Would you love to speak English fluently? Do you want to feel confident and relaxed when speaking? What about sounding as smart in English as you do in your own language? Do you want to communicate fluently at work and in social situations? Then this post is for you. Read the whole list and then find the tips that suit you best and begin your journey to English fluency. Let’s start with some definitions, just to be sure that we are all “on the same page.” (= thinking about the same thing.)
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, fluency is the ability to speak or write a language easily, well, and quickly. We could say that fluency means flow. However, in common usage (and the way we will think about it in this article) fluency means speaking at an advanced or near native level (C2 on the CEFR scale).
First, and most importantly – don’t worry about doing everything on this list. And don’t worry about being perfect. Even native speakers make mistakes! Just pick the English fluency tips that suit you best and get started. Stay relaxed, but disciplined. Let’s get fluent!
Table of contents: How to Speak English Fluently
English fluency begins with words and phrases. Vocabulary is the heart and soul of any language! Build vocabulary with more words, especially those that are useful to you. It’s no good just knowing words, being able to produce words is essential to speak English fluently.
To speak English fluently, you need to use idioms or expressions that native speakers do. Build your vocabulary with more idioms. Using these sayings can allow you to express yourself more accurately and concisely, as well as making your language more interesting.
Firstly, accept the fact that English spelling is very often disconnected from English pronunciation. To speak English fluently you can’t rely on how words are spelled to guide how they should be pronounced. With that in mind, it is important to fix your pronunciation errors that interfere with how understandable you are, especially sound substitutions. Starting with a good TH sound so you can properly say common words like think, thought and through is a great place to begin!
Learning and implementing intonation, the rise and fall of language, is essential as it carries meaning about attitude and emotion. If you can, start to use linking like omissions (e.g., pronouncing ‘you’re’ not ‘you are’) so you can produce English with flow. This also helps with ensuring that you stress the correct words in the sentence- often the content words like nouns and verbs that carry the most meaning.
Being polite and learning the “social graces” of English can help you to develop that native English speaker ‘sound’. Start by learning to use modal verbs (e.g., would, could and can) and other softening phrases so that you are clear but polite. Study techniques of how to persuade or ‘sell’ in English through diplomacy, like asking positive questions rather than disagreeing.
If you listen well you can respond well with accuracy and thought. Being a great listener and showing that you are listening with eye contact, facial expressions, appropriate body language, and accurate verbal response helps you to “win friends and influence people” (Dale Carnegie).
Read books, articles, blogs, magazines and newspapers aloud. This will help you to build your muscles and stamina helping you to reduce hesitations and filler words. Reading aloud is also a good opportunity to improve your pronunciation and even confidence.
• Learn by doing. You wouldn’t learn to dance by reading about it, would you? Language is no different.
• Build your muscles: Speak, speak, speak!
• Write in English: Write anything from a business report to a cooking recipe. Writing forces you to externalize and produce language and helps you see your errors.
• Be social but selfish: If possible, minimize contact with people who speak English badly. Maximize contact with native speakers and advanced ESL speakers.
Entertain yourself with movies, series and podcasts. If watching something, try both with and without English subtitles. Subtitles can help you to develop the vocabulary and idioms that are so necessary to speak English fluently. Equally watching without them is a great opportunity to improve your listening. With podcasts – and documentary films – you can learn about something that is important to you while improving your English. What could be better than that?
It is essential to accept and embrace the lifelong language journey. Language fashions change- the rules, styles and preferences you learned at school or uni may no longer be valid- so be ready to adapt. English is a rich and diverse language, even native speakers don’t know all the words so be prepared to keep learning!
Authors: Brenda de Jong Pauley, English Center Director and Kerry Finlayson, Business English trainer, January 2022
Updated: Eva, Business English trainer, November 2024
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