How can I improve my spoken English skill with the help of textbooks?

28 January 2025

English-learners

Oleksandra Kulish

Book expert

How can I improve my spoken English? This is an important question, because without the speaking component you cannot talk about language proficiency. Strange as it may seem, textbooks can help. From them you can learn important phrases and give structure to your learning. You will also be able to tighten up such important aspects as vocabulary and grammar, without which it is impossible to communicate in English. Let's find out how to use the right textbooks for language learning and how to develop your speaking skill.

How to choose a textbook with a focus on speaking

To build a good base and pump up your speaking skills, you need to know your current level. This is a necessary step, because a textbook that is too complicated will be useless and one that is too easy will not improve the skill. Our catalog has many textbooks with a focus on conversation exercises. Dialogs on various topics serve as the basis of the communicative approach. Therefore, you will have no trouble picking up the books.

The good thing is that there are such manuals for all levels. This will help to keep the system and master the language without gaps. Of course, it is best to study with them in groups, so that you can practice speaking English with other people. But even if you study on your own, you can benefit. A great help will be audio materials. Listening to them repeatedly helps you improve your pronunciation and listening comprehension. You will easily recognize a good textbook. It doesn't just give you new vocabulary, but also contains exercises to apply it. If you can not practice new expressions, you will quickly forget them.

Also, you should not overload yourself with boring lessons. There are a variety of books available now, and you can choose the one that will be interesting to you. If the lessons will be a joy, you can easily pump up your vocabulary and tighten your communication skills.

Of course, you should choose books with as many oral practice exercises as possible. Books for improving spoken English often include:

dialogs on life topics;
practice exercises to practise speaking;
interactive exercises.

Textbooks designed to develop communication skills will suit both beginners and those who want to raise their level.

How to learn basic phrases for everyday communication

Finding the right textbook isn't everything. Many people don't know how to practice speaking English on their own. But don't worry, it's not that hard. First, pay attention to the dialogs to the lessons. They contain a lot of useful phrases. If you do not understand the meaning of some words, use dictionaries. From there you will get useful knowledge and expand your vocabulary.

Act out the dialog by role-playing a real-life situation. It's okay if at first you only use phrases learned by heart. Gradually the skill will develop, and you will come to spontaneous speech. Of course, until then, you need to listen to and learn a lot of dialogues on a variety of everyday topics.

This exercise has two advantages. First, you listen to native speakers and can imitate the correct pronunciation. Secondly, you can improve your English speaking and get ready phrases for communication. After all, you end up using whole constructions rather than individual words in your speech. Many books for English language development contain special sections devoted to basic vocabulary. They will help to form or increase confidence in the initial stages of learning.

Gradually increase the complexity of conversational topics

You don't need to dwell on the beginning topics for long. You can strive for maximum perfection, but in this case perfectionism does not play to your advantage. If you are thinking about how to improve your conversational English, you should gradually move on to more difficult topics. If you need a concrete plan and you don't want to go by the textbook, you can use basic recommendations. Here is a sample plan to help structure your learning:

Simple everyday topics (beginner level). At this stage, it is important to learn basic words, expressions and simple constructions. Topics to talk about: introducing yourself (name, age, interests), family and friends, shopping (at the store or supermarket), food and drink, weather. Examples of questions: “What's your name?”, “What's your favorite food?”.
Vocabulary Expansion (intermediate level). More complex topics that require descriptions and expressions are added. Topics for conversation: travel and recreation, hobbies, study or work, personal preferences (movies, music, literature). Examples of questions: “Where would you like to travel next and why?”, “What hobbies do you enjoy in your free time?”.
Discussion and argumentation (advanced level). This stage involves the ability to express your thoughts using complex grammatical constructions. Topics for conversation: modern technology, ecology and environmental issues, cultural differences. Examples of questions: “How do you think technology influences our daily lives?”, “What can we do to reduce pollution in big cities?”.
Abstract and philosophical topics (high level). These topics require a rich vocabulary, the ability to analyze and formulate complex ideas: ethics and morality, the future of humanity, artificial intelligence, personal happiness and success. Examples of questions: “What's your definition of happiness?”, “Do you think artificial intelligence will ever surpass humans?”.

Progress step by step. Textbooks with a well-constructed system of increasing the complexity of the material will make the learning process enjoyable and effective.

The Role of Interactive Assignments in Practice Textbooks

Long gone are the days when language learning was reduced to rote memorization of texts. Nowadays, textbook writers are trying to add interactive elements to the learning process. With a good textbook, you don't have to think about how to practice speaking English. The authors have already thought of everything for you and made a well-developed plan.

Good textbooks also use online tests, various games and videos. They often come in the form of a link to an online resource together, to which you can go and do exercises on the passed material. This approach makes the language learning process lively and exciting. Books to improve spoken English from Dinternal Education include such tools.

Using textbooks with audio for pronunciation

Many experts give advice on how to improve spoken English. They all agree on one thing: to speak well, you need to listen a lot. Therefore, choosing a textbook without an audio supplement is a bad idea. Repeated listening to dialogs and texts helps:

improve listening comprehension;
Repeat after native speakers;
practicing intonation and rhythm of speech.

Of course, in order to improve your knowledge and consolidate the correct pronunciation you need not only to listen, but also to repeat after the speaker.

Comparing formal and informal speech

Once you have completed the beginning levels, you need to turn your attention to informal communication. You've probably noticed that in movies, the phrases are much different from those in textbooks. In everyday life, we don't speak in pure literary language either. So knowing the difference between formal and informal speech is an important part of learning English.

Be sure to take time to take in these kinds of moments. This will help you understand how to pump up spoken English to the level of free communication in any situation.

Reinforce what you have learned through repetition and practice

No one knows how to develop conversational English without regular repetition of the material learned. Without this, learned words and constructions are quickly forgotten. Therefore, make it a rule to use new words in your speech. It is best if you can communicate with native speakers. But even acting out dialogues and modeling situations in your imagination will be useful.

Practice the material in different formats: listening, reading, speaking and writing. This will ensure multifaceted consolidation of knowledge. Change the contexts in which phrases are used to learn how to apply them to real-life situations.

We offer books for improving spoken English that are suitable both for independent study and for working with a teacher. Choose textbooks from the Dinternal Education catalog and start your journey to fluent English today!