Boost your confidence

In my stint as a spoken English tutor, I have often come across many students, who could write reasonably well in English, but wouldn’t speak the language. They had learnt English as a language in school for almost ten years, and yet, they would be petrified to speak the language! Only one thing was stopping them from speaking English – lack of confidence.

You need confidence to do just about anything in this world. It may be something as trivial as fixing a leaking tap or something as significant as launching a satellite. Speaking a new language is not going to be easy, but it is not a very difficult task either (believe me; I know what I went through when trying to speak Hindi.)

1. Read English newspapers or books aloud for half an hour every day. This practice would help your mouth and tongue to get used to the language. (Tip: Try reading news articles that you have some knowledge about. For example, if you love sports, read the sports section first, and then move on to the other sections.)

2. Talk to your friends and family in English. If you are shy about that, try talking in front of the mirror; look into your eyes when you are doing so.

3. Listen to news, commentaries, or any programs that are telecast in English.

4. Movie channels like HBO, Star Movies, etc. telecast movies subtitled in English every day at 9pm (IST). Watch these movies and try to follow what the actors are saying; the subtitles are there to help you. (Don’t worry about inappropriate content, as these movies are modified to suit Indian audience.)

5. Write a short description of yourself or a pen, an animal, etc. and read aloud what you have written.