Online Reporter
READING and writing English is not a problem for most Zimbabwean second-language speakers. The heat is on when it comes to the oral component of the lingo.
Some of us can hardly construct a sentence in English without reverting to our mother tongue.
Poor English may be a disadvantage in several scenarios where fluent English may be necessary.
Job interviews
IELTS Speaking Test
Scholarship Interviews
University Interviews
Business with foreigners
Giving Presentations
Speeches
Getting a student permit/visa
Working abroad
Working in a mixed environment
WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR SPOKEN ENGLISH
You can do this by practising speaking English regularly. You can achieve this by doing some of the following things:
Date, marry or befriend foreigners or people from other races and cultures
Make online friends from other cultures on Social Media platforms or chatrooms
Hang out at social outlets whose patronage is multi-racial and multi-cultural in places like Avondale, Borrowdale or Belgravia if in Harare.
Engage in debates and discussions on English talk shows online and on the radio, for example on Star FM, Capitalk, Power FM, etc.
Find and join the expat community in your country.
Join social events hosted by cultural wings of foreign embassies such as the Alliance Francais or the Zimbabwe German Society.
Attend musical shows or art festivals and art exhibitions where you have cross-cultural crowds.
Attend English language meetups, workshops, events or conferences
Go to a multi-racial church
Imitate native speakers in accent and tone
Read out loud the newspaper or novels and magazines in English
Record yourself speaking
Download English Language learning apps like Duolingo, Babbel, etc
LISTEN TO SPOKEN ENGLISH
Watch the news in English by native speakers on BBC, SABC, etc
Watch movies in English by native speakers on Netflix, DSTV, Youtube, etc
Watch TV programmes in English or with English subtitles e.g on SABC
This article was written by The Cambridge Language Coach, an English private tutor based in Harare. For more details call 0772487227
Mathew Masinge