5 things to practise every day to improve your English communication skills

0:00 What is the best way to improve your spoken English and overall fluency?

0:05 Well, you need to practice a lot, every day, ideally.

0:11 That's probably not news to you.

0:15 But, it's something that can be really difficult to actually do.

0:19 Today, I'm going to give you five things that you can practice every day

0:26 on your own without needing to find

0:28 a speaking partner or join conversation groups.

0:32 These are all things you can do

0:34 independently that are extremely fun, extremely engaging,

0:39 and I'm going to guess that you haven't heard of some of them before.

0:42 To do this, we're going to be using Langua.

0:45 This is an AI conversation platform that I've partnered with.

0:49 It is the best app I have ever found for independent study.

0:55 I use it constantly for practicing my Italian and keeping up with my Spanish.

1:00 Langua is also home to my AI clone.

1:03 Of course, a table in the middle is fine.

1:06 Please follow me.

1:07 So, you can practice English with me.

1:10 It's my voice there.

1:11 It's going to blow your mind, and as soon as you try it,

1:15 I know you're going to feel so excited because you

1:18 will see how much easier your English learning journey will become.

1:22 The best thing is that you can try it for free.

1:25 Just click the link below or scan the QR code here.

1:29 You need to fill out your profile

1:31 on the website first before you download the app.

1:34 You can try it for free,

1:36 but I can also offer you a 20% discount on the unlimited annual plan.

1:41 Just use the code English 20 at checkout.

1:45 Make sure you do that on the website to get your discount,

1:48 then download the app.

1:50 You need to download this app to participate in this lesson.

1:54 Right, let's begin with the lesson.

1:56 First things first, you need to be listening to English every single day.

2:01 And I don't mean passively with a podcast

2:03 on in the background while you scroll through your phone.

2:06 I mean properly listening, paying attention to how native speakers connect

2:10 their words and how their voice rises and falls.

2:14 Now, what should you listen to?

2:16 Honestly, whatever you enjoy.

2:18 Podcasts are brilliant because there are so many of them.

2:21 Whatever you're into, I guarantee there's a podcast for it.

2:25 Audiobooks are fantastic, too,

2:27 especially ones where the speaker is really expressive.

2:31 And if you want something short and daily,

2:35 The Archers on BBC Radio 4 is one of my all-time favorites.

2:40 It's a daily audio soap opera.

2:43 Each episode is about 12 minutes, spoken in clear British English,

2:47 and it deals with everyday life, so the vocabulary is incredibly useful.

2:51 But the real magic happens when you don't just listen.

2:55 You shadow.

2:55 That means speaking at the same time as the speaker or just after them,

3:01 mimicking their pronunciation, their intonation, and their rhythm.

3:06 You're training your mouth to move

3:07 in a specific way to make British English sounds.

3:11 Over time, the sounds become more automatic.

3:15 Now, here's how to take this even further with Langua.

3:18 First of all, Langua actually has its own podcast library on the web app,

3:22 and it's coming to the mobile app very soon with transcripts and everything.

3:27 It's the perfect tool.

3:29 But wherever you find your content,

3:31 once you've listened and done your shadowing practice,

3:34 open up a conversation and tell AI Lucy what you've just been listening to.

3:40 Share a summary, tell her what you found interesting,

3:43 and she'll ask you follow-up questions to check

3:45 you fully understood and keep the conversation going.

3:49 You can also tap words and phrases you

3:51 don't know and add them to your vocab bank.

3:53 That's an incredible feature, but more on that later.

3:56 You can even create a custom prompt, something like,

3:59 "Every time I start a new conversation, ask me what I've just listened to.

4:03 Get me to summarize it, and then ask me follow-up questions about it."

4:07 Save that, and now you've got a ready-made routine.

4:11 Listen, shadow, discuss.

4:13 Three steps every day, and you're building your listening,

4:17 your pronunciation, and your speaking skills all at once.

4:20 Next, a daily word journal.

4:23 This one came directly from my own experience learning Spanish and Italian.

4:27 Go about your normal day, but start noticing objects and things around you,

4:33 and asking yourself,

4:34 "Do I know what this is called in English?" A kitchen utensil,

4:37 a bit of hardware on a door, something growing in the park,

4:41 things you can name instantly in your first language,

4:44 but have never thought about in English.

4:46 Don't look them up immediately, simply write them down in your native language,

4:51 maybe in your notes app, a little notebook, whatever works.

4:55 Build up a list throughout the day, every day.

4:58 Then later, sit down and look them up properly.

5:01 You might need to use a translation app first,

5:04 but then I recommend the Oxford Learner's Dictionary,

5:07 because you can also hear audio clips of each word.

5:10 Practice shadowing the words and read the definitions out loud.

5:13 Write sentences using them,

5:15 because actually using the vocabulary is what makes it stick.

5:19 Now, here's where Langua helps.

5:22 Open the app, go into cards, tap the three dots for actions,

5:27 hit import, and type these new words straight in.

5:32 Once they're in your vocabulary bank, tap choose exercise,

5:37 chat, and practice my vocab, blend into chat.

5:41 Select your words and start a conversation.

5:44 You can use use mix of vocabulary from previous conversations, too.

5:48 Those exact words will start coming up naturally.

5:51 AI Lucy might use one in a conversation.

5:54 You might reach for one in your answer.

5:56 You'll start using the language instead of just staring at a list.

6:00 That's the real difference between knowing a word

6:03 and it becoming part of your English.

6:06 Next, keep a voice journal.

6:08 This next technique is a bit more self-reflective than the others,

6:12 but I think it might be the most powerful over time.

6:14 Every evening, record a 1- to 2-minute voice note,

6:18 or however long you feel comfortable with, about your day.

6:21 Just talk.

6:22 No planning or script.

6:24 What did you do?

6:25 How did you feel?

6:26 What was funny or annoying?

6:28 Speak as if you're leaving a voice note for a friend.

6:31 Then, listen back either that evening or the next morning.

6:36 You'll start noticing things.

6:37 Then, take that journal entry into Langua.

6:41 Read it to AI Lucy and ask for help making it sound more natural.

6:46 Better grammar, richer vocabulary, smoother connections between ideas.

6:52 Save anything new to your vocab bank and work it into your next conversation.

6:57 There is nothing better than allowing

7:00 your own life to become your study material.

7:03 Okay, number four.

7:05 Do a role play.

7:06 This one is a lot of fun, and it's also one of the most practical things

7:10 you can do to build real confidence in English.

7:13 I want you to think about situations where

7:16 you're most likely to need English in real life.

7:19 Checking into a hotel, a job interview, returning something to a shop.

7:25 Pick one and act it out on your own, out loud.

7:28 You need to play both parts.

7:31 You're the customer, and you're the shop assistant.

7:35 You're the interviewer, and you're the candidate.

7:38 When you think from both sides,

7:39 you're working two completely different muscles at the same time.

7:43 Now, Langue is absolutely brilliant for this.

7:47 Go into the role-play section and you'll find loads of ready-made scenarios,

7:52 but my favorite option is custom.

7:55 You set the scene, tell AI Lucy what you want to practice,

8:00 and she takes it from there.

8:01 The difference is huge.

8:03 Instead of scripting both sides yourself, you're just having a real,

8:07 natural back-and-forth conversation as if you were actually in that situation.

8:13 It's one of the best ways to build

8:15 the kind of confidence that transfers to real life.

8:19 So, when you're sitting in that real interview,

8:21 it doesn't feel like the first time.

8:23 Okay, last one.

8:25 Mini English Missions.

8:28 This last one is my favorite for building

8:29 something that most English courses completely ignore, spontaneity.

8:34 The ability to just think in English

8:36 and speak without having to plan everything out first.

8:39 I call these mini English Missions.

8:42 And the idea is simple.

8:44 You get a scenario, and you have to respond to it out loud,

8:48 on the spot, no preparation, no script.

8:52 So, for example, you're a radio presenter,

8:55 and there's a music festival coming to town.

8:57 You've got 30 seconds to introduce it live on air.

9:01 You need a name for the festival, a headline act, the whole thing.

9:05 Go.

9:06 Okay, don't go.

9:07 We haven't got time, but I do want you to practice things like this.

9:10 Another idea, maybe you're a podcast host

9:13 and your guest has just canceled last minute.

9:17 So, you have to fill the whole episode talking about the last film you saw.

9:21 Start small.

9:23 30 seconds is plenty.

9:25 Then build up to a minute, 2 minutes, whatever feels challenging but manageable.

9:31 And don't worry if it's not perfect.

9:33 That just means you're pushing yourself

9:34 and building a new English-speaking muscle.

9:38 Now, Langue is really important for this one because AI Lucy can

9:42 set up the scenarios and tell you exactly what you need to do.

9:46 Let's go into the app, find the design my own feature, and hit create new.

9:52 Then use this prompt.

9:54 Every time we start a chat, give me a new English mission.

9:58 Give me a fun, unexpected scenario, and tell me what I need to do.

10:02 Make it engaging every time, and help me along the way if I get stuck.

10:07 Save that, and now every time you open Langue and tap that prompt,

10:11 AI Lucy will give you something completely new.

10:14 A different scenario and a new challenge, but if you ever get stuck,

10:18 she's right there to help you find the right words and keep going.

10:21 It's endlessly replayable, it's genuinely fun,

10:25 and it trains the one thing that's hardest to practice alone,

10:29 thinking on your feet.

10:30 Please try this one and let me know how it goes in the comments.

10:33 I genuinely can't wait to hear what missions you end up doing.

10:37 And there you have it.

10:38 Five ways that you can practice your speaking every

10:41 single day and start working towards natural fluency in English.

10:45 I hope you're excited to try some of these.

10:48 I really think they're going to help you improve, especially using Langue.

10:52 To try Langue for free,

10:54 click on the link in the description box or scan the QR code here,

10:59 create your profile, and then download the app.

11:02 Now look, I've only really scratched the surface of what Langue can do.

11:05 There is so much more packed into this app

11:08 that I haven't had time to show you today.

11:10 Remember, you have the code English 20 to get 20% off the unlimited annual plan.

11:16 Let me know in the comments how you feel chatting to my AI clone.

11:20 I have lots of students who chat with her every single day.

11:23 Okay, I will see you in the next lesson.

11:25 Bye.

11:26 Mwah.

11:47 Woo!