Mentee:
How to improve my English speaking ability? You know, more words, more vocabulary, more structure, so I won’t be stuck when I speak on difficult or complex topic.
Answer:
This skill will never come in a short time, but you can work few things out.
Give these five a try:
1. Practice creating a short story from things you see around, not just one or two easy sentences. Say when you see a cup of tea on a coffee table in front of you, make this kind of story:
I never know that I always feel that tea is life. I love its rich flavour. I love its effect of soothing me. It turns my bad days good and my good days better. Just like yesterday, when I had my umbrella broken in heavy rain! I got wet, I fell sick. A cup of tea really helped me. I enjoy every sip of it. I love holding the cup as if I am special. It’s life, it’s me.
Get out from normality like you first learn it;
I like tea.
I am drinking a cup of tea. It was nice tea.
Tea is good for our health.
You’ll go nowhere if you do this. Boring.
Try something different and more challenging, it will push you to be more creative.
2. Make it as a habit; increase the level of creating a story whenever you can, you are the one who can measure the level. Say the next time you find the same situation, you say;
Last week, while I was standing in line for my afternoon muffin, I met a long-time friend. We ended up talking a lot of our time together back at the university. Without even realizing it, we ordered a cup of tea and hot chocolate. Drinks we liked whenever we hung out together, just like the old time. It was sweet and fun.
More structure, more interesting rhyme.
3. Speak them out. Feel every word coming out as they are yours. Use your expression. Sound out the story as real as possible. When you are done, evaluate. Write down if you have more time. Read out.
4. When you get stuck finding the words or the structure while doing it, use your own language, continue. Move on. Create another story.
5. Keep doing it for certain time. Feel the change. Fall in love with it. Get your mood booster. Get better result.
– Remember my yesterday, Deedee –