We all know that learning any language consists of input (listening and reading) and output (writing and speaking). Most language learners find the first easier than the latter, especially when it comes to speaking. If only I got a penny every time one of my students told me “I have no problems watching a movie in English, but as soon as I have to speak – I can’t remember the simplest words!”.

There is no doubt that watching TV and reading articles in English help you get better at understanding the English language, but you want/need/ought to speak! When it comes to actually producing the language, many learners face this mental block, which comes as a result of being exposed only to passive English input and not getting enough speaking practice. Widening your active vocabulary (all the words you actually use when speaking compared to the words you recognise when reading or listening) is of crucial importance, and this can only be achieved by speaking!

 

How to practice speaking English for free every day?

 

I know what you’re thinking: it’s impossible to speak English every day unless you’re living in an English-speaking country, it’d cost me a fortune to pay for all those conversation lessons, it’d take me hours of practice every day to achieve any progress.

But what if I told you that there’s a method that could help you get that everyday speaking practice by yourself that is completely free, easy to implement into your schedule, and can help increase not just your fluency, but also your self-confidence when speaking English (or any other language you’re trying to learn, for that matter)?

The solution to your problems is (drumroll, please) speaking to yourself and thinking in English! Before you start thinking I’m crazy and close this tab, hear/read me out.

Do you remember learning your first language? Of course not, you were too young. However, you know you didn’t spend days memorising rules for different tenses or vocabulary lists. The main difference here is the one between language acquisition and language learning. When we acquire a language as children, we do it subconsciously – we aren’t even aware that there are strict rules we ought to follow. Learning a language, on the other hand, presupposes a conscious effort to learn, and can be discouraging for many adult learners.

This is where speaking to yourself and thinking in English come in play. These two activities can help you become more fluent in English and increase your vocabulary the same way you acquired your first language when you were a child. What is more, thinking in English makes it easier to speak in English and vice versa. Most importantly, it is a step towards making the language yours.

 

Speaking to yourself and thinking in English

 

Now that you’ve been convinced, here’s how to do it. It’s quite simple: in those situations when you’re on your own, pretend you are in a reality show – try describing out loud everything you do:

• Watching a game? Time to narrate it.
• Driving to work? Talk about the weather, the road, what you’re going to do that day.
• Cooking your favourite dish? Welcome to your own cooking show!

After all, you are alone – there’s no one to distract you or to make you feel embarrassed. This way it’s easy to incorporate it in your daily life and get several good English speaking practice sessions a day.

However, most of us spend a good part of our day surrounded by other people who might not be that fond of listening to us talking to ourselves. Some might even think we’re a bit cuckoo! Time to switch from speaking to thinking, and continue narrating what you’re doing in your head.

• Don’t worry if you can’t think of a word. Be creative and circumnavigate around it (explain it by using other words you know).
• Don’t worry about grammar. Whether you used the present perfect simple instead of the present perfect continuous is not relevant. What matters is that you are communicating and getting your message across (to yourself, but that is not relevant now).

Nevertheless, it’s important not to think in your native language and then translate into English – even people who are multilingual have trouble switching between the languages they speak, and this can be discouraging.

 

Tutorial: How to start speaking English fluently?

 

Need some help to get you started? I’ve got you covered. Let’s take the idea of your own cooking show. Before we start, you might want to brainstorm the vocabulary you might need: different food, what we can do with it, as well as what kind of equipment and utensils we use in a kitchen.

Here’s a handy table in which you can put all the words you can come up with! If you’re having problems thinking of different items, have a look at our kitchen vocabulary list for some inspiration. Now that you’re ready, it’s time to start the show! Tell us about the recipe (where you got it, what ingredients you need), the cooking techniques you’re going to use, and so on. Don’t worry if there’s an interruption – the show must go on! The best part: after finishing your speaking practice, you will also have a delicious meal!

To sum up, this technique is easy, completely free, helps you prepare for real-life activities (appointments, interviews etc.), and helps you add not only new words to your vocabulary, but also whole phrases. What are you waiting for? Start thinking, talking or at least whispering. You will notice your fluency and confidence improve drastically in no time and without much effort.