10 tips to improve your English

English language is the official business language around the world. If you are dreaming about a great career in any field, being proficient in written and spoken English is important. In the globalized world of today, you will be dealing with a lot of international clients, travelling places etc. If you have the requisite English language skills, you will find adjusting to new environments and new job responsibilities a lot easier.
     

If you are not too confident about your English language skills, here are top 10 tips that will help you gain more confidence:

1. Read good English books- Reading always helps. You may have read this almost everywhere, but it deserves another mention. Pick up books that interest you. In the beginning, you will be slow while reading the books. However, as you keep adding books to your library, you will start improving.
      
2. Learn 2 new words everyday- Make it a point to learn two new words every day. Read newspapers and magazines and encircle the words you don’t know the meaning of. Look up their meanings in the dictionary and try using them in a sentence.
     
3. Converse in English with your friends and family- You may be shy speaking in English in front of others. But you can always make mistakes in front of your family members and friends. Converse with them in English as much as you can. Slowly, you will start building confidence.
     
4. Listen to English language CDs- There are English language MP3s available in the market. Buy some of these and listen to them. They will help you get the right pronunciation of words.
      
5. Try and sing along English songs- You may not like listening to English songs. However, listening to English songs is a fun way to improve your English language skills. As you listen to them, try to decipher the lyrics and sing along.
      
6. Make mistakes- Do not be afraid to make mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes. In fact, you actually learn from your mistakes. When you fumble while speaking, or commit a grammatical error while writing, there will be people who will help you out. And you always tend to remember mistakes that happen in front of people.
       
7. Think in English- Another innovative way to improve your English language skills. When you are thinking something, try to think in English. Phrase sentences yourself, and if possible, write them down too.
     
8. Translate your Hindi newspaper- Most people who are not comfortable with English, read Hindi newspapers or newspapers in their native language. Try and translate one article everyday in English. Once you translate, get it checked by somebody. Mark your mistakes and try not to repeat them the next time.
      
9. Don’t go after fancy words- English is not about using big words. In fact, unless you are an author, big words are not going to get you anywhere. Try not to fret too much about difficult words. Focus on the basics.
      
10. Chat in English- We all have some sort of a Messenger on our phone, the most popular being Whatsapp. When you are chatting with your friend over the phone or online, try to do that in English. It helps.