Thumbnail Image

Speak English with more Confidence

Iain Shippey

1. Practise Small Talk Daily.


   Engaging in brief conversations daily helps build fluency and confidence. Practising small talk on everyday topics, such as commenting on the weather or talking about your day, can reduce anxiety over time. Start with short, simple exchanges, and as your confidence grows, try longer interactions.


2. Use Body Language to Support Speech


   Good posture, eye contact, and gestures not only help you appear confident but also reinforce your words and help listeners stay engaged. Practising a confident stance can psychologically boost your speaking confidence and help you feel more at ease during conversations.


3. Focus on Clarity Over Speed


   Many learners think they need to speak quickly to sound fluent, but clarity is more important. Speak at a comfortable pace to allow your thoughts to come through clearly. Pausing can actually improve the impact of your message and give you time to think, reducing the pressure to "perform."


These small adjustments can significantly improve confidence in spoken English over time!

 


Added to Saved

This column was published by the author in their personal capacity.
The opinions expressed in this column are the author's own and do not reflect the view of Cafetalk.

Lesson

Let's have a chat

25 min
1,700 Points

Comments (0)

Login to Comment Log in »

from:

in:

Lesson Categories

Language Fluency

English   Native
Afrikaans   Fluent

Iain Shippey's Most Popular Columns

  • Self-talk in sports and life

    Harnessing the Power of Self-Talk in Sports In sports, athletes know that training isn't just phys...

    Iain Shippey

    Iain Shippey

    0
    388
    Nov 6, 2024
  • The 5 most common interview questions

    Here are five of the most common interview questions, along with tips on how to approach each one: ...

    Iain Shippey

    Iain Shippey

    0
    324
    Nov 12, 2024
  • 7 C's in Difficult Conversations

    7 C's in Difficult Conversations: Think about a recent tricky conversation that you had with someon...

    Iain Shippey

    Iain Shippey

    0
    319
    Nov 7, 2024
  • The iCAN's of FATHERING

    The National Center for Fathering developed the iCANs of Fathering as a framework to help fathers e...

    Iain Shippey

    Iain Shippey

    0
    308
    Nov 1, 2024
« Back to List of Tutor's Column
Got a question? Click to Chat