Communication Skills: Express Yourself Clearly

The Five Most Essential Conversation Skills in English (& Why You Should Learn Them)

 You already know that improving your speaking skills can have a positive impact on your personal life and professional opportunities. Understanding the natural flow of English conversations gives you confidence that you can handle a wide variety of social situations. When you first start taking English classes focused on speaking skills, you often learn basic functional phrases that help you navigate simple conversations with a partner. These usually involve turn-taking (deciding who will speak … Read the article and watch the video lesson

How to Find Focus and Improve Your English More Quickly

Think back to when you first started learning English. Your very first experience studying the language was probably when you were in school. You might not remember exactly what you first worked on, but chances are you started with classroom vocabulary. When you’re learning in the classroom, your teacher is completely in charge of deciding which skills you need to focus on, choosing the most essential language so that you can start communicating, and structuring your learning plan. For … Read the article and watch the video lesson

Nine Ways to Improve Your Intonation for Better Conversations in English

What happens when you’re not really worried about choosing the perfect words to express yourself anymore? After all, you’ve been speaking English both professionally and personally for years, and you know you’ve got a great vocabulary! If you’re like most non-native English speakers I work with, that’s when you start stressing about your pronunciation, wondering how you can finally get those tricky vowels right, and looking for ways to improve how you sound. This is great, but … Read the article and watch the video lesson

How to Respond Politely to Interruptions and Continue the Conversation

If you’re having an enthusiastic, engaging conversation in English, it’s almost guaranteed that you’re going to be interrupted. In some cultures, interrupting is considered rude, so you may be surprised that someone jumps in when it’s your turn to talk. However, interrupting can actually be an excellent way to create a connection in conversations in English, especially in American culture. That said, you may feel a little thrown off course when someone interrupts you, even … Read the article and watch the video lesson

How to Make Requests and Invitations and State Preferences Using Polite Past Expressions

Have you heard anyone start a request with “I was wondering…” or “I was hoping…” and wanted to know why they used a past form of the verb? Or have you felt a little uncomfortable when inviting someone to do something because you’re concerned they may already have plans or be busy? Maybe you had to share an opinion, but at the same time you wanted to show you’re open to other suggestions? This conversation strategy will help … Read the article and watch the video lesson

Interrupting Politely, Interjecting Opinions, and Sharing Ideas

Have you ever found yourself in a conversation where you really liked what the other person had to say and wanted to show them that you’re looking forward to hearing more? Or realized that you missed something but knew it was central to the conversation? Or maybe felt that you had something to add but you weren’t quite sure how to interject your idea without sounding rude? We’ve all been there. If you’re connecting with … Read the article and watch the video lesson