ELTIS- Common Mistakes in Spoken English and How to Fix Them

1. Common Mistakes in Spoken English and How to Fix Them Do you stammer a lot when speaking English? Are the words stuck in your head, but can you say them out loud? Worry not because there are countless people like you who are taking a spoken English course. You will make mistakes while learning. Being vigilant and conscious of errors will make you a better English speaker. Pronunciation Pitfalls Proper pronunciation is one of the basic aspects of spoken english. You must know how to pronounce the words correctly. They must not sound unfamiliar to the larger English-speaking crowd. You can start by using the dictionary or Google Pronunciation. There are a few common words in popular usage, like ‘genre’, ‘croissant’, and ‘mojito’, that have completely different spellings than their syllables. These are difficult to pronounce. Thus, you can learn the rules of pronunciation and online tools to learn them. Grammar Glitches Grammar errors are also common among students enrolled in an English-speaking institute. Indian students especially make errors in sentence structure as they literally translate each word from their native tongue into an English sentence. Errors like "She don't like it" instead of "She doesn’t like it” and "I go to the store yesterday" instead of "I went to the store yesterday" are very common. Thus, a proper grammar practising schedule is a must for such students. You can also learn proper grammar by watching videos with English subtitles. Vocabulary Vexations When students don’t know the correct word, they use filler words like ‘uh’, ‘ah’, and ‘like’. They also use incorrect words like ‘aspect’ for ‘expect’. Such confusion must be avoided if you want to master the English language. You can solve this problem by a few simple steps. Practice vocabulary with your peers by picking ten new words daily and forming sentences. You can also record your speech and self-analyse your errors. Cultural and Contextual Missteps Cultural nuances and slang words are part of every language. There are both formal and informal usages of English. It would be hard at first, but you must learn to distinguish between the two. Idioms can also be confusing. For example, ‘break the ice’ and ‘it’s raining cats and dogs’ must not be taken literally. Therefore, you can also pick five idioms daily and practice forming sentences.

2. English can be tricky at first. However, it is also one of the most diverse languages in the world. It has many dialects and a vast vocabulary. Hence, you have more scope to be right than wrong when speaking it. Spoken English courses will help you to sound like a native. You just need to give your best efforts!