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31-May-2005, 20:54
|  | Member | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Country: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 377
Current Location: Ottawa First Language: Korean Thanks: 12
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
| |  How do I improve oral English?
Ooooh my... I never thought I'd be asking this question. 
I've been living in Canada for about 7 years, my pronounciation is at near-native level (if I know what I'm speaking about, that is) and have little difficulty with daily English.
However I still find myself struggling with, sometimes the most basic forms of English. One example is taking phone calls in English. Words don't come fast enough to my mind and I just can't seem to speak 'clean-cut' English. I stutter, and use a lot of 'Ummms', to buy time to think about the next word. I don't have the same problem with writing since I can give just about infinite time to think about the grammer, structure and the choice of words. All these have to be ready in split second when speaking and that's where I'm failing badly.
This is a part of what I spoke on the phone today. A friend of mine... ur... is very interested in... um... coming here and take ESL programs you guys offer... ur... she is in Korea right now.
Of course, if I were to write it, A friend of mine in Korea is very interested in coming to Canada and taking ESL course you offer.
See what I'm going through? Can you recommend any good practice? I can read books aloud with near-native pronounciation because I don't have to think about what I'm reading... but I want to speak good, without having to say 'umms' to buy time.
Any suggestions and I'd very much appreciate it.  |
01-Jun-2005, 04:26
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
Posts: 25,137
Current Location: Phnom Penh First Language: English Thanks: 2
Thanked 246 Times in 235 Posts
| |  Re: How do I improve oral English?
If you need the umms to think, then try for some synonyms:
A friend of mine... she... is very interested in... well... coming here and take ESL programs you guys offer... your intensive course... she is in Korea right now.
We often do things like this to give ourselves time- empty words like 'well', restating points, unnecessary pronouns, etc.  |
01-Jun-2005, 04:54
| | Member | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Country: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 377
Current Location: Ottawa First Language: Korean Thanks: 12
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
| | Re: How do I improve oral English?
Is there any practice to actually shorten the time it takes to come up with the intened words / sentence structures? wells, likes, umms, you knows... they're all temporary coverups.
Maybe I should think more about the question and ask again... right now I just can't seem to explain what I really want to ask.  |
01-Jun-2005, 11:27
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
Posts: 25,137
Current Location: Phnom Penh First Language: English Thanks: 2
Thanked 246 Times in 235 Posts
| | Re: How do I improve oral English?
Is there... like.. any ... you know.. practice to ...like... actually shorten the ...the... time it takes ... it takes for someone... to ...to... come up with ...with... the intended words.
Ummm... probably not. |
02-Jun-2005, 21:03
| | Member | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Country: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 377
Current Location: Ottawa First Language: Korean Thanks: 12
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
| | Re: How do I improve oral English?
If a renowned English teacher like yourself don't know how, I probably won't get better answer from anyone else... Thanks anyways Tdol.
That also means if I actually 'invented' the method long later, I could write a book about it and make myself some cash. For now I'll just have to try different methods. Thanks again! |
02-Jun-2005, 21:47
|  | Senior Member | | Join Date: Dec 2004 Country: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 961
First Language: English Thanks: 0
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| | Re: How do I improve oral English?
Quote: |
Originally Posted by HaraKiriBlade If a renowned English teacher like yourself don't know how, I probably won't get better answer from anyone else... Thanks anyways Tdol.
That also means if I actually 'invented' the method long later, I could write a book about it and make myself some cash. For now I'll just have to try different methods. Thanks again! | You should give it a try, HB. Your English is fluent and you don't have a trace of an accent. Did you say your native language is...Korean? |
03-Jun-2005, 04:30
| | Member | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Country: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 377
Current Location: Ottawa First Language: Korean Thanks: 12
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
| | Re: How do I improve oral English?
It is. I still feel way more comfortable speaking in Korean than English, probably because my English processor is a lot slower than my Korean counterpart. Also, many times when speaking in English my tougue slips, and when it does it goes like: We're just, just, done with the re, re, reno, re, renovation.
I don't always speak like that, but it probably happens once in every ten sen, sentences I speak. It's embarrasing, I'm telling you.
Your compliment is always very encouraging, Marylin. I really appreciate that.
Last edited by HaraKiriBlade; 03-Jun-2005 at 04:44.
|
03-Jun-2005, 04:43
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Dec 2004 Country: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 961
First Language: English Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
| | Re: How do I improve oral English?
Quote: |
Originally Posted by HaraKiriBlade It is. I still feel way more comfortable speaking in Korean than English, probably because my English processor is a lot slower than my Korean counterpart. Also, many times when speaking in English my tougue slips, and when it does it goes like: We're just, just, done with the re, re, reno, re, renovation.
I don't always speak like that, but it probably happens once in every ten sen, sentences I speak. It's embarrasing, I'm telling you.
Your compliment is always very encouraging, Marylin. I really appreciate that. | VERY interesting...I have never ever met a Korean student that speaks English without even a bit of an accent. I think you broke the mold when God made you, HB |
03-Jun-2005, 08:26
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Dec 2004 Country: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 961
First Language: English Thanks: 0
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| | Re: How do I improve oral English?
Your compliment is always very encouraging, Marylin. I really appreciate that.[/quote]
Wasn't meant to be a compliment, HB. | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes |  Linear Mode | 
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