The 10 Secrets to Speaking English

The 10 Secrets to Speaking English

1.Self-Esteem:The most important aspect of speaking is having good self-esteem.Self-esteem is how a person feels about himself.This includes “self-talk”, how a person thinks or what a person says to himself.What a person feels determines what he thinks, and what he thinks determines what he says and how he says it.A person who feels good about himself will say good things and speak well.A person who feels bad about himself will think negative thoughts and not have self-confidence. Then fear will cause a person to not speak.When most Chinese people are asked how their English is, or if they are told their English is very good, they immediately respond by saying, “Oh, my English is very poor.I have no chance to practice.”A student of English should not say this to himself or to others.A person who says it often enough will begin to believe it and soon will be paralyzed and unable to speak.Students will begin to forget what they know since the right brain cannot speak or use the knowledge stored in the left brain.A person learning to speak English must put the Chinese custom of modesty (saving face) aside.When complimented, the correct response is “Thank you.”When asked, “How is your English?” or criticized,a good answer is “I love to speak English,” or “My English is improving,” or “I am working very hard to improve my English.”These positive statements will reinforce positive thoughts and good feelings.With increased confidence a person will overcome fear and speak more freely.The mind is the most fantastic computer in the universe.Saying or thinking negative thoughts will short circuit the mind or give it deadly viruses.

2.Teaching Others:It is a known fact that the teacher learns more than the student.One receives more when one gives.When a person only receives, he becomes crippled and soon dies.First of all, a person who teaches someone else to speak English forgets his inhibitions and concentrates on helping.This is a key process in learning. The teacher actually receives more than he gives.The teacher becomes better at speaking when he gives others instructions and encouragement.Secondly,the person who speaks is forced to utilize all the skills of speaking well.The brain is forced to remember what is stored in the left brain, transfer it to the right side, translate it from Chinese into English, and thenverbalize it.A teacher must speak to teach.The teacher hears himself speak and recognizes needs and self corrects while teaching, correcting and encouraging the student(s).It’s a great method and a self-motivating process.For thousands of years, this method has been a powerful secret to learning.Remember that teaching others stimulates improvement.

3.Singing Songs:Singing songs has magic that no other exercise can duplicate.A person who sings Englishsongs over and over again willautomatically memorize words and phrases.When someone says, “Let’s sing ‘Jingle Bells’ or ‘Happy Birthday’, immediately a person begins to sing the song exactly right without even thinking about it.There is no hesitation, no translation, no confusion.Also, singing allows for the practice of saying words and, at the same time, practices pronunciation because singers verbalize each word more slowly and exactly with the music.That’s what music does for a person who wants to speak English.Good songs with good words are a great aid to speaking fluently.It is amazing how quickly singing helps a person to speak.Finally, the Chinese language has many tones and in a way the language is sung.When songs are sung in English, the brain can quickly connect the thoughts and meaning with sound.

4.Talking to the TV