USING SPOKEN ENGLISH SUCCESSFULLY AT WORK AND SCHOOL

It's often believed that a poor level of English prevents students and company employees from succeeding due to a lack of the necessary skills. This is why we often think we lack the skills required to converse in spoken English. I'm going to prove you wrong.

Sure, you're not up to scratch in English; you may not have mastered the fundamentals of English grammar or the vocabulary needed to construct a convincing sentence. But there is a way, ladies and gentlemen!

How? I'll come back to that in a few moments.

But before I do, I want to emphasize that you have the opportunity to do better. Remember, no one is ever doomed to failure! There is always a way out, provided you bend over backward and leave out the bells and whistles.

Now I come to the point I left hanging: how to succeed in speaking by focusing on your willingness to improve. Imagine that you are completely lost and your English is at its worst: use machine translators to translate into English what you have prepared in your mother tongue. Then, write down the main ideas. On the day of your presentation, bring your notes and start by using humour to talk about your knowledge of English, like this: 'Sorry for my poor English; I don't play in the big leagues in English. However, I will do everything possible to get my message across orally, and in English no less!'

Therefore, continue to convey your message orally in English using your notes taken by a translator. Don't forget to maintain eye contact with your audience. Exploring new territory in English can be a leap into the unknown, but you'll have the satisfaction of making progress thanks to the help provided by the tool. Nevertheless, the progress will be considerable!

I guarantee that after doing it once, twice, thrice and the fourth time, you will be able to handle it with little or no notes, as understanding begins to set in. You will gradually start to be in the same league as knowledgeable people as you test yourself. After going through difficult times, success is within reach!

But don't get me wrong! I don't mean to say that taking English classes has become useless. Absolutely not!

As an English teacher myself, let me say this loud and clear: only English lessons can improve your skills quickly and effectively!

The recommendations presented in this article are only temporary measures to encourage you to react quickly, at work as well as at school, when you have a verbal message to convey so as not to hinder the smooth running of a career or a school year. 

The ultimate goal is to gently train yourself towards the permanent situation of strengthening your English by having regular learning.

So, what are you waiting for, put your money where your mouth is and get to work, you will definitely succeed!