How Can I Improve/Brush Up My English

I am a graduate. I am in Nigeria but i have a very bad spoken english.

I always feel ashamed when I cannot communicate freely in the midst of my colleague.

Please advice me.is there any school I can go? Or any material i can lay my hands on to improve my English?

Please help me. One of my goals in year 2008 is to improve my spoken English to error free level.

Read, try and read lots of things, newspapers, magazines, novels, books etc. If you want to improve your outspoken english too, try and practicalise what you read to spoken english through participating in constructive arguments with people. Be interested in politics and try to anaylyse it, etc. By so doing, from experience, your english will surely improve.

twinstaiye:

Read, try and read lots of things, newspapers, magazines, novels, books etc. If you want to improve your outspoken english too, try and practicalise what you read to spoken english through participating in constructive arguments with people. Be interested in politics and try to anaylyse it, etc. By so doing, from experience, your english will surely improve.

Read n0vels ,newspapers, articles & watch & pay attenti0n 2 english pr0grames & films. . .then practice wht u've learnt & speak the language freely as much as possible

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The List will be release on Newspaper on Friday

Punch Newspaper

I Called a professor who appear as my relation

Professor Chritopher Olumuyiwa Abulowoye

who deliver Inauguration Lecture

He said th e admission list will be published on Friday

Called me on this NUMBER

07030405341

Reading !! is the key. . . and be free to practice errtime anywhere and dont be ashame when u make mistakes. . . . ull learn from it as well. . .

Read good books and watch more of western movies k?

oghos2k:

watch more of western movies k?

While this may seem a viable option, it's not the best way. An English Language teacher once said that, in movies, actors and actresses have what we call "language immunity" (or sum'n like that). . . that is, they are free to express themselves whichever way they prefer, and as such, not all the grammatical expressions you hear in the movies are correct. In as much as they pass their message across to the audience, all is well.

My dear, read read read!

Newspaper
Novel
Listen to news on TV and redio

Also change your girl - mayube you get a girl who have a good commend of English language

Take it my dear!

Read
Listen to news and BBC African Service
Do some Simple Crossword puzzles - Like the one published by Vanguard daily
Make sure your spoken english is as simple as possible. No big big grammar
And start with your tenses
If your tenses are correct, in most cases, your sentences will be correct

Avoid some Nigerian and international newspapers, especially tabloids
they have a funny way of ruining your English-i know!!

Read good novels and articles
avoid hints hearts and they are good for small talks but generally bad!

1. Buy Brighter Grammar Books 1-4 (published by Longman) you would be surprised how much you would learn about using the parts of speech.

2. You could also go to schools that specialise in teaching people to read and write and speak English properly. I think there is one at the Maryland Complex on Ikorodu Road (around Idiroko Bus stop).

3. Buy a good dictionary and thesaurus - complete with CD ROM versions so you can install on your computer. Some online dictionaries come with pronunciations so as you check up a word, you can also know how to properly pronounce it.

4. Read good novels - as others have advised. You don't have to spend a fortune buying them. At Ikeja, Oshodi, Ojuelegba, Yaba and other places, you'll see vendors displaying second hand books. Search properly and you would get good ones. I would advice you to go for classics.

All the best

You could also go to 'ENglish Schools' where u can brush up ur english.


It's not all about reading; some of these schools are in Lagos.

look out 4 'em

Choose the bbc or voa as your guide.movies can help to an extent but concentrate on listening.go to the britishcouncil website for guides

Dear Ola2006,
I understand your concern on ths topic raised,all the suggested methods are good.
However,if you are enthusiastic about it,i would suggest that you contact me via;08033954514 or acadsolution@yahoo.com for a better solution.
"A great reader is a great leader"

i really thank God for u to be able to come out boldly and say this to the open and i m telling it is posible for u to speak erro free english. i started thinking of changing my live to beter some five years ago and then i cant write my name but today i have gone to university just dedicate ur life to reading and speak it call me 08072684471

Firstly i want you to know that spoken english is different from written english and with what i read on your post i could clearly figure out that you do more or written english that spoken. And many factor would caused your bad spoken english like your Environment,Peers and School. This three factors might still be affecting you now. So you have to firstly figure out the factor that is affecting you mostly before you tackle it. Reading paper and watching movies are good but practicall you might not be able to interprete it to your peer if they are the type that speak local language with you. They might say you have started forming and the freelance communication will not be there. So i will encourage you that you start with the simple engilsh, before moving on to the complex ones, read,listen,apply it. And figure out which is your great amongs the three problem i mentioned earlier.

Watch bbc news online and listen to how English people speak. If you know anyone who speaks great English, tell them to correct you anytime you make a mistake - remember to tell them that you will not be offended.

When I am around a Nigerian whose English is poor, it kind of sets me off balance, because I don't know whether they would want me to correct them or not. Afterall, who am I? Some of my Nigerian relatives though, pay special attention to the way I speak so as to improve the grammar and pronunciation. But when it comes to vocabulary, I think Nigerians reign, some words I have heard Nigerians use I had to go to my Oxford Dictionary to find the definition! lol.

Anyway, you should not feel ashamed, I am sure you are fluent in at least one Nigerian language and this has probably impacted your English. Not many English/Americans can say the same (including me), without it being a part of their degree or something. But all the same I think it is improtant for you to try your best as it will help you in interviews and unfortunately for you English is Nigeria's National language also. Maybe you should tape yourself when you speak also, people are often amazed at the way they sound.

Good luck!

Dont mind all of them. My way is the easiest way to get by things
First of all, we need to improve the memory power of ur brain so u wont read all the newspapers in the world in vain

1. Eat more fish oil to improve ur brain and memory power
2. Sleep more often to also keep ur brain in good working order
3.Exercise ur brain frequently by trying to r[b]emember words that u have learnt[/b]
4.Carry a small dictionary every where u go
5.If u have a personal computer, download this dictionary for computers here http://tds.tucows.com/files2/wordweb5.exe
6.Dont be too lazy to look up new words u hear in ur dictionary

@sexytitan

There's a difference between improving one's grammar and improving one's vocabulary. The former is what the poster intends to work on. Using big words is not equivalent to having a good command of the English language. The fundamental aspect one needs to start with in order to improve one's grammar, is to work on the tenses. As my good friend, mrpataki, would say, "Get your tenses right". When that aspect is solved, the urge to want to "blow big grammar" will come naturally, and I believe he will be self-motivated to always pick up his dictionary. A dictionary only serves the purpose for which it was created - to help one learn new words. But what's the use when you don't even know how to apply them correctly in the first place?

@ Purist
thanks for pointing that out but u know, dictionaries show how to use the words being looked up.
If he can have a good retentive memory then he can remember how words are used in the dictionary and by people.

I dont think it is necessary to "CRAM" OR "MEMORIZE" words or sentences if you need to improve your free flowing spoken english

others things people pointed about reading and reading again of quality materials is the best so that it will become part of you

if you memorize, it mean you have to think deeply before you make a sentence and that is not what i think the poster is asking

@poster, also hang out with people you admire the way they speak while you continue the reading, it will surely aid your fluency in spoken english

Good luck

ya
just read, read alway any thing u see read it still tslk wit ur friends they said practice mkes perfct dont be ashame ok bye

@sexytitan

You're right. But then again, that would depend on the kind of dictionary. Certainly not Michael West!

since the problem is spoken english, get someone to teach you, like a personal teacher . 1 hr daily for 1 month.

practice. I have a cousin that was born and mostly raised in the village, you would never know though even though he started speaking english only as a young adult. He used to actually read a dictionary. My mom used to think he was crazy.
Just practice. You can also go to merriamwebster.com. It pulls up the word and if you are not sure of the proper way to pronounce a word, you can click on the speaker and it will pronounce the word for you. It usually has all the accepted ways that a word can be pronounced. I use merriamwebster online even though I have spoken english all my life. (merriam webster is american and most of the pronounciations they have are american but some words also have the british pronounciation).
You should not be ashamed because that will stop you from practicing what you are learning. Keep working at it. I am rooting for you. Later.

ladykay,twinstaiye and ell77 have said it all.

while it is good 2 read,its also good dat u listen 2 news on bbc or cnn. u can also watch more movies ( hollywood movies ooo, cos dis our naija movies may also have some errors in them). try 2 engage urself in more arguments no matter what! best of luck
_{[sub]I admire ur courage as i do ur new yr resolution}[/sub]

i like this guy because he seems to have a teachable spirit. i had great english teachers so i know my english is excellent. but when i try to help friends out, they get offended. most people think that being a graduate means u now EVERYTHING there is to know. having a girlfriend with good command of english is a good idea, but what if she doesnt want to date him? i think he should just surround himself with people who speak well and are willing to teach/correct him anywhere, as long as he doesnt start having pride issues.

@posters

where there's a will, there's a way! good luck.

oh, and everyone's right so far, including avoiding nigerian movies, papers, radio, even some text books have horrible english. go bbc/cnn/foreign mags as much as possible. there's a few good nigerian ones tho

guardian (but u still have to be watchful)
true love
radio nigeria
VON/VOA
and generally newscasts on tv station

i came across stuff written by francsis bacon or 1 of those guys.it say "if u want to be a writter, write" every body ve spoken well so i say to u "if u want to speak, speak" being ashamed wont solve it. this is where being ashamed has brought u. they wil laff at u when u make mistakes but make sure u leran from it

all the best guy

Judging by your post i can say you are good enough, i am sure you are not doing English Literature as a course in the University. Concentrate on your studies because they are more important than English language, that is the problem with our education in Nigeria! many people graduate with very good knowledge of spoken English but are a disgrace when confronted with works that are connected with their chosen careers.

I am not surprised one bit because everybody wants to impress each other with their spoken English and subsequently ending up in learning nothing at the University

In addition to reading novels, magazines e.t.c and watching TV, stop speaking pidgin english and try to reduce speaking of your local language, that is if you speak yours.
goodluck