7 Ways to Improve Your Spoken Communication

Are you fluent in grammar and vocabulary but feel lost when speaking? Let's discover how to improve English communication beyond just words! Join me to learn simple tips that go beyond grammar rules, making your spoken English clearer and more impactful.

I see this every day with clients who have an outstanding knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary yet struggle to effectively convey their thoughts when speaking.

They usually speak too fast because they want to impress their audience to show off their amazing skills. If they took the time to look up at their audience they would see the confusion on their faces.

When speaking English, knowing lots of vocabulary and grammar just isn't enough, as you can still be a terrible communicator. Take a look at some native speakers for example.

To speak English well you will need to improve your communication skills, as well as your language knowledge.

It’s important to practice these daily to improve your communication – like confidence, it is a muscle you can develop over time.

Communication tip 1: Speed

Fluency in English is not determined by your speed, so don’t speak too fast.

MANY people think that the faster they speak the more native they will sound or maybe the listener won't notice that missed prepositions or miss pronunciation! 

Did you know that effective communicators speak slightly more slowly than normal conversation speed?

Pausing is one of the best things you can do when you are in a speaking situation.

It is powerful to pause at the beginning and midway of your speech.

Here are the reasons why:

➡️Pausing gives you time to think

➡️Pausing builds trust with the listener

➡️Pausing helps you use effective phrasing – that means using chunks and pauses in the right place

➡️Let’s take the following sentence:

"If I had enough money, I would purchase a company that develops cybersecurity software for banks."

Say it like this ⬇️

If I had enough money,

I would purchase,

a company that develops,

cybersecurity software for banks.

Communication tip 2: Emphasis

Emphasis allows your listeners’ attention to fall on the most important part of your speech.

By using stress, you can convey and emphasize your message more effectively.

But you need to think about stressing the right

• Words
• Phrases
• Ideas

Communication tip 3. Change of volume

It increases the volume of the stressed word

We can increase the volume of the stressed words in a sentence. Also, we can emphasise one part of an idea by putting it at the front of a sentence.

Try saying the following phrases, and stress the phrase at the front,

Is CYBERSECURITY an INTERESTING career to have?

Yes, what’s GREAT about it is CONSTANTLY evolving.

Yes, what’s AMAZING about it is we CONTINUOUSLY adjusting to emerging threats

What I LOVE about it is….

Communication tip 4: Speak clearly

Remember to enunciate your words when you speak so that your listeners can understand you.

VERY IMPORTANT to Open your mouth and speak up!

It’s like a bit of exercising muscles in the gym, so don’t mumble and let your voice be heard.

Say a sentence as you usually do and then try it by opening your mouth, Practise doing this in front of a mirror and watch your mouth as you speak and enunciate the words.

what do you see or hear?

One of the most effective methods to improve your communication skills in English is to over-exaggerate when you practice.

A lack of confidence can prevent this is why practice is crucial. 

Try it out – it can be great fun!

Communication tip 5: Simplicity

There are many differences between spoken and written English.

These differences include:

• Simpler language
• Repetition
• Good communicators generally use simpler language so the listeners can understand them more easily.

Yes, that's right, I'll say it again. Good communicators generally use simple more concise language because they want their audience to understand their message and that is the most important point of the whole meeting.

Unlike writing and reading, speaking requires us to repeat a lot of words as most of them are lost or forgotten.

Look at the example below.

Written:

If I had sufficient money, I would purchase a top tech company that develops cybersecurity software for financial institutions,

Spoken:

If I had enough money

I would buy a company

that develops cybersecurity software for banks

When you learn to speak and listen to your audience, they will pay more attention and it will be easier for you.

Now you can see the importance of simplicity in spoken English.

Communication tip 6: Body language

When we say Body Language, it includes:

eye contact

facial expression

gestures

manner

your smile

Communication is far more than words. We do communicate a lot without words.

there have been many studies carried out and it's commonly stated that non-verbal communication, including body language and tone of voice, accounts for around 60-70% of communication

while words themselves account for approximately 30-40%.

Communication tip 7: Ideas

Communication is about getting your idea across. It’s not about perfect English.

To communicate an idea, you need to have an idea to communicate.

If you don’t have any ideas, then you have nothing to communicate!

Become an avid reader, and watch interesting and varied things.

As part of your practice, ask yourself this question every day:

What do you think of _____?

inserting words such as:

Science

Modern Art

A.I.

Climate Change

Driverless cars

Answer questions like this every day, even in your native language.

You can also make flashcards, each one with this question about a different topic. If you make 20 cards, you can use them to practice your fluency and develop your ideas.

You can also make flashcards, each one with this question about a different topic. If you make 20 cards, you can use them to practice your fluency and develop your ideas.

Final tip 7: Copy others

The last tip I have for you to improve your communication skills in English is to copy others.

Spend some time watching great speakers, observe how they communicate and try to imitate everything.

Notice their

Speed

Emphasis – volume

Enunciation

Simplicity of language

Body language

Key ideas

Here are some people you can watch and try imitating their speech:

Barack Obama

Morgan Freeman

Richard Branson

Steve Jobs

Take 2 or 3 of their sentences and mimic them. Record yourself until you sound and look just like them!

Why does ‘imitating actors’ work?

Identity is a key part of language speaking.

When you ‘pretend’ to be someone else (in this case an English actor), it is sometimes easier to pick up the right pronunciation and intonation.

You stop being you, and become someone else.

All of this helps to improve your Communication Skills. There’s more tip! I have a bonus tip for you.

The most powerful question great communicators use!

"What do you mean exactly?"

This question:

* Makes the other person think you are interested in them and their ideas

* Builds trust 

I hope this helps you see that good communication is not just about good English. There’s so much more to it.

Communication in English is a skill you need to develop, so keep practising and improving your communication skills in English today.

Curious to explore further and dive deeper into mastering English communication? If you would like personalised coaching then reach out to me directly to discover strategies tailored to your language journey.

Let's connect and unlock your full potential in spoken English together! Drop me a message to learn more.