Speaking and pronunciation
Real conversation involves listening, responding and clarifying. Focus on the part of speaking that is most difficult for you.
Afraid to Speak English? How to Get Past the Freeze
Writing in English can feel manageable. You can think, revise a sentence and check a word. Then someone asks “How was your weekend?” and your vocabulary seems to disappear.…
Should Every Language Mistake Be Corrected?
“He go to work,” a learner says. The teacher immediately stops them: “He goes.” The learner repeats it and continues. A minute later comes another mistake, another…
Why You Cannot Hear the Sound Your Teacher Wants You to Repeat
A teacher pronounces two words that sound obviously different to them. The learner listens carefully and hears almost the same thing. Repeating the words ten more times may not solve the problem if th
Why a Speaking Exercise Can Be Nothing Like a Real Conversation
Two students read a dialogue about finding a railway station. Their pronunciation is good and every line is correct. Then the teacher removes the script, and neither knows how to react when the other
How to Notice Grammar in Real Speech, Not Just in a Textbook
You may understand “Have you ever been to London?” every time you hear it and still struggle to form a similar question. Comprehension and independent production do not always develop at the same spee
Why a Student May Stay Silent Even When They Know the Answer
The teacher asks a question. A few students answer immediately; one remains quiet. Later, that same student writes a thoughtful and accurate response. Silence during a speaking activity does not autom
Understanding Spoken English When Familiar Words Disappear
The subtitle reads “What did you do?” You know every word: the question word, the past-tense marker, the verb do. You turn the text off and hear a quick blur of sound. In…
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