How to learn spoken English systematically

Based on the nature and laws of language learning, learning to speak a foreign language should be summarized in the following three areas: words, string words, and habitual pronunciation.

1. Words

Words are the vocabulary taught in school. The first question is quantity: how much vocabulary is enough to make you talk? Think about how many single words and phrases you can usually use when you speak Chinese to get the answer. The same goes for English. English-speaking people are perhaps much simpler thinkers than Chinese-speaking people, and will use less vocabulary to speak; some have counted about three hundred as sufficient.

If we settle on three hundred words, the next question is very specific: what are they? The answer is simple: words that describe the self, words that describe other people and other things, and words for socializing. These three hundred words should be the most frequently used words in spoken conversation among native English speakers, and your time spent memorizing words and phrases should be spent on them.

2. The habit of stringing words together

The habit is the ability to string words together according to the speaking habits of native English speakers, which can be called "spoken grammar". We classify sentences into three areas: sentences describing oneself, sentences describing other people and things, and social sentences. You should learn sentences or patterns in these areas. In addition, figure out the verb tenses that are often used in spoken English native speakers.

3. Pronunciation

The first thing to do is to decide which country's English accent to pick: British? Australian? American? Which accent to choose depends on your purpose of study: which country are you studying or settling in? Which country is the foreign company you work for? If this is not your immediate goal, it doesn't seem to matter which accent you learn. But the important thing is that, whichever you choose, you'd better learn to speak like one, and the most important thing to avoid when learning to speak a foreign language is to speak with a southern accent.

There are three components to learning to pronounce spoken English: sound, accent, and tone. The first thing to master is the pronunciation of monophthongs. Monotone do not get too detailed, because the monotone pronunciation again accurate, if there is no English native people to listen to the ear cavity can not be considered authentic expression. The "accent" refers to the weight of the syllables in English words and the change of height in the words (called "rhythm" in Chinese phonetics books). One of the main reasons why Chinese people don't speak English properly is that they don't have the right accent. Obviously, the main focus of pronunciation study should be on the accent. In addition, you have to learn the habits of native English speakers to use intonation to convey information and express emotional changes. This is the advanced level of learning to speak English.

Finally, after learning the above three aspects you have to test your speaking standard according to the following criteria to see if you can achieve: 100% accuracy; 100% authenticity; knowledge of cultural differences.

What kind of speaking system should I set up?

We must be clear: as a foreign language, it is impossible and unnecessary for the average person to learn everything about English. So what must we learn and what must we master? People who do not live and work in English-speaking countries should at least learn and master the following spoken English skills: the ability to describe oneself and others and general affairs; the ability to explain traditional Chinese culture and customs; the ability to converse and discuss domestic and foreign topics.

To equip oneself with these abilities are "Functional English", "Conversational English", and "Topical English". Conversational English" and "Topical English". As for "Situational English", it is not very useful in non-English speaking China, because "Bank English", "Hotel English", and "Hotel English" are not useful in non-English speaking China, The reason is that Situational English like "Bank English", "Restaurant English", "Hotel English" and so on (which actually belongs to "Occupational English") have different expression systems in each English-speaking country.

We can build a speaking system around the learning and mastering of the above three skills. However, it is important to ensure that the language in this system is the part of international English*** used and not the specific English spoken in the UK, US or Australia.

V. Methods of Learning Spoken English

With a clear direction for learning, it is necessary to choose effective learning methods. The right method will save you time, effort, and money. Some people blame the lack of a language environment for their inability to speak. The first thing you need to do is to go abroad to an English-speaking country. Go to an English corner? Find English-speaking foreigners to practice alone? Let's take a look at each of these aspects.

1, to the English-speaking countries

To go to an English-speaking country to practice English and communicate directly with native English speakers is of course the best choice, but not many people are able to do so. Some people who have lived in English-speaking countries for several years or even more than a decade still do not speak English well. If you learn in the right direction and method, you can still learn English well without going to an English-speaking country. The key lies in solving the problems of who to learn, what to learn and how to learn. In addition, learning to use, learning and practicing organically combined, and persistent to be effective. If you don't practice a lot, you're bound to forget the skills you've learned over time.

2. Going to the English Corner

If the purpose of going to the English Corner is to learn, it is wrong. In fact, it should be treated as a place to practice English expression, to show yourself fully, to build up your confidence in speaking English, and to exercise your courage and ability to speak English with different people. What you want to go there is a like-minded atmosphere. If you don't have time to go, you can still talk to yourself and imagine yourself as two people having a conversation.

3, looking for foreigners single practice

Unless it is a well-trained language teacher, the only use of the average English foreigner is: as a "living target" for you to practice speaking, the content of their own learning to speak in the English foreigner to be verified. The only thing that you need to do is to get a good understanding of the language and how to use it in a way that will help you to understand the language.

People who are good at speaking English have the same feeling: it is very effective to start practicing pronunciation (a lot of practice on accent and tone). Don't always think about how the sentence is written or translated. These can get in the way of speaking. Finally, experience has proved that choosing a good tutor, good teaching materials, coupled with scientific and rational learning methods, learning to speak English is not unsuccessful!