Speaker’s main points by student Hitomi Kato, Japan
“It’s not what you say, but how you say it”
¨ Pronunciation, word stress, body language are very important
¨ Don’t try to sound like a native speaker – speak clearly and concisely, don’t speak quickly
¨ Avoid using slang and idioms unless you understand them totally and are able to explain them
¨ Short sentences are just as good, if not better than long explanations
¨ KISS: Keep it short and simple – Don’t complicate the language
¨ Don’t fear mistakes – they’re a good opportunity to learn
¨ Be patient and don’t get frustrated with yourself
¨ Read short stories out loud
¨ Record yourself and play it back later
¨ Use MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, Skype, Facebook Chat, etc.
¨ Go shopping in tourist areas where shop assistants speak good English
¨ Travel to English speaking countries
¨ Put your ‘English speaking hat on’ – Translation is not good
¨ Remember ‘Practice makes Perfect’