{"id":147904,"date":"2023-02-14T21:51:47","date_gmt":"2023-02-15T02:51:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/conversational-english-practice\/"},"modified":"2025-06-17T07:27:59","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T11:27:59","slug":"conversational-english-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/conversational-english-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"13 Great Strategies for Conversational English Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Why is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/english-speaking-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">speaking English<\/a> so darn hard? You know the words, you&#8217;ve heard them many times before. You can probably think of what you want to say\u2014but your mouth just can&#8217;t produce the words.<\/p>\n<p>Read on for some great ways to <strong>learn conversational English<\/strong> and improve your skills and confidence.<br \/>\n[fluentu-toc]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<h2>1. Use Your Favorite Technology<\/h2>\n<p><a title=\"The Ultimate Guide to Online English Speaking Lessons\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/english-speaking-course-online\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Technology<\/a> makes doing anything much more efficient, including learning English. Here are a few hacks that you can try out:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>When you use Google, use the &#8220;speaking&#8221; option. If you have a device with a microphone, like a smartphone or computer, you can do this easily. See if Google understands what you&#8217;ve said and puts the correct words into text.<\/li>\n<li>Make video call dates with friends and family members who speak English. Since you know who you&#8217;re talking to, this is a fun and stress-free way to practice.<\/li>\n<li>Record little English language voice messages when you chat with friends on messenger services like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whatsapp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WhatsApp<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>2. Talk Back to TV Shows and Movies<\/h2>\n<p>Watching movies or television shows in English gives you plenty of chances to practice English listening and speaking skills.<\/p>\n<p>Because most\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/learn-english-american-sitcoms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">TV shows<\/a>\u00a0rely on continuity, they\u2019re bound to repeat certain things. Pick a TV show or a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/english\/blog\/learn-english-movies-films-modern-american-classics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">movie<\/a> you already love and don\u2019t tire of watching. Since you already know what\u2019s going to happen and what everyone will say, you won\u2019t have to worry about understanding anything.&#8221;Friends&#8221; is a good option for this, and you&#8217;ll find tons of clips on our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@FluentUEnglish\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YouTube channel<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><lite-youtube videoid=\"M8iJlfCENfc\"><\/lite-youtube><\/p>\n<p>Watch once and just practice paying attention to dialogue (conversations) and how people speak. Pause at regular intervals to emulate (match, typically by imitation) their tone and pronunciation. Repeating what people say will help you sound more natural.<\/p>\n<p>The video-based learning program <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/english\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FluentU<\/a> actually makes this easier. <p><strong>FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n<p><\/p> \r\n<p>You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/fluentu-learn-language-videos\/id917892175\">the iOS app<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.fluentflix.fluentu&amp;hl=en&amp;gl=US\">Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p><i><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\r\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/4\/SimpleText.jpg\" alt=\"FluentU Ad\" \/>\r\n  <p style=\"text-align: center\">\r\n    <button class=\"btn-blue\" style=\"border: none;font-size: 18px;text-align: center;padding: 0.75rem 1.5rem;cursor: pointer\">\r\n      Try FluentU for FREE!\r\n    <\/button>\r\n  <\/p>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\n<p>Try this out with English videos regularly! As a plus, you&#8217;ll pick up some conversational and pop culture vocabulary.<\/p>\n<h2>3. Warm Up with Online Conversations\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re having trouble getting the confidence to speak to someone in person, maybe you can always start by typing online.<\/p>\n<p>It won\u2019t help you learn to speak out loud, but it will help you learn how to form conversational sentences and communicate clearly, and these skills will make you more confident when it\u2019s time to speak.<\/p>\n<p>Make online conversations a part of your daily routine.\u00a0To learn conversational English through online communications, try these tips:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/best-translation-apps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">online translation services<\/a>.<\/strong>\u00a0The best thing about typing your conversations is that you have plenty of time to make sure you get everything right. Websites like\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/translate.google.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Google Translate<\/a>\u00a0can help you find the right words to use. If Google Translate isn\u2019t helping, you can look up unknown words on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vocabulary.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vocabulary.com<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.dictionary.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dictionary.com<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Join conversations in comments sections and social media.<\/b>\u00a0Do you read articles or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/blogs-for-learning-english\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">blogs online<\/a>? Great! Now join the conversation about it.\n<p>Scroll to the bottom of most articles online and you can usually leave a comment. Read what other people are saying, and leave your own thoughts. Many websites use\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Facebook<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/disqus.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Disqus<\/a>\u00a0for comments. Just join and comment!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Announce that you\u2019re an English learner in your profile or signature.<\/b>\u00a0Add a line in your profile that states you\u2019re learning English and welcome corrections. The people who will be helping you are probably regular people, so their advice will usually have great conversational English tips.\n<p>You can add the sentence on the \u201cabout me\u201d sections of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Twitter<\/a>. Most email services and many forums have a \u201csignature\u201d part that is added at the end of all your messages.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ask questions.<\/strong>\u00a0Don\u2019t be afraid to reach out for help! You can also ask people, \u201cHow would you say this in a casual conversation?\u201d to get some really useful information about how people talk.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Remember: People use slightly different language online.<\/strong>\u00a0Not\u00a0everything that\u00a0you see online\u00a0can be said in person. There\u2019s no sure way to know\u00a0which words you can and can\u2019t use in real conversations, except to ask a native speaker (or just ask the person who used the phrase online!).\n<p>If someone is using\u00a0slang, you can look it up on\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.urbandictionary.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Urban Dictionary<\/a>, or if their response has a picture with words on them, try checking\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/knowyourmeme.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Know Your Meme<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Thanks to the Internet, you can have lots of English teachers right from the comfort of your home!<\/p>\n<h2>4. Join Language Exchange Apps like HelloTalk<\/h2>\n<p>Chatting is great, but you&#8217;ll want to move on to actual speaking as soon as you can.\u00a0 It\u2019s good to have\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/english-tutor-online-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">an online tutor<\/a> or a native speaker study partner, but it\u2019s even more useful to <strong>find a language exchange partner<\/strong>. A language exchange partner is\u00a0a\u00a0native English speaker who is\u00a0learning your language.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-46856 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/hellotalk-logo.png\" alt=\"hellotalk logo\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/p>\n<p>One of the best language exchange apps today is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hellotalk.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HelloTalk<\/a> since it lets you chat, send voice messages and even do video calls in English. This app pairs you with real native speakers with whom you can have conversations that vary depending on skill level.<\/p>\n<p>Any language can be chosen. Luckily, most people are there to practice their English just like you, so there are plenty of people you can practice with.<\/p>\n<p>If your partner sends you a text message, there&#8217;s actually an option to have the app read the message out loud for you.\u00a0This can be extremely helpful with pronunciation as the app does a good job of speaking clearly.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/hellotalk-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in-depth review of HelloTalk<\/a> if you want to know more about the app.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Aside from HelloTalk, you might also want to try out other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/best-language-exchange-apps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">language exchange apps<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>5. Ask Thoughtful Questions to Deepen Vocabulary\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>If you&#8217;re with a native speaker who knows you&#8217;re learning English, you can ask specific questions to understand the meaning of new words better.<\/p>\n<p>For language exchange specifically, your partner will understand at least some of your language! This can make it easier to find out how to say things that \u201cdon\u2019t translate well\u201d into another language.<\/p>\n<p>Try out these questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Instead of:<\/strong> \u201cWhat does that word mean?\u201d<br \/>\n<strong>Ask:<\/strong> \u201cWhat does this word mean\u00a0<em>in this sentence<\/em>?\u201d <br \/>\n<b>Because\u2026 <\/b>Understanding how words fit into sentences is a step towards fluency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Instead of:<\/strong> \u201cWhat does this phrase mean?\u201d<br \/>\n<strong>Ask:<\/strong> \u201cWhat is a similar phrase in my native language?\u201d <br \/>\n<strong>Because\u2026<\/strong>\u00a0Sometimes understanding the words is not enough to understand the meaning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Instead of:<\/strong> \u201cWhy did you say that?\u201d<br \/>\n<strong>Ask:<\/strong> \u201cWhy did you say it<em>\u00a0that way<\/em>?\u201d <br \/>\n<b>Because\u2026<\/b>\u00a0We use words in different ways to\u00a0express feelings, emotions, opinions and much more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Instead of:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you saying?\u201d<br \/>\n<b>Ask: <\/b>\u201cWhat do you<em>\u00a0mean<\/em>?\u201d <b><br \/>\n<\/b><strong>Because\u2026<\/strong>\u00a0What you say and what you mean are\u00a0not always the same thing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For example, what\u2019s the difference between saying you \u201creally want that new phone,\u201d and saying you \u201cseriously want it?\u201d When would you use \u201creally,\u201d and when would you use \u201ctruly\u201d? These are the kinds of questions you should be asking your conversation partner.<\/p>\n<h2>6. Download the WordReference Dictionary App<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-46858 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/wordreference-logo.png\" alt=\"wordreference logo\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/wordreference.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WordReference<\/a> is a great tool that is a known lifesaver for language students. But there&#8217;s more than just the dictionary-style website for you to enjoy! It also has a mobile app (<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.wordreference&amp;hl=en&amp;gl=US\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Android<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/wordreference-dictionary\/id515127233\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iOS<\/a>) with<strong>\u00a0two specific features that allow you to practice your speaking<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>First, the app will sound the word out to you, and there&#8217;s an option to hear a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/british-english-speaking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">British voice<\/a> or an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/learn-american-english-accent\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">American voice<\/a>. To fully take advantage of this feature to improve your English speaking skills, you&#8217;ll need to repeat the word out loud, mimicking the way it&#8217;s pronounced by the app.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The second feature is that you can easily look up words and see how they&#8217;re used in context. Whenever you search for a particular word, you&#8217;ll get a definition and example sentences. They aren&#8217;t just basic sentences either, they&#8217;ll show you tons of great real world examples for how to use new vocabulary.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Plus, there are forums where language learners can ask their questions to the world\u2014and the world responds! Check out these forums to see how native speakers explain their own ways of using English vocabulary. This will help you understand cultural contexts and etiquette behind words.<\/p>\n<h2>7. Use Slang Dictionaries<\/h2>\n<p>When we talk about conversational English, we\u2019re really talking about the \u201cvernacular.\u201d The vernacular is the type of language native speakers use in their everyday conversations. Many words have different meanings in the vernacular\u2014so aside from official dictionaries, it&#8217;s also important to have a slang dictionary.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Remember that slang is different based on age and location, but you can still get a good idea of how people actually use words by checking what they mean in slang. If you do this every time you learn a new word or phrase, you\u2019ll get a good understanding of conversational English without too much extra work!<\/p>\n<p>Some good dictionaries you can check are\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.daredictionary.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Dare Dictionary<\/a>, ESL Cafe\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.eslcafe.com\/slang\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">section about slang<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/onlineslangdictionary.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Online Slang Dictionary<\/a>. As mentioned above, you can also visit <a href=\"http:\/\/urbandictionary.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Urban Dictionary<\/a>, but just be mindful that it can be edited by anyone, so not all the entries are used commonly. Some of the entries can also be quite <em>vulgar<\/em>\u00a0(offensive or sexual in nature).<\/p>\n<h2>8. Translate Everything, On the Go<\/h2>\n<p>This is an exercise that can be worked into many different parts of your life, just like the reality TV show. Often, when done frequently enough, it almost becomes a habit. Pretty great habit to have, right?<\/p>\n<p>To give an example: you&#8217;re driving on the road and see a billboard with a funny phrase on it. See if you can translate it and speak your English translation out loud with excellent pronunciation.<\/p>\n<h2>9. Narrate Your Day Like a Reality TV Show<\/h2>\n<p>Sometimes, we want to get away from all the technology in our daily lives.<\/p>\n<p>Don&#8217;t worry\u2014there are lots of fun and creative ways to practice speaking without technology.<\/p>\n<p>For example, have you ever wondered what your life would look like as a reality television show?<\/p>\n<p>Go about your day. As things happen, practice your English speaking by discussing the things you do, as well as the people, things and sometimes problems you encounter. Talk about everything as if you had a million viewers out in the audience, interested in your life.<\/p>\n<p>If something was difficult about a particular part of the day, talk about how that obstacle was easy or hard for you to overcome. Perhaps <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/talking-about-food-in-english\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">while cooking<\/a> you can tell the audience what it is you&#8217;re making and how to make it. Go through the recipe step by step and talk about why you love it so much. While watching a <a title=\"The Ultimate English Vocabulary Guide For Football \/ Soccer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/english\/blog\/english-vocabulary-football-soccer-esl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sports game<\/a>, try to narrate everything going on like an actual newscaster.<\/p>\n<p>When you have to pause because you can&#8217;t remember a particular word or phrase, keep talking using other words to describe what you mean. This will help you learn to be more creative.<\/p>\n<p>If you happen to have a way to take notes at the moment, make a note of which words and phrases you forgot. Then, you can look them up and study them for future use in conversation.<\/p>\n<p>So, just have fun with it and you&#8217;ll see your speaking ability improve greatly without realizing it.<\/p>\n<h2>10. Use Meetup Groups to Find Other English Learners<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-46859 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/meetup-logo.jpg\" alt=\"meetup logo\" width=\"150\" height=\"144\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I use the international networking site\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/meetup.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Meetup<\/a>. I\u00a0get alerts in my inbox when someone creates a Meetup group in an area I\u2019m interested in, like Italian conversation practice.<\/p>\n<p>There are usually several English language practice groups in any major city, so all you have to do is look around. Joining any Meetup group is free. You only have to pay a small fee if you form one yourself.<\/p>\n<h2>11. Analyze Your English Conversations<\/h2>\n<p>Worried about speaking correctly in your new language? Too much concern (worry) about speaking correctly might stop you from engaging in conversations, so you\u2019ll need to relax a little. However, being too laid-back (relaxed) about this won\u2019t help you in the future.<\/p>\n<p>For example, you can be confident in speaking but never pay attention to your mistakes. This means that your accuracy won&#8217;t improve, and you won&#8217;t learn the right\u00a0way to say things.<\/p>\n<p>To avoid this, just remember these important tips:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Focus on\u00a0<em>how<\/em>\u00a0words are used, not why.<\/b>\u00a0Many native English speakers can\u2019t tell you why something they said is correct (that\u2019s what your language exchange partner is for). Instead, listen and ask about how words are used to communicate. This could mean\u00a0asking a speaker for examples of sentences they\u00a0would say with a certain word.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t worry too much about grammar.<\/strong> Being understood is more important than being correct. Just try to communicate your ideas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Listen first, write things down after.<\/strong>\u00a0It might be tempting to write down any new words you hear. Doing so will take you away from the conversation, though, so don\u2019t do it! Instead, you could record the conversation with your smartphone and write down words later. Remember that if a word is very useful, you\u2019ll probably hear it again.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And remember, your speaking partners want to help you.\u00a0People are usually happy to help an English learner!<\/p>\n<h2>12. Prepare a Script Before Talking<\/h2>\n<p>If jumping into a conversation sounds too scary for you, there\u2019s something you can do to prepare: write a script. A script is a dialogue that actors follow, and it can help you become more confident when you speak to others. All you have to do is choose a scenario, and write out the different things you might need to say in that situation.<\/p>\n<p>To start off, some useful phrases you might want to remember are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;I\u2019m learning English.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Please speak slowly.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;What does this word mean?&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Can you repeat that please?&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Thanks for being patient with me!&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you\u2019re going out to a restaurant with some friends, you might use these phrases instead:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;What do you recommend?&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;I\u2019ll have the&#8230;&#8221; (Used when ordering your meal)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Can I have some more time to decide, please?&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;I\u2019ll have what she\u2019s having.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The examples above are just\u00a0phrases you might say\u00a0to the restaurant staff. But what will you talk about to your friends? So you can write a few ideas for that, too.<\/p>\n<p>You can also use your knowledge of the people you\u2019ll be meeting with. Will they be talking about the latest movie they watched, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/business-english\/english-at-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">discussing their jobs<\/a>?<\/p>\n<p>Remember that this script is not something you\u2019ll follow exactly; it\u2019s just something to get you started. Being prepared will also make you feel more confident!<\/p>\n<p>If you can\u2019t think of something to say, or the conversation ends up being completely different from what you\u2019d imagined, that\u2019s okay, too.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/english\/blog\/english-filler-words\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">You can always use filler words<\/a>\u00a0to fill any silences or gaps in conversation. Filler words are words like \u201cum,\u201d and \u201cyou know,\u201d and they\u2019re an excellent way to keep the conversation going without breaking the rhythm. Even native speakers use them!<\/p>\n<h2>13. Learn Vocabulary by Need<\/h2>\n<p>Focus on learning vocabulary you\u2019ll actually use.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For example, let\u2019s say you\u2019re telling your language exchange partner about last weekend\u2019s canoe trip, but you don\u2019t know the English word \u201cpaddle.\u201d You might do the action of rowing with your hands\u2014and your partner would say \u201cpaddle\u201d\u2014or might describe it as \u201cthe stick we used to move\u201d instead.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>What you need to do next, is jot down this meaning or the word \u201ccanoe\u201d in your native language so that you can look it up later. These \u201cgaps\u201d in vocabulary while speaking about everyday topics are the words you need to learn!<\/p>\n<p>If you still prefer to have a list to go by, choose a list made of words that are actually used in everyday conversations.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/gonaturalenglish.com\/1000-most-common-words-in-the-english-language\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Here\u2019s one<\/a>\u00a0that lists the 1,000 most commonly used words in the English language.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/frequencylist.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Here\u2019s another<\/a> with 5,000 words listed by frequency of usage or by parts of speech.<\/p>\n<h2>Types of Conversational English<\/h2>\n<p>Now that you have all of these strategies for learning English, you can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/english-study-plan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">develop an English study plan<\/a> by thinking about what kind of conversational English you&#8217;d want to focus on. Some groups include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Slang:<\/strong>\u00a0Slang is the extremely informal \u201cstreet speak.\u201d\u00a0Different age groups and locations use different slang, so if you\u2019re interested in learning some\u00a0slang it\u2019s important to choose a location and stick to your age group. After all, it wouldn\u2019t make much sense to use American teenager slang as a middle-aged person living in Britain, would it?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Casual:<\/strong>\u00a0A casual conversation is a relaxed conversation. In casual speech, the grammar doesn\u2019t matter as much as in a more formal setting. The conversation usually flows from one topic to another naturally. You would speak casually to your friends and family, for example.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Work-casual:<\/strong>\u00a0Work-casual conversations are the kind you would have with a co-worker during a coffee break. The setting is still a work environment, but the conversations can be more comfortable than if you were speaking to your boss. This kind of speech is somewhere between formal and casual.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Think about who you plan to speak to in English. Are you hoping to make some friends around your age? Or are you trying to improve your conversational skills so you can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/english-small-talk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">make better \u201csmall talk\u201d<\/a> in the office? Your answers to these questions will determine the type of conversational English you should learn.<\/p>\n<h2>Why Conversational English is Challenging<\/h2>\n<p>Getting good at conversational English really takes a lot of practice! This is because\u00a0language learning consists of two things: input and output.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Input<\/strong> is all the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/how-to-improve-english-listening-skills\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">listening<\/a> and <a title=\"10 Great and Easy English Books You Must Read\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/how-to-improve-english-reading\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reading<\/a>\u2014everything about the English language that you absorb. <strong>Output<\/strong>\u00a0is all the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/english-writing-practice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">writing<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/english-conversation-for-beginners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">speaking<\/a>. People naturally tend to have a harder time dealing with output.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Here are the most common reasons:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>You&#8217;re not getting enough real-world input.\u00a0<\/strong>Textbooks and other English learning materials make conversation sound clearer and simpler, removing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/english\/blog\/american-english-slang-words-esl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">slang words<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/idioms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">idioms<\/a>, accents, fast speed and improper grammar. This means you&#8217;ll need to practice<i> getting used to<\/i> real-world English, whether through listening to tons of videos and audios or being exposed to native speakers in real life.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Speaking is the least practiced skill. <\/strong>Maybe you practice speaking less because you prefer to listen or you just don&#8217;t feel confident enough in your speaking ability. Or, maybe it&#8217;s because most of your learning time is spent reading, writing and listening. Unless you have a good conversation partner or live in an English-speaking country, getting plenty of English speaking practice can be a challenge.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Conversations can be nerve-wracking. <\/strong>Once you actually have to talk to someone in English, you become nervous. Who knows what they might think of you if you say the wrong thing, or what if they don&#8217;t understand you? These are all very common and understandable things to worry about, so don&#8217;t feel bad about it\u2014it&#8217;s totally normal.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The more you use conversational English, though, the less nerve-wracking it&#8217;ll become. You can also work up from chatting online to sending voice messages all the way to talking to strangers in English.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Even 10 extra minutes every day of practicing will get you more comfortable with speaking.<\/p>\n<p>See what you can do throughout the day with these exercises whenever you&#8217;re ready to finally improve your English speaking skills and start heading towards total fluency!<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n<p>\r\nIf you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. <a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials<\/a>, as you can see here:\r\n<\/p>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_1990\" style=\"width: 317px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1990\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1990\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/4\/English-5.png\" alt=\"learn-english-with-videos\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1990\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.<\/p><\/div>\r\n<p>\r\nThe FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_1991\" style=\"width: 317px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1991\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1991\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/4\/English-2.png\" alt=\"learn-english-with-subtitled-television-show-clips\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1991\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.<\/p><\/div>\r\n<p>\r\nFor example, when you tap on the word \"searching,\" you see this:\r\n<\/p>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_1959\" style=\"width: 317px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1959\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1959 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/4\/English-6.png\" alt=\"learn-conversational-english-with-interactive-captioned-dialogue\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1959\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p>\r\nLearn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you\u2019re learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_1996\" style=\"width: 317px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1996\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1996 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/4\/English-7.png\" alt=\"practice-english-with-adaptive-quizzes\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1996\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. <a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Learn more.<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n<p>\r\nThe best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you\u2019re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words\u2014and reminds you when it\u2019s time to review what you\u2019ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nStart using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. <a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why is speaking English so darn hard? You know the words, you&#8217;ve heard them many times before. You can probably think of what you want to say\u2014but your mouth just&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":160,"featured_media":252210,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"13 Great Strategies for Conversational English Practice | FluentU English Blog","description":"Get your conversational English practice here! Learn conversational English with these practical strategies that'll build your confidence, boost your vocabulary and get you talking to native speakers. We've got all of our favorite tips here, from maximizing language exchanges to using casual English dictionaries."},"footnotes":""},"categories":[685,691],"tags":[],"coauthors":[343],"class_list":["post-147904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","category-speaking-and-listening-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/160"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=147904"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147904\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":254586,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147904\/revisions\/254586"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/252210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147904"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=147904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}