The quest to speak advanced English is a long learning curve. In order to succeed, you will have to take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. The key to advancement is to broaden your horizons and keep your ears and mouth firmly open.
Instructions
1. Read a high-quality newspaper every day. Read an article once quickly, then re-read the same article and highlight words or phrases that you don't understand. Look these up in a dictionary and check the pronunciation of these with the phonetic key. Use the new word in your next conversation if you can and check that your pronunciation is accurate.
2. Carry around a small notebook to write down new words and meanings that you come across. Converse as much as you can with different people. Even a simple exchange with a stranger can introduce new words to your vocabulary. Review your notebook on a regular basis and commit the words to memory.
3. Watch world news broadcasts in your free time and listen to a national talk radio station in your car. This will expose you to a variety of English speakers and topics and make you more attuned to pronunciation and different ways to express an idea.
4. Work to reduce your accent if you have a very thick accent from a different mother tongue or regional dialect. Accents can be a mark of identity or a geographical indicator, but very strong accents can make you very hard to understand and communicate with a wide range of people. Take elocution lessons or use a software program to practice pronunciation exercises.
5. Join a conversation or debate group at a local college or center. Observe for a few sessions and take notes of the style, grammar and vocabulary that speakers use. When you have enough confidence, prepare some notes in advance and join in with the debate using your new skills.
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