Speaking in English

To speak English, you need to practise. Use every opportunity to speak in class (and outside!)Speak in a loud, clear voice. Look at the person you are speaking to. Don’t think about mistakes all the time. The important thing is to speak.

Learning to speak

You and your partner are doing a speaking activity well when:•You are speaking in English all the time.•You can understand your partner.•Your partner can understand you.•You finish the task successfully.

How to know if you are doing well?

•Some people speak English very correctly but they speak slowly. In that case relax. Don’t worry about making mistakes. Practise speaking for longer periods without stopping.•Some people speak a lot and fast, but they make a lot of mistakes. When there are a lot of mistakes, it may be difficult for other people to understand you. Slow down. Correct yourself if you know that you made a mistake.•Listen to lots of English. The more you listen, the easier it is to speak.

Speaking English better

•Practise giving and asking for personal information (your name, age, where you are from, where you live, your likes and dislikes, your typical routine and your hobbies.•Say a lot of things. The examiner wants to hear you speak!•If you don’t understand the examiner, ask them to repeat the question.

Giving personal information.

•In English, how we say something is very important. If we use the correct intonation, we can sound interested and polite. If we don’t, we can sound bored or rude and we can make people angry. Try to use the correct intonation to create a good impression.•Pay attention to pronunciation, if you mispronounce words other people may not understand you.

Intonation and pronunciation.