How can I learn speaking like a native English speaker online?

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lance malarky Profile
lance malarky answered

This is slightly tricky. In short, no. But you can greatly improve.

I have taught many students for a number of years now and just like learning to master anything, it takes time and persistence.

You'll find that many who do speak like a native have been learning from a young age, when you can adapt a good accent, without your mother tongue/ accent coming through.

The issue with learning online is that when you have a teacher or helper in front of you, they can help correct you there and then and can give you pointers on how to improve the pronounciation of the word or words you are having difficulty with. Online cannot offer this.

Of  course having lessons is expensive, but as much day to day interaction with Native's will help improve with this a lot (and for free!)

When I was learning German and Polish, I got many compliments for my accents. What helped me achieve this was by listening and imitating what I had heard....Which can come across as racist and offensive if you are doing a German accent in English talking about 'Oh yeah, mine frauline, she like mine schwantz. Gut time'...so be careful with that :)

Now one issue you will have is that in the Native English world, there are too many accents, but films can help greatly with this as they generally have a standard of clear understandable English.

So, if you really want to develop at home, watch some youtube videos or movies and have your mobile recording what you say. Playing this back should help you enhance your accent, but this will never work as a long term fix in obtaining a Native accent, I'm afraid.

Only being out in the real world will help you achieve this.

Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered

If you want to learn how to speak English like a native through the internet, then there are only two things you'll need:

  1. Someone willing to converse with you on a regular basis.
  2. Time.

The challenge of improving your English online is that you'll miss out on all those organic situations and phrases that only come from day to day life: Asking for things in the supermarket, conversing with friends in the pub, or completing tasks in the work place...

Languages are made up of so much vocabulary and subtlety that it's impossible to learn it all on a course, and it'll be hard to replicate online.

However, if you're in touch with someone who is willing to spend time conversing with you and trying to mimic the natural exchanges that native speakers have, then it is possible!

Using video chat services like Skype is a good way to increase the amount of native and natural practice you get.

Supplement these conversations with studying and coursework (which you can than practice by bringing it into your conversations), is a great way to learn English.

As mentioned before, the other element you need is time.

Learning a language doesn't happen overnight. And unless you're fairly young and impressionable, it will likely take several years before you begin to sound like a native.

Hard work, patience and determination are attributes that all good language-learners have.

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Anonymous