Tips to improve your English - Part 4


14. DO NOT worry about

your accent. Focus on pronunciation.

If you are worrying about your accent... don’t! Accent is not important whatsoever. In fact, many people appreciate English spoken with different accents. It is really not important for any situation, formal or causal. Be proud of your accent! It only makes you more interesting and unique. You can have perfect English and a very strong accent at the same time. Instead, focus your attention on pronunciation. Correct pronunciation is very important, as without it you may be misunderstood.

15. Memorise topics to use as conversation starters

Sometimes the key to speaking is having something to talk about. Memorise a wide range of conversation topics, from music, weather, interests, and especially current events. This way you won’t be stuck trying to think of something to talk about.

16. Slang is overated

Some people feel they have to learn and use a lot of slang words in order to sound natural. This is not true. In fact, often it sounds uneducated or unnatural due to overuse and misuse of slang. Although you might hear a lot of slang in music and film, it is not used as often as you might think. Many native speakers never use slang at all. If you are not sure, use it with your close friends. And to be safe, never use it in formal situations.

17. Use It or Lose It

The most important thing is to keep practicing. There is an English expression that says “use it or lose it”. This basically means, if you don’t use your language skills, you will lose them. Think of it like a language muscle. If you use it, it will grow. If you don’t use it, it will shrink!