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Do not shy away from the person with whom you are speaking. Be sure to maintain a relaxed, but not slouching posture, regardless whether you are the one speaking or listening. Other things that ensure your body is communicating your attentiveness to the conversation can include:
When speaking, you need to be clear and concise. Speak on important matters directly and do not waste time with long drawn out stories that will cause your listener’s mind to wander. Make sure you ask whether they understand, and be willing to further explain any of your points. Do not expect someone to just “know” what you are saying, even if it is crystal clear in your own mind.
In addition, one of the most important aspects of verbal communication is the ability to practice active listening. This is not just actively waiting to talk. Always make mental notes of key points when someone is speaking to you. That way once you are given a chance to speak, you can respond to the most vital issues being dealt with. When others are speaking, try to think about the exact words that they are saying. If you practice this, you will comprehend and contain 75 percent more of the information that you hear.
Maybe your weakness is in the quality or quantity with which you communicate to your employees. Communication seems to have dwindled to superficial small talk. Great communicators practice the ability of consistent communication by remaining available. Do not be afraid to be the one who voices any concerns or difficulties. However, ensure that you are practicing open and honest communication with those who may depend on you. Be available and bold with tact.
Be sure to leave communication lines open to those who may need to address problems with you. You will find that you prevent the small issues that normally have the habit of becoming large ones by making those in your life aware that you are open to discussing issues at any time.
During your communications with others always give them time to communicate their issues as well. Remaining focused on what they are trying to communicate will show them that you are indeed open to assisting with their issues. Many of people’s communication lines tend to break down on the side where impatience is in a rush to get out of the conversation. Since you cannot control the other side, do yourself a favor and take a breath. The conversation you’re involved in is important. If you are confused as to what someone may be requesting, than repeat back to him or her what you think they said and ask if that is correct. Often this will inspire the speaker to be more in-depth about their needs, which will help you to understand them fully.
If someone has communicated a need or an issue to you, then your main priority should be to aid him or her in repairing the problem. Following up on an issue is the only way to convince others whom you need to communicate with that you have listened to them and that their problems or issues are important to you as well.
Practicing strong follow-up will also leave the impression that you are involved in the bigger picture. When people see this commitment, they will know you are open to future communications. This creates a loyal and discerning surrounding that cultivates positive movement and communication. This will develop a strong sense of confidence in those with whom you communicate.
Since the world is so incredibly diverse and communications come in such a wide variety of forms, it is important to know many appropriate and helpful interpersonal skills. By practicing the few suggestions found here, you will find yourself understanding more of what people say and repeating yourself less to other people. Your co-workers and friends will have the confidence to come to you when they find themselves in need. Remember, great communication skills take practice. Do not give up on Day One. Your ability to express yourself will grow almost daily as long as you apply yourself in improving communication skills.
So, you’re all by yourself. Forever alone.
Okay, maybe you’re not forever alone, but right now you need to practice English alone.
How can you practice speaking English without anybody else to help you?
Writing, reading, listening—these skills can all be practiced alone. Easy.
Well, you can already write beautiful sentences. You memorized hundreds of vocabulary words.
But when you open your mouth to speak, nothing comes out!
All the books, websites and apps in the world can’t help you learn how to speak English fluently.
To improve your spoken English, the best thing to do is to talk with a native speaker.
Sometimes we don’t have that option though! What if you don’t know anyone who speaks English? What if you don’t have time? What if you simply don’t feel confident enough yet to practice with a native?
Don’t worry. You can still improve your spoken English, even without a speaking partner.
We’re going to explain how. No speaking partner? No problem!
1. Think in English.
Sometimes the difficult thing about talking in a new language isn’t the language itself, but how you think about it.
If you think in your native language and then try to speak English, you’ll always have to translate between languages. Translating isn’t an easy thing to do! Even people fluent in two or more languages have trouble switching between languages.
The solution is to think in English.
You can do this anywhere, anytime. Try to use English when you’re thinking about your day, or when you’re trying to decide what food to order. Even try to use an English to English dictionary to look up words. That way you never have to use your native language and translate words. You’ll notice that when you think in English, it’s easier for you to speak in English.
2. Talk to yourself.
Whenever you’re at home (or alone somewhere else) you can practice your English with your favorite person: yourself.
If you’re already thinking in English, try speaking your thoughts out loud. Read out loud, too. Practice is practice, and even if you don’t have anyone to correct your mistakes, just the act of speaking out loud will help you become more comfortable speaking English.
3. Use a mirror.
Whenever you can, take a few minutes out of your day to stand in front of the mirror and speak. Choose a topic, set a timer for 2 or 3 minutes and just talk.
The point of this exercise is to watch your mouth, face and body language as you speak. It also makes you feel like you’re talking to someone, so you can pretend you’re having a discussion with a study buddy.
Talk for the full 2 or 3 minutes. Don’t stop! If you get stuck on a word you don’t know, try expressing your idea in a different way. You can always look up how to say that word after the 2-3 minutes end. This will definitely help you find out what kinds of words or sentences you have trouble with.
4. Focus on fluency, not grammar.
When you speak in English, how often do you stop?
The more you stop, the less confident you sound and the less comfortable you become. Try the mirror exercise above, but challenge yourself to speak without stopping or stammering (taking pauses between your words) the entire time.
This might mean that your sentences won’t be grammatically perfect, and that’s okay! If you focus on speaking fluently instead of correctly, you’ll still be understood and you’ll sound better. You can fill in the correct grammar and word rules as you learn them better.
5. Try some tongue twisters.
Tongue twisters are series of words that are difficult to say quickly. One example is: “The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.” Try saying this a few times! It’s not easy.
Word games like this will help you find the right placement for your mouth and tongue, and can even help your pronunciation. You can find a list of great tongue twisters here.
6. Listen and repeat.
Do you watch TV shows or YouTube videos in English? Use them to improve your fluency. Choose a short part of a show and repeat it line by line. Try to match the tone, speed and even the accent (if you can). It doesn’t matter if you miss a few words, the important thing is to keep talking. Try to sound just like the native speakers on the show. All will Improve your Spoken English Power & Fluency for English Conversation & help for building your interview skills.
7. Pay Attention to Stressed Sounds
English uses stresses in words and sentences. That means when you speak English you’ll need to stress, or emphasize, certain words and syllables (sounds) to give words and sentences different meanings.
Listen to where native speakers place the emphasis when they speak. Try to repeat it the same way to improve English stress in your own speech.
This won’t only help you speak English well, it might even reduce misunderstandings. Sometimes the placing the stress on the wrong syllable completely changes the word. The word ADdress, for instance, isn’t the same as the word adDRESS. ADdress refers to a physical location where someone lives, and adDRESS means to formally speak to a group of people.
Learn to hear the difference!
8. Sing Along to English Songs
Singing along to your favorite English songs will help you become more fluent. This is a tried-and-true language learning method that’s backed by science.
Once you can sing along to Taylor Swift and Jason Mraz, you can test your skills with something a bit more difficult: rap!.
9. Learn Word Forms with New Words
Some practice comes before you even open your mouth. Make speaking easier by learning the different forms of any words you learn. You should do this when you’re learning new vocabulary. For example, if you just learned the word write, you should also learn some other forms like wrote and written.
Knowing the correct way to use a word in any kind of sentence is important. This knowledge will help you while speaking. You won’t have to stop and think of different words—you’ll know exactly when you need to use that word while speaking.
10. Learn Phrases, Not Words
An even better idea to improve English is to learn word phrases, not just words.
You might be using correct grammar and vocabulary, but it’s still not how a native speaker would say it.
For example, you can say “how do you feel today?” but a native speaker might say “how’re you doing?” or “what’s up?” instead. Phrases and expressions can be helpful for sounding more natural when you speak.
An even better idea to improve English is to learn word phrases, not just words.
You might be using correct grammar and vocabulary, but it’s still not how a native speaker would say it.
For example, you can say “how do you feel today?” but a native speaker might say “how’re you doing?” or “what’s up?” instead. Phrases and expressions can be helpful for sounding more natural when you speak.
11. Learn Your Most Common Sayings
Take some time to really notice how you speak in your native language.
What words and phrases do you use the most often?
Learn how to say your most commonly used phrases and words in English. Knowing them in English will help you speak as well in English as you do in your native language.
12. Prepare for Specific Situations
Are you learning English speaking for a specific reason? For example, are you learning English so you can get a job in an English-speaking company? In that case, practice English that will help you in an interview. Are you learning English so you can make friends in America? Then you would need a different kind of English.
Before you go to a place where you have to speak English, you can practice what you might have to say. If you’re preparing to go to a restaurant, what might conversations in a restaurant sound like? Answer the questions a waiter might ask you. Try talking about food and menus.
You’ll feel more confident if you’re prepared!
13. Relax!
You can be your best helper or your worst enemy when learning to speak fluently! We know it’s hard, but you should try not to worry about how you sound when you speak. Just relax!
If you get stuck or confused, just take a big breath and start over. Speak slower if you have to. Take time to pause and think about your next sentence.
Do whatever it takes to become more comfortable with speaking English.
14. Tell a Story from Your Language in English
Here’s a fun way to test how well your spoken English has developed: choose a story that you know really well and tell it in English.
Remember to think in English as you’re telling your story. Focus on speaking fluently instead of correctly. Say every sentence out loud to yourself.
Even if you have nobody to talk to in English, you can still build confidence and master fluency on your own time.
In some ways, practicing speaking is even easier by yourself! Now you know exactly how to improve spoken English by yourself and should feel confident doing so!
How aggressive can you get? What is the antidote for nervousness? How can you prepare for your GD?
To see the bigger picture, you first need to understand what a GD is all about, why institutes conduct it and how it differs from a debate.
As the term itself suggests, a GD is a discussion, but most students misconstrue it to be a debate. They akin it to a wrestling match and try to score points over the other participants. Consequently, you find a 'fish market' situation in most GDs. What is actually expected in a GD is participation in a systematic way on a particular topic.
The prospect of a GD tends to leave most students petrified. You can get rid of that feeling of fear by remembering you have experienced group discussions right from childhood. Remember those heated discussions you had across the dinner table with family members, friends and relatives? Consciously or unconsciously, they have helped you learn a thing or two about discussing in a group.
Your parents may have come across as the most heard and respected as they were much better well informed. Besides, instead of forcing their point of view on you, they heard you out and presented their points in a logical and methodical manner because they had the strength of content and courage of conviction.
As a result, you would have often felt the desire to prove that you were right and they were wrong. A bundle of angst would build within you.
Discard that feeling now. Remember, a GD is a discussion -- and not a debate -- between the members of a group.
Human beings love debates because we like to win and see others lose. A debate is a perfect situation for expressing intense emotions. A GD, however, calls for a lot more maturity and logic.
The purpose of a GD, though conducted in a competitive mode, is not to establish you as a winner and others as losers. Its purpose, as far as you are concerned, is to help you come across as a person with sound, logical reasoning and the ability to respect another's viewpoint.
A critical difference between a GD and a debate is that, while a debate begins with two groups' bids to outwit each other, a discussion is evolutionary; this essentially means participants have the opportunity to refine their views in the course of the discussion. Thus, every member needs to contribute substantially and add to the existing knowledge base instead of pulling each other down.
The difference, thus, lies not just in style, but also in the mindset that is required to tackle either challenge.
How often have you called a friend in office to be told that he is in a meeting? Institutes conduct a GD because, as a manager, you will be required to attend and conduct innumerable meetings. A GD is a simulation of what you can expect in a meeting at your workplace.Depending on the kind of profile you have and the company you work for, you will be part of meetings ranging from brand launches and employee performance appraisals to company financials, etc. For instance, if you have a meeting where senior employees are working out a strategy to launch a new soap in the market, this is what is expected of you before and during the meeting.~ You will go well prepared for the meeting; this means you need to have sufficient information on the likely points of discussion.
~ During the meeting, you will let everyone have his say. When your turn comes, you will present your views forcefully and logically.
~ Whenever you disagree with somebody, you will present your points logically and makes sure everybody understands what you have to say.~ You will always attack points and not people. ~ You will carefully listen to other people's points and try to refine your own by using other people's inputs on the subject.Project the same qualities during B-School admissions, where the purpose of the GD is to find out whether you possess the critical qualities needed to become an effective manager. While the written exam tests your comprehension and analytical skills, a GD tests you in the following:
A GD is a wonderful challenge because you have a maximum of 20 minutes to show if you have it in you to become an effective manager.
The action now moves to another stage, another day.
~ The most important thing from now on till the time of the 20-minute GD challenge is to build your knowledge base. You must have done your daily dose of reading -- newspapers, magazines, etc -- even as you were preparing for CAT. Continue with your reading; add to it if necessary. Analyse issues from various angles.
~ Maintain a positive attitude. Stay motivated and excited about the upcoming challenge.
The Group Discussion and Personal Interview stage is also the most decisive one; a bad performance here can undo all the good work you put in CAT. So, continue to stay focused and competitive.
~ One of the most critical challenges of coming across as a good participant in a discussion is to have the ability to see things from the other person's viewpoint and respect it even if you strongly disagree.
~ As part of your preparation, you must participate in a few mock GDs. Run through these performances later, identify your areas of strength and areas for improvement and work on them consciously.
~ Success in a GD also depends on outgrowing old habits like indulging in small talk with a group of friends. Whenever you have a gathering of sorts, try not to indulge in loose talk. Focus on discussing a topic of current relevance. Thus, an informal gathering of friends can be converted into a GD practice session.
~ Whenever you come across fellow MBA aspirants, don't look upon them as competitors. Treat them as contributors to your success. You can share each other's strengths and thus iron out your own deficiencies. It makes a lot of sense for fellow MBA aspirants to get together and conduct mock GDs on various topics. This run-up to the actual GD should be a symbiotic effort rather than a parasitic one.
After each discussion, you must, as a group, analyse one another individually and suggest areas for improvement. This way, you will also get exposed to your fellow aspirants' perspectives and broaden your thought process.
The skills you develop to ace your GD will prove to be an asset even after you begin your professional career.
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