Spoken English

24 Jan 2017

When you are writing in English, there are many transition words and phrases that you can use to convey your train of thought more fluidly and coherently. When you are speaking, especially in a test of speaking like TOEFL, I think you can rely on fewer phrases … but you must be able to use them correctly. If you don’t, you will not only sound less fluent but may also confuse your listener.

To add additional information to your ideas, try these transition words and phrases:

Furthermore

Also

In addition

Moreover

I believe that all students should study a foreign language. (Furthermore, Also, In addition, Moreover,) they should begin studying this language when they are very young.

To change direction in your ideas, to present an idea that contradicts your previous idea, use these words and phrases:

On the other hand (NOT in the other hand!!)

However

I think children should study mathematics in primary school. (On the other hand, However,) I think algebra is too advanced for them at that age.

To provide an example to illustrate your opinion or idea, I prefer:

For instance

For example

I think parents should make children eat foods they don’t like. (For instance, For example,) my mother made me eat spinach when I was young and I know it was very healthy for me.

Many test-takers use the phrases, to be more specific or take me (or myself) as an example, but these are not expressions that we use much in spoken English and thus they sound rather unnatural.

20 Jan 2017

This is the third installment in a series of Quick Tips to Improve Speaking.

Often, students get confused about whether to use many or much as a quantifier. The quick rule is that many is used with count nouns and much is used with non-count nouns. See my previous blog post for more specifics. So, for example, it is grammatically correct to say:

She went to many classes. She learned much information.

However, there’s a better way to say this in English. The fact is, native English speakers are much more likely to use a lot of or lots of as quantifiers, perhaps because you can use a lot of and lots of with both count and non-count nouns. This way, you don’t have to think about what noun you’re going to use after the quantifier; you’ll be grammatically correct no matter which one you choose. So an easier and more fluent way of expressing the ideas above is:

She went to lots of classes. She learned a lot of information.

By getting in the habit of using a lot of or lots of, you can not only avoid using much or many incorrectly but also sound more like a native speaker. It’s really a win-win combination.

Also, think of a lot of as one word with three syllables, rather than three separate words. That’s called “chunking,” which I’ll talk about later as a way of speeding your progress in English speaking. When you hear native speakers, it will sound like they’re saying, “uh-lot-uv” as one single word. The more you can copy this pronunciation, the more fluent you’ll sound. In the same way, lots of should be treated as a two-syllable word … “lots-uv.”

Finally, be aware that both a lot of and lots of are best used in spoken English. They are a bit too casual and informal for written academic English.

17 Jan 2017

This is the second installment in a series of Quick Tips to Improve Speaking.

Another common speaking task in English tests like TOEFL is to make a recommendation. What are the best language strategies for doing this?

First, many people start out by framing their answer as if they were in this hypothetical (unreal) situation themselves. To do this, you need to use the fairly uncommon subjunctive mood in English, which is used to describe conditional or imaginary situations. Here, the rules of subject/verb agreement change, so you would say something like this:

If I were her …

If it were me …

If I were in his shoes …

If you begin your statement this way, talking about what you would do in the situation, you should use the modal would. So you might say:

If I were her, I would take the bus to work.

If it were me, I wouldn’t take a part-time job.

If you don’t place yourself in the same situation, you should use the modal should. So you might say:

In my opinion, people should graduate from college before they get married.

I think that she should major in engineering.

Or you can use a combination of both. For example:

If I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t take a part-time job. I think he should focus on his studies.

Finally, you might want to consider how to talk about the consequences of a particular action. Here’s how you do that using the modals would (to express a certainty) and might (to express a possibility):

If he took a part-time job, he would have less time to study. He might actually fail the class.

If he was studying hard, he wouldn’t have time to play video games. He might even get an A.

Notice that in the “if” clause, we use the past tense form of the verb.

Using these simple strategies will help you to make your recommendations much more fluently.

16 Jan 2017

This will be the first in a series of Quick Tips to Improve Speaking.

In many tests of English fluency, you may be asked a hypothetical question … that is, about a situation that has not actually happened. You might think that because this situation has not yet happened, you should use the future tense, but this is not true.

Let’s say the question is: Which would you prefer, to live in a large city or in a small town? It’s possible that if you already live in one or the other, you might answer something like: I really love living in a large city because it’s so exciting and interesting. But usually you will answer this as a hypothetical question, as if the situation has not yet occurred.

First of all, to start your response, it is helpful to frame your answer with an “if” clause. Although this situation has not yet happened, you use a past tense verb. For example, If I lived in a large city … or If I had to choose whether to live in a large city or small town … In other words, you do not say something like: If I choose to live in a large city … or If I live in a small town …

Many lower-level speakers use the words can or will in their response, but these do not sound really fluent. We usually don’t say things like:

In a big city, I can go out to a new restaurant every night.

In a small town, I will take lots of walks in the country.

The best words to use are could or would. So, for example:

In a big city, I could go out to a new restaurant every night.

In a small town, I would take lots of walks in the country

What’s the difference? Could implies possibility; would is more definite. You can think of these as forms of can and will that are more appropriate in a hypothetical question.

20 Mar 2016

Do you speak English with an accent? Do you wish you didn’t have an accent? Are you ashamed of your accent?

The truth is that unless you started speaking English when you were very young, or unless you have a very unusual gift for languages, you will probably have an accent.

And that’s okay!

Actually, most of us Americans love to hear someone speaking with an accent. If you have been to the U.S., you will notice that we all have accents too. Someone from New Jersey, where I was born, does not sound much like someone from Kentucky, where I live now. We all speak English, but our accents and even the words we use depend on where we grew up. It’s probably the same in your country.

Since you can’t get rid of your accent, what should you aim for in your spoken English?

The most important thing is that other people understand you. If you speak to someone in English, and they look puzzled or ask you to repeat what you said, you probably need a little improvement. Usually your grammar does not have to be very good for you to be understood. But you may have to work on your pronunciation, your intonation, and your pace.

Problems with pronunciation usually arise from your first language (what we teachers call your L1). Native Chinese speakers have different pronunciation problems than native Arabic speakers, or native French speakers. Some sounds are just harder for people to say (or even to hear!) than other sounds. I think the best way to fix pronunciation problems is to work with a native English speaker. You don’t have to be face-to-face. Make use of new technology to connect with people. Ask them to listen to you carefully and to correct your mispronunciation. Keep practicing!

Intonation is another problem. This means that your voice naturally rises and falls. Intonation patterns can really vary from one language group to another. If you don’t try to copy English intonation patterns, you may have trouble being understood. A great way to improve intonation is to listen to English language TV shows or movies. Pretend you are one of the actors and speak their lines.

Finally, there’s pace, which means how fast or slow you talk. Maybe you have been studying English in a classroom or with recorded materials. But when you watch an American movie, people seem to be speaking a different language, and much more quickly! Unless you are really, really good at English, I think it’s better to slow down when you speak. If you have problems with pronunciation and/or intonation, speaking quickly is only going to make it harder for people to understand you. Even in a test like TOEFL, when you only have a minute to answer a question, slow down. TOEFL is looking for speech that is “clear, fluid, and sustained.” You don’t need to speak rapidly, and if you do, you may not be understood.

When you are speaking to someone in English, they may repeat some of your words or phrases. This does not mean that they are correcting you. It’s what we do naturally when we want to make sure we have understood something. Remember that the goal of learning a language is to communicate. With or without an accent, if your English is good enough so that you can be understood, you should be very pleased with your fluency.

9 Mar 2016

When someone asks you to give your opinion, what should you say, and how should you say it?

In tests like the TOEFL iBT, or in your English classroom, you may be asked what you think about some topic. A common question is whether you agree or disagree with something. For example, do you agree or disagree that children should start school when they are three years old?

First of all, be sure to start your response confidently, using proper English.

Some people begin with phrases like Personally speaking (which sounds a bit unnatural) or, even worse, According to me (which native English speakers never say!). Try In my opinion or From my point of view instead. But really, you don’t need these “filler” phrases. Especially in tests like the TOEFL, you don’t have much time to express your opinion, so don’t waste it on empty words.

Try to use good grammar. Don’t say, I am agree (or I am disagree). Instead, say, I agree or I disagree (or I don’t agree). If you want to add some emphasis, use words like strongly or definitely. For example, I strongly disagree that children should start school when they are three years old. Or, I definitely agree that children should start school when they are three years old. Other popular word choices (which are sometimes overused) are totally, completely, and absolutely. Never use greatly or exactly.

What if you don’t completely agree or totally disagree with something? What if you see two sides to the issue? There are some common English expressions that can help you express this point of view. And, actually, using phrases like these can make you sound much more fluent.

For example:

I both agree and disagree with this statement (point of view, opinion).

I think this issue is not black and white. (Or, I don’t think this matter is black and white.)

I believe it’s important to strike a balance.

I really think there’s a happy medium.

Perhaps it’s best to find some middle ground.

It depends.

Or, the popular duo, On the one hand …. on the other hand.

Of course, after you state your main belief, you will usually be expected to offer one or more reasons to support it. The number of reasons you need and the amount of elaboration you give will depend on the amount of time you are given to speak. In a test like the TOEFL, when you have only 45 seconds, it’s not necessary or even desirable to provide more than one reason. Instead of struggling to come up with two or more reasons, focus on developing your one reason with specific details and examples. You can start out your sentences with phrases like:

I think that …

I believe that …

It seems to me that …

In my experience, I have found that …

So, here are some examples of responses you might make to the question about children’s schooling.

I agree (one extended reason):

I definitely agree that children should start school when they are three years old. In my country, most women go back to work after having a baby. They take about three years off after the baby and then they have to return to their job. So, in my country, most children go to schools at that time. If there are schools for children that age, then the parents know that their children are in a safe place, with trained people to take care of them. Of course, when they are only three, children don’t have to sit at desks and do school assignments, but they can play with other children and learn social skills. They can learn the alphabet and how to count, and they’ll also learn valuable lessons about obeying the teacher and respecting other people. So I think if children start school at age three, it’s definitely better for the parents, because their children are taken care of, and it’s also better for the kids themselves, because they’ll be learning lots of things.

I agree (two reasons):

I strongly agree that children should start school when they are three years old. First of all, in my country, most mothers and fathers work full-time, so it’s good for children to have a place to go where they can be with responsible adults and play with other children. For example, I started school when I was very young and my parents felt I was safe and cared for there. Also, I think that in today’s world, it’s important for children to get an education as soon as possible. In countries where children don’t go to school until they are six or seven, I don’t think they get enough education. I learned to read before I was five years old and I think that was a real advantage for me. This is why I think school is good for children, even when they are only three years old.

I disagree (two reasons):

I strongly disagree that children should start school when they are three years old. First of all, I think children are safer and more loved when they are living in their own home. For example, my sister’s child went to school when she was very young and she was always getting sick. Also, she didn’t see her mother and father as much, and I think that had a bad effect on her. Also, I think that children learn lots of things at home; they don’t need school when they are that young. For example, my mother taught me numbers and letters while I was very young. But I also had a chance to play with my brothers and sisters and not to feel pressured to start learning. This is why I think it is better for children to go to school when they are older, maybe at age five or six.

I can see both sides of the issue:

I think whether children start school when they are three years old depends on the situation. On the one hand, if both of the parents work, then I think it’s probably a good idea for children to be in school, rather than home with someone who might not take good care of them. In school, they can be with other children and they can start learning things at a young age. On the other hand, if a mother or father stays home with their child, then I think it’s good for children to go to school later on. Nobody loves their child as much as a parent, so I think it is good for children to be with their parent. Also, they can be with their brothers and sisters, which makes their relationships stronger. So I don’t think it’s a black and white issue. Sometimes it’s better for children to go to school when they are very young, and sometimes it’s better that they stay home longer.

You can find more discussion about discussing your “mixed feelings” here.