Our minds trick us into thinking that in the future we’ll have more time than now. Or that this project will become important enough for us to finally take action.
Learning English is one of those important projects.
But if the reason to improve your English finally comes, it’s usually too late because mastering English at higher levels takes time.
How many times have you told yourself you’ll start learning English again next year? Maybe you’ve postponed it so often that you’re starting to doubt if it will ever happen.
You might have a reason: you feel like you just don’t have time.
But is that a good enough reason to give up on your dream of achieving your full potential?
In this blog post, I’ll share with you 5 key things that you need to improve your speaking skills and provide a solution that can work even for busy professionals like yourself.
4 things without which you won’t get results in English
Practice and consistency
You need the right balance of passive and active skills. if your goal is to improve speaking, you have to include speaking in your regular practice. The more often you do it, the better.
Motivation and attitude
A positive attitude and strong motivation may sound trite, but they make a huge difference in language learning. If you are enthusiastic, hopeful, and curious about learning English, you’re OK with spending a bit more time and effort, which leads to greater fluency.
Exposure
The more English you can bring into your life, the more you expose yourself to it, and the more likely you are to start thinking in English and using “native English” phrases instead of translation. Surrounding yourself with English even in your daily life in your home country will help you achieve that.
Feedback and correction
The feedback loop is an essential part of learning. You can’t improve if you don’t know what you need to improve. You don’t want to try if you don’t get positive reinforcement. Receiving feedback and correction from a teacher, language partner, or language learning community helps identify areas for improvement and refine language skills.
But reading this, you might be thinking:
Taking lessons is not an option if your days are hectic and you hardly manage to balance your work and personal life already.
You can practice speaking English on your own or with native speakers. But both those options require enough motivation and stepping out of your comfort zone. And neither of those solutions includes feedback from a professional.
What if I told you you can practice speaking English almost every day, by spending no more than 15 minutes – for example on your way from the subway to the office? And you can get personalized feedback on how to improve your speaking. And the feedback and support will keep your attitude positive.
What is an asynchronous speaking program?
If you haven’t heard about it, think of it like this:
It’s an interactive learning experience that doesn’t require meeting at the same time.
You get the tasks with a deadline, and you do them when it’s convenient for you.
In the case of my speaking program, your tasks will involve answering specific questions via voice messages and sending them to a teacher. In return, you get feedback on things like pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.
It’s especially helpful for people who might feel shy or uncomfortable speaking in front of others or people who are short of time.
It’s learning on your terms.
The advantages of my asynchronous speaking program
If you’re struggling to find time to improve your language skills, this speaking program might just be the perfect solution for you. Here’s why:
Flexibility
With a speaking program, you can fit language practice into your busy schedule whenever it suits you. No need to wait for a specific time or date to start learning. You can dive in whenever you have a spare moment, without being constrained by fixed class schedules. You can study early in the morning before work, on your lunch break, or late at night when the kids are asleep. This flexibility lets you progress at your own pace.
Self-paced learning
if you ever felt stressed in class because you needed to say something quickly, you can take a breath and relax. In the speaking program, you know the tasks in advance, and have time to think what you want to say. No need to rush with your response.
Short learning format
Busy adults often have limited time for extended study sessions. That’s why in this speaking program, you can expect to spend no more than 15 minutes on a task.
It makes it easier to squeeze language practice into your day, doesn’t it?
Mobile-friendly
Take your learning wherever you go with a mobile-friendly platform. You don’t need to use Zoom, whiteboard, or carry or notebook. You only need to have Telegram installed on your mobile phone to complete the tasks. You can practice speaking while commuting to work, dusting your shelves, or walking your dog.
Personalized feedback
Every learner is unique, and my speaking program can adapt to your individual needs. By providing personalized feedback, this program ensures that you focus on the areas where you need the most improvement, maximizing your progress.
Clear learning plan
If you’ve bought courses in the past, you might know how time-consuming they are. Sometimes you buy them and don’t even open them because they require so much work.
If you’ve bought courses in the past, you might know how time-consuming they are. Sometimes you buy them and don’t even open them because they require so much work.
Our English-speaking asynchronous program doesn’t require you to spend hours on modules and videos. Once you join, you’ll receive a simple workbook. It contains all the information needed for success in the program. It lists all the tasks, as well as my example answers. For each week, you also get links to short videos. These are optional, but quite inspiring. They can give you more ideas about what to talk about and where you can borrow useful phrases. It includes a progress tracker with deadlines. It also has a link for booking private sessions with a teacher.
Interaction Opportunities
In our group chat, you can connect with fellow learners to share your insights or get answers or support from your teacher (me).
Results you will get from the speaking program
Participating in an asynchronous speaking program can lead to a variety of positive outcomes. Let’s see what you gain by joining the program:
Access to a professional English teacher
Each month, you’ll get expert guidance and professional feedback. As an experienced English teacher, I carefully select the most relevant and interesting questions to help you speak more fluently about a particular topic.
I also offer the participants targeted advice on how to improve their response, including clarity, vocabulary, pronunciation, follow-up questions, etc.
Enhanced commitment to learning
The flexibility of an asynchronous format allows you to complete the tasks at your own pace. But it also requires a degree of self-discipline and responsibility. These circumstances encourage a deeper commitment to learning, as you must decide to add this small task to your schedule and stick to it.
Retention and elimination of mistakes
In the program, you’ll need to answer the same question twice:
- At first, you just answer spontaneously
- Then you improve your answer by taking into account corrections and suggestions provided by the teacher.
This revision is the difference between just speaking (even with a lot of mistakes) and improving your speaking. Reviewing and repeating allows you to hone your skills, and improve your muscle memory for speech patterns.
When you regularly submit the recordings and get feedback from an expert, you can systematically get rid of your “cemented” t mistakes. This way, you will speak English more often and more correctly.
Confidence building
This speaking program can boost your confidence in using English in two major ways:
You have an opportunity to think through the points you want to make before you start recording yourself.
You can delete and re-record the voice message you’re recording if it’s not going well. For example, if you coughed, lost your train of thought, or your phone rang, feel free to rerecord your answer in a couple of minutes.
Having these options – even if you don’t use them – makes speaking easier, less stressful, and boosts your confidence.
New learning experience
Most adult learners know about 2 options for learning English: self-study and lessons with a teacher. The first option requires a clear understanding of what to do and how but can be more flexible. The second option requires a considerable schedule adjustment. You need to fit the classes into your schedule within the work hours of your teacher, and rescheduling or canceling may or may not be an option. But you get guidance, support, and feedback.
But there is another option – where you can combine the flexibility, with guidance, support, and feedback.
If you feel burned out or unengaged by traditional methods, try learning like this – you might get a boost of energy and enthusiasm to learn.
Examples of speaking prompts
At this point, you might be wondering what the program is like. What kind of questions can you expect when you enroll in the program?
Here are the prompts from the topic “Career reflections” that my students answered during the first 2 weeks:
These questions allow you to dig deeper into what you can already talk about more simply. Answering them clarifies your understanding of the topic and expands your vocabulary. Plus, it reduces the number of mistakes you make in real-life conversations about this topic.
But despite all the advantages, this program is not a universal solution. It might work for some people (and their lifestyles) and not for others.
Will this program be a good fit for you?
Here are some factors to consider:
- If you are a beginner, elementary, or pre-intermediate level, the speaking prompts may be too challenging.
- Consistent progress relies on your ability to be organized and complete tasks almost daily. If this is difficult for you, this program may not be the best choice.
- If you prefer in-person live interactions with a teacher, this program does not offer that except for one live meeting per month.
- Also, if you can’t or don’t want to use Telegram, this program will not work for you.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to improve your English speaking skills, the asynchronous speaking program might be a good fit for you. This program is designed for busy individuals who want to learn at their own pace. It offers personalized feedback, clear learning plans, and opportunities for interaction. The program focuses on short tasks, self-paced learning, and mobile-friendly accessibility to help you build confidence, avoid mistakes, and stay committed to learning English. It’s a convenient and efficient option for anyone who wants to improve their English fluency.
Improve your speaking skills with this handy worksheet!
