*The transition from reading the textbook English every day to speaking English like a native speaker is a tedious process. It is often said that whatever is learnt during childhood stays with a person for whole of his life and same is for language and accents. Most of the non-native English speakers would be expert users of English language but while speaking, they would definitely use their own accent. If you wish to make your conversation go easy with a native English speaker or you are curious to talk like them, then there are few steps, in addition to your regular practice and dedication, which would surely help you master English speaking like a native.

Awareness about the number of accents:

-As people of one clan are similar but do have individual differences, similarly the English speaking community speaks English but with their own accents. We come across North Americans, South Americans, Irish, Welsh, British, and Scottish etc. Every speaker speaks a different type of English. Hence, the first step should be to understand difference between these accents.

Purpose of learning:

-Before starting your English speaking practice process, realize the purpose of same. Someone might be learning it just as a hobby where as some else might get a dream job with it. Therefore, it is important to understand the main goal which will direct your efforts towards one side.

Master Pronunciation:

-Once you are aware of different accents and know the purpose of your learning, the next step is to know the correct pronunciation. Many words are spoken differently and many sounds are not there in our native language. They should be given special attention. One great way to learn the pronunciation is to imitate the native accent. Movies, TV Shows, web series and tutorial videos can help you know a great deal of pronunciation. In addition to this, there are other tutorials which explain lip and mouth movements which help in actually setting mouth position. At times, it seems to be a laborious process but a regular practice makes the base strong.

Pace/Flow of speech:

We might be experts of pronunciation but in real life conversation, we need to speak words in continuation. Hence is the important of having a good pace of speech. We should learn how to link words or leave words in continuation like that of native speakers. Let’s take few examples to understand this better.

A non-native speaker uses expressions like I’m instead of I am, he’s instead of He is, don’t instead of do not and so on. Similarly, few sounds are missed. E.g.‘t’ of next is missed by a native English speaker in the sentence – We should do something for the next generation. 

Mirror Practice:

Practice pronunciation and flow of English in front of mirror. It helps you analyze your performance as early as you can and boosts your confidence. You can also record your voice for a later reference and in detail analysis of the flow.

Learn slangs and phrases:

Slangs are expressions which are exclusive to a particular community and are used in everyday speech. E.g. – ‘gonna’, which means going to; ‘Gotcha’, which means got you, and so on. Being exposed to English environment like speaking with a native English speaker or watching more and more English serials, web series, TV Shows helps one learn them better.

New Cambridge College has been helping students strengthen their fluency in the language with these ways. Come and be a part of the course for a differentiated experience.