presentations Language

Language

Say what you are going to say,

Simplicity and Clarity

If you want your audience to understand your message, your language must be simple and clear.
Use short words and short sentences.
Do not use jargon, unless you are certain that your audience understands it.
In general, talk about concrete facts rather than abstract ideas.
Use active verbs instead of passive verbs. Active verbs are much easier to understand. They are much more powerful. Consider these two sentences, which say the same thing:

1. Toyota sold two million cars last year.
2. Two million cars were sold by Toyota last year.

Which is easier to understand? Which is more immediate? Which is more powerful? #1 is active and #2 is passive.

Signposting

When you drive on the roads, you know where you are on those roads. Each road has a name or number. Each town has a name. And each house has a number. If you are at house #100, you can go back to #50 or forward to #150. You can look at the signposts for directions. And you can look at your atlas for the structure of the roads in detail. In other words, it is easy to navigate the roads. You cannot get lost. But when you give a presentation, how can your audience know where they are? How can they know the structure of your presentation? How can they know what is coming next? They know because you tell them. Because you put up signposts for them, at the beginning and all along the route. This technique is called 'signposting' (or 'signalling').
During your introduction, you should tell your audience what the structure of your presentation will be. You might say something like this:

"I'll start by describing the current position in Europe. Then I'll move on to some of the achievements we've made in Asia. After that I'll consider the opportunities we see for further expansion in Africa. Lastly, I'll quickly recap before concluding with some recommendations."

A member of the audience can now visualize your presentation like this:

Introduction	Welcome Explanation of structure (now)
Body	Europe Asia Africa
Conclusion	Summing up Recommendations

He will keep this image in his head during the presentation. He may even write it down. And throughout your presentation, you will put up signposts telling him which point you have reached and where you are going now. When you finish Europe and want to start Asia, you might say:

"That's all I have to say about Europe. Let's turn now to Asia."

When you have finished Africa and want to sum up, you might say:

"Well, we've looked at the three continents Europe, Asia and Africa. I'd like to sum up now."

And when you finish summing up and want to give your recommendations, you might say:

"What does all this mean for us? Well, firstly I recommend..."

The table below lists useful expressions that you can use to signpost the various parts of your presentation.

Signposting
Function	Language
Introducing the subject	I'd like to start by... Let's begin by... First of all, I'll... Starting with... I'll begin by...
Finishing one subject...	Well, I've told you about... That's all I have to say about... We've looked at... So much for...
...and starting another	Now we'll move on to... Let me turn now to... Next... Turning to... I'd like now to discuss... Let's look now at...
Analysing a point and giving recommendations	Where does that lead us? Let's consider this in more detail... What does this mean for ABC? Translated into real terms...
Giving an example	For example,... A good example of this is... As an illustration,... To give you an example,... To illustrate this point...
Dealing with questions	We'll be examining this point in more detail later on... I'd like to deal with this question later, if I may... I'll come back to this question later in my talk... Perhaps you'd like to raise this point at the end... I won't comment on this now...
Summarising and concluding	In conclusion,... Right, let's sum up, shall we? I'd like now to recap... Let's summarise briefly what we've looked at... Finally, let me remind you of some of the issues we've covered... If I can just sum up the main points...
Ordering	Firstly...secondly...thirdly...lastly... First of all...then...next...after that...finally... To start with...later...to finish up...

---

That's all we have to say about the language of presentations. Next, we'll look in detail at the presentation itself and how we structure it...

presentation Review

In this seminar, you have learned:

• to allow plenty of time for preparation
• to ask the all-important question-words, why? who? where? when? how? and what?
• to structure your presentation into introduction, body, conclusion and questions
• to write notes based on keywords
• to rehearse your presentation several times and modify it as necessary
• to select the right equipment for the job
• to use equipment effectively
• to make use of clear, powerful visual aids that do not overload your audience
• to use clear, simple language, avoiding jargon
• to use active verbs and concrete facts
• to explain the structure of your presentation at the beginning so that your listeners know what to expect
• to link each section of your presentation
• to signpost your presentation from beginning to end so that your listeners know where they are
• to say what you are going to say, say it, and say what you have just said
• to overcome your nerves
• to establish audience rapport
• to be aware of your body language
• to understand cultural differences
• to control the quality of your voice
• to maintain interest by varying the speed, volume and pitch of your voice
• to deal with listeners' questions politely
• to respond to your audience positively

Topics for Conversation

• Easy Topics
• Today's News
• Daily English Lessons
• Articles and Topics for Discussion
• Speaking Tasks
• Current Topics
• Videos to Talk About
• For Your Information: Articles
• Topics for Speaking Practice
• Role Play Topics
• Simple Tasks for Practice
• Something to talk about
• Phrases for Conversation
• Situations for Conversation
• Conversation Questions for the ESL/EFL Classroom (from I-TESL Journal)
• Conversation Topics (from International Center)
• Talking Topics
• Conversation Topics (from Conversation Exchange
• English Conversation Partners

Business Presentations & Public Speaking in English

A presentation is a formal talk to one or more people that "presents" ideas or information in a clear, structured way. People are sometimes afraid of speaking in public, but if you follow a few simple rules, giving a presentation is actually very easy. This tutorial guides you through each stage of giving a presentation in English, from the initial preparation to the conclusion and questions and answers. This tutorial is itself set out like a mini-presentation. You can follow it logically by starting at the Introduction and then clicking on the link at the foot of each page, or you can jump direct to the section you want from the list of contents on each page. "Well Done!!!! All the basics, in an easy to use, easy to follow format! Finally, my students have some high quality, free material to use!"

Self-Assessment Test

Are the following statements True or False?

1. An OHP is for the display of 35mm slides.
True
False
2. A document distributed to an audience is called a 'handout'.
True
False
3. There are only two ways in which we can modulate our voice.
True
False
4. Eighty percent of the information that we absorb is absorbed visually.
True
False
5. A barchart can be horizontal or vertical.
True
False
6. Active verbs are more powerful than passive verbs.
True
False
7. Signposting is a technique used only during the introduction of a presentation.
True
False
8. 'To rehearse' means 'to write'.
True
False
9. It is important to give as much information on a graphic as possible.
True
False
10. Indelible markers are intended for use with flipcharts, not whiteboards.
True
False

Your score is:

Did you score 100%?

The Presentation

...say it,

Most presentations are divided into 3 main parts (+ questions):

1	INTRODUCTION	(Questions)
2	BODY
3	CONCLUSION
	Questions

As a general rule in communication, repetition is valuable. In presentations, there is a golden rule about repetition:

1. Say what you are going to say,
2. say it,
3. then say what you have just said.

In other words, use the three parts of your presentation to reinforce your message. In the introduction, you tell your audience what your message is going to be. In the body, you tell your audience your real message. In the conclusion, you summarize what your message was.
We will now consider each of these parts in more detail.

Introduction

The introduction is a very important - perhaps the most important - part of your presentation. This is the first impression that your audience have of you. You should concentrate on getting your introduction right. You should use the introduction to:

1. welcome your audience
2. introduce your subject
3. outline the structure of your presentation
4. give instructions about questions

The following table shows examples of language for each of these functions. You may need to modify the language as appropriate.

Function	Possible language
1 Welcoming your audience	Good morning, ladies and gentlemen Good morning, gentlemen Good afternoon, ladies and gentleman Good afternoon, everybody
2 Introducing your subject	I am going to talk today about... The purpose of my presentation is to introduce our new range of...
3 Outlining your structure	To start with I'll describe the progress made this year. Then I'll mention some of the problems we've encountered and how we overcame them. After that I'll consider the possibilities for further growth next year. Finally, I'll summarize my presentation (before concluding with some recommendations).
4 Giving instructions about questions	Do feel free to interrupt me if you have any questions. I'll try to answer all of your questions after the presentation. I plan to keep some time for questions after the presentation.

Body

The body is the 'real' presentation. If the introduction was well prepared and delivered, you will now be 'in control'. You will be relaxed and confident.
The body should be well structured, divided up logically, with plenty of carefully spaced visuals.
Remember these key points while delivering the body of your presentation:

• do not hurry
• be enthusiastic
• give time on visuals
• maintain eye contact
• modulate your voice
• look friendly
• keep to your structure
• use your notes
• signpost throughout
• remain polite when dealing with difficult questions

Conclusion

Use the conclusion to:

1. Sum up
2. (Give recommendations if appropriate)
3. Thank your audience
4. Invite questions

The following table shows examples of language for each of these functions. You may need to modify the language as appropriate.

Function	Possible language
1 Summing up	To conclude,... In conclusion,... Now, to sum up... So let me summarise/recap what I've said. Finally, may I remind you of some of the main points we've considered.
2 Giving recommendations	In conclusion, my recommendations are... I therefore suggest/propose/recommend the following strategy.
3 Thanking your audience	Many thanks for your attention. May I thank you all for being such an attentive audience.
4 Inviting questions	Now I'll try to answer any questions you may have. Can I answer any questions? Are there any questions? Do you have any questions? Are there any final questions?

Questions

Questions are a good opportunity for you to interact with your audience. It may be helpful for you to try to predict what questions will be asked so that you can prepare your response in advance. You may wish to accept questions at any time during your presentation, or to keep a time for questions after your presentation. Normally, it's your decision, and you should make it clear during the introduction. Be polite with all questioners, even if they ask difficult questions. They are showing interest in what you have to say and they deserve attention. Sometimes you can reformulate a question. Or answer the question with another question. Or even ask for comment from the rest of the audience.

presentation Delivery

Delivery

'Delivery' refers to the way in which you actually deliver or perform or give your presentation. Delivery is a vital aspect of all presentations. Delivery is at least as important as content, especially in a multi-cultural context.

Nerves

Most speakers are a little nervous at the beginning of a presentation. So it is normal if you are nervous. The answer is to pay special attention to the beginning of your presentation. First impressions count. This is the time when you establish a rapport with your audience. During this time, try to speak slowly and calmly. You should perhaps learn your introduction by heart. After a few moments, you will relax and gain confidence.

Audience Rapport

You need to build a warm and friendly relationship with your audience. Enthusiasm is contagious. If you are enthusiastic your audience will be enthusiastic too. And be careful to establish eye contact with each member of your audience. Each person should feel that you are speaking directly to him or her. This means that you must look at each person in turn - in as natural a way as possible. This will also give you the opportunity to detect signs of boredom, disinterest or even disagreement, allowing you to modify your presentation as appropriate.

Your objective is to communicate!

Body Language

What you do not say is at least as important as what you do say. Your body is speaking to your audience even before you open your mouth. Your clothes, your walk, your glasses, your haircut, your expression - it is from these that your audience forms its first impression as you enter the room. Generally speaking, it is better to stand rather than sit when making a presentation. Be aware of and avoid any repetitive and irritating gestures. Be aware, too, that the movement of your body is one of your methods of control. When you move to or from the whiteboard, for example, you can move fast or slowly, raising or reducing the dynamism within the audience. You can stand very still while talking or you can stroll from side to side. What effect do you think these two different approaches would have on an audience?

Cultural Considerations

Because English is so widely used around the world, it is quite possible that many members of your audience will not be native English-speakers. In other words, they will not have an Anglo-Saxon culture. Even within the Anglo-Saxon world, there are many differences in culture. If we hypothetically imagine a German working for an Israeli company making a presentation in English to a Japanese audience in Korea, we can see that there are even more possibilities for cultural misunderstanding. You should try to learn about any particular cultural matters that may affect your audience. This is one reason why preparation for your presentation is so important. Cultural differences can also be seen in body language, which we have just discussed. To a Latin from Southern France or Italy, a presenter who uses his hands and arms when speaking may seem dynamic and friendly. To an Englishman, the same presenter may seem unsure of his words and lacking in self-confidence.

Voice quality

It is, of course, important that your audience be able to hear you clearly throughout your presentation. Remember that if you turn away from your audience, for example towards the whiteboard, you need to speak a little more loudly. In general, you should try to vary your voice. Your voice will then be more interesting for your audience. You can vary your voice in at least three ways:

• speed: you can speak at normal speed, you can speak faster, you can speak more slowly - and you can stop completely! You can pause. This is a very good technique for gaining your audience's attention.
• intonation: you can change the pitch of your voice. You can speak in a high tone. You can speak in a low tone.
• volume: you can speak at normal volume, you can speak loudly and you can speak quietly. Lowering your voice and speaking quietly can again attract your audience's interest.

The important point is not to speak in the same, flat, monotonous voice throughout your presentation - this is the voice that hypnotists use to put their patients' into trance!

Visual aids

Of all the information that enters our brains, the vast majority of it enters through the eyes. 80% of what your audience learn during your presentation is learned visually (what they see) and only 20% is learned aurally (what they hear). The significance of this is obvious:

• visual aids are an extremely effective means of communication
• non-native English speakers need not worry so much about spoken English - they can rely more heavily on visual aids

It is well worth spending time in the creation of good visual aids. But it is equally important not to overload your audience's brains. Keep the information on each visual aid to a minimum - and give your audience time to look at and absorb this information. Remember, your audience have never seen these visual aids before. They need time to study and to understand them. Without understanding there is no communication.
Apart from photographs and drawings, some of the most useful visual aids are charts and graphs, like the 3-dimensional ones shown here:

Piecharts are circular in shape (like a pie).

Barcharts can be vertical (as here) or horizontal.

Graphs can rise and fall.

Audience Reaction

Remain calm and polite if you receive difficult or even hostile questions during your presentation. If you receive particularly awkward questions, you might suggest that the questioners ask their questions after your presentation.

pesentation Introduction

Introduction

All presentations have a common objective. People give presentations because they want to communicate in order to:

• inform
• train
• persuade
• sell

A successful presentation is one of the most effective ways of communicating your message. And because English is so widely used in international business, a working knowledge of the vocabulary and techniques used in an English language presentation is a valuable asset.
We will start by exploring

the importance of preparation.

After that, we will consider

what equipment to use.

Then we will look at

how to "deliver" a presentation.

After delivery, we will examine

the language of presentations,

before moving on to

the presentation itself.

Finally, we will conclude with

a review of what we have covered.

Afterwards, you will be invited to

take a test and ask questions.

presentations Equipment

Equipment

Easily your most important piece of equipment is...YOU! Make sure you're in full working order, and check your personal presentation carefully - if you don't, your audience will!

---

The overhead projector (OHP) displays overhead transparencies (OHTs or OHPTs). It has several advantages over the 35mm slide projector: it can be used in daylight the user can face the audience the user can write or draw directly on the transparency while in use

 

The whiteboard (more rarely blackboard or greenboard) is a useful device for spontaneous writing - as in brainstorming, for example. For prepared material, the OHP might be more suitable.

 

The duster is used for cleaning the whiteboard. It is essential that the duster be clean to start with. You may consider carrying your own duster just in case.

 

Markers are used for writing on the whiteboard (delible - you can remove the ink) or flipchart (indelible - you cannot remove the ink). They are usually available in blue, red, black and green. Again, it's a good idea to carry a spare set of markers in case you are given some used ones which do not write well.

 

"A good workman never blames his tools."

 

The flipchart consists of several leaves of paper that you 'flip' or turn over. Some people prefer the flipchart to the whiteboard, but its use is limited to smaller presentations.

 

The Slide projector - which must be used in a darkened room - adds a certain drama. Some slide projectors can be synchronised with audio for audio-visual (AV) presentations. These projectors are typically used for larger presentations. The majority take 35mm slides or transparencies (as seen here), but projectors for 6x6cm slides are also available.

 

Transparencies are projected by an overhead projector or a slide projector onto a screen - in this case a folding screen which can be packed up and transported.

 

The notebook computer is increasingly being used to display graphics during presentations. It is often used in conjunction with an overhead projector, which actually projects the image from the computer screen onto the wall screen.

 Handouts are any documents or samples that you 'hand out' or distribute to your audience. Note that it is not usually a good idea to distribute handouts before your presentation. The audience will read the handouts instead of listening to you

Can you name the 3 most important things when giving any presentation?

Preparation

Can you name the 3 most important things when giving any presentation?
Number 1 is . . . Preparation
Number 2 is . . . Preparation!
Number 3 is . . . Preparation!!

Preparation is everything!

With good preparation and planning you will be totally confident and less nervous. And your audience will feel your confidence. Your audience, too, will be confident. They will be confident in you. And this will give you control. Control of your audience and of your presentation. With control, you will be 'in charge' and your audience will listen positively to your message.

Objective

Before you start to prepare a presentation, you should ask yourself: "Why am I making this presentation?" Do you need to inform, to persuade, to train or to sell? Your objective should be clear in your mind. If it is not clear in your mind, it cannot possibly be clear to your audience.

Audience

"Who am I making this presentation to?" Sometimes this will be obvious, but not always. You should try to inform yourself. How many people? Who are they? Business people? Professional people? Political people? Experts or non-experts? Will it be a small, intimate group of 4 colleagues or a large gathering of 400 competitors? How much do they know already and what will they expect from you?

Venue

"Where am I making this presentation?" In a small hotel meeting-room or a large conference hall? What facilities and equipment are available? What are the seating arrangements?

Time and length

"When am I making this presentation and how long will it be?" Will it be 5 minutes or 1 hour? Just before lunch, when your audience will be hungry, or just after lunch, when your audience will be sleepy?

Method

How should I make this presentation?" What approach should you use? Formal or informal? Lots of visual aids or only a few? Will you include some anecdotes and humour for variety?

Content

"What should I say?" Now you must decide exactly what you want to say. First, you should brainstorm your ideas. You will no doubt discover many ideas that you want to include in your presentation. But you must be selective. You should include only information that is relevant to your audience and your objective. You should exclude all other ideas. You also need to create a title for your presentation (if you have not already been given a title). The title will help you to focus on the subject. And you will prepare your visual aids, if you have decided to use them. But remember, in general, less is better than more (a little is better than a lot). You can always give additional information during the questions after the presentation.

Structure

A well organised presentation with a clear structure is easier for the audience to follow. It is therefore more effective. You should organise the points you wish to make in a logical order. Most presentations are organised in three parts, followed by questions:

Beginning	Short introduction	welcome your audience introduce your subject explain the structure of your presentation explain rules for questions
Middle	Body of presentation	present the subject itself
End	Short conclusion	summarise your presentation thank your audience invite questions
Questions and Answers

Notes

When you give your presentation, you should be - or appear to be - as spontaneous as possible. You should not read your presentation! You should be so familiar with your subject and with the information that you want to deliver that you do not need to read a text. Reading a text is boring! Reading a text will make your audience go to sleep! So if you don't have a text to read, how can you remember to say everything you need to say? With notes. You can create your own system of notes. Some people make notes on small, A6 cards. Some people write down just the title of each section of their talk. Some people write down keywords to remind them. The notes will give you confidence, but because you will have prepared your presentation fully, you may not even need them!

Rehearsal

Rehearsal is a vital part of preparation. You should leave time to practise your presentation two or three times. This will have the following benefits:

• you will become more familiar with what you want to say
• you will identify weaknesses in your presentation
• you will be able to practise difficult pronunciations
• you will be able to check the time that your presentation takes and make any necessary modifications

So prepare, prepare, prepare! Prepare everything: words, visual aids, timing, equipment. Rehearse your presentation several times and time it. Is it the right length? Are you completely familiar with all your illustrations? Are they in the right order? Do you know who the audience is? How many people? How will you answer difficult questions? Do you know the room? Are you confident about the equipment? When you have answered all these questions, you will be a confident, enthusiastic presenter ready to communicate the subject of your presentation to an eager audience.

How to Improve Spoken English?

Improve Spoken English

Good English speaking skills are required in every aspect of our lives. We all know that English is the language that unifies the world, as it is the language known to maximum number of individuals around the globe. Today if we want a decent job, want to impress a girl, or desire respect in society, everything circles to our speaking skills.

Case Studies

• Case 1

Amar was asked to present a seminar on "Communication Skills" in front of the entire class. Amar prepared for it by heart, and on the given date started to present his seminar but strangely he was unable to speak even the starting sentence. He was heavily embarrassed and the frustration was clear from his face.

• Case 2

Vaseem is an MBA aspirant. He cleared his MBA exam, and appeared for his Group Discussion session activity. The topic given to the group was "How to Improve Spoken English".

Vaseem found the topic to be easy and knew much information about it. But still when the group discussion started, he was unable to speak a single word. Whenever he tried to speak anything, he was worried with the fact that is my English correct?, will the group laugh at me?, would I be rejected?. The embarrassment caused was too heavy for him to bear and he dropped his plans for doing MBA.

• Case 3

Akshit was invited to his girl friend Ritu's birthday party. He went there with a costly gift to make a good impression. There Ritu introduced him to his parents in English. Her parents asked Akshit about what he does and his hobbies. Akshit started to reply in English, but found himself struggling with words. Slowly he changed to his native language and his entire conversation was a mix of native language and English. Akshit was aware that he is creating a very bad impression by mixing the languages and his inability to speak in English is very clear. This led to further frustration and shattering of his self confidence.

There are multiple scenarios like the ones discussed above that we face in our daily lives. The pinching thing is the embarrassment that we face in public due to poor communication skills. There are many students who choose ESL as compared to any other language. There is a very strong reason for choosing ESL as it is the single most global language across the world. If a person is good in English, then multiple opportunities across the world are open for him.

Good Spoken English is so important, but still very few people possess this skill. There are multiple reasons for issues with communication skills in English.

The most common issues with Speaking in English are mentioned below:-

• Poor Vocabulary:- We need a decent vocabulary for conversation. If the vocabulary is limited, then we use the same words again and again. Also we find our self struggling with words. A good vocabulary helps the speaker to use multiple words for conveying the same message. Also it helps to understand what the other person is speaking, and we are able to respond to it properly.

• Lack of Spoken English skills:- Oral Communication skills are one of the most desired things in the world. Building good Communication skills require persistent hard work and the right direction to proceed. This article discusses multitude of tips and techniques to improve spoken English. Choose the ones most comfortable to you, and do practice them consistently.

• Lack of practice:- Even knowing the right path to proceed is not enough, you need to make efforts to reach your destination. Similarly having good English material and knowing how to improve communication is not enough, you have to practice it consistently.

• Unable to stay calm:- One of the most common reasons of disaster in Oral communication is anxiety. Most of the people get over anxious when asked to speak in front of many people. The key is to remain calm, and treat it like a normal conversation. The more you believe that speaking in front of a crowd is difficult, the more difficult it will be.

• Lack of preparation:- Many times we are not prepared on what to speak. Like when asked to give a Seminar on some topic, and we are missing the starting sentence to start with. This happens when we have not practiced or given considerable though to the topic. If we have free flowing thoughts and ideas, then conversation becomes a lot easier.

• Unable to handle being focus of Attention:- When we are supposed to make a public speech, we are the focus of attention of many people. Just imagine how the television hosts and anchors speak effortlessly in front of the entire media. This requires a lot of courage. The key is to handle the anxiety and fear of facing many people. Just take it as a normal conversation, and all will be fine.

• Issue of reputation getting damaged:- It happens that when we are unable to speak clearly and fluently or even make mistakes in basic sentences, then people laugh at us. This damages our reputation in our own eyes. This is one of the biggest fear which needs to be conquered. Our self respect is so high that we are unable to handle the shame of making mistakes while speaking in English.

• Memory loss while speaking in English:- When we are over anxious in speaking, then our memory also vanishes. We forget the basic lines that we had learn by heart. This happens a lot of time to many people. Stay calm, and tell your brains that it's OK to converse normally. If you can handle your anxiety, then the effect of memory loss is very much minimized.

• People will laugh at me:- That's what I used to think, when my communication skills were poor. Many times it happen, that my teacher asked us a question. I knew the answer but kept quiet, just fearing that I will not be able to communicate my thought properly in English and people will laugh at me. The improvement came when I decided that let the world go to hell. I am the best and I will speak my heart out. Try to imbibe this feeling in yourself, it helps to gather courage and makes you bold enough to face the world.

• Unable to express ideas:- This is another factor which is a major block in our paths of improvement. Many times it happens that we knew what need to be said, but are unable to express it in words. This leads to further frustration, as we knew that the listener is not able to understand our words.

• Unable to understand others:- In a communication, we need to interact equally with others. To converse properly we need to understand what the others are saying, and then respond to them. But if we have poor vocabulary, or are unable to understand what others are saying, then there is no way by which we can respond to them correctly.

The issues discussed above are the most common problems faced by individuals while speaking. The main idea is to identify your weak points and then work on them. We cannot correct a fault until we are aware of it. So just make a note of points which are crucial to you, so that you can proceed with the below tips accordingly.

There are multiple ways to Improve Spoken English. The most effective way is the one for which you are comfortable with. So make a note of key tips that you can incorporate in your daily schedule, so as to achieve the maximum improvement in your Oral Communication skills in English.

Tips to Improve Spoken English

• Speak in English:- If you want to learn something, then you have to do it. You cannot learn a car by reading a book, you have to drive it yourself. Similarly you cannot become a master of great speaking ability in English just by reading something, you have to practice it consistently. Speak in English whenever and wherever you get a chance. Try to indulge in conversation with parents and friends in English.

• Speak Confidently:- Confidence is something that comes by practice. Many times our weaknesses are hidden by our confidence. Try to speak with confidence in English. It conveys the idea that you are very much familiar with the topic and can converse easily on it. Small fumbling in words are usually ignored in this case by the listener. The driving factor is our confidence. It's equivalent to saying that "Believe in yourself, if you want others to believe in you".

• Are you fluent or are you accurate?:- Fluency and accuracy are the reverse of each other. It is like driving a car, the faster you drive, the more is the chance of an accident. Similarly if you think and then speak, then you would be more accurate and avoid accidents. On the other-hand speaking fluently demands a very high free flow of ideas in your mind, and chances are high that you can fumble in between. Good fluency comes by practice. Try to be fluent while maintaining accuracy. If you feel that accuracy is getting compromised, then start speaking a bit slowly.

• Use a dictionary:- Dictionary is your best companion, always keep one in your pocket. Whenever you encounter any new word, just make a note of it. Moreover the dictionary contains the phonemes before the meaning of the word. these phonemes are the way to pronounce the word correctly. This will help in getting the right pronunciation as well as meaning of words. It is an immense boost to your vocabulary also.

• Choose the right words:- In communication, choice of correct words is essential. If you want to express some idea, then choosing a limited right words can convey the meaning much more effectively. Many times people use too many words and sentences to describe even a small topic. This is not a good practice. Try to speak correctly and to the point. This makes a great impression on the listener, and he can understand the information in much less words. Many sentences can often lead to confusion.

• Don't be afraid to make mistakes:- Can a child learn to walk without falling? And if the child is afraid of falling, then can he ever learn to walk? The point is clear that you cannot learn something without making mistakes. Learn from a child, he falls so many times, but every-time he gets up and starts again. This is called true dedication. We all have it, since we all had learned to walk the same way. So where is this dedication right now? Gather your courage, don't be afraid to make mistakes. Learn from your mistakes and improve yourself.

• Talk to yourself in English:- Talking to yourself is one of the most effective way of improving spoken English. This is one exercise that I still do today. There are many advantages of this. First you do not need any one to talk, so no issues of anyone laughing at your mistakes. Second you can practice at any time as per your comfort. I talk a lot at night, as I discuss my thoughts with myself in English. Third is that you start to think in English, this is the most important advantage of this activity. When we think in English, then we are able to communicate better since we need not translate it to our native languages every-time.

• Make a sentence from any word you learn:- Try to make a sentence from any word that you find as new or difficult. This helps in better remembering the word. When you make a sentence, then actually your brain works to think over the meaning of that word and how it fits into a sentence. You also get accustomed to using new words into sentences.

• Record your voice and listen again:- Now this one is an interesting tip to improve spoken English. It requires you to record your voice using any tape recorder or even a mobile, and then listen to it again. When first time I tried this activity, I was shocked, I never knew that I sound so unclear. This is like a feedback to you, so as to judge your voice yourself. It's like a closed loop system, where you give the output, take some part of it back and use that feedback to correct yourself for further output. A very effective way to analyze yourself from time to time.

• Avoid using same words again and again:- Using same words again and again makes the listener think that you don't have a good vocabulary and that you are not good in spoken skills. Try to vary words among sentences. This helps to keep the listener involved and interested. I hope you all must be having televisions in your home. Just have a look at the news channel when they show the flashy "Breaking News". There they repeat the same news for more that an hour showing the same video clipping, but always use different words to express the opinion. This variation of words is the key factor which involves the listener.

• Involve the listener by asking questions in between:- A communication is always two sided. If you are giving a seminar or presentation or even talking to someone, keep asking small questions to them. This ensures that they are paying attention to what you are saying, secondly this also insures that they are interested in your speech or not. The listeners are automatically involved in the communication process and the session becomes more lively.

• Be a good listener:- If you want to be a good speaker then listening is very important. Have you ever though that why is it that all people who are deaf by birth are also dumb, though the reverse is not true. It is simply because if a person is deaf by birth, then he has not listened to any voice since he was born. Ultimately his brain did not know what sound is, and is therefore unable to speak. For speaking we must be aware of the correct sounds, phonemes and pronunciation of words. Being a good listener helps us to attain this. It has many other advantages like, it encourages the other person to converse more. It is also a sign that you are interested in what the other person is saying.

• Don't use accent, just sound natural:- Many movies show there stars using some or the other accent. In practical life this sounds really bad. Don't spoil your voice by putting any unnecessary accent. Just try to remain natural. Natural speech and sound is the best form to communicate.

• Speak Slowly:- Have you ever noticed that most of the politicians speak slowly, and yet they are very powerful speakers. Speaking slowly gives the listener time to understand what you have said, so he is better prepared for the coming words and can relate to them. Moreover speaking slowly gives you time to think over your own words. You get extra time to properly rephrase your sentence so as to make the best impact. The choice of words is usually much better when we speak slowly.

• Stress on punctuations:- Punctuations can change the meaning of sentences. Many people speak sentences in a flow, and they don't even bother to stress the correct punctuations. The listener usually gets a confused or wrong information in this case. These scenarios could be avoided by giving due respect to the punctuations. Just have look at the example below:-

•     The gangster dropped the bullet in his head.

•     The gangster dropped, the bullet in his head.

• Pronounce the beginning and ending of words correctly:- It is a crucial tip for English communication. If you speak the starting and ending of any word correctly, then your words will be very clear to the listener. Most of the time we speak the starting of the word correctly, but jumps over the ending part of the word. This make the pronunciation a bit tricky and the listener is unable to clearly understand our words. Just notice that how the good speakers pronounce each and every word so clearly. It is this beauty of clarity that makes them excellent orators.

• Think in English:- This is the basic rule to converse in English. Thinking in English helps to avoid translating thoughts from native language to English and vice verse while communicating. Our thoughts must come in English just as they come in our native language. It is in fact the most important tip of all the tips mentioned. The best part is that we listen think and then speak. If the listening and speaking are in English, then thinking in native language requires translation. This slows the communication process, and forces us to fill gap words like "hmmmmm", "errrrr", etc. If the thinking process is also in English then the complete cycle is in English and in fact is very fast.

• listen--------------->think--------------->speak

• Read newspaper loudly:- Reading of English newspapers helps improve grammar and vocabulary, but reading them loudly helps in improving spoken English. The aim is to stretch our mouth muscles so they get used to speaking English words. Moreover our mind gets trained that yes we can speak these words with confidence.

• Keep checking Internet for more information:- Keep checking online for more information and material on the internet. It might happen that you are able to get some good audios, or tutorials to Improve Spoken English. Most of the material online is free, so no need to pay for anything. Just practice at the leisure of your home, but be consistent.

• How to improve vocabulary:- Vocabulary plays a vital role in any communication. A limited or small vocabulary forces the speaker to use the same words again and again. A good vocabulary helps the orator to vary the words among sentences so as to keep the listener interested. Building vocabulary is a bit hard. The way I had improved my vocabulary is discussed in detail in this article. Just check the link for more information on it. I actually used the Brute Force approach, that is to learn an entire dictionary by heart. I managed this by picking a small dictionary of around 2000 words. Regular practice and consistency helped me improve my vocabulary massively. Later a time came when my friends used to refer me for any word they encounter. They started calling me human dictionary. The respect you get after any achievement is enough to keep you motivated.

• Join a personality development program:- PDP or personality development programs are very common in almost every city. Consider joining them if you need a class of learners and teacher's guidance. PDP courses help in grooming the overall personality including spoken skills. These programs work on confidence building, how to present yourself, oral communication, etc. So overall they provide good service for the money that you pay to them. You may check in your area for a reputed course provider.

• Listen English Songs:- English songs are a great source of good English audios. Do listen to English songs for getting more and more accustomed to the way English words are pronounced. The more songs you listen and understand the lines, the better would be your understanding of the language. Try to get the lyrics of songs also, so that you can understand any word in case of discrepancy.

• Sing English songs loudly:-  Singing songs is a pass time that we do occasionally. It is so natural that most of the time we don't even know that we are singing songs. We may utilize this pass time to improve our communication. Try singing English songs loudly. One activity multiple advantages. For singing you must know the song. Knowing the song implies that you are able to pronounce the words in the sentences of that song. It automatically implies a clear understanding of the song. Singling it loudly is again a brain tuning exercise by which we help our brains gain confidence in speaking English words and sentences.

• Grammar is important:- While speaking in English, sometimes grammar can be avoided. But if you want to make a real good impression, then work on your grammar. Grammar is very important for written communication, and should be correctly used while speaking. Poor grammar depicts poor usage of the language and magnifies your weakness in the language. Get a good English grammar book. We used to study from "Wren and Martin for English Grammar". You may get anyone that suits you. Remember that no one can learn all the grammar rules by heart. Just try to gain a comfort level so that you do not face issues in normal conversations.

• Watch English Movies:- If you like to watch movies, then you will like this tip. Get some good English DVD's with English subtitles. Play the movie along with friends or family. Keep a tab on the subtitles and how the actors pronounce them. It helps us to get the right pronunciation of words and also there usage in sentences.

• Watch English channels on television:- English channels like Discovery, National Geographic, Star World, BBC, etc. are good sources of English conversation. Particularly I like the way the speakers communicate in the Discovery channel. There voice is very clear. They speak slowly so that we get enough time to understand, and also they use very good English to communicate. On the other hand BBC is more likely for advanced users. The speaks on BBC are very fluent in English. Television is a great source, utilize it.

• Read a lot of English material:- Read as much you can in English. Try English magazines, novels, comics newspaper anything that draws your interest. The more we read in English, the better our grammar, vocabulary and thinking process in English becomes. The more we read, the more we think over it. Try to understand and read, don't just read for the sake of reading. The meaning of words and sentences must be clear, otherwise this exercise will be wasted.

• Write a diary:- A very nice way to build thinking in English capability is to start writing a diary. Just start a diary and write down all the thoughts that come to your mind. The topic is not important, but you must think in English only. Initially the process will be slow, but slowly it catches speed and you will be able to think much faster in English.

• Don't be shy to ask for help:- I heard somewhere that asking for help is a sign of strength and not weakness. A person needs courage to ask for help, and only the strong are able to ask someone for help. The weak ones are too shy to come forward. So don't be shy to ask for help. Almost everyone will come forward to help you. Our teachers, parents and friends all care for us, and they do help us whenever we ask them for.

• Do not translate while speaking:- Translation slows the communication. We have a habit of translating everything from English to our native language. The earlier we get rid of this habit, the better it is for us. Avoid translating while speaking as this creates a very bad impression on the other person. It becomes clear to the other person that you are translating and then replying, it implies that you are not good in spoken English.

• Watch English Programs on TV:- Television is a great source of help for Oral communication improvement. There are multiple English programs coming round the clock. I used to watch "Mind Your Language", "Friends", etc. All these programs are a great source of quality English audios and videos, and you get them for almost free(just the amount of cable fee). Utilize these resources to your advantage and try to understand what the speakers are saying, how they pronounce sentences and words.

• Avoid bluffing sites and material:- Internet is vast and deep. You will get plenty of material online. Don't be bluffed with sites that show you conversation between two people and claim that your spoken English will be improved by this. It's as simple as telling someone who wants to learn car driving to read a car manual to learn how to drive it. You need to listen proper English for getting proper pronunciation. These bluffing sites can hamper your growth process as they misdirect the learning process. Get a hold of some good English audios and videos, enjoy them with your family.

• Test yourself from time to time:- It's hard to test our-self, but is very essential to analyze our-self. Participate in English quizzes, Seminars, presentations whenever possible. Take these challenges and they will show you your confidence level in speaking. If you are still scared in giving a presentation in English, it means that your confidence level is low and needs to be improved. Try some exercise like borrow money from someone in English. Borrowing money requires good communication and convincing skills. Just try it with your friends or parents and see the results yourself.

• Don't expect to see results instantaneously:- It will take some time for the improvements to show in your speech. Don't expect to become a great speaker by the end of 3rd day. It's a long process and requires continuous efforts. Many people start the improvement activity for English communication with full force, but their energy levels are gone by the end of 2nd or 3rd day. Be consistent, and allow your English to improve. A baby also takes time to grow up, you don't expect it to start going to office when it is one year old. Everything need time to improve and grow. Allow the spoken English skills to grow inside you.

• Use Divide and rule approach:- Don't burden yourself with too heavy targets. Make realistic goals which you can achieve in some time duration. Divide the time for the sub-tasks involved in achieving your goal. The key is to make a large task appear small, by dividing it into small and easy tasks. Take one step at a time, don't try to run in the beginning.

• Enjoy whatever you do:- Try to enjoy the learning process. If you take it as a burden, then it will be a very boring activity for you. Make it your passion, and you will automatically become a very fluent English speaker. You like to play games, then you will be a good gamer. You like to cook food, the you will be a good chef. You like to improve your spoken English, then you will definitely be a good speaker.

• Be consistent:- I kept this tip last, because this is the baseline of Improving Spoken English skills. Try to be consistent in the learning process. We need food daily for our stomach and body. The learning process is the food for our brains. Maintain consistency to get the best results from your brain.

Choose the tips that you feel best suits your needs. Do post comments in case you want to make any suggestion or addition.

Discussed below is some material to Improve Spoken English. You may utilize this material and many more materials online to your advantage. I will be further expanding the material section to provide more relevant and meaningful content for the learners.

Material to Improve spoken English

• Spoken English Games are great source to enjoy the learning process while playing games.

• Spoken English Exercises helps to gear up the students practice some exercises to improve there communication skills in English.

• Spoken English Exercises for Children are simple activities designed for small kids. These activities are very simple and kids usually enjoy doing them.

• Spoken English Courses is an under-process list of curse providers in various cities and locations. If you are also a course provider, then check this link and enter your details in the comments section. I will publish the details city wise later in this blog.

All the material provided in this site is absolutely free. Moreover this blog does not allow me to post pdf files. I am working on an ebook on How to Improve Spoken English, and I plan to post it in a pdf format on one of my domains. I hope the material presented in this blog and my upcoming pdf ebook are useful in helping my readers gain higher levels of fluency and better communication skills in English.

There are many advanced areas in which you may like to foray like building strong communication skills, how to speak fluently, etc. This section is designed to cater to this need. All the advanced topics relating to communication and fluency are discussed here.

British and American terms

British English	American English
accommodation	accommodations
action replay	instant replay
aerofoil	airfoil
aeroplane	airplane
agony aunt	advice columnist
Allen key	Allen wrench
aluminium	aluminum
aniseed	anise
anticlockwise	counterclockwise
articulated lorry	tractor-trailer
asymmetric bars	uneven bars
aubergine	eggplant
baking tray	cookie sheet
bank holiday	legal holiday
beetroot	beet(s)
bill	check
biscuit	cookie; cracker
black economy	underground economy
blanket bath	sponge bath
blind	(window) shade
block of flats	apartment building
boiler suit	coveralls
bonnet (of a car)	hood
boob tube	tube top
boot (of a car)	trunk
bottom drawer	hope chest
bowls	lawn bowling
braces	suspenders
brawn (the food)	headcheese
breakdown van	tow truck
breeze block	cinder block
bridging loan	bridge loan
bumbag	fanny pack
candyfloss	cotton candy
car park	parking lot
casualty	emergency room
catapult	slingshot
central reservation	median strip
chemist	drugstore
chips	French fries
cinema	movie theater; the movies
cling film	plastic wrap
common seal	harbor seal
consumer durables	durable goods
cornflour	cornstarch
cos (lettuce)	Romaine
cot	crib
cot death	crib death
cotton bud	cotton swab
cotton wool	absorbent cotton
council estate	(housing) project
courgette	zucchini
court card	face card
crash barrier	guardrail
crisps	chips; potato chips
crocodile clip	alligator clip
cross-ply	bias-ply
crotchet (music)	quarter note
current account	checking account
danger money	hazard pay
demister (in a car)	defroster
dialling tone	dial tone
diamante	rhinestone
double cream	heavy cream
draughts (game)	checkers
drawing pin	thumbtack
dressing gown	robe; bathrobe
drink-driving	drunk driving
drinks cupboard	liquor cabinet
drinks party	cocktail party
driving licence	driver’s license
dual carriageway	divided highway
dummy (for a baby)	pacifier
dust sheet	drop cloth
dustbin	garbage can
earth (electrical)	ground
engaged (of a phone)	busy
estate agent	real estate agent, realtor (trademark)
estate car	station wagon
ex-directory	unlisted
faith school	parochial school
financial year	fiscal year
fire brigade/service	fire company/department
first floor	second floor
fish finger	fish stick
fitted carpet	wall-to-wall carpeting
flannel	washcloth
flat	apartment
flexitime	flextime
flick knife	switchblade
flyover	overpass
football	soccer
footway	sidewalk
fringe (hair)	bangs
full board (in hotels)	American plan
full stop (punctuation)	period
garden	yard; lawn
gearing (finance)	leverage
gear lever	gearshift
goods train	freight train
greaseproof paper	wax paper/waxed paper
green fingers	green thumb
grill (noun)	broiler
grill (verb)	broil
ground floor	first floor
groundsman	groundskeeper
hairslide	barrette
hatstand	hatrack
hen night	bachelorette party
hire purchase	installment plan
hoarding	billboard
hob	stovetop
holdall	carryall
holiday	vacation
holidaymaker	vacationer
homely	homey
hosepipe	(garden) hose
in hospital	in the hospital
hot flush	hot flash
housing estate	housing development
hundreds and thousands	sprinkles (for ice cream)
ice lolly	Popsicle (trademark)
icing sugar	confectioners’ sugar
indicator (on a car)	turn signal
inside leg	inseam
jelly babies	jelly beans
Joe Bloggs	Joe Blow
Joe Public	John Q. Public
jumble sale	rummage sale
jump lead	jumper cable
jumper	sweater
junior school	elementary school
kennel	doghouse
ladybird	ladybug
a lettuce	a head of lettuce
level crossing	grade crossing
lift	elevator
lolly	Popsicle (trademark)
lollipop lady (or man)	crossing guard
loo (toilet)	john
loose cover	slipcover
lorry	truck
loudhailer	bullhorn
low loader	flatbed truck
lucky dip	grab bag
luggage van	baggage car
maize	corn
mangetout	snow pea
market garden	truck farm
marshalling yard	railroad yard
maths	math
metalled road	paved road
milometer	odometer
minim  (music)	half note
mobile phone	cell phone
monkey tricks	monkeyshines
motorway	expressway; highway
mum/mummy	mom/mommy
nappy	diaper
needlecord	pinwale
newsreader	newscaster
noughts and crosses	tic-tac-toe
number plate	license plate
off-licence	liquor store; package store
opencast mining	open-pit mining
ordinary share	common stock
oven glove	oven mitt
paddling pool	wading pool
paracetamol	acetaminophen
parting (in hair)	part
patience	solitaire
pavement	sidewalk
pay packet	pay envelope
pedestrian crossing	crosswalk
peg	clothespin
pelmet	valance
petrol	gas; gasoline
physiotherapy	physical therapy
pinafore dress	jumper
plain chocolate	dark chocolate
plain flour	all-purpose flour
polo neck	turtleneck
positive discrimination	reverse discrimination
postal vote	absentee ballot
postbox	mailbox
postcode	zip code
potato crisp	potato chip
power point	electrical outlet
pram	baby carriage; stroller
press stud	snap
press-up	pushup
private soldier	GI
public school	private school
public transport	public transportation
punchbag	punching bag
pushchair	stroller
pylon	utility pole
quantity surveyor	estimator
quaver (music)	eighth note
queue	line
racing car	race car
railway	railroad
real tennis	court tennis
recorded delivery	certified mail
registration plate	license plate
remould (tyre)	retread
reverse the charges	call collect
reversing lights	back-up lights
right-angled triangle	right triangle
ring road	beltway
room only	European plan
roundabout (at a fair)	carousel
roundabout (in road)	traffic circle
rowing boat	rowboat
sailing boat	sailboat
saloon (car)	sedan
sandpit	sandbox
sandwich cake	layer cake
sanitary towel	sanitary napkin
self-raising flour	self-rising flour
semibreve (music)	whole note
semitone (music)	half step
share option	stock option
shopping trolley	shopping cart
show house/home	model home
silencer (on a car)	muffler
silverside	rump roast
skeleton in the cupboard	skeleton in the closet
skimmed milk	skim milk
skipping rope	jump rope
skirting board	baseboard
sledge	sled
sleeper	railroad tie
sleeping partner	silent partner
slowcoach	slowpoke
snakes and ladders	chutes and ladders
solicitor	lawyer
soya/soya bean	soy/soybean
splashback	backsplash
spring onion	green onion
stag night	bachelor party
Stanley knife	utility knife
starter	appetizer
state school	public school
storm in a teacup	tempest in a teapot
surtitle	supertitle
swede	rutabaga
sweet(s)	candy
takeaway (food)	takeout; to go
taxi rank	taxi stand
tea towel	dish towel
terrace house	row house
tick	check mark
ticket tout	scalper
tights	pantyhose
timber	lumber
titbit	tidbit
toffee apple	candy apple
touch wood	knock on wood
trade union	labor union
trading estate	industrial park
trainers	sneakers
tram	streetcar; cable car
transport cafe	truck stop
trolley	shopping cart
twelve-bore	twelve-gauge
unalike	unlike
underground	subway
vacuum flask	thermos bottle
verge (of a road)	shoulder
vest	undershirt
veterinary surgeon	veterinarian
wagon (on a train)	car
waistcoat	vest
walking frame	walker
wardrobe	closet
water ice	Italian ice
weatherboard	clapboard
white coffee	coffee with cream
white spirit	mineral spirits
wholemeal bread	wholewheat bread
windcheater	windbreaker
windscreen	windshield
wing (of a car)	fender
worktop	countertop
Yale lock	cylinder lock
zebra crossing	crosswalk
zed (letter Z)	zee
zip	zipper