How can you improve your speaking skills?

bienn05 Level 1

June 6, 2018, 9:00 am

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How can you improve your speaking skills?

Hi everyone, I would like to ask for tips on how to improve my speaking skills. I am a very shy person and I know that I am lack of confidence speaking in front of the class. I just wanted to become a good speaker as well. I needed it to impress employers when I am invited for an interview. I am currently seeking for a job and I know that my interview is sometimes a failure because of the way I speak and pronounce words. I hope someone can help me and share ideas on how to be a better speaker.

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DenisP

DenisP

I'm a shy person myself, and I often had issues with public speaking. I can't count the number of times I had to do a presentation in class and I honestly felt like dying inside. I'd experience shaking hands, sweating, stuttering, the whole nine yards. One time I actually started to sound like I was having a stroke, because the words coming out of my mouth were just a jumbled mess.

Later on I found that the best way to be calm when doing public speaking is to practice at home. I don't mean just rehearsing lines. Use your imagination and pretend like you're exactly in that situation. Visualize. Stand up, start talking as you would with someone in front of you, and go over and over the same actions and phrases, over and over again until they become second nature. A big part of my nervousness came from not being adequately prepared.

Also, fake it 'till you make it. If you tell yourself that you don't have confidence, and that nervousness is a problem for you, then you're more likely to experience public speaking anxiety. Act confident, like you're about to say something that's going to change these people's lives, like your $#!* don't stink. Psychological studies have proven that if you genuinely convince yourself that you're confident, and act confident, you will become naturally confident without even noticing.

7 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

From my experience with public speaking especially for one who read mass communication with the intention of becoming a journalist, I did engaged in a lot of public discussions/presentations more than I can ever remember but one way to stay ahead and do better than others is by building my self confidence when I'm in front of a crowd.

It takes a lot of practice before one can boost his confidence when addressing a huge number of people. Stage fright is a serious problem for anyone who is still new to public speaking or presentation and if you fail to work on it, it's definitely going to have you disgraced in front of a crowd which still affects your confidence in a very bad way.

7 years ago

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DenisP

DenisP

It's easy to spiral downwards and have your confidence tank to an exponential degree. One bad experience can ruin the setup for your next experience, and so on and so forth. This is why it's important to remember that no one gets it right the first time, or every time for that matter. Take musicians for example. Sometimes a band can put on a great show, and then the next show can be a catastrophe for any number of reasons. But, they don't quit the tour then and there. They put it behind them and keep moving forward, and the next show is usually great.

You just have to have confidence in yourself, and find your motivation when times get tough. The best way to do this is to have a goal in mind, and keep putting yourself out there and building your experience and confidence.

7 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

It's on a rare occasion that one gets an incredible first experience when it comes to public speaking and presentation. Even with all the preparation, one might still get overshadowed by the intimidating look on from the crowd especially if it's one's first time of standing in front of that huge number of people.

So therefore, having in the back of your mind that perfection takes time to get a strong hold in one's confidence is one good way to beating such pressure on the stage.

7 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

I think confidence is really the biggest factor here and you can only have confidence if you have the mastered your topic or speech, it means that the speaker must fully understand and believe in his speech in order to be confident in his delivery.

7 years ago

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DenisP

DenisP

"...you can only have confidence if you have the mastered your topic or speech..."

I'd say that this rings true for the majority of the population, but there are a lot of people out there who are naturally confident and can get away with a lot by just acting like they know what they're talking about. I'm knowledgeable about certain things like health, nutrition, and technology among other things. I've seen so many videos on YouTube of people giving speeches and presentations on some of these topics, and as someone knowledgeable in those fields, I'm thinking to myself "This guy is just spewing total gibberish." But the audience is eating it up simply because they don't know any better and the guy is acting confident.

7 years ago

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jennyfermanuel

jennyfermanuel

I agree. What's the use of being confident if you don't master what you have to tackle infront of the people ????
Mastery and Confindence must go along way. Try practicing infront of the mirror. Practice makes it perfect ????

6 years ago

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jetselle

jetselle

I agree with you, alot of people losing confidence when it come to speech. Because they are afraid to make a fault In my own experience back in my highschool days when it comes to speech event in class I have a fear to make a fault so as the result I can't deliberate what I want to said. So what I do is to overcome my fear and its really effective for me. And now I am not afraid to speech in front of many people deliver it efficiently what I really want to say.

6 years ago

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EfficientNinja

EfficientNinja

I agree that confidence is the main skill that is needed when it comes to public speaking. I am also a shy and introvert guy but when I do public speaking, I practice well at home and I learn the stuff I will be talking about. Knowing your stuff will also be a great asset when it comes to public speaking or any other kind of speaking because you can tell your audience much stuff about the subject.

7 years ago

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zgecolea1797

zgecolea1797

Yes, confidence and practice is the key here. We all know that practice makes perfect. Practicing what will happen is a big key in this. We all do need to prepare in this kind of stuff in order to came out successful.

6 years ago

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bienn05

bienn05

That is literally happening to me whenever I spoke to a large number of people. That's a pretty good suggestion and I will take note of that. I hope that someday I could be the person I wanted to be. I know that it is not now but I am taking my steps to improve. All I need is a confidence booster.

6 years ago

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esteban123

esteban123

I am also a shy type guy that is why I am not fan of talking often times. In order for me to improve my speaking skills is that I always make a practice on certain speech that I am going to make. Most of the time I would speak louder so that I can notice my voice if I am following with what I am doing. It is really a hard task since it will undergo a long process.

6 years ago

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Chinet23

Chinet23

It's a lot harder for shy type people or introverts to speak in public. But according to psychologist, it's a skill that can be learned or trained by shifting from a personality type to another. We still retain our personality or the our dominant characteristic but we can adapt once there is a need to be more outspoken and confident.

6 years ago

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esteban123

esteban123

Yes you are right on that, speaking skills can really be learned at all times as long as we are willing to make it. Many people are having that awkward feeling before but with proper training and learning everything turns out to be good.

6 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

I believe you can improve your speaking skills by practicing more and more of speaking. You can speak in front of the mirror. You will see how you look in front of it while speaking. You listen to tapes of good speakers. Try to imitate them.

I believe I learned how to speak when I was invited and trained to teach in Sunday school in church. I have an American student. During the week I really study hard. I would stand in front of my mirror and try to speak out what I have studied.

6 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

You can become a good speaker by practicing always. You keep on practicing even if you have just one audience. You may even speak to yourself. You can also speak and practice in front of the mirror. You can also listen to how good speakers speak and imitate them.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

Remember the saying, "Practice makes perfection" it's just the way it gets when you are looking at getting better with your speaking skills especially when it's in language that isn't your mother tongue. I made the habit of using a recorder to practice and listen to it over and over again, and still repeat the process over again. This way, I got better in all my public presentations above all my classmates.

7 years ago

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Barida

Barida

What an amazing way that you got better with your speaking skills. Practicing is one of the best ways to get better at what we do and this your testimonial is a sign that it is something that we should really look at since it is giving the better outcome as regards becoming better with our speaking skills.

7 years ago

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fishbate

fishbate

I agree a good practice makes a difference. I also do practice in front of the mirror so that i know what are my gestures. Its a good way to practice in the mirror and repeat words that your having a hard time pronouncing.

7 years ago

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mark8625

mark8625

Yeah I agree with you on that. Practice is the only way to be a good speaker. The more you practice the more chances of getting better. I remember when I had an interview. I was practicing in front of the mirror. I was thinking that I was speaking to myself. It is really effective way of practicing.

6 years ago

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DenisP

DenisP

"I made the habit of using a recorder to practice and listen to it over and over again..."

This is actually a really good idea! I don't have much trouble with public speaking these days, but I think I can apply this to a different scenario. I'm currently learning a new language, and while I can understand it well, I still speak with a heavy American accent, so there is no way I'd be fooling anyone into thinking I'm a native speaker. I think when I just practice normally, I don't really pick up on the fact that I'm speaking with an accent. Recording myself and adjusting my pronunciation accordingly might be a great way of getting over that.

7 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

Yes exactly, I believe so that using a recorder will have a very good effect in getting you to learn and adjust in your new language acquisition. I know this because I first hand saw the benefit of using a recorder in my learning. Speaking like a native is most certainly not easy, it's going to take spending a good number of time with a real native speaker before your accent would be like their's.

7 years ago

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aeon

aeon

I used to do that before, I used to record my voice while reading books. It helps a lot, and when I'm not enjoying this anymore, I started to watch some music video with lyrics like videoke, and record how I pronounce the lyrics correctly.

7 years ago

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peachpurple

peachpurple

That is a perfect way to brush up your speaking skill, listen and repeat the same tone, when you are alone , you will feel confident and no one would laugh at you.

7 years ago

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Marako0406

Marako0406

I totally agree! I mean this would be a perfect way to practice and to listen to your own speaking voice on how to improve pronunciation and enunciation of words to be able to be an effective speaker. Watching english movies with subtitles will help a person to know how words are properly pronounced with feelings based on the movie you would be watching.

6 years ago

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treecko142

treecko142

Yeah, practice and studying is the only way to improve your speaking skills on another language, and even your confidence will be boosted when you practice before speaking in public.

7 years ago

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bienn05

bienn05

I think this is a good idea but how can I improve my confidence in front of other people? I believe that practicing in my room with the language would make me good at speaking it. I believe that it is different in front of other people. It is just killing me every time I am in front of other people. I may rehearsed but I always have a mental block when I stood up in front of them.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

There is nothing that beats constant practice. It's going to help you to build your confidence and with time your are going to have courage to face any number of crowd in front of your that you are supposed to present something to. Also, getting to master what you want to deliver a discussion on is another way to build your confidence. I found out recently that people tend to shake when they don't believe that they have something worth offering to people when they are presenting a topic.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

One method on improving your speech skills is by reading aloud, you may pick up a book and read it aloud, mimicking and verbalizing the lines of its characters. This would exercise your vocals and would practice and hone your speech skills.

7 years ago

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Barida

Barida

I am going to ensure that I try as much as I can to practice this. One thing that I have come to notice is that you get to the point where you have to begin to put efforts in getting better at what you do. I will make this a habit and see how it is going to be.

7 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

I use to use make use of a recorder for this purpose. I take time to read the presentation while it records and later I would listen to it over and over again. I tend to find out from listening to the recording where I wasn't speaking with confidence and find out what caused it and then adjust it. This have helped me greatly especially with all my presentations during my university days in school.

6 years ago

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edencaga

edencaga

We have the same problem. When I speak infront of the crowd, I am really shaking and my hands were very cold like a dead person. My nails turned into violet and white. I don't know but this is really my problem especially before because I don't really talk to anyone because of shyness. Now I use to be friendly and talk to people but I still have a stage fright but I wanted to overcome those fears of mine. They are right, practice can really improve your speaking skills. Thinking positive things is one way also.

7 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

It takes time to improve any sort skill. You have actively engage yourself before you can convince your audience. That means staring in the mirror and seeing how you react to yourself. Because if you can't face your own mistakes and awkward tendencies, then you won't be able to step up to the challenge.

Also, don't be afraid to make mistakes. The biggest hurdle is wanting to not be imperfect. Even the best speakers were incredibly flawed from the start. But that didn't stop them. Treat each mistake as a learning experience and improve on them.

7 years ago

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DarthHazard

DarthHazard

You could try your hand at making some videos for YouTube. Even if you don't want to do it as something serious, you can make some videos where you practice talking and then upload them to watch them over and then find things you can improve on. And who knows, it might get successfully and you might be able to start making money from your videos as well.

7 years ago

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fishbate

fishbate

That is a great idea, hearing and viewing your self is a great way to find flaws on your speaking and gestures. Its also a great way to track progress, if you use the same speech while practicing, you will definitely see improvements along the way by just reviewing your records.

7 years ago

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amelia88

amelia88

I am really shy and introverted by nature, too - and I found that the only way to get better was to push myself to do more public speaking. The less I did it, the more I feared it - and it made me nervous and even anxious sometimes.

When I'm doing public speaking regularly, it becomes less of a special event and more of an everyday occurrence, and just feels easier.

7 years ago

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MittensFXX

MittensFXX

Books.In general,reading books is the best way for you to improve your speaking skills,grammar and overall connection to people.Not all books can help you out,but book written from famous writers that are popular and people that recommend them should be red.Overall talking with older people might help you out depending on your age,you can always talk to your grandmother and grandfather as they probably know how to interact with people.

7 years ago

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fishbate

fishbate

I agree, there are lots of books that are very good for practicing speaking skills specifically grammar. Although reading solely is only a tool, practicing what you read by speaking aloud will be a great practice. It also help when a friend or a family member helps you through the process.

7 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

Watching good tv programs and movies can tremendously help a person to improve his speech skills. By just listening and watching the expressions of actors on films and TV shows a person would learn a lot about pronunciation and delivery of speech.

7 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

I agree. Watching others perform well helps a lot. Many have seen great results from practicing in the mirror and mimicking speakers. Like TV show hosts and announcers. Hahaha!

7 years ago

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aeon

aeon

Well, I really hate to speak in front of many people also, but three shots of brandy are enough for me to handle the pressure. But in an interview, that's alright. If you feel pressure in an interview specially if you know that you will be the next one, just think about your funny experience from the past, or some crazy things you did, and it will changes your mood immediately.

7 years ago

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bienn05

bienn05

I'll try but I don't know if I can handle that but you're advice is pretty helpful.

7 years ago

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aeon

aeon

But honestly in an interview, it doesn't matter if you can't pronounce the word correctly. specially if English is not your native language. But as long as you're comfortable and confidence, the interviewer will surely give you a points for that.

7 years ago

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esteban123

esteban123

I think for me in order to improve your speaking skills, you should really try to speak words loudly so that you can be easily familiarize the words and know how to deliver it correctly. It is really good to keep on practicing as often as you want since practice really makes perfect, it also gives you the feeling of confidence since you really see what you are doing.

7 years ago

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MittensFXX

MittensFXX

That's some really good advice estaban.I too recommend you guys trying this out,it might just help you and achieve your goal in speaking better.

7 years ago

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treecko142

treecko142

I used to be really bad at speaking, in part because I'm really shy and an introvert, and I'm not that good now but I have greatly improved. It helped that I took up several communication classes in college, and just like other things, it can be improved with practice. Unless you really have an anxiety disorder, which would require professional help or even medications, then you can improve just by preparing beforehand and practicing speaking by yourself and imagining actually speaking to an audience. Doing this regularly also makes it routine and after doing it for a while, you eventually feel like it's just like another day in work or school and you feel indifferent to your feelings and you just speak naturally after.

7 years ago

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aecel

aecel

English is not my native language so I'm not really confident enough in my speaking ability though I had already experienced job interviews. When it comes to a job interview just speak and converse naturally it's just like you're telling a story and listen carefully to their questions so you could give them the best answers. About the public speaking, there's no other way but to practice it especially in front of many people maybe you could start with small audiences like your family and friends.

7 years ago

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Corzhens

Corzhens

I learned public speaking when I was assigned to handle the team of trainors for a new computer application in the office. My first experience taught me how to be calm and get full c9ntrol of my voice that was quivering. In the subsequent sessions, I felt comfortable and that was it. Practice is the most important. Gather your family to serve as your practice audience and make a sensible talk.

7 years ago

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MomoStarr16

MomoStarr16

Well, there are lots of thing to do to improve your english speaking skills. But all of it will be useless if you have not the focus to do so. So first, keep yourself reminding why you are practicing your skills in speaking english.

7 years ago

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aeon

aeon

Yeah, that's right. You should be fully motivated. You should also have confidence. It's doesn't matter about the wrong grammar or pronunciation sometimes, as long as you have a great self confidence by pronouncing the words, the interviewer will give you a credit for that.

7 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

One sure way on improving your speech skills is by engaging in a lot of conversations and you can only effectively do this if you are a wide reader or if you have accumulated a lot of knowledge over time then that would serve as your source of discussion.

7 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

I think a good way of practicing your speech is by conversing with different people, doing this would make you comfortable in speaking or verbalizing your thoughts and feelings on a topic or issue. Practice gives confidence when it comes to speaking.

7 years ago

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aeon

aeon

To improve your pronunciation, I think you should watch a lot of English movies and repeat the line of the characters. There are a lot of ESL video on YouTube also which is really helpful. They will teach you how the proper pronunciation.

7 years ago

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ballyhara

ballyhara

Actually, I've had that issue too. Honestly, I've noticed that it happens when I don't feel completely secure, or when I don't handle the subject properly. Also, it happens when I don't know my audience, like when it's the first time you're going to speak for a certain group of people. Usually, I avoid eating a lot of food moments before I speak, do some breathing exercises, tell myself that I'm the best one handling that theme, and don't make a lot of eye contact on public.

7 years ago

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amelia88

amelia88

Yes - such an important point. If I feel like I don't have a complete grasp of the material I'm presenting, then it really amps up my nerves so much more. When I'm confident in what I'm delivering, it feels so much easier to get up in front of a crowd.

7 years ago

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aeon

aeon

LOL, yeah, it's really hard to control doubt during the interview. It's normal, That's why sometimes, I really want the panel interview, this happens a lot in initial interview, I feel nervous but when I hear the first or second applicants how to answer the interview, I will feel better after that.

7 years ago

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ballyhara

ballyhara

That's true, when I hear someone speaking before, that gives me some relieve also. But I can't avoid the mental worries and doubts, so I feel somehow insecure. Let's say talking in public is not my forte, and I'm not the one that volunteers to do it, but if I have to for sure I will do my best.

7 years ago

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aeon

aeon

I really hate that also, standing in front of audience and talk about something, but if I don't have a choice, let's get it on. LOL. I remember when I was in college and I need to report, I was always absent and my reason was always headache.

7 years ago

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ballyhara

ballyhara

Well, I used to be very participant when I was a kid, my mom says that she didn't know what to do about it, I always wanted to read and talk to an audience. But, I lost it when I was growing up, I guess it was the typical kid attitude, risky and unworried. I'm sorry that insecurities got me hard while becoming an adult, but at least I know that's a weak side of me, and can improve working out on it.

6 years ago

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tophgreg

tophgreg

First and foremost have confidence! I know it's cliche but no matter how good your pronunciation, your diction and rapport is if you lack confidence it pertains that to what ever you might say in front of your class is not good or convincing because you yourself does not have the confidence to tell the idea or thought that you are going to share. Do not feel insecure or nervous that you might commit a mistake, don't have that kind of mindset, instead have a mind set that even if you commit a mistake correct it right away, meaning follow through your mistake, overlap that mistake with smile or a simple smirk, that is all you need to have; confidence and an amazing and optimistic mindset when talking in front of the class. Hope this helps have a nice day !

7 years ago

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aeon

aeon

You're right. Some of the trainer in the BPO company in our country always remind us about the confidence while talking with someone, it's doesn't matter about the wrong grammar or pronunciation, Your confidence will hide all of your mistakes.

7 years ago

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edencaga

edencaga

I'm also looking for ways on how to improve speaking as I really can't speak english fluently. I will just read some comments here to gather some ideas from different folks here. I am glad that you ask this question as I am also looking for some answers. I hope there will be someone here who can help us people who hardly speak in english fluently.

7 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

Listening to audio books and other recordings for me is a good way to to enhance speech skills because you would learn the proper intonation and delivery of spoken words. Listening to speeches would also teach you the proper modulation of voice needed to convey your speech effectively.

7 years ago

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fishbate

fishbate

I agree, basically keeping yourself familiar with intonations and grammar will help improve your speaking skills. It all depends on what kind of medium you are comfortable with for you to use in practicing.

7 years ago

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romyter013

romyter013

Your way of getting the right pronunciation is good. On how I do mine, Watching most of the time English movies and listening to english songs as well are what really helped me a lot. I get to know how it should be or how to pronounce each word correct and I still do that practice until now.

6 years ago

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peachpurple

peachpurple

Don't put pressure on yourself when you are looking at the interview. He/she isn't your teacher and not a T rex either. Just treat the interviewer as your casual friend, not BFF, but a casual friend , not so close, show your mannerism and keep away your bad manners.

7 years ago

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BenjoRamos29

BenjoRamos29

Interviews is a really hard to overcome because mostly you are nervous, the best thing to do this is going to let your parents interview, this would be your warm-up for your interview maybe tomorrow so after that, you just got to keep practicing and practicing, when you are practicing you are motivated to smash that interview and be confident throughout the interview, sometimes eating a good amount of food and eating healthy foods will help you get that energy you need for that interview, and exercise is great for the interview, and at last, do not be scared, this is very common when you are going to an interview, instead, be very polite, be energetic, and showoff your skills to the interviewer so that he or she will be impressed with you. I hope this helps with your problem.

7 years ago

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fishbate

fishbate

Mimicking lines and paragraphs used in movies, theater and even just a simple conversation with a friend or family helps specially when you want to speak with a little character in it. Speaking is not all about saying the word, it also include proper annotations, expressions, pronunciation and even gestures . A good way is mimicking and learning the way to speak it.

7 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

I agree that mimicking movie lines is a good way in practicing and improving ones delivery and intonation in speech. It does provide a good experience in portraying different character roles in different moods or situations which can come handy in public speaking engagements.

7 years ago

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Vinsanity

Vinsanity

One of my English teachers when I was studying taught us on how to improve our communication skills especially when in public speaking. She told us to face in front of a mirror and talk to yourself. Practice talking as if you were talking to a lot of people. Do this several times and you'll see improvements in your speaking skills.
Moreover, if you are shy and you find it hard to speak especially in front of a lot of people, I think it will be better for you to still talk to them while thinking as if you are just talking to one person. This will at least ease your worries about what a lot of people will think about you.

7 years ago

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jaymish2

jaymish2

I think communication is very important especially when you run a business. Speaking and presentation skills are really important and its the one skill that most people don't have. I think my presentation skills aren't bad, they could be better offcourse. I know the best way to improve your speaking skills is to join a local toastmaster. Here they teach you speaking skills. I would sign up, this really helped me improve my skills.

7 years ago

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ballyhara

ballyhara

What is a toastmaster? I know we can find some speech and expression groups here, they are supposed to teach you techniques so you can speak in public. However, those sessions are not cheap, so more often than not, I can't afford them and a private class is way more expensive. I've found some tutorials on YouTube that has helped me a lot, they even have exercises to help you out with your voice tone and everything.

7 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

I tend to agree with you on that not everyone was born to present. I know people who just cant present properly, it's good when they practice but when it comes to the actual event they get things mixed up so I guess it's really a skill which some people are really good with or has potential to be better than others.

7 years ago

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mdayrit

mdayrit

Being able to communicate confidently is really a big advantage for you as an applicant. It helps you to express your thoughts clearly and increase your chances of being chosen over other applicants. I suggest that you read, practice and take steps to improve your communication skills

You can start with a lot of reading. A person who knows more can speak more. If you know what you are talking about, it will not be difficult for you to discuss and think of answers to a conversation. Reading also helps widen your vocabulary.

Apart from knowing what to say, you also need to practice on how to say it. Reading out loud can help you practice pronouncing the words as well as talking clearly. Watching movies also helps with being familiar with words and how to properly say them.

Lastly, you can take it one step further in improving your confidence and communication skills by attending trainings and workshops on personality development. Here, you can get professional advice on what to do in certain situation and practice speaking in front of other people.

7 years ago

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EfficientNinja

EfficientNinja

I guess the most effective would be to enroll in a class or community where other people are also trying to improve their conversational skills. Public speaking is a skill and would require practice to improve. Almost all people aren't good conversationalist by birth and they learned it through practice.

7 years ago

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fishbate

fishbate

Getting professional help would definitely make a difference on your speaking skills. Also going thru a professional could make your speaking skills a more higher level.

7 years ago

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mitan143

mitan143

True. If someone really wants to improve his/her speaking skill then asking help from the professional ones is the best way for me like what you have said enrolling to a class. That is also why there are classes for that kind of matter too. But I think if you think you are good enough to study for it in your own then there is no problem because it will still depend on your capacity to learn easily through self study and of course with massive training or practice in your own as well.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

You need to do rehearsals, this would let you practice the delivery and proper pronunciation. Also you'll have more confidence after rehearsing for a couple of times.

7 years ago

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Corzhens

Corzhens

It may be much better if you do the rehearsals in front of some people especially the people you don't really know. It is like trying to get used to the uncomfortable situation while doing your speech. With the pronunciation, my suggestion is to record your delivery so you can study on it later by watching your video and hearing you talk. That is the easiest way to find your mistakes.

6 years ago

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amelia88

amelia88

There are also a lot of groups and clubs out there that are specifically designed to improve public speaking and confidence - one I know in my local area is called the Toastmasters club. It might be worth checking in your local area if there is anything similar where you can get together with others to work on confidence and public speaking.

7 years ago

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fishbate

fishbate

That's actually a great idea, participating in groups or clubs that are engaging in activities like that will greatly improve you speaking skills plus the confidence. It's good to know that there are groups like that on your community.

7 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

Practicing in front of the mirror is a good old and effective way of learning how to speak to large audiences. And it also helps if you practice in the presence of family members and friends.

7 years ago

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jaybee19

jaybee19

That's true. This is actually what I did before because this is really helpful. Establishing eye contact and fighting the awkwardness are the benefits of talking to yourself and to your friends and family members..

6 years ago

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bienn05

bienn05

Thank you for all your answers! I really appreciate all of it!

6 years ago

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jaybee19

jaybee19

As a student majoring in English language and a consistent extemporaneous speaker, for me there's no other way to improve your speaking skills but to increase your confidence level. When you are confident, you can communicate with other people who speak well and so you adapt to their way of speaking. I also talk to myself sometimes in the mirror and whenever I watch a Hollywood movie, I always make sure to listen carefully for me to easily imitate their style and way of talking. However, even if you do all of the things I've mentioned, without confidence it won't be easy for you to improve your speaking skills. I was once a shy person but I figured out a way to hide it whenever the need arises and show it whenever it's appropriate.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

I tend to agree with that having confidence in conversing in English is a major factor, and you can only attain that, if you can converse in both mainstream conversational English and textbook English.

6 years ago

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jaybee19

jaybee19

Exactly. I came from a province called Siargao Island and it's the surfing capital of the philippines. All year round, tourists from a round the world come to our province to surf and so I was able to communicate with English speaking foreigners since I was 8. Because of those experiences, I am now confident to speak in English. In English, practice is the key.

6 years ago

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mark8625

mark8625

Philippines is one of the best English speaking country in the world. In fact English is their second language. People started speaking as early as 4 to 5 years old. Many people wondering why Filipinos have such kind of skills. It is because Philippines was colonized by the American before and not only English and Filipino,they could speak Spanish and Chavacano in the other part of the Philippines. Learning and speaking English is easy for the filipinos. They have the skills to communicate excellent grammar in or outside the Philippines. Philippines also the top major player when it comes to Business Processing Outsourcing in the world.

6 years ago

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Chinet23

Chinet23

Well, that puts you to an advantage if you've been speaking English and communicating with native speakers and Secondary Language learners since you were a lot. Speaking the language must be a breeze for you. That's where you got your confidence as well. But aside from your everyday life you were also exposed to academic and extemporaneous speech. You were given enough exposure and at the same time you were determined to be better as well. That's a great combination.

6 years ago

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romyter013

romyter013

I myself too, I don't read too much books but I love to read exciting articles, trivia, facts, documentaries, something that really gets my interest to finished reading it. I guess it helps me too by listening english songs.That's one of the factor that helps me more and improve my understanding each words because it helps me too on how I pronounced the words correct on how they delivered it in a song. I make sure I know the lyrics, I researched and learned it. And I enjoyed doing it.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

If you want to polish up on your speech skills or your public speaking skills then both reading diverse materials and writing different content can tremendously help you improve your speech.

6 years ago

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esteban123

esteban123

Improving our speaking skills is one of the things that we sometimes find it hard to do for some reasons. it would really take some time and hard work to achieve the desired improvements that we wish to have. I am fan of talking louder to mainly improve my speaking skills since it is one way to realuze if we are doing the tasks correctly and pomptly. We can see wether there is an improvement or not on our part due that simple way.

6 years ago

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