How to improve spoken english?

[Mr_tan]

Hi all, i just have problem with spoken english in my daily life. I just do not have friends who speak english with me.

My grammer sucks, my vocubulary sucks. I tried to speak in proper english but when i get comfortable with that person, it simply become singlish in the end.
I tried to read up newspaper, online forum everyday.
But when i try to reply in any forum, it just look so different from standard english.

Is there any tips, courses or links that can allow me to improve my standard of english? I just envy people who can write and speak good and proper english.

What should i do? I wonder how those china scholars, who first came to spore without any english ability are able to speak fluent english like for example tao li.

 

[halsey02]

Hi all, i just have problem with spoken english in my daily life. I just do not have friends who speak english with me.

My grammer sucks, my vocubulary sucks. I tried to speak in proper english but when i get comfortable with that person, it simply become singlish in the end.
I tried to read up newspaper, online forum everyday.
But when i try to reply in any forum, it just look so different from standard english.

Is there any tips, courses or links that can allow me to improve my standard of english? I just envy people who can write and speak good and proper english.

What should i do? I wonder how those china scholars, who first came to spore without any english ability are able to speak fluent english like for example tao li.

You write good English?, you speak what you write!, unless your barin is partitioned?

 

[snrcitizen]

Hi all, i just have problem with spoken english in my daily life. I just do not have friends who speak english with me.

My grammer sucks, my vocubulary sucks. I tried to speak in proper english but when i get comfortable with that person, it simply become singlish in the end.

Mr. Tan,

Do not be discouraged. Your writing is already much better than many. As Halsey has said, just speak the way you write.

If you want to further improve on your speech, I am not sure if the Britsh Council still conducts classes. If you are determined, you can check that up on-line.

 

[Ramseth]

What's wrong with Singaporeans' spoken English?

 

[myjohnson]

Is there any tips, courses or links that can allow me to improve my standard of english? I just envy people who can write and speak good and proper english

.

I had the same problem way back until I met this English gentleman who suggested that I slow down my speech. It was then that I realised the typical Singaporeon tend to fire off in machine gun-like sentences. I am not going to venture into the reasons why this is so. But anyway, slowing down works for me just fine.

 

[snrcitizen]

.

I had the same problem way back until I met this English gentleman who suggested that I slow down my speech. It was then that I realised the typical Singaporeon tend to fire off in machine gun-like sentences. I am not going to venture into the reasons why this is so. But anyway, slowing down works for me just fine.

Yes, I agree. This could be one of the many other reasons.

 

[Mr_tan]

Mr. Tan,

Do not be discouraged. Your writing is already much better than many. As Halsey has said, just speak the way you write.

If you want to further improve on your speech, I am not sure if the Britsh Council still conducts classes. If you are determined, you can check that up on-line.

My friends say british council doesnt really help at all, it is just a place where u have too much money that u do not know where to throw to.
I am just so regret that i didnt actually put in effort in my english lanaguage when i was in primary school.
I think hongkonger's english are quite good actually? THey sure can speak very good and standard english compare to singaporean.

 

[Mr_tan]

Actually i am quite sick with my english, my english is always direct translaction from English. Perhaps i watch too much channel 8 drama subtitles that my spoken english are actually just like the subtitle, direct translation !

I just very sick.
My english is always
'i think', 'my friend say', 'he say', 'my friend think'
I just dont see those angmo used he say his i say that to start off a sentence.

 

[guy2100]

Do watch CNN and BBC for 2 hours everyday. Other than that, do continue reading online news from the web. It's the only natural way to improve one's fluency in a language(reading and listening). Communication is the result of active reading and listening. You will eventually improve your command of the language. But moving from one tier of proficiency to the next will be gradual and slow. Be patient my friend.

 

[Mr_tan]

Being watching CNBC and bloomberg nearly every night too. Has been watching alot of English sitcom drama or HBO movie too. I can understand what they are saying but just cant repeat what they exactly say at all.
Then i am very confused on words like 'On', 'At', 'In' in normal conversational english

 

[snrcitizen]

My friends say british council doesnt really help at all, it is just a place where u have too much money that u do not know where to throw to.
I am just so regret that i didnt actually put in effort in my english lanaguage when i was in primary school.
I think hongkonger's english are quite good actually? THey sure can speak very good and standard english compare to singaporean.

I don't know about your friends but I have friends who went through the British council course and they came out better speakers of the language.

Do not regret the past. It is history. I am sure that a lot of people have many other regrets in life, too. Some (me included) may say they regret they did not tio toto.:(

guy2100 suggested CNN and BBC. This is good but has its limits, and as you say, you need practice speaking.

I disagree with your point that HK'rs English is better. In my many years of experience dealing with them, other than their top echelon people, the rest speak rather poor English. Many of them who are supposed to have their tertiary education in UK have some difficulty stringing complete English sentences together in their speech.

Reading sub-titles off from Ch 8 TV shows is the worst way to improve your English.

 

[myjohnson]

Being watching CNBC and bloomberg nearly every night too. Has been watching alot of English sitcom drama or HBO movie too. I can understand what they are saying but just cant repeat what they exactly say at all.
Then i am very confused on words like 'On', 'At', 'In' in normal conversational english

There is no substitute for reading. If you read enough, and read slowly till you are comfortable with your ability to absorb the essence of the book, then naturally, grammatical accuracy will fall into place. Taking a cue from your understanding of Mandarin, don't you agree that you don't actually speak the language in a masterful way unless you can apply idioms in your speech?
One more point to take note, nothing can be of more help than a notebook that you fill up with useful words to build up your vocabulary and also nicely structured phrases that you can to use to spice up your sentences. Hope you won't mind some humble advices from a guy with no O levels to his name.

 

[Mr_tan]

There is no substitute for reading. If you read enough, and read slowly till you are comfortable with your ability to absorb the essence of the book, then naturally, grammatical accuracy will fall into place. Taking a cue from your understanding of Mandarin, don't you agree that you don't actually speak the language in a masterful way unless you can apply idioms in your speech?
One more point to take note, nothing can be of more help than a notebook that you fill up with useful words to build up your vocabulary and also nicely structured phrases that you can to use to spice up your sentences. Hope you won't mind some humble advices from a guy with no O levels to his name.

Relax, at least your english sounds better than me, i would have prefer to speak good english convincingly anytime without passing even PSLE.
I will also apreciate if any bro can actually correct my written english or even comment on it.
It just doesnt seems very smooth.

Anyway i have been reading very intensively all the while seem like 10 years ago, but it just seen that my english just cant improve. Maybe there is something wrong with my reading techniques.

Anyway i realised that whenever i read any book or magazine,
1) I can roughly understand what the book is about but not in very detailed.
2) If lets say i have already finished page 50, and if i happened to go back to page 50 again after a day, i will not even realised it that i have actually gone through that the day before.
3) I cant seems to be able to really rmb the storyline after 1 week.
4) My reading speed is superb, i just skim through the books or any website and i will be able to understand it temporary. I don't know whether is this a skill or maybe is just laziness that make my english so sucky.

 

[myjohnson]

Think about this. If you just gobble down your meal instead of slowly chewing and tasting it, how can you answer whether it was good or not. The same with sex.

 

[blackmore]

Understanding sitcoms & dramas are ok; never ever confuse yourself with different variant of slangs. You will never finish learning as slangs changes with time. Its inevitable on TV where there are US drama with american slangs, then Ozzy dramas with heavy Ozzy accent; etc.

One rule is never think in Chinese/Malay/others and then communicate in English. That will improve your English much better when you think and write/speak in the same language. It worked for my sister and myself for years. Most can't believe our background if we ever tell anyone.

English will only improve gradually, and thru constant practices. One thing about HK English, its one odd slang which I find it hard to understand at times. Its a British colony but it has a odd US slang with heavy accented Cantonese. Only those who had spent years overseas spoke better English in HK.

 

[Ramseth]

It's so silly. Why improve English when you're a Singaporean in Singapore? More logical to improve Singlish.

 

[snrcitizen]

Think about this. If you just gobble down your meal instead of slowly chewing and tasting it, how can you answer whether it was good or not. The same with sex.

Pardon me if you take offence but I just could not help making a wise crack here.

I tend to eat quickly when I am hungry and slow up when I am getting full. However, it's the other way around with sex, if you know what I mean?

 

[troubledtimes]

Hi all, i just have problem with spoken english in my daily life. I just do not have friends who speak english with me.

My grammer sucks, my vocubulary sucks. I tried to speak in proper english but when i get comfortable with that person, it simply become singlish in the end.
I tried to read up newspaper, online forum everyday.
But when i try to reply in any forum, it just look so different from standard english.

Is there any tips, courses or links that can allow me to improve my standard of english? I just envy people who can write and speak good and proper english.

What should i do? I wonder how those china scholars, who first came to spore without any english ability are able to speak fluent english like for example tao li.

Start reading the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph...

 

[myjohnson]

Pardon me if you take offence but I just could not help making a wise crack here.

I tend to eat quickly when I am hungry and slow up when I am getting full. However, it's the other way around with sex, if you know what I mean?

Non taken. You got me there.

 

[eeoror88]

Hi all, i just have problem with spoken english in my daily life. I just do not have friends who speak english with me.

My grammer sucks, my vocubulary sucks. I tried to speak in proper english but when i get comfortable with that person, it simply become singlish in the end.
I tried to read up newspaper, online forum everyday.
But when i try to reply in any forum, it just look so different from standard english.

Is there any tips, courses or links that can allow me to improve my standard of english? I just envy people who can write and speak good and proper english.

What should i do? I wonder how those china scholars, who first came to spore without any english ability are able to speak fluent english like for example tao li.

Go and find 2ndclasspple to speak English with. This stupid Chinese Ed has improved after my tuition !!