If one wants to be eloquent in any language, there is no special trick. Even though it seems that some people are born with eloquence, this, as any other skill, can be improved with practice. You might not turn out to be as good as the next person, but perseverance and hard work always pay off.

Tip 1 – Caught between a rock and a hard place (1)

When English is not your first language, it is normal to feel nervous as there is always the fear of getting stuck lurking in the bushes. This might especially be the case when you are in front somebody who speaks really good or in front of a native English speaker. What to do? Well, don’t let panic get the most of you. We all get stuck and the cat gets our tongue. The phrases below will give you time to think and gather your composure:

• Sorry/actually, what I meant to say…
• Let me rephrase that.
• I lost my train of thought. Can I start over?
• Just to be clear…
• Can I start again?
• What was I saying?

It might be easier said than done, but just take a deep breath, shake it off, use one of the phrases above and you’re good to start over.

Tip 2 – Words don’t come easy (2)

Have you ever been in a position when you just couldn’t find the exact word? This might be one of the most common worries of language learners and it is especially maddening when you have a broad knowledge of a topic, but you just can’t express the same notion as clearly in English. Below are some practical tips to use when you can’t find the exact word and you cannot look it up in a dictionary right then and there.

• Use synonyms and similar words that mean the same or almost the same. For example, instead of saying “ground-breaking” you can use “innovative, creative, advanced, revolutionary, etc.”
• Use antonyms or say the opposite.
• Simplify your sentence using general words to convey the message.
• Don’t try to come off as though you have swallowed up the dictionary!

Tip 3 – Listen to your heart (3)

To become a good speaker, you need to be a good listener, too. Reciprocity does wonders. Improving your listening skills might take time, but you can do it while driving to work, doing house chores, exercising… Listen to podcasts or TED Talks about topics that interest you and that will grab your attention.

Listening also expands your vocabulary. We don't want you to sit down for hours and learn new words by repeating them infinitely, as there are better ways that will help you improve your vocabulary and listening skills even if your schedule is super busy.

Instead of wandering off to social media yet again, invest those minutes in something that can boost your learning. Reading English texts is a great way to increase your vocabulary and internet is an inexhaustible source of reading material. If you also want to keep up with the current affairs, you might want to visit English newspaper sites, such as the Guardian, Express, Daily Mail, etc. The selection out there is varied and all you need is thirst for knowledge.

Tip 4 – Hit me baby one more time (4)

What if you don’t understand what your co-speaker or client has said? We’ve all been in unpleasant situations where the co-speaker said something and we couldn’t understand exactly what they said. Sure, you caught a word here and there, but their pronunciation was so off that you got lost along the way. You better not go guessing, and you also can’t keep nodding and pretending you know what they said. Instead, you can ask them to repeat using the likes of the phrases below:

• I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that.
• Could you say that again? Can you repeat that?
• What was that again? Sorry, what did you say?
• Could you speak a bit louder?
• Did you say overlook or overtook? Did you say accept or except?
• Could you be a little more specific?
• Could you give me some more details?

Tip 5 – Eat, sleep, rave, repeat (5)

How can you improve fluency and become more confident in speaking English? First of all, don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes. The other thing – practice makes perfect. Find someone that can help you with this. The more you speak, the more natural you get.

Shadowing is another technique that will help you feel more in sync with the language and understand pronunciation and intonation patterns better. For that purpose, you can find an audio file and its transcript and listen to it as you follow the text. Then practice mimicking the speaker by repeating the same words with the same pronunciation and intonation.

Talk the talk and walk the walk

Surrounding yourself with people and situations that force you to use the language off guard might be a shocker but also tough love when it comes to improving speaking skills. It will also give you precious experience that will pave your way towards a successful and confident English speaker. Some people work best under pressure, so put yourself into situations where you have to go that extra mile. It will pay off eventually. And, one more thing, read, read and read. And stop to listen.

(1) "Caught between a rock and a hard place" is a title of the song by Rolling Stones

(2) "Words don’t come easy" is a title of the song by F.R. David

(3) "Listen to your heart" is a title of the song by Roxette

(4) "Hit me baby one more time" is a title of the song by Britney Spears

(5) "Eat, sleep, rave, repeat" is a title of the song by Fatboy Slim and Riva Starr