Developing your speaking skills in English

Why do you get stuck in English?

Although you have basic knowledge of English, you get stuck with people you have to talk to. Several things come into play here.

• First of all, you know that you’ll stammer, search for your words, make guesses, and this makes you feel uncomfortable.
  As a result, you censor yourself.
• Then you’re (consciously or not) afraid of failing and possibly making a fool of yourself in front of your audience.
  As a result, you take a step back.
• You’re (perhaps) feeding your own failure by telling yourself that you’ll never succeed anyway, you were never good at languages, and so on.
  As a result, you’re programming the next time you get stuck.
• Or you may be taking the wrong approach. Either you try to find the right word in French to translate and express your thoughts in English, or you wait until you have as much vocabulary in both languages to be sure you’re sufficiently equipped.
  As a result, you’re always raising the bar and further delaying when you will take part.

In any case, despite your relative understanding, you don’t fully participate in the conversation. It’s as if the train is stopping but you can’t get on.

What to do to avoid missing the train

First, be aware of the above obstacles. Being aware of your shortcomings allows you to identify them in your behaviour and therefore correct them.

Secondly, adopt the right mindset:

• Accept mistakes. This is the only way to learn a language: your proficiency will improve precisely as a result of the corrections you make after making a mistake. A mistake isn’t a failure; on the contrary, it’s a step towards greater proficiency, fluency, accuracy, and finally success.
• Accept correction. The people you speak with mean well. By correcting your choice of words or your pronunciation, they open the way for you. So, keep your sensitivities to yourself and take advantage of their advice.

According to a study by M. Cobb[1] [French only], a professor at the University of Quebec at Montreal, three key elements are necessary to become proficient with speaking a second language:

1. Know the writing system.
   If you aren’t an absolute beginner, you at least have some knowledge of grammar and syntax. This is a first step.
2. Know a hundred basic words.
   Again, if you have a minimum of basic knowledge, you probably know over a hundred words in English. With this modicum of knowledge, it’s possible to have a conversation. The more your lexical base develops, the easier it becomes to converse. This is the second step.
3. Put yourself in a situation where you are forced to communicate.
   The idea is to get out of your comfort zone and put yourself in situations where you can use your language skills as often as possible to improve them. To get through this stage, you simply have to force your hand yourself.

Let’s return to this last point:

The brain likes pleasure and remembers best when there is pleasure associated with the experience.  So, the question you should ask yourself is:  Do you have as many pleasant experiences in English as you do in French?

Since language is learned through repeated trial and error, and since a mistake that is corrected is a success, practising in an informal context can help you create these pleasant experiences.

Tips to improve your spoken English

First, choose non-professional contexts where there is less pressure. For example:

• Ordering at a restaurant using the English side of the menu;
• Chatting in English with colleagues about non-work-related topics (what you’re planning to do on the weekend, the latest film you’ve watched, the outcome of the latest hockey game, and so on);
• Choosing the option of voice service in English when calling an organization ("For service in English, please press 9"); and
• Watching films in English with English subtitles.

This will help you to better understand the context of words and how to use them in real situations. In short, this spurs you into action.

Putting new words in context brings them to life and promotes fluency. Think about this if your goal is to be as comfortable in your second language as you are in your first. Fluency comes with repeated use and enjoyment.

Practice, trial, success

In his article “Apprendre à parler anglais : c’est le cerveau qui a un accent,” [French only] Paul John, a professor in the department of modern languages and translation at the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières, observed French speakers learning English. According to him, "this mispronunciation is not the result of a physical or mechanical disability . . . . Rather, the substitution of certain sounds is mainly due to perceptual assimilation, causing French-speaking learners to read and understand English words incorrectly. It would therefore be our brain that has an accent, and not our language.” This work reinforces the idea that the more experiences, and therefore encouraging failures, one has, the more one becomes proficient with the new language and the more one's confidence improves.

Practice makes better.

Conclusion

There are different kinds of times when you get stuck that prevent you from speaking easily: difficulty with pronunciation, lack of vocabulary, fear of showing a lack of proficiency in one language or the other, especially to one's peers. Basically, the fear of failure causes failure. Hence the importance of reversing the logic of learning: a mistake is another step towards success! To progress serenely without putting yourself at risk professionally, you simply have to force yourself a little and put yourself in situations where you are required to speak English, on light subjects. This way, becoming proficient with the words and rules becomes more fun and enjoyable. Gradually, your command and confidence in the second language grows and you get stuck less often. This may be a good thing for your current employability or to open up new professional opportunities!

[1] (La Presse, 2008)