Many people struggle when learning their first language—this article offers useful tutoring tips for learners who want to get better at speaking!
Introduction
Learning a foreign language can be challenging because people think English doesn’t allow for creativity or originality. Learning another language allows you to express yourself through words rather than limited actions, and it encourages thinking without having things tied up in neat little boxes. It’s important to know how English works before trying to translate the way native speakers talk, otherwise you might end up struggling to understand someone whose accent seems impossible to imitate.
English Tutoring Tips for Beginners
Learning a new language takes practice–but what kind of skills must you possess before taking advantage of this opportunity? Are you ready to get started? Read through what follows to learn how to begin successfully!
1. Find a good teacher: Start off well equipped by finding a qualified tutor in your area. Make sure that he/she has been teaching ESL long enough (usually 2 years) and has lots of experience as well. The last point is crucial because if there isn’t adequate training, then it will show during classes.
2. Attend classes regularly: Take lessons every day for several months until you feel comfortable speaking and understanding the language. Be consistent, stick to regular times, and follow directions given by your mentor.
3. Don’t worry too much: There will always be days when you can’t master the material quickly or speak fluently. That doesn’t mean that it wasn’t worth it. Keep practicing everyday and soon you will achieve success!
4. Use technology: Learn vocabulary lists to prepare for class, use online tools like Google Translate, listen carefully to conversations between native speakers, and even try recording yourself talking using Skype or another program to check pronunciation.
5. Stay positive: Being happy and enthusiastic is great motivation; being discouraged means giving up. Try to stay focused throughout the process, especially when starting out! Remember to enjoy each milestone along the way…it will only help keep you going!
6. Practice with other beginners: It helps to meet fellow students in person to form real friendships. They are often very helpful when trying something difficult, and having friends to study together with means more fun, less stress, no feeling alone, etc.–all reasons to join them!
7. Study hard: It sounds simple, but make time daily to read and write down words and phrases.
What should I do when I’m learning a new language?
Learning a foreign language can be challenging; however, there are a few simple steps you can follow in order to achieve fluency. First, practice as often as possible.
The goal is to speak the target language every day without hesitation and with ease. Second, listen to native speakers as much as possible. Third, try speaking only one word per sentence. Fourth, read a lot. Lastly, avoid memorization until later stages of learning. Memorizing vocabulary can help you remember specific words, but memorization does little to increase fluency.
If you would still like to memorize vocabulary, there are plenty of apps and websites that can provide additional support. However, these resources may cause you to lose sight of the original goals and focus too heavily on rote memory rather than speaking skills.
In addition, there are certain strategies that can be used throughout any method of language training: repetition, spacing, speed, tone, stress, volume etc. By practicing them consistently over time, you’ll eventually develop automaticity with your speech and become confident.
For example, you may hear the sound “ba” as /b/ instead of /p/. The same happens when pronouncing vowels. When the speaker says “a,” he actually sounds something like “ah.” So, in order to improve his accent, a student has to focus on improving both the quality and quantity of his vowel production.
When learning a new word, repeat it over and over in your head until it feels natural for you. Then, write down the word and review it frequently until it sticks in your brain. Finally, when talking with other speakers, repeat each individual syllable slowly until it feels completely familiar.
How to Practice Speaking a Language
Now practice speaking. Speak in complete sentences that include different parts of speech. Talk like a normal conversation partner – no longer be shy!
If you have trouble finding people willing to practice with you, you might consider joining a class where fellow students are studying languages simultaneously and can offer feedback (online). Another option is to join a club whose members are interested in practising and improving their own pronunciation.
To learn, simply keep asking questions of others around you whether by phone, via Skype or FaceTime, or directly within e-mail correspondence. There is nothing wrong with saying hello in a language you haven’t mastered yet – unless you do it badly.
That said, even though a lack of confidence can sometimes prevent you from mastering your mother tongue, being open to criticism goes far beyond mere grammar points. Indeed, you cannot afford to let anyone tell you that something doesn’t feel right. Remember that everyone must master his/her subject matter in due course, especially those whose task is teaching others.