Improve Your English by Talking to Yourself

Level: Beginner • Date: April 20, 2025

Read the article aloud on your own or repeat each paragraph after your tutor.

Why Talking to Yourself Works

If you want to speak English better, one of the best things you can do is talk to yourself. It might sound strange, but it works! Talking to yourself is easy, free, and you can do it anywhere. And the best part? You don’t need a partner.

Many busy professionals don’t have time for long English classes or daily meetings with a tutor. But everyone has 5 or 10 minutes a day to speak out loud. Even just talking to yourself while you walk, cook, or ride the bus can help you improve your English skills.

Talking out loud helps your brain and mouth work together. This builds your speaking fluency and improves your pronunciation. You also start to think more in English, not just translate from your native language.

5 Easy Ways to Practice

1. Describe what you are doing

Say things like, “I am making coffee,” or “Now I will write a report.” This helps you practice common verbs and sentence patterns.

2. Talk about your day

Before bed, talk out loud about what happened during your day. “Today I had a meeting. It went well. I felt nervous, but I spoke clearly.”

3. Plan your next steps

Say your to-do list out loud: “Tomorrow, I need to finish the report, email my client, and call my manager.”

4. Practice small conversations

Pretend you are talking to a coworker or friend. Ask and answer simple questions like, “How was your weekend? What did you do?”

5. Use a mirror

Look at yourself as you speak. This builds confidence and helps with pronunciation.

Don’t Aim for Perfection

Don’t worry if you make mistakes. No one is listening! The goal is not perfection. The goal is practice.

Try talking to yourself for 5 minutes a day for one week. You will feel more confident and ready to speak English with others.

Vocabulary Words

Strange (adj.) – Unusual or not normal. “It felt strange to talk to myself at first.”
Fluency (n.) – The ability to speak a language easily and clearly. “Daily practice helps build fluency.”
Describe (v.) – To say what something is like. “Can you describe your job?”
Report (n.) – A written or spoken description of something. “She wrote a report about the meeting.”
Pretend (v.) – To act like something is true when it is not. “Pretend you are talking to your boss.”
Confidence (n.) – The feeling that you can do something well. “Speaking every day builds confidence.”
Mistake (n.) – Something that is wrong or incorrect. “It’s okay to make mistakes.”
Translate (v.) – To change words from one language into another. “Try not to translate. Think in English.”
Common (adj.) – Happening often or shared by many. “These are common English phrases.”
Professional (n.) – A person who works in a job that needs special training. “Many professionals want to speak English better.”

5 Questions About the Article

Why is talking to yourself a good way to practice English?
What is one example of something you can say when describing your day?
Why is it helpful to look in a mirror while speaking?
How can talking out loud help your brain?
What should you do if you make a mistake while practicing?

5 Open-Ended Questions

What do you usually do when you want to improve your English?
How do you feel about speaking English in front of others?
What are some topics you enjoy talking about?
When is a good time in your day to talk to yourself in English?
How do you think talking to yourself will help your confidence?

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