So far we’ve looked at how the 1% coaching method can help you get quick and easy wins in English grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary.
In this post, I’m going to show you some ways it will help you when you speak English.
Typical speaking problems
Often, there are two main things that make you less confident about speaking English:
– you aren’t confident that you’ll understand the other person, and
– it takes too long for you to find the words you need to reply to the other person
There are lots of things you can do to improve your listening skills (more on this later), but the second problem can be “solved” more easily.
Often we hesitate because the words or phrases we need don’t come to us quickly enough. When we DO remember what we want to say, the conversation has moved on.
So one thing you can do is use a “holding phrase”. These phrases keep the other person listening and waiting – while you find the right thing to say.
I include this in my 1% coaching because it’s a very small thing in itself, but it has a great impact on how you speak and how you can have a conversation. Here are some holding phrases you can use in two different situations.
To give you time while you find the right words to express your opinion
As far as I know …
As I see it …
That’s a good point and / but …
That’s interesting. In fact …
You know something, I think …
To return back to the subject (you now know what you wanted to say!)
Going back to what we were saying …
By the way, on the subject of …
You know, thinking about …
So next time you need to “play for time” and get the other person to wait while you find the right words, use one of these phrases!
I use the 1% Coaching Method to help you find quick, easy improvements in your English that make a big impact.
If you want help in finding ways you can quickly improve your English, book a free 20-minute coaching call with me in the link below!
Speak Real English 