How can I speak English more fluently? Ask BBC Learning English

107,332 views ・ 2025-02-09

BBC Learning English


Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.

00:00
How can you speak English more fluently?
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Here's a question from Mary.
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That was Mary's question.
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But we also want your questions.
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You can send us a question to [email protected].
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But now, on to speaking fluency.
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Let's go. So what does 'fluently' mean?
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Well, if you can speak fluently, you can speak easily without many pauses.
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So let's look at five ways you can speak English more fluently.
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Learn informal expressions and practise using them.
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For example, you could make a target of learning five a month.
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00:53
It's really raining.
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No, it's chucking it down.
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01:01
How are you?
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How's it going?
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How's it going?
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How's it going?
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Hey, how's it going?
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Use words like 'actually'
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and 'basically'. They give you more time to think and
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they'll make you sound more fluent.
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Basically, I don't want to go out while it's raining.
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Actually, I'll just go. Yeah. Bye.
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01:27
Fluent speakers of English use the /ə/ sound a lot.
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We call it 'schwa', and we also use linking to connect words together.
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Like this:
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A cup of tea.
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A cup of tea.
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A cup of tea. A cup of tea.
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That is a good cup of tea.
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01:53
How are you?
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01:55
How are you?
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How are you?
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/ə/, /ə/.
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how /ə/, how /ə/.
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How are you? How are you?
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Practice everywhere.
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Talk to people around you.
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Sian, if you could have any superpower, what would it be?
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Ah, that's a good question.
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Or even talk to yourself while you're at home.
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What are you doing?
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You can also talk to yourself or other people on the phone.
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02:24
So I'm washing up.
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Uh, this is a mug because I just had a coffee, but I have to wash a saucepan,
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a wooden spoon.
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I have loads of washing up,
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and I'm talking to myself to practise my English.
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02:41
Use words like 'so',
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'well', 'erm'. English speakers use these all the time,
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and they give you more time to think.
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02:52
Erm, I dunno, well, we could go to the park.
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Yeah. So, we just went to the park.
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Erm, well, no, it's really cold.
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It's raining. Actually,
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it's chucking it down.
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That's all for now
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but check below for more on this topic. See you soon.
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