People always ask me the big question of “how can I improve my spoken English?” Well, I wish I could give you a simple answer, but the truth is that there isn’t one… After teaching in China for almost five years now, I have come up with several ways that I think might be of help to you. Remember that speaking is a habit and if you don’t often do it, it is hard to make it a habit….I think that if you use these suggestions you will see quickly progress in developing your habit of speaking.

　　#1: Make an Oral English Partner(s)… While you are studying here at Global IELTS, try to make several friends in your class who can become your Oral English Partner(s). You should make an agreement to get together at least once a week outside of class for coffee or tea and try speaking only English. For a little competition, try playing a game of “who pays the bill” where the person who speaks the most Chinese pays the bill. The more times you get together the better you will be prepared to take the IELTS examination without worries….

　　#2: Get face to face and eye to eye…. You are learning to speak a foreign language and I think language and culture should be learned together as one. I feel that you must at least learn a little culture from those countries that speak English as their mother tongue. In the western world the culture concerning face is very different and maybe you have realized by now that foreigners do not think of “face” in the same way as you do… So, when speaking English you must look eye to eye and get face to face… and during your IELTS examination remember to smile…

　　#3: Use it ten times…. your brain is a muscle and you must exercise like any other muscle you have “if you don’t use it you will lose it”. I am not saying to just repeat the word aloud to yourself ten times, but actually use it in your daily life on ten different occasions. Try calling your friend and using the word, now both of you will learn more….

#4: Change short to Long... So many times when asking questions of my students they reply with one word answers. I think you must make the habit of making whole sentences and avoiding one word answers. Try starting your reply with things like; I think ….. because …., I feel…..because…. For example: What is your favorite color? I think blue is my favorite color, because I feel that blue matches my personality and I like to wear blue clothes…

　　#5: Avoid using “Big words”…. Often when talking with my students, I realized that you have spent many hours learning more and more words… Remember that in English many words have similar meanings, so do not try to use words that you have not used at least ten times and are really familiar with its alternative words that have similar meanings…. For example if you say “I observed the bus coming down the road” What other words can you use instead of “observe”? Try using a more commonly used word for observed like “saw”… Too often I watch the faces of my students searching for a bigger and better word, but they pause their talking and this takes away from your ability to be fluent….. You must know how to use the basic words first and then you can add bigger and better words to your speaking habit…

　　And lastly, I think that using “Chinglish” is better than not speaking at all….