Communication skills are a big part of our life. If you want to have a conversation with someone you need to have basic communication skills.

In other words, if you don’t know what they are & want to improve your English communication skills then don't worry. We are here to help you!

Follow the tips given below and practice them every day. In a month or so you will be a good conversationalist. You will notice the difference yourself.

So, what do you say? Let’s get started.

Table Of Contents:

• 9 Actionable Tips To Improve English Speaking Skills
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Conclusion

9 Actionable Tips To Develop English Speaking Skills

1. Maintain Eye Contact

When you are talking to someone maintaining eye contact is very important. You need to keep the opposite person engaged in your conversation. You cannot do so if you are looking at things other than the person you are speaking to.

Think of it this way, if you were talking to someone and they kept looking away from you how would you feel?

Of course, you would think that they are not interested or that they are distracted. Would you like to keep talking after that? No, because why would you want to talk to someone who is not even looking at you?

Keep this in mind the next time you talk to someone. Maintain eye contact and show them that you have focused on them and nothing else.

2. Use Facial Expressions

Facial expressions are just as important as the words you speak. It’s called non-verbal communication. When you speak to someone you don’t only have to pay attention to your words but also how you express yourself when saying them.

For example, if you want to give someone good news you need to have a smile on your face. You cannot have a blank expression while telling someone something good.

Incorrect facial expressions often lead to misunderstandings. Don’t over-complicate this. Just focus on the basic expressions. If the topic is about something good then smile. If it is about something sad then just show sympathy.

3. Pay Attention To The Opposite Person

A big part of communication skills is listening. It’s not just all about speaking to someone and having them listen to you but the other way around too.

When someone is telling you something you need to pay attention to them. Focus on them and avoid any distractions.

Don’t let them feel that you are not interested in what they have to say. When you listen to someone you don’t just do with your ears but with your eyes too.

How is that possible you may ask? Well, when someone is speaking and your eyes are somewhere else but them, they will feel like you are not paying attention. And rightly so, if you are looking elsewhere you tend to get distracted easily.

When you are communicating with someone you need to let them speak too. When they do you need to focus on them like you would want them to focus on you.

4. Rehearse What You Want To Say

Very often when we are talking to someone, we get very excited about what we are saying that we don’t take time to think and speak. When that happens, we tend to make mistakes while talking. Now that’s one thing we all want to avoid right?

The solution is to rehearse what you want to say in your mind. It is completely fine if you take a few minutes to think before you speak. That is something we should all make a habit of. It never hurts to think before talking.

You can think clearly about what you want to say, whether it is the right thing to say or if you should even say it. Many times, it so happens that people speak without thinking and then often say the wrong thing they wish they could take back.

If we take a few minutes to think about what we want to say we can avoid all of that and have a peaceful conversation.

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5. Stay On Topic

There are times when in a conversation we get distracted about something and go off-topic. Has it ever happened to you? It has to me.

Staying on topic is difficult, I know. But we need to try as hard as possible to do so. What happens is, if you are having a conversation about something and then go off-topic the person you are speaking to will lose focus and tend to not pay attention to your actual conversation.

That’s what you need to avoid. Because of course, you want them to pay attention to your topic, right? But how can they when you can’t pay attention yourself?

What you need to do is, every time you find yourself drifting off-topic you need to cut off that topic and come back to the original conversation. This way you can avoid the distraction before it gets too late.

6. Speak Clearly

Now, this is another important point you need to remember. How do you think misunderstandings are caused? Because of people not speaking clearly.

When you speak to someone you need to make yourself understood. Speak clearly and with proper facial expressions. If you do that you could never go wrong.

Speaking doesn’t mean just your words but also the volume of your voice and your tone of speaking. You cannot yell yet you cannot mumble.

Speak loud enough so that the person can hear you instead of assuming what you said. Keep these points in mind and you will be able to avoid every misunderstanding that would have been caused. Speaking clearly will also help you to improve your fluency while talking to someone.

7. Make Use Of Body Language

Just like facial expressions body language is important too. What is body language though? It is a type of non-verbal communication just like facial expressions. In this kind of communication, you use your body to express yourself.

You are probably wondering how we can use our bodies in a conversation. Well, you don’t need your body to do the actual talking but instead, you need it to keep the opposite person interested.

For example, when you are talking, you can use hand gestures. It is said that using hand gestures tends to make the conversation more interesting.

Not only that though. When you are the one listening to the opposite person then too you could use your body language. Your body posture and eye contact can make a real difference.

Why don’t you try these tips out and see the difference?

8. Ask Questions

What must you do to keep a conversation interesting and going? The answer is to ask questions.

When you ask questions in a conversation the person you are speaking to feels like you are interested. They feel your concern and tend to open up more.

It is important to converse back and forth instead of just letting one person do all the talking.

9. Stay Positive

You need to have a positive attitude about everything. You cannot overthink things unless you want to ruin them for yourself.

When you communicate with someone, avoid thinking that they are not enjoying the conversation or are uninterested. All these thoughts are probably just in your head.

Stay positive no matter what situation you are in. Avoid panicking. Even if things aren’t going your way, think calmly about what to do. The more you panic the worse the situation will get.

Just stay calm and keep a smile on your face at all times. You will be a great conversationalist.

So, this is how you can hone your spoken English & build your skills.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the easiest way to improve communication skills?

The easiest way to improve vocabulary, grammar & of course communication skills is by practicing them out on people who are close to you before using them on people in public. Keep practicing. Before you know it, you will be perfect at it.

2. How do I communicate better?

You can communicate better by just listening to what the other person has to say. When you listen automatically you will know what to say. Just don’t panic and let the conversation flow naturally.

3. What skills are needed for effective communication?

Listening and non-verbal communication skills are very important for effective communication.

4. Is it possible to improve English communication skills in 30 days?

Yes, you can improve your communication skills in 30 days. You just need to work hard and stay dedicated. After that anything is possible.

5. Why do I forget words when speaking?

When we are having a conversation with someone, we tend to forget words. This is because we overthink what we want to say. When that happens, we tend to panic. In this panic, we forget words.

I suggest that you just speak from your heart and let the words flow.

Conclusion

It is not very difficult to learn how to communicate effectively. If you stay focused and work hard you can accomplish your goal in 30 days or even less.

Communication skills are important in today’s world. It doesn’t matter if you are a student, a businessman, or even a housewife.

You need to have good communication skills to converse with the people around you. If you found these tips helpful please leave a comment below and let us know.