Hello and welcome to my podcast My Life and Other Funny Stories. My name is Dagmar Tomášková, I am an English tutor and coach and I created this podcast for English students who want to get better in their oral comprehension. As always you can find the transcription of this episode and vocabulary list in the notes of the podcast. 

Today, we’re diving into a topic I know many of you are passionate about: becoming more confident when speaking English. Whether you’re planning to study abroad, work in a different country, or just want to improve for everyday conversations, it is also nice to feel confident about it. It is not a revolutionary topic or something that was never discussed but I still meet a lot of people who ask me about it and it is a daily struggle of my students so I thought that it could maybe help someone. 

You might have heard all of these tips but maybe you haven’t really incorporated them into your life yet. Maybe now is the time. Because trust me when I say – I used to do all of these in English ALL THE TIME. I started doing all of this when I was very young and that is why I never felt scared to speak. And now I do all of these in French and I got fairly confident while speaking. So they work if you actually do them. Let’s look at them.

1. Listen: Immerse Yourself in English

The first thing you need to do to improve your English is to listen. When I was younger, I used to try and listen to videos and songs all the time even if I didn’t fully understand. And- just hearing people speak wasn’t enough; I had to focus on how they spoke. Listening helps you pick up not only new words and phrases but also things like rhythm, intonation, and how words flow together.

The best is always something you enjoy. Maybe it’s a favorite TV show or a YouTube channel. Listen to a short clip, and pay attention to how the characters speak. Replay it if you have to, and try to mimic the phrases that stand out to you. Don’t be afraid to turn on subtitles or check out transcripts—it’s all about training your ear.

Podcasts are another great option, especially because you can listen while you’re on the go. But I don’t think I have to talk about that in much detail since now you are listening to me – heyyy. But if you want a tip, there’s even an app called LearnEnglish Podcasts, which releases weekly episodes, so you never run out of content to practice with. And of course, don’t forget about audiobooks, also a great source of listening material!

2. Imitate: Copy to Learn

Now that you’ve been listening, it’s time to imitate. Yep, that’s right—copy what you hear! Think about how babies learn a language—they don’t start by learning grammar rules, they start by imitating adults. So, don’t feel shy about mimicking the English you hear.

Pick a short audio or video clip, listen to it a few times, and then try to repeat what was said. Focus on things like intonation, stress, and rhythm. Record yourself as you practice and then compare it to the original. You’ll probably notice a few things that need improvement, but that’s all part of the process. I do this with French – when I listen to some podcast episode and hear some phrase that I really like, I pause it and repeat it out loud because when I use it like this, there is a much bigger chance I will be able to use it in a conversation because now I turned it from passive listening to active usage.

3. Read

I know, I know—reading might not seem directly connected to speaking, but trust me, it’s a huge part of the process. Reading regularly introduces you to new vocabulary and shows you how English sentences are structured. Even if you just read for a few minutes every day, you’ll start to notice improvements in your spoken English.

Don’t worry about finding time to read long books; short articles, news snippets, or even the labels at the supermarket will do! You can also find resources designed for English learners with exercises to practice reading comprehension.

If you’re feeling ambitious, try reading out loud. It’s a great way to practice pronunciation and fluency. And yes, you might feel a bit silly reading out loud at first, but it works wonders for building confidence. Here and there I read with my students on conversations (then we of course discuss the article) but it is a great way of practicing pronunciation and catching all those little mistakes we would never find. So if you are alone, don’t be afraid to read out loud. No one can hear you and if you don’t know how to pronounce it, find it. I recommend checking your pronunciation on websites such as Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries or Forvo where you can find any word you need.

Because one fun fact about English is that you can never be sure how to pronounce a word you see written somewhere until you actually hear it. Sometimes the pronunciation is so random, you wouldn’t guess it. So it is always better to check it.

4. Reflect: Learning from Experience

One of the best ways to improve is to reflect on your progress. After a conversation in English, take a moment to ask yourself a few questions:

• How did it go?
• How much did you understand?
• Did you feel comfortable responding?
• Did you learn any new words?

By reflecting on your conversations, you’ll start to identify areas where you’re strong and areas where you can improve. Write down key points, new vocabulary, or questions you might have. This will help you track your progress over time and focus on the areas that need work. I do this with my French conversations, not really that much in detail. But I just go over the vocabulary and see if there is something I can improve for the next time.

5. Prepare: Know What You’re Going to Say

Let’s be honest—most of us hesitate to speak English because we’re afraid of messing up or not knowing what to say. That’s where preparation comes in. If it comes to traveling, think ahead about situations where you might need to speak English, whether it’s ordering food at a restaurant, asking for directions, or joining a conversation at work. Write down useful phrases that you might need and practice them.

Here’s a little trick I used when I was in France: I created “cheat sheets” for common situations and wrote it into my notes on my phone. For example, if I had to go to a supermarket and I needed to buy a kettle (the thing you boil your water for tea and coffee in), I prepared phrases for asking for help, how to say the word “kettle” in French (and I still remember it because of it), or asking for recommendations. When you’re prepared, you feel more confident, and that confidence will help you speak up when the moment comes.

6. Speak: Practice, Practice, Practice

This one’s simple but crucial: you’ve got to speak! There’s no substitute for actually using the language. You will never get more confident and get over your fear to speak if you don’t start speaking. Don’t wait until you know more, until you are better, until you feel more comfortable with English. That day might never come because your fear of speaking just grows bigger…So start today

7. Practice Daily: Consistency is Key

Finally, the most important thing: practice regularly. You don’t need to dedicate hours every day, but even just 10 minutes can make a difference. Listen to a short podcast, read an article aloud, or practice a few phrases in front of a mirror. The key is consistency.

The more you practice, the more confident you’ll become, and that confidence will help you face new challenges. Mistakes? Don’t worry about them. Everyone makes mistakes when learning a language, and most people won’t even notice.

And remember— don’t be too hard on yourself and don’t stress about it that much! Learning a language should be enjoyable. Sing along to your favorite English songs, try tongue twisters with friends, and laugh if you make a mistake. The more fun you have, the more likely you are to stick with it.

And that’s all I have for you today. Thank you so much for listening to this episode and I hope you got some inspiration and you will start speaking in English more. If you didn’t catch everything, don’t worry, you can check out the transcription where you have it all on a silver platter. Please give it a five-star rating if you liked it and I will see you next time, bye-bye.