Sophie Naw Nyo and Konstantinos Kanellos are two people who know exactly how you feel. They came to Australia when they were older and also felt scared to speak in English. In this article, they give us five tips for how you can feel more confident when speaking English.
Sophie Naw Nyo is a Karen refugee who moved to Australia from a Thai refugee camp when she was 15 years old. She is now a Multicultural Education Aide at a secondary school.
1. Making mistakes is helpful
The hardest part of speaking English is making mistakes. But did you know that mistakes can help us learn?
I learn from my mistakes and get better.Sophie
Sophie says that, “I frequently make mistakes when speaking and pronouncing in English, but every time I do, someone tells me and I remember to say it correctly. It doesn’t matter if I make mistakes because, in reality, I always do, but I always learn from them and get better.”
Konstantinos Kanellos is a Greek migrant who moved to Australia 5 years ago when he was 30 years old because his father lives here. He is now a Residential Youth Worker.
2. Have interactions
Both Sophie and Konstantinos say that if you want to be a more confident speaker, you have to interact with different people in English.
Try meeting new people.Konstantinos
“Have interactions with people outside of your community. Go and get a coffee in a place that is not run by people from your country,” says Konstantinos.
If you feel nervous about this, write down what you want to say or ask family and friends to practise common expressions with you before you go.
3. Love your accent
You might be worried that Australians won’t understand you because of your accent. Konstantinos had the same concerns. He believes that it is much harder to change your accent when you are older but that, you don’t need to change it at all.
Embrace your accent because it is part of your culture.Konstantinos
Australia is a very multicultural country so hearing different languages and accents in the street, shops or on public transportation is normal.
You can practice pronunciation to make it easier for people to understand you but don’t let your accent stop you from using your English!
4. Ask for help
When you don’t know something, one of the hardest things to do is to ask someone for help. You might not want people to think you are confused or unsure.
The most important thing is to ask when you don’t know something.Konstantinos
Konstantinos says, “The most important thing is to ask when you don’t know something. Describe it as much as you can, and ask. This is how you gain confidence in general.” Most people are friendly and will want to help you.
Some expressions you can try are:
- Excuse me, I wonder if you could help me with…
- I am learning English. Can you please explain…
5. Practise, practise, practise and then practise some more
The key to becoming more confident to speak with others is to practise. People learn in lots of different ways; some by writing it down first, some by reading role plays and some by watching English TV or listening to songs in English.
The key is to practise a little bit every daySophie
Sophie says that the key is to practise a little bit every day. Make it easy for yourself; listen to English songs while you go to work, watch English TV shows with your kids or have short conversations with your co-workers or teachers.
So, if you want to be a confident speaker, learn English quicker and connect with more people “You have to try,” says Konstantinos. The more you do, the easier it will be!
