10 top tips for improving your spoken english

11. Get a good bilingual dictionary

A bilingual dictionary is your best friend while you’re learning English. However, beware that a lot of dictionaries out there have numerous mistakes and mistranslations. Do some research and spend a bit of extra money on the best dictionary you can find.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that a number of online translators and electronic dictionaries on smartphones can be quite poor. Teachers will find it very obvious if you simply put something through a translator – it’s normally literally translated which doesn’t always work.

12. Learn English idioms and phrasal verbs

There are a number of aspects of the English language that you’re not always going to find in an academic course book. Things like idioms and phrasal verbs are extremely common in everyday English conversations.
If you manage to learn these then you’ll find it much easier to talk and understand conversations with native speakers. Although this is not the kind of language you’re likely to use in an academic essay, it’s arguably just as important to you.

13. Write every day

Writing is a great way of using new vocabulary and getting your head around grammar. Try and write something every day using new words and grammar that you’ve learned. Even if it’s only a few sentences, it’s very important to get into the habit of doing this.
It’s also a good way of comparing your progress as you improve your knowledge of the English language. If you have access to English speaking friends or a teacher, you could ask them to look over your writing and give you some pointers.

14. Tell you teacher what you want to learn

If you’re learning English in a language school or getting private lessons, you might not always be learning what you want. However, it can be difficult for your teacher to know exactly what you want to learn unless you tell them. So if you think that they’re giving you too much writing and not enough pronunciation, for example, then you should tell them. They’ll be pleased with the feedback.