HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH CONFIDENTLY | Ayn Bernos

Summary

In this video, Inverness, an English graduate and former English teacher in Spain, shares tips to boost confidence in speaking English. She emphasizes that English is a tool for communication and not a measure of intelligence. Inverness suggests practicing alone, using existing materials, observing oneself, reading extensively, and watching English content to improve fluency. She also encourages viewers to practice pronunciation, use every opportunity to speak, and focus on personal progress rather than comparing themselves to others.

Takeaways

• 🎓 The video is aimed at helping viewers become more confident in speaking English, rather than focusing on technical aspects like grammar or accent.
• 🗣️ The presenter, Inverness, shares personal experiences and tips as an English major and former English teacher in Spain.
• 💬 Tip 1: Use English frequently in daily life, even when alone, to improve fluency and reduce anxiety about speaking the language.
• 📚 Tip 2: Engage with existing English materials such as books and movies to practice pronunciation and familiarize oneself with language structure.
• 📹 Tip 3: Observe oneself speaking English by recording and reviewing performances to identify areas for improvement.
• 📖 Tip 4: Read extensively in English to understand language structure better and to enrich vocabulary.
• 📺 Tip 5: Consume English media like TV shows, films, and podcasts to grasp slang and figures of speech, bridging the gap between academic learning and native fluency.
• 🗣️ Tip 6: Practice pronunciation of confusing or similar-sounding words to improve clarity in speech.
• 🤔 Personal Tip 1: Take every opportunity to speak English, even if it causes initial anxiety, to build comfort and confidence over time.
• 🌱 Personal Tip 2: Focus on personal progress rather than comparing oneself to others, as English is a skill that can be improved with practice.
• 🌐 Final Reminder: View English as a tool for communication rather than a measure of intelligence or status, and embrace bilingualism as a gift.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Inverness's video?

The main focus of Inverness's video is to help viewers become more confident in speaking English, offering exercises and tips to improve fluency and overcome intimidation.

Why does Inverness switch between the terms 'episode' and 'video'?

Inverness switches between 'episode' and 'video' because she is accustomed to recording a podcast, which is episodic, and this confusion carries over to her YouTube content, which is video-based.

What is Inverness's educational background in relation to English?

Inverness has a degree in English language studies and is an English graduate, which qualifies her to provide insights and tips on speaking English.

What disclaimer does Inverness provide at the beginning of her video?

Inverness clarifies that her video will not focus on grammar, accent, or typical mistakes in English, but rather on building confidence and fluency in speaking the language.

How does Inverness suggest practicing English in everyday life?

Inverness suggests practicing English by speaking it often, such as talking to oneself while showering, driving, or before sleep, and by pretending to give speeches or talks.

What is the second tip Inverness gives for practicing English?

The second tip is to practice conversations in English, such as模拟 going to the grocery store in English-speaking countries, to feel more casual and comfortable with the language.

Why is it beneficial to use existing materials to practice English, according to Inverness?

Using existing materials like books and movies helps familiarize oneself with the language structure and pronunciation, and challenges one to understand new words and meanings.

What role does recording oneself play in improving English speaking skills, as mentioned by Inverness?

Recording oneself helps in observing and improving nuances and details in speech, making one more aware of differences from native speakers and allowing for targeted improvement.

Why is reading important for language learning, as discussed in the video?

Reading is important for understanding language structure, especially for speakers of different native languages, and for enriching vocabulary, which in turn boosts confidence in speaking English.

What does Inverness suggest to bridge the gap between academic English and conversational English?

Inverness suggests watching TV shows, films, and listening to podcasts in English to learn slang and figures of speech, which are often not covered in academic settings.

How does Inverness recommend practicing pronunciation?

Inverness recommends practicing pronunciation by exaggerating sounds, especially with confusing words, to understand and differentiate between similar sounds.

What personal tips does Inverness offer for feeling more confident when speaking English?

Inverness's personal tips include using every opportunity to speak English, focusing on personal progress rather than comparing oneself to others, and remembering that English is just a tool for communication.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Introduction to English Confidence Building

The speaker, Inverness, introduces herself as an English graduate and former English teacher in Spain. She clarifies that this video will not focus on grammar or accent but instead aims to help viewers become more confident in speaking English. Inverness shares her personal journey and the importance of treating English as a tool for communication rather than a measure of intelligence or status. She emphasizes the goal of the video: to provide exercises and tips to help viewers feel more at ease and prepared when speaking English.

05:01

🗣️ Tips for Enhancing English Fluency and Confidence

Inverness offers several tips to improve English fluency and confidence. She suggests practicing English in everyday scenarios, such as pretending to give speeches or conversations in English. She also recommends using existing materials like books and movies to practice and to observe one's own speech for improvement. Reading extensively is highlighted as a way to understand language structure and enrich vocabulary. Inverness also encourages watching TV shows, films, and listening to podcasts to grasp slang and figures of speech, and practicing pronunciation of confusing words. The paragraph ends with a personal anecdote about how vlogging contributed to her English fluency.

10:04

🌟 Personal Strategies for English Language Mastery

In this paragraph, Inverness shares her personal strategies for mastering English. She advises taking every opportunity to speak English, even when feeling anxious, as practice is key to becoming comfortable with the language. She also encourages viewers to focus on their own progress rather than comparing themselves to others. Inverness reminds viewers that being bilingual is a gift and that English should be viewed as a tool for communication, not a source of intimidation. She concludes with a reminder to embrace the language and use it confidently, suggesting that viewers reach out with questions or listen to her podcast for further insights.

Keywords

💡Confidence

Confidence refers to a feeling of self-assurance and belief in one's abilities. In the video, the host emphasizes the importance of gaining confidence in speaking English, suggesting that it is not just about technical language skills but also about feeling comfortable and at ease with the language. The host shares personal experiences and tips to help viewers overcome their fears and become more confident English speakers.

💡English Language Studies

English Language Studies is an academic field that focuses on the structure, history, and use of the English language. The host mentions having a degree in English Language Studies, which lends credibility to her advice and demonstrates her expertise in the subject. This background is relevant as she shares tips for improving English speaking skills.

💡Fluency

Fluency in language refers to the ability to speak or write smoothly and effortlessly. The video discusses various exercises and tips to help viewers improve their fluency in English, such as practicing speaking out loud and engaging in conversations in English, which can lead to a more natural flow of speech.

💡Accent

An accent is a distinctive way of pronouncing a language, usually associated with a particular country or region. While the video does not focus on accent reduction, it acknowledges that having an accent is a natural part of speaking English as a second language and encourages viewers to embrace their unique way of speaking English.

💡Grammar

Grammar is the set of rules governing the structure of a language. The host clarifies that the video will not tackle grammar specifically, but it is an implicit aspect of learning and improving in English. Good grammar is often associated with fluency and confidence in language use.

💡Pronunciation

Pronunciation is the way words are articulated when spoken. The video suggests practicing pronunciation, especially for words that are similar or confusing, to improve clarity and understanding in English communication. The host provides examples of words that might be challenging for ESL learners and advises exaggerating sounds for better practice.

💡Vocabulary

Vocabulary refers to the words and phrases known and used by a speaker of a language. The video encourages reading and exposure to various English materials to expand one's vocabulary, which is essential for expressing thoughts and ideas more effectively in English.

💡Conversational English

Conversational English is the use of the English language in everyday spoken interactions. The host advises practicing conversations in English to become more casual and comfortable with the language, as opposed to only using it in formal or academic settings.

💡ESL (English as a Second Language)

ESL refers to the teaching and learning of English to speakers of other languages. The video is aimed at ESL learners, providing tips and exercises to help them become more confident and fluent in English. The host, being an ESL speaker herself, shares relatable advice and experiences.

💡Bilingual

Being bilingual means knowing and being able to use two languages with a certain level of proficiency. The host reminds viewers that being bilingual is a gift and a skill, and she encourages them to view English as just another tool for communication rather than a source of intimidation.

💡Communication

Communication is the process of exchanging information, ideas, or feelings. The video's overarching theme is about using English as a tool for effective communication. The host emphasizes that the ultimate goal of learning English is to communicate better, regardless of one's level of fluency or accent.

Highlights

Inverness, an English graduate and former English teacher in Spain, shares tips for speaking English confidently.

The video focuses on building confidence rather than grammar or accent correction.

Inverness suggests practicing English by speaking to oneself in various scenarios.

Mimicking conversations in English, like going to the grocery store, can make the language feel more casual.

Reading books out loud can help with language structure and pronunciation.

Recording oneself speaking English is recommended for self-observation and improvement.

Reading extensively in English can improve understanding of language structure and vocabulary.

Watching TV shows, films, and listening to podcasts in English can bridge the gap between academic and conversational English.

Practicing pronunciation of similar-sounding words can help distinguish them clearly.

Exaggerating pronunciation can aid in understanding the differences between similar words.

Inverness encourages using every opportunity to speak English to overcome anxiety.

Focusing on personal progress rather than comparing oneself to others is key to improvement.

English is a tool for communication, and being bilingual is a gift that should be embraced.

Inverness reminds viewers not to apologize for their English skills but to view them as a tool.

The video concludes with an invitation for questions and mentions of Inverness's podcast on Spotify.

Transcripts

hey guys it's a girl Ian and you're

watching Sunkist somewhere if you're new

to my channel welcome if you're an old

subscriber welcome back my name is

Inverness and I do videos on travel

lifestyle and confidence every Monday at

6 p.m. for today's episode I keep

switching between episode and video

because I get so confused from recording

my podcast which was on Spotify by the

way and filming a YouTube video but

anyway so I'm sorry for today's video I

will be putting on my teacher hat for

those of you who don't know this already

I am an English graduate an English

major I have a degree in English

language studies and last year I was in

Spain as an English teacher so I kind of

know what I'm talking about

I believe but before I start with this

video I want to put a little disclaimer

out there this is not a video that will

be tackling grammar or your accent or

your typical mistakes when speaking the

English language those things are very

technical and they would take so much

more time to cover however for this

video we will be focusing on helping you

guys become more confident in speaking

English I'll be sharing some exercises

that will help you maybe gain a little

more fluency and also tips from your

friendly neighborhood English as a

second language speaker me I speak

Tagalog as my mother tongue that that is

my first language and English is

actually something that I learned in

school and I ended up practicing it I

ended up honing it I think I have some

good tips that I can share with you so

that the next time you feel intimidated

by the language then you can be more

prepared and you can feel more confident

because at the end of the day English is

just a tool it's just like your mother

tongue you don't have to feel like it is

a symbol of your status or a symbol of

your intelligence so this is just

another tool to communicate so that's

what I want to emphasize and that's what

I want to help you with today so shall

we begin

we shall alright so the first tip that I

have is to use English and to use it

often a lot of the time I speak by

myself whenever I'm in the shower or I'm

driving in my car or just before I go to

sleep I actually pretend that I'm giving

speeches or I'm giving a talk or a

workshop and I've been doing that ever

since I was a kid I I reckon vaguely

remember pretending that I have won an

Oscar and giving my own speech in

English and I've been doing that ever

since

and I guess because I do vlog a lot and

I speak in English a lot it's gotten

better over time so that has definitely

helped me feel more comfortable with a

language therefore allowing me to have

this more natural flow I would say

another thing is to practice

conversations in English for example you

could pretend that you're going to the

grocery store and the states or in

London allowing yourself to have those

conversations in English allows us to

feel more casual towards the language as

opposed to treating it as something that

you only use in school or for reporting

or for something a little more official

my second tip is to practice with

existing materials so it could be books

or movies what you can do is to open

your book up and then read out loud as

if you're reading to a group of kids

that will help you familiarize yourself

with the language but also the structure

because sometimes when we are creating

our own content when we are creating our

own scripts we don't get to challenge

ourselves to understand new words or get

to know other meanings of that word so

having an existing material to guide you

will be even better especially if you

want to focus on pronunciation and just

this

tip number three is to of course observe

yourself now when you observe yourself I

don't just mean go in front of a mirror

and talk for hours

I mean record yourself I believe that

one of the biggest contributors to my

progress in speaking in English was

vlogging if you go to my very first

video I spoke very slowly and I would

cringe every time I saw myself because I

just felt so uncomfortable I thought at

that time that I was already fluent in

English and I guess to a certain degree

I was but I just wasn't very

conversational maybe or casual or fluent

I don't know but I definitely have seen

the difference between then and now and

if you have those documentation of how

you speak you get to pick out some of

the nuances in how you speak and the

little details that differ you from

native English speakers and maybe if he

can pick those out you can improve as

well and feel more confident with how

you speak but again like I said a while

ago there is nothing wrong with your

variety of English if you speak Filipino

English Philippine English or if you

speak Singaporean English Malaysian

English that's completely fine and

that's good but this is only to allow

you to be more confident tip number four

is to read and to read a lot now this is

especially important if you want to get

to understand the structure better

because for example my mother tongue is

Tagalog and there are some things in

Tagalog that isn't necessarily true in

English for example in Tagalog are

pronouns have no gender that means that

when I switch to English sometimes I

would get confused between he or she

especially when I was just starting out

so now when you read you get to

familiarize yourself with the elements

of this new language that is unfamiliar

to you also obviously it helps you with

your vocabulary

it gives you new words that you

otherwise would never encounter in

simple conversations so this is a really

good way to enrich your knowledge of the

language therefore allowing you more

confidence to go out there and just

speak it because you have enough of an

arsenal to to to express your thoughts

number five is to watch TV shows watch

films listen to podcasts in English and

this is important because sometimes as

academic learners of the language we

tend to only learn the literal meanings

of things as opposed to the slang and

the figures of speech and this will

definitely bridge the gap between an ESL

learner and a native English speaker tip

number six is to practice pronunciation

especially with words that are confusing

and are very similar and of course new

vocabulary so when I talk about

confusing words these are simple words

like filler peeler Sat sad now these are

similar words in a sense and especially

to ESL learners sometimes this feels

very confusing because we're like what's

the difference between satin sad and

it's very very small when you think

about it but this is why I advise you

guys to exaggerate a little bit so you

understand the difference when we do it

ourselves which is what I'm doing now

which is why I'm talking so slowly you

get better at it when you exaggerate and

you practice overtime another example is

van and ban sometimes we Filipinos tend

to mistake V for B and F for P so we can

practice that a little bit and get

better at it so that when we speak

English or in such an occasion where we

have to speak in straight English we

won't get as confused another exercise

that you can try at home so now let's

move on to my

personal tips on how to feel more

confident when speaking in English the

first one is to use every opportunity to

speak and to practice I remember when I

was growing up every time I had to say

something in English I would feel

anxious and I would get nervous because

I wouldn't know for sure if I was saying

something right correctly I would always

edit in my mind I don't know if you guys

have experienced that but I was that

person I would always overthink like is

my structure correct if I say this will

I make sense but just grab that

opportunity to practice because if you

don't allow yourself to actually use the

language and actually say things out

loud then you won't get comfortable with

it and at the end of the day you know

your technicalities your grammar your

pronunciation those are things that you

can just practice at home you can get

better at it by learning by studying but

getting comfortable with the language is

actually using every opportunity to

speak so in order to get rid of that

insecurity or discomfort just practice

just raise your hand

talk start a conversation tip number two

is to focus on your own progress as with

anything I feel like our nature as human

beings we tend to compare our progress

with other people all the time we were

always think oh I don't speak like her I

don't sound like whoever's on Netflix

right now or I don't sound like a radio

DJ but the thing is if we keep comparing

ourselves with others progress then we

rob ourselves of the opportunity to

actually get better and so while it

feels so intuitive to just stop and

focus on what we lack as speakers just

look at yourself

and see how you can grow again English

is a skill that means you can get better

at it that means that you can practice

it my last tip or reminder is to simply

remember that English

is just a tool for communication you're

already bilingual if you're watching

this then that means you have another

mother tongue and I bet that you are

very comfortable with your mother tongue

and you speak fluently in your mother

tongue you can hold conversations in

your mother tongue just being bilingual

is already a gift and it's already a

skill it's already it's a really really

good thing if there's anything that I

learned throughout my journey and

learning and teaching English

it's that bilingual communicators

bilingual speakers actually have so much

talent just to be able to pick up this

this new language and use it despite the

challenges I I guess I just wanted to

remind you guys that English is not

something to feel intimidated by or

English is not something that we should

feel uncomfortable with so the next time

you want to apologize for not being able

to speak English or saying in front of

your presentation or in front of your

peers that oh sorry I'm not a very good

English speaker forgive me or please

bear with me instead of apologizing for

any of those mistakes just think of

English as a tool it's just a tool that

will help you get things done

communicate better but other than that

that's it no need to be worried so

anyway that is it for my video for today

I hope that helped you guys if you have

any questions that I can help you with

you can DM me on instagram at Inverness

or you can leave a comment below and

maybe I could answer that if you guys

want to hear more from me I also have a

podcast on Spotify it's called camp

confidence and I hosted with Reese Elana

Sebastian of Lana da pH hey thank you

guys so much for watching and I hope to

see you on the next one don't forget to

stay confident hey

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