Being Simple in English is the most difficult thing-Know how
How to Communicate in simple English?
Have you seen the famous Hindi movie, Amar Akbar Anthony? Do remember these lines from the song, ‘My name is Anthony Gonsalves?’
“The coefficient of the linear is juxtaposition by the hemoglobin of the atmospheric pressure in the country.”
Does this sentence make sense to you? It would not because it is pure gibberish or nonsense. Of course, poets and lyricists have the linguistic liberty to twist words and sentences as and how they like. You cannot do this while communicating with people on a serious note. Do you expect the other person to sit with a dictionary in hand to decipher what you utter? It is better to speak in simple English, a language that people can understand. Ultimately, you want the message to go through to the other person.
These tips can help you to speak better English, and more importantly, simple English. Remember, being simple is sometimes the most difficult thing to do in this world.
Enroll in a proper English Speaking Course
The ideal way to learn English is to enroll in a good English Speaking Course conducted throughout the country by institutions like Wizmantra and others. The advantage is that you develop the habit of conversing in English every time. As you keep practicing, you become comfortable in the language whereby you end up preferring to communicate with people in English all the time.
The English Speaking Courses help you to improve your diction, the way you pronounce the words. When you use the right pronunciation, you communicate effectively with people. You become capable of delivering the right message to the other person. Hence, this improves your overall productivity.
Use simple language while speaking with people
If you regularly watch news channels, you would have heard the Congress leaders like Shashi Tharoor speak on various topics. No one can doubt his capabilities as an erudite person who can speak exquisite English. If you ask him to describe the lines of the song we have referred to in an earlier paragraph, he would have summed up in one word, “Farrago.” Now, what on earth is a farrago? You would rush to type out the word on your smartphone to understand its meaning. Farrago means “a confused mixture, hotchpotch, a random collection, and so on.” Now, it will make sense to you.
The point we make is that one should use words that would not force people to rush and look up in the dictionaries for its meaning.
Accept that English can be a funny language
English is a simple language to learn, but it can throw up weird surprises. You can come across many words that have the same pronunciation but different spellings and meanings.
- Read and Reed – The pronunciation is the same, but the meaning is different. You know what ‘read’ means whereas the word ‘reed’ denotes a tall, slender-leaved plant that grows in marshy land.
- Read and Red – Here we refer to the past tense of the act of reading and a common color you see every day. The pronunciation is again the same, but the meaning differs.
- Read and Read – Here, you find both the words having the same spelling but different pronunciation. The latter is the past tense of the previous You pronounce it as ‘red.’
There are hundreds of such examples that you come across daily. For example, the plural of mouse is mice whereas the plural of house is houses. You cannot explain these exceptions. The perfect thing to do is to accept them as it is and try to use the right word at the right time.
Grammar is important but not necessary
Does the statement sound odd to you? It should be because the English Speaking Courses place great emphasis on being grammatically correct. Grammar is essential if you have to pass an English examination. However, if you want to speak English fluently, try to learn English without studying Grammar. If you place too much emphasis on grammar, it can confuse you and slow you down. You are not speaking to an English professor all the time. Your language should be such that the opposite person understands what you want to convey. You do not have to be a William Shakespeare or a George Bernard Shaw to be able to do that. You can take the odd liberty with grammar as long as you communicate effectively.
Read, Listen, Speak, and then Write
As children, you begin by listening to others. Then, you start to speak. Subsequently, you learn how to read and finally start writing. In school, they teach you to read first followed by writing, listening, and finally, speaking. However, in the English Speaking Courses conducted by Wizmantra, you follow the sequence, Read, Listen, Speak, and then, write. Why is it so?
Whenever you learn a new language, reading and listening are not enough. You should practice speaking what you hear. Practice by speaking aloud. Listen to how people pronounce the words correctly. When you practice, try to talk in short, simple sentences. Practice it until you become a fluent speaker. As you keep practicing, the words will flow out of your mouth automatically.
Written English is different from Spoken English
Is writing an essay different from delivering a speech? You can argue that both these activities require you to have perfect knowledge of English grammar. However, you cannot equate both of them. If so, every person who writes good English would be able to speak fluently. When you talk, you have to pay more attention to the pauses, the pronunciation, and the mannerisms. It is not so in the case of writing. Hence, speaking English requires you to put in a more significant effort as compared to writing an essay. Going to an English Speaking Class can help you polish these skills better.
Take it step by step
Start by learning simple sentences before you move on to the complicated ones. Let us look at some of the simplest but most effective ways of communicating with people.
- When you greet someone you should say, “Hi, Ramesh, how are you?” instead of saying, “Hi Ramesh, I trust you are in the pink of health.”
- If you wish to ask for directions, you can ask, “Excuse me, Sir, I’m looking for Safdarjung Road. Can you please show me the way?”
- Now, if you wish to order some soup, you can say, “I’d like to have a cup of hot tomato soup.”
These are simple phrases that do not take long to master. Secondly, you convey the message.
Do not be afraid to make mistakes
If you do not make mistakes, how are you going to learn the language? Mistakes are common. Everybody commits them, but the trick lies in learning from the mistakes and ensuring that you do not commit them again. The more you speak in English, the better you become at the language.
Use simple sentences when communicating with people. It not only makes you feel at ease but also enables the other person to understand what you want to say.
Have belief in your capabilities
When you believe in yourself, you develop a lot of confidence. It reflects in the way you speak to people. Do not be afraid that people will make fun of you. Some of them might still try to find faults. People will judge you by your mistakes. Maintain your calm and continue speaking to people in English. Remove the fear of English from your minds. It is as simple as learning any other language. Stand in front of a mirror and note how you speak in simple English. Concentrate on the areas where you look and sound uncomfortable. Try using short and simple sentences by cutting out fancy words. Such words look and sound trendy, but it is better to avoid using them if you are unsure of the context in which to use them.
Pay attention to phonetics
A stint at the English speaking courses conducted by institutes like Wizmantra can help you pick up the subtler aspects of the English language. Phonetics is the study and classification of speed sounds. Watching English movies, news programs, and English documentaries will help you understand how words sound. You can use them to good effect while communicating with people.
The more you observe how people speak the language, the better you become at it. Remember, English is a learning process. You learn something new every day. The trick is in keeping your eyes and ears wide open at all times.
Think in English
The mistake we Indians make is that we think in our mother tongue while we try to speak in English. The grammar in our mother tongues such as Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, and so on is different from English grammar. It makes things difficult for you. Therefore, it is better to try thinking in English before you speak. It will take time, but you will benefit from this experience.
To think in English, you should make English a part of your daily life. Use English for simple conversations like ordering your cup of coffee or buying your train ticket. Read English newspapers and books. Watch Hollywood movies without subtitles. It will make you concentrate on what the actors say. You not only enjoy the film better but also pick up the English language.
Use the English to English dictionary to look up the meanings of difficult words. Nowadays, you have the benefit of using the smartphone. It enables you to learn new words that you can use in your conversations.
Avoid using compound sentences
How does this sentence sound? “We are firing on all cylinders with our business performing exceptionally well whereby we expect positive results this year.” This sentence is grammatically correct, but it seems that you are trying to say too much in a single sentence. Break up such compound sentences into two or more sentences. It makes it comfortable for people to understand what you want to convey.
Practice online
Today, you have facilities to practice English speaking online. Sign up for a conversation exchange program. There are thousands of people seeking to learn simple conversational English in this manner. When you practice speaking with such people, you learn to become confident. Such websites have professional coaches who can help you with the pronunciation and other aspects. The advantage is that you can learn to speak English in your free time. Some of these websites do not charge you anything for practicing online.
Practice simple conversational English
The best way to go about practicing simple conversational English is to have a willing partner or friend to help you out. In this way, both of you can learn to speak English. Having an expert on the other side can help you better. Start by asking and answering simple one-liner questions and answers. Learn how to introduce yourself formally and informally. Learn how to ask the time and express numbers in English. Speaking on the phone can prove to be a nightmare for people who are learning English. Practice talking on the phone with your companion to get rid of the fear. Learn how to order food at a restaurant. If you are going abroad for higher education or employment, you need to learn conversational English. Practice asking directions and understand how people respond to your queries. Learn how to seek appointments and to communicate your illnesses to the doctor. These are simple issues that one can iron out with proper practice.
Final thoughts
Communicating with people comes naturally to all. However, effective communication is an art. You need practice to master this art. Speaking in simple English can go a long way in making you an effective communicator. Simple English helps others to understand what you want to convey. Using fancy language can be tempting, but it does not serve the purpose. You could end up talking nonsense, or ‘farrago’ as excellent English speakers like Shashi Tharoor describe it.
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