances Cognitive Skills

Practiced and fluent English can help in sharing stories, providing answers to questions, and ideation that require impromptu sentence construction.

3. Increases Confidence

The more you speak, the more you become confident in speaking English. Additionally, it helps improve your self-assurance and gradually lowers the feeling of hesitation.

It is important to note that PlanetSpark provides English-speaking courses that can help anyone who wants to improve their speaking skills across all age groups. You can get a free trial class to understand your fluency levels here.

Age Group-based English Speaking Goals 

Depending on the age of the learner who is looking to improve their fluency, PlanetSpark’s English Learning Course is a dynamic program that can be adjusted according to the needs of the individual. Here is a simple guide to the goals that are created according to the target age group:

1. Children (5 to 12 years Old)

The main areas to keep in mind are as follows:

• Simple conversation points like introducing oneself or greeting a new person
• Speaking with the help of imagination and storytelling
• Improving vocabulary with dialogue exchanges and role-playing

Some of the best ways to improve the child’s fluency are as follows:

• Conducting a short chat about the day and their experiences
• A platform to present something that they love and help them talk about it
• Play out everyday situations like purchasing groceries from shopkeepers, or seeing a doctor during a health check-up.

These kinds of activities, when done by instructors in PlanetSpark’s English-speaking course, help in increasing their language skills in a fun, playful way.

2. Teenagers (13 to 19 years old)

The key areas that need to be improved are as follows:

• Express their opinions and thoughts on various topics
• Ability to pronounce words clearly with easy-to-understand idioms 
• Be an active listener and participate in academic activities like debates, discussions, and storytelling sessions.

A few of the ways that can help in practicing English speaking are with the following methods:

• Create opportunities for presentations or short speeches on a specific topic each week.
• Provide them with a platform that enquires about their opinions and thoughts on the latest trends, or films and TV shows. 
• Have a healthy discussion on topics that teenagers can easily understand and talk about freely.

3. Adults (Above 20+ years)

Any individual above the age of 20 years may register for an English speaking course for the following areas:

• Gain fluency in professional tasks like client calls, interviews, and meetings
• They need to reduce the accent and refine their pronunciation
• Apart from the above, English fluency practice is also required in everyday casual conversations and storytelling.

The most suitable ways to be able to achieve the above are as follows:

• Replicate workplace or client conversations at normal pace, volume, and flow
• Practice small talk and networking introductions with people around you or by yourself. 
• Listen to any English language podcast episode and create a summary for your understanding.

With the Adult Spoken English Course provided by PlanetSpark, any adult looking to improve their fluency and get a chance to practice spoken English can do so without hesitation.

Daily Tasks That Help Improve English Fluency 

The following pointers are some of the most effective ways to improve your English fluency and become confident in speaking English wherever required:

1. Self-Talk in the Morning through activities like narrating the day’s plan
2. Recording 3 new words in a journal and using them in a sentence within the day.
3. Take any new word and try to create a story around it.
4. Create an English-only zone or set aside specific hours to facilitate easy communication in English.
5. Read a book, journal, or any reading material with clear pronunciation and rhythm.
6. Another helpful way of ensuring that one can practice English speaking is by imitating sentences from news channels, podcasts, and talk shows.
7. Create or join a group specifically for topic-based conversations
8. Choose any random topic and try to speak on it for one minute.
9. If you learnt something recently, you can summarise it or teach someone about it in English.
10.  Roleplaying everyday social interactions in English is another useful way to practice the language.
11. Recording and self-evaluating a short monologue can also help in understanding your drawbacks and working on them to become more fluent.
12. Finally, having a mini-toast session at your home during dinnertime will also help in English practice and fluency.

Irrespective of your age, you can gain fluency in English by using any two of the methods mentioned above. Also, if you want to start your English practice in a structured and guided way, PlanetSpark with their English Courses can help you. Register for a free trial course now.

PlanetSpark and Its Teaching Methods

When learning a language, it is often said that a structured and guided method of learning is much better than self-learning. That is where the role of PlanetSpark comes into focus. With their guided program for each age group, it becomes much easier to learn and gain fluency when it comes to learning English. Here is a short yet descriptive account of how they help in learning and speaking English fluently:

• Kids (5-12 Years)

Due to their young age and propensity to get distracted quite easily, PlanetSpark has created a gamified way for them to learn about English and gain fluency. The program uses storytelling, conversational games, roleplay, and other methods to help them gain knowledge of the language.

• Teens (13-19 Years)

Teenagers are usually looking to learn, understand, and grasp the inner details of any topic dynamically. Therefore, PlanetSpark helps them learn English through TED-style talks, presentation sessions, debates, and opinion exchanges. 

• Adults (20+ Years)

Due to the professional requirements of their job, many adults require an improved and structured form of learning English. For such requirements, PlanetSpark has created English learning programs with a special focus on topics like negotiation simulations, accent training, coaching for interviews, and other areas like business communication, among others.

The main aim of the delineation of programs in each age group help each in:

• Fluency in formal and informal settings
• Listening in Comprehension
• Continuous feedback from expert teachers and mentors

Confidence in speaking due to regular speaking opportunities, PlanetSpark provides gamified learning. They learn through conversational games, rhymes, storytelling, and other similar activities.

If you are looking to improve your or your child’s grasp and understanding of the English language and speak fluently, PlanetSpark can help. Register for their free trial class now! 

Process of Learning English at PlanetSpark

For anyone registering to regain or improve their English speaking skills, PlanetSpark creates a blueprint of their learner’s level of fluency based on the free trial class they have taken. Based on that, they use the following methods:

1. Diagnostic Assessment

The learner’s baseline with regard to their accent, grammatical fluency, and vocabulary is established. 

2. Personalised Learning Plan 

A focused and personalised plan that is unique for each learner and their goals.

3. Live Interactive Classes

Certified trainers create a small group of learners or have one-on-one sessions with the learners.

4. Regular Homework and Practice

Learners are given homework and practice tasks to be able to improve their speaking skills.

5. Tracked Progress and Reports

According to the learner’s age, they are provided with reports and progress tracking to ensure that they are able to see the transformation and changes they have achieved so far.

6. Gamified Rewards 

Learners are usually provided with badges, progress certificates, and leaderboards that provide them with a push to keep learning and improving.

Better Clarity with Accent Tips & Pronunciation

Here is how one can improve their pronunciation and accent when learning English for any of the previously mentioned requirements:

• Practice phonemics in individual English sounds with special focus on consonants and vowels.
• Understanding and mastering sentence rhythms and syllable accentuation 
• Learning about minimal pairs that aid in improved ear-to-mouth coordination
• Comparing recorded speeches with fellow learners to analyse intonation and improve

Mistakes During Speaking and Overcoming Them

Some of the small yet significant ways that people hesitate in speaking proper English can be understood with the following points:

1. If you are afraid of making mistakes while speaking, you can start with short yet easy-to-understand discussions that can be built upon gradually.
2. If your speaking tone seems to be flat and monotone, you can record your speech and repeat the same speech with much more expressiveness with intonation.
3. Vocabulary gaps can also be a reason for people hesitating to speak. This kind of hesitation can be overcome by creating a list of new words and using them in everyday conversation.
4. PlanetSpark’s English learning courses can help you get proper feedback to improve your fluency.
5. Blocking a daily speaking time can also greatly help in reducing the chances of inconsistent speaking practice.

Anyone who wants to have better pronunciation, reduced accent, and refined English language skills should register for an English learning course with PlanetSpark.

Creating a Fluency-Friendly Environment

The best ways to ensure that you create a fluency-friendly environment are with the following methods:

At Home:

• Include English in everyday routines like daily chores or mealtimes
• Put labels on everyday usage items in your home.
• Watch English language family-friendly shows or short videos and discuss them with each other.

At the Office, School, or Social Events

• Take part in community events like debates, dramas, and extempore speech events.
• Be a part of real conversation exchange platforms that have specific communities or penpals. 

Where and How to Start

If you are looking to begin your journey into becoming a fluent and confident English speaker, here are a few ways you can start:

1. Select the most suitable program for your age group
2. Register for a free trial class 
3. Analyse your current proficiency level 
4. Meet the expert trainer
5. Create a convenient class schedule 
6. Finally, become a dedicated English speaker with daily practice.

All of the above steps are possible with PlanetSpark’s English Learning Courses for all age groups. Register for a free trial to understand your proficiency level to take the next step.

To Wrap Up

“Practice makes perfect” is a commonly said phrase for anyone who is a beginner or novice in improving their skills or talent. When it comes to learning or improving one’s English speaking skills, daily engagement, individualized instruction, and proper guidance help a lot. PlanetSpark, with its goal of providing English language fluency across all ages, has created English-speaking programs that fulfill the following requirements:

• Award-winning English language trainers
• Supportive community of fellow learners 
• Interesting and personalized lesson formats 
• Sharp pronunciation and accents

All of the above, when brought together, help the learner become a strong, confident, and fluent English speaker. So, without much delay, start your English learning journey today with PlanetSpark.