Your question:
I installed some apps..try to increase vocabulary and grammar equally..but lacking of speaking practice..I don't find the appropriate words to describe the situation properly...how can I progress at home?
My answer:
Okay, I see, thank you. Here are 10 daily exercises you can do at home to improve your speaking skills, followed by some key recommendations.
10 Daily Exercises
1. The Self-Talk Commentary: Describe your actions out loud as you go about a simple task, like making coffee or tidying a room. Use full sentences. This builds fluency in connecting thoughts to speech without pressure.
2. Shadowing: Find a short audio clip (a podcast, news segment, or a TV show scene). Listen to one sentence, pause, and try to imitate it exactly—copying the sounds, rhythm, and intonation. This improves pronunciation and rhythm.
3. The Daily Digest: At the end of the day, speak for one minute summarizing your day into a voice recorder. Listen back. Notice where you hesitated or made errors, then record it again more smoothly.
4. Picture Description: Open a website with interesting photos (news sites, art galleries). Choose one image and describe it in detail for 90 seconds. Challenge yourself to explain the story behind it.
5. Question of the Day: Write a simple question on a card (e.g., "What makes a good friend?"). Set a timer for two minutes and speak your answer aloud. Focus on keeping a steady flow rather than perfect grammar.
6. Read Aloud: Spend 5 minutes reading a book, article, or even social media post out loud. This strengthens the connection between written and spoken English and helps with word recognition.
7. Phrase Practice: Choose three useful phrases or idioms each week. Write them down and create different spoken sentences using them throughout the day. This builds active vocabulary.
8. Tongue Twister Warm-up: Start your practice with 2-3 tongue twisters. Go slowly at first, then speed up. This is a physical exercise to improve clarity and articulation.
9. The Listening & Responding Drill: Listen to a question from an English audio source. Pause it and respond aloud as if in conversation. This builds quick thinking and conversational reflexes.
10. Story Chain: Take a common object (like a key or a cup) and invent a one-minute story about it. The next day, continue or create a new story. This fosters creativity and narrative structure in speech.
Recommendations
Consistency is far more important than duration. Even 15-20 minutes daily is excellent.
Do not fear mistakes. They are necessary data points for learning. Focus first on being understood, not on perfection.
Record yourself regularly. It is the most powerful tool for self-assessment. You will hear your own progress and identify recurring issues.
Actively listen to English. Pay attention to how native speakers link words, where they pause, and their melody. Your listening skills directly fuel your speaking.
Create a low-pressure English bubble. Label objects in your home, think in English while showering, or talk to your pet. The goal is to make speaking feel more natural.
You can do all of this in our English speaking community and send your voice recordings there to share your progress and maybe have a chat with others.
You can join it here for free: https://dshtorm.tilda.ws/eng
#tips@dariaspeaky
