5 Top Spoken English Confidence Secrets Revealed!

Jul 31, 2021

Facing facts, there are two kinds of ‘Spoken English Confidence’ that need to be taken into account, here. First, the natural confidence of native speakers of the language and also of the people who have already learnt it well enough; and then, the confidence that some learners of the language exude – or show – as they continue to pick the language up, from various sources, and also people they interact with, to be able to use it better and better.

Since we are about to discuss how to learn the language better, let us look at the confidence of learners, and find out some of their secrets!

Having Patience

Many learners are wise enough to NOT display their ‘beginners’ knowledge of English’ immediately upon acquiring it. They wait till they know their words, pronunciation, meanings, sentence construction and even spellings right, before using those words or sentences in public. Which is to say: get the facts right, first. Remember, too, that English (or any other language) would require some time to be learnt; and it has to be given that time; along with a lot of attention, thought and practice – patiently.

Speaking Slowly

Speaking slowly not only gives you the look of a serious, thinking, sophisticated and confident person, it also gives you ample (secret!) time to construct your sentences correctly, in case you are not too sure about them.

You need to perform it very intelligently, though. ‘Speaking slowly’ does not mean leaving a five-minutes’-gap between every two words you utter. It means not rushing with your words and in case you are actually looking for the right words in your mind, looking ‘deep in thought’ instead of ‘utterly confused and embarrassed’.

Practising with someone you can trust and who can help you, can help. Or, practising before a mirror, can.

With practice,you can not only perfect your speech, but also succeed in not showing it, in case you are searching your mind for help.

Talking Less, Listening More

This is a secret of not only a lot of English Learners, but also many other individuals, who prefer to know more and, perhaps, reveal less.

This helps when we do not know a language too well to try it in public. In such situations, if we keep quiet and just listen to and observe others, we

  • Pick up the language by hearing it and guessing what certain words could mean, from the expressions of the speakers.
  • We do not reveal how little we know of the language, and can save ourselves the embarrassment, if any.
  • We can avoid the risk of making mistakes while speaking the language, and thereby, any miscommunication or misunderstanding.
  • We appear as extremely courteous and attentive listeners; a sign of excellent manners.
  • We can pick up small sentences and words and store them in our minds, for use in the future.

For example:

You know what “I don’t know” means; and then you hear ‘A’ asking ‘B’ the time, and you see that ‘B’ is showing his watch-less wrist, shrugging, and telling ‘A’, “No idea!” Being the intelligent person that you are, you quickly figure ‘no idea’ is another way of saying ‘I don’t know’; so, a little later, when ‘C’ asks you whether you know where ‘A’ has suddenly disappeared, you repeat ‘B’s shrug and say, most confidently, “No idea!” See? So smart and simple.

Speaking Softly

Make sure to be audible, though. Speaking softly has many advantages.

  • It is a sign of sophistication.
  • It can cover up errors, if any, to a certain extent.
  • You can half-utter or swallow the word/s you are not too sure of, and people might just believe they lost the word in your soft speech.

English Teacher

An actor friend of mine had revealed this secret to me; and though he had declared that he had done it several times in my presence, I could never catch him at it. That proves this can really work!

  • Soft speech makes the speaker look very calm and sure of himself/herself. Someone who does not need to be loud, in order to attract attention or make a point.

Turning the Question

In case you believe you are confident of only a few words or sentences in English, and do not wish to take the risk – JUST YET – to say anything beyond those, you can still have a successful conversation, and learn a lot from the same, too! Let us explain how, through this video.

See how simple it can be, if handled intelligently? All you need to do is be ready to learn from all you can get to see and hear in English, and then, practise.

Soon, you can have your own spoken English confidence to reveal to the world!

Sudipto Das

Sudipto writes educational content periodically for MyPrivateTutor Qatar and backs it up with extensive research and relevant examples. He's an avid reader and a tech enthusiast at the same time with a little bit of “Arsenal Football Club” thrown in as well. He's got more than 5 years of experience in digital marketing, SEO and graphic designing.

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