Talking to Yourself: A Key Strategy to Practicing Speaking

Mastering reading or writing in a foreign language requires a lot of individual practice, and speaking is no different.

While the ultimate goal is to speak proficiently with others, spending significant time speaking to yourself is an effective way to practice conversation.

This technique, known as self-talk, may seem silly, but it works. Most multilingual speakers have used this simple yet powerful method many times.

Self-talk allows you to practice and master the language—vocabulary, expressions, pronunciation, and self-expression—whenever you want and without fear of making mistakes.

This practice helps you lose the fear and confidently engage in live conversations with others.


Ways to Practice:

Here are some practical tips for using self-talk to practice speaking English:

Describe Your Actions: Narrate what you are doing throughout the day. For example, "I am making breakfast. I need to boil water for my tea."

Recap on Your Day: At the end of the day, reflect on what you did. For example, "Today was productive. I finished my report and attended a meeting."

Discuss Your Plans: Talk about your plans for the day or week. For example, "Today, I will go to the store and buy groceries."

Ask and Answer Questions: Pose questions to yourself and answer them. For example, "What should I cook for dinner? Maybe I will make pasta." 

Use New Vocabulary: Make a conscious effort to use new words and phrases you have recently learned.
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