Many students choose to have conversations with native speakers or watch movies in English to increase their knowledge of the language.
The teaching of English is fundamental at all levels of education. In order to facilitate their learning, various learning methods based on individualized linguistic immersion and capable of adapting to the needs of each student have been proposed. However, encouraging the learning of English as a second language and conversational fluency may not be easy.
Dídac Arnau, teacher and Novakid educational consultant, recommends five key points that are useful when helping students improve their English conversation.
1.- Practice with native speakers
One of the most useful tips is to create situations where students have no choice but to use English to communicate. This comes from sharing conversations with native speakers and can help build fluency, refine and correct the expressions or words you use, and increase vocabulary.
2.- Adapt the conversation specifically to the level of the student.
Ideally, native teachers should adapt their vocabulary and expressions to the student’s level.
When the student has a basic level, it is recommended to suggest conversations about descriptions. In this way, the already defined structures and vocabulary of specific fields are practiced. Also, short sentences, simple structure, and simple verb tenses are used.
On the other hand, if the student is at an intermediate level, the suggestion is to incorporate conversations that encourage opinion. What this achieves is to incorporate phrases and expressions in different semantic fields, increase the vocabulary, and give more possibilities to the conversation.
In case the student has an advanced level, the best option is to model the conversation as an interview or the presentation of a topic. This helps to manage a wider range of vocabulary and speed in answering. In addition, interviews provide the opportunity to change verb forms and use argumentative and concluding sentences.
3.- Learning expressions.
Arnau’s third recommendation is to learn expressions that can be used more frequently during conversations. This helps to develop fluency and agility in speaking.
4.- View content in English.
Another tip to gain fluency in speaking is to watch movies or series in English from an early age. In this way, students become used to everyday sounds, pronunciations, and expressions.
The same applies to songs and games in English. Different accents and pronunciations can be learned thanks to them.
The International Iberoamerican University (UNIB) offers numerous university programs focused on training professionals in the teaching field. One of the courses offered is the Master of Education with a specialty in Higher Education
Source: Tips for children to improve their English conversation skills
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