How to Learn *English Speaking (Reposted)

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Learning spoken language means learning to speak. Learning spoken English means learning how native English speakers talk. Before you actually start learning to speak English, you must understand the following question: What is spoken language? What spoken language should I learn? What to learn in spoken language? What speaking system should be established? This article will explain each one in turn. I. What is spoken language? From the perspective of the cognitive process of language, humans always learn to speak before they learn to read. When learning English, one should start by learning to speak, that is, learning *spoken English; whereas most English learners in China learn the language through written forms. We should be aware that spoken language is different from written language. People speak in a very casual manner, whereas written language emphasizes the choice of words and grammatical rules. Written language has two basic forms: one is that which directly records what people say, and the other is one that is created by the writer through careful consideration, in accordance with the rules of written language. Spoken language is different; the vast majority of people speak in a simple and straightforward manner to achieve direct communication. Therefore, learning spoken English should also start with simple and easy-to-understand spoken materials. II. What spoken language should be learned? Understand this issue from two aspects. The first is the regional issue of English. Which **or regional English spoken language do you want to learn? British accent? Australian accent? New Zealand language? American accent? Canadian accent? These different forms of English vary to varying degrees in pronunciation, vocabulary, and ways of expression (grammar). This is especially evident in accents. This is also a major reason why many English learners, despite having studied English for many years, still find it difficult to understand spoken English. As for some English teachers who say, \"Whatever region the English is from, as long as it’s English, that’s fine,\" this is truly misleading students! Think about it – people from different regions as mentioned above also need some time to get used to each other’s pronunciation and vocabulary before they can truly communicate; let alone us foreigners who are learning English. Isn’t it the same when Chinese people in different regions communicate in Mandarin? The issue of regional variants in English is a real one. There is another even more important question: which level of spoken language. Which way of speaking do you learn from: the straightforward expression of ordinary people? The way of speaking that people in the cultural sphere value? A style as sophisticated as that of radio and television program hosts? We must be clear that each of the above ways of speaking has its own particularities and correspondences in terms of pronunciation, vocabulary, and expression. And this issue is also covered by both “informal” and “formal” linguistic contexts. You need good teachers and books to tell you what “English in informal situations” is and what “English in formal situations” is. In other words, the ultimate goal of learning to speak should be to say the right things to the right people. III. What to learn in spoken language? With the first two questions clarified, the next step is to focus on the specific content of learning: what exactly should be learned in terms of spoken English? This issue will affect your entire learning process, involving the determination of study time, the effort invested, and even the amount of money spent. Based on the nature and laws of linguistics*, the content of learning foreign language speaking should be categorized into the following three aspects: words, phrases, and habitual pronunciations*. 　　1. Words Words refer to the vocabulary taught in school. The first question is quantity: how many words are needed to enable you to speak? You can figure out the answer by thinking about how many words and phrases you can use when speaking Chinese in everyday life. The same is true for English. The English-speaking people may have a much simpler way of thinking than those who speak Chinese; they use fewer words in their speech. It has been estimated that around three hundred words are sufficient. 　　If we set the limit at three hundred words, the next question becomes very specific: what are they? The answer is simple: words to describe oneself, words to describe others and other things, and social words. These 300 words are likely the most frequently used in everyday spoken English by native speakers; you should spend your time memorizing these words and phrases. 　　2. Dialogue construction* habit 　　*Habit refers to the ability to string words together in the way native English speakers do, which can be called “spoken grammar”. We divide the connected sentences into three categories: sentences that describe oneself, sentences that describe others and other things, and social sentences. You should learn sentences or sentence patterns in* these areas. In addition, it is also necessary to understand the verb tenses that are commonly used in the spoken language of native English speakers. 　　3. Pronunciation First, you need to decide which country’s English accent to choose: British? Australian style? American style? The choice of English accent depends on your purpose for learning it: which **country to study or settle in? Which country is the foreign company where you work? If this isn’t your direct goal, it seems irrelevant which accent to learn. But the important thing is that no matter which option you choose, it’s best to learn by imitation; the biggest mistake when learning a foreign language is to speak with a local accent. 　　There are three aspects to learning spoken English pronunciation: sound, intonation, and rhythm. First, one must master the pronunciation techniques for individual sounds. Don’t make the single tones too precise, because no matter how accurate they are, if they don’t sound natural to native English speakers, it can’t be considered a genuine form of expression. “\"Rhythm\" refers to the stress on syllables in English words and the variations in pitch throughout a speech (referred to as \"rhythm\" in Chinese phonetics books). A major reason why Chinese people don’t speak English naturally is their improper accent. Obviously, the main focus of phonetics* is on the vocal tract. Furthermore, you need to learn the *habit of native English speakers in using intonation to convey messages and express emotional changes. This is the advanced level of learning to speak English. 　　Finally, after learning the above three aspects, you must assess your oral proficiency using the following criteria to see if you can achieve 100% accuracy ； 100% authenticity ； Awareness of cultural differences. 　　IV. What speaking system should be established? 　　We must be clear: as a foreign language, it is impossible for ordinary people to learn everything about English, nor is it necessary. So what must we learn, what must we master? Those who do not live or work in an English-speaking environment should at least learn and master the following oral English skills: the ability to describe oneself, others, and general matters ； The ability to explain Chinese traditional culture and customs ； The ability to engage in conversations and discussions on domestic and international topics. 　　What enables one to acquire these skills is “Functional English,” “Conversational English,” and “Topical English.” As for “Situational English,” it isn’t very useful in China, where English is not the native language; this is because situational English such as “banking English,” “restaurant English,” and “hotel English” (which should actually be classified as “Occupational English”) has different expression systems in various English-speaking countries. 　　Around the learning and mastery of these three key abilities, we can establish an oral communication system. But it must be ensured that the language in this system is the part of international English that is commonly used, rather than the colloquial forms of English specific to the UK, the US, or Australia. 　　V. Methods for Learning Spoken English* Once a clear direction for learning has been established, it is necessary to choose effective learning methods. Using the right methods saves time, effort, and money. Some people blame the lack of fluency in spoken language on the absence of a language environment. Going abroad to learn English**? To the English corner? Find a foreigner who speaks English to practice with? Let’s take a look at each of these aspects separately. 　　1. To English** 　　Being able to go to English** to practice English – communicating directly with native speakers is of course the best option, but not many people have the chance to do that. Some people have lived in an English-speaking environment for several years or even over a decade, yet still cannot speak English well. If one learns the right approaches and methods, it is possible to master English without relying on English**. The key is to address the questions of who to learn from, what to learn, and how to learn. Furthermore, applying what one has learned, integrating learning with practice in an organic way, and persevering are essential for achieving results. Skills learned will definitely be forgotten over time if not practiced extensively*. 　　2. Go to the English corner. If the purpose of going to the English corner is to learn*, then it’s not right. In fact, it should be used as a place to practice English expression, where one can fully showcase oneself, build confidence in speaking English, and develop the courage and ability to speak with different people in English. What’s needed there is an atmosphere of like-minded people. If you don’t have time to go, you can talk to yourself, imagining that there are two people in a conversation. 　　3. Practice speaking with foreigners. Unless they are well-trained language teachers, the only use of ordinary English speakers is to serve as a \"target\" for practicing spoken language, allowing you to test what you have learned by speaking to them. Don’t expect ordinary English speakers to be able to give you any good advice on your spoken language; it’s not recommended that you discuss grammar or linguistic rules with them. 　　Those who are good at spoken English all share this experience: starting with practicing pronunciation (with a lot of practice on intonation and rhythm) yields excellent results. Don’t keep thinking about how to write or translate this sentence. All of these will hinder the study of spoken language*. Finally, experience has shown that by choosing a good tutor and quality textbooks, along with scientific and rational learning methods, there is no reason why one cannot succeed in learning English!