Simple ways to improve your English

WHEN speaking to a small group of people, we tend to stick to the same subjects, using the same vocabulary. As such, it’s quite difficult to improve. Check out these tips to help you improve.

To expand your vocabulary, learn synonyms:

There are lots of synonyms in English where the words appear to mean the same but are slightly different in meaning. For example, “big” is a general word but there’s also “enormous” which is “extra big” and “gigantic” which is “really, really big”. When you have a grasp of the differences, you can convey subtleties better. To broaden your vocabulary, make a list of three synonyms, and understand how they’re different. Then use them at least once a day.

To improve fluency, use common expressions:

For example, in English you might say, “He’s so tight, he squeaks when he walks” meaning someone is a cheapskate. For this, it helps to get hold of an idiom’s dictionary. These do exist online but do be careful because many include street slang which is not suitable in normal social communication. Make a list of three things that go together, like three expressions that comment on someone’s character. For example, a person can be “a go-getter” meaning someone who is goaldriven and has “the gift of the gab” meaning someone who is a persuasive speaker. Then look around and apply these phrases in as many conversations as you can.