How to Improve Oral Expression

By: Leslie Miller

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Oral expression enables you to communicate what's on your mind. It is through quality oral expression that you will be able to achieve your communication objectives. As the bottom line, the quality of oral expression is determined by word choice, sentence structure, organization and grammar. You might find yourself mumbling and jumbling in a conversation especially when the language is not your mother tongue. Here are a few ways to help you improve your oral expression skills.

Read Widely

Vast reading improves your vocabulary and helps you keep in touch with the language. Consider reading aloud to improve your accent and pronunciation of words. Remember to stick to a particular accent. For instance, instead of mixing accents, you can choose to stick to an American accent. If you come across new phrases and words, ensure you search for their meanings. Start memorizing these words and use them in your speech. This will not only enrich your language but also create a good impression on your listeners.

Listen

To revamp your accent and pronunciation, listen to native speakers. Consider watching movies and listening to music without captions and try following it. Try pronouncing the words like the native speakers do. You can also write down the sentences and attempt saying them just as you hear them. Alternatively, you can seek an online voice and accent software to help you learn quickly. Watching news is also helpful since presenters must be clear, brief and objective.

Speak

Your main goal is to speak fluently. Find a native speaker and communicate with the person without worrying about your sentence structure and grammatical errors. A native speaker will help you spot your errors and correct you. Observe his mouth movements and imitate them. Conversing on a regular basis will boost your speaking confidence and help improve your speech rhythm and intonation. Seize every opportunity to speak in the language to acquaint your mouth muscles to the new accent.

Take Extra Classes

If you are looking to becoming an eloquent speaker and need more practice with other language learners, consider joining a language class. You won’t become a good speaker by passive listening. Taking a language class will expose you to other learners and enable you to experiment with what you already know and build upon it. Respond to other learners and observe their body language. Through your interaction, you will gain the skills required to communicate naturally. Remember not to translate into and from your mother tongue, as this will take too much time, making you more hesitant.