Maybe this is an interesting question for you ?

Question

Hello~ everyone

I am a college student who is immigrate from one of Asia countries. Now, I am facing problem here. I wanna speak English with friends. But I cannot . My pronunciation is not good. My didn't understand what I am saying .. This prevent me to get fear of speaking up. Please help me. How can I improve such problem ?

Answer 1

first you should compare your speech with the models and find out what's wrong with your pronunciation

there is only one hopeless case --- voice

any other aspects (speed, volume, articulation) can be fixed

Answer 2

Awww Well first of all, relax.  A good idea would be to find a nice friend that will teach you the proper pronunciations without making you feel embarassed.  What you could do is offer to teach them your language in exchange for their help!!  Good luck to you!  You will be fine!

Answer 3

The only way you can improve your english is by using it.  Please don't worry about your grammar or your pronunciation first.  Just say the words.  Keep speaking.  Bring a dictionary, a small notebook and a pencil anywhere you go and write down or check words you hear and want to know the meaning.  Sooner or later your English will improve and you'll be more comfortable using it too.

Talk to your teacher also and ask if they can help you with an ESL tutorial.

Answer 4

You can also try to read aloud. As this also helps with your communication skills. I also highly recommend you to speak with other people as much as possible. It's okay to make mistake(s), that's normal. Try to talk slowly and of course, like one of the answerers above say, worry less. Don't worry too much. The more you worry and think of the negatives will hinder your progress to speak English fluently.

Answer 5

get involved with the language by watching movies, hearing songs and reading in english. Once your brain gets used to the language, it will be better fit you to get more confident on your talking.

Practice with the TV.. your speaking will improve as soon as you loose the fear of talking.

Good luck!  ^_^

Answer 6

Icharus and Thyamath are absolutely right.  It is very uncomfortable, scary, and embarrassing learning to speak a new language.  When I speak Chinese with Chinese people, my stomach hurts, and sometimes I get paralyzed and can't speak.  

I'm fluent in Spanish now, becuase I kept trying anyway.  I got used to having my stomach hurt, and I was able to learn, when I felt paralyzed, to take a breath, relax, and think of a question I could ask that would help me figure out how to say what I wanted to say.  I'm not afraid to stop and look in the dictionary, and people I talk to have fun trying to help me guess the right words I'm trying to think of.

Remember that language is about communication, first and foremost.  If English speakers understand what you want to say, that is far more important than whether you said it exactly right.  The rest comes with more practice.

Carry pen and paper with you, so that if they don't understand what you say, you can write it down, and English speakers can help you improve your pronunciation.

I became fluent in Spanish by reading, watching movies, and listening to radio in Spanish--every day if I could.  The more I practice the easier it gets.  Now it is a surprise to me that I used to find it so hard.

Good luck to you!  And if you happen to speak Chinese, Huan ying! :-)

Answer 7

Worry less!  Just find a friend and practice.  Most people will admire you for learning a new language and be glad to help.