It all comes down to when the decision was made to do a future action. If the decision was made in the moment of speaking, use “will.” If the decision was made before the time of speaking, use “going to.” This simple rule will get you through about 95% of the time. Knowing this it is wise to learn some phrases and to try and understand the different a little better.

Here are some ways to use “will:”

• Who wants to go to the show tonight?
• I’ll go.

• These bags are so heavy!
• I’ll help you.

• Will you pass me the salt, please?

Now here are some examples of “going to:”

• I’m going to visit my friends in Canada in the summer.
• Are you going to go to the party tonight?
• I’m going to go for a run at the weekend.

In terms of the latter examples, all the sentences can be said to be plans or intentions. “Will” is used for offers, requests and promises. The first “will” example shows someone deciding in the moment to do something in the future. In this example, “I do” would have worked also.

Generally speaking, both tenses can be used for predictions. “I’ll win tomorrow” and “I’m going to win tomorrow” are both fine and correct.

Having a long list of words is one thing, but using these new words in context will really help you improve your English. If you are taking an English course at the moment then you’ll probably have a notebook. If you don’t, then you should get one! Whenever you come across a new word you should write this down. This goes for phrases, verbs and grammar points. The next stage is to try to remember the words. Cover up the translation with your hand and then try to remember what the word means. Then you should cover up the English word or phrase and try to remember what the translation is. Do this until you feel confident that you remember the word.

The next step is to write down some example sentences using the new words that you have just learned. You can either write short sentences using one word or phrase at a time or get creative and write a story using a whole page of words. I personally prefer the second option as it’s more fun and will help you remember your new English in groups.

Once you have done that you should use your new English in context. This is the key stage. Try and use them as often as possible: in your English course, with your language exchange or with your friends. Putting the new vocabulary in context will not only help you remember these new words, but will also give you the confidence to go and use them in everyday conversation.

Improve speaking through texts

Instead of reading texts in your head you should also read them out loud. You should firstly choose an article that interests you and one that is suitable for your level. The next stage is to read the text silently, highlighting any words or phrases that you don’t understand. At this stage you should also highlight any words that you don’t know how to pronounce. Look these words up and listen to the pronunciation using an online dictionary.

After looking up the words it is now time to read the article out loud. Take your time and make sure that you pronounce the words clearly and correctly. Once you have done this, take a break and then read the article again working on the rhythm and fluency.

To know if your pronunciation is correct you should read the article to someone who can check your pronunciation. This could be your tutor on your English course, your intercambio or a friend who is an English speaker. Another way is to record your voice so that you can play it back and listen to it yourself. This is recommended to anyone who wants to improve.

Improve Speaking

When you ask students what they want to improve most say, “my English speaking.” Using traditional reading exercises and turning them into a speaking exercise gives you more speaking practice. Reading articles out loud is a great way to improve English speaking.

Why Practising English Conversation is Important

When taking an English course it’s vital to put into practise what you have learned. We have talked about a language exchange in the past but English conversation groups are different. It’s when there are more than two students with everybody in the group is an English learner. There are examples when the group is moderated by an English speaker, but generally the English learners are left to themselves. There are some problems in that mistakes are sometimes not corrected but if they are used in the right way then they are very beneficial and one to the best ways to practise English conversation.

Where can you find an English conversation group by Skype?

A good place to start is the Skype forum. Learning English forums are also a good source or you could even start your own, using the forum to get other learners to join. If you are starting your own group make sure that you find people with similar levels to you. Finding the right people to join is important as you want to get as much as possible out of your time.

When learning English it is important to practise as much as possible and practising conversation within a group is a good way to improve your English.

Pedro is Spanish and wanst to improve his English, while Sarah is American and wants to improve her Spanish. Pedro and Sarah get together and speak half the time in Spanish and half the time in English. It works for both of them, and the great thing is, it’s free!

Where can I find a language exchange?

There are different ways to find a language exchange. If you want to meet face to face you can:

Put up fliers in places where English speakers are likely to be. This could be near a language school, near a university or in busy places. Another good idea is to use online classified listings. Post something about yourself, stating that you want to find someone for a language exchange, meeting at times that you can do.

If you want to take the language exchange online, there are many websites where you can post a profile and find people from all over the world. Another way is to go to English forums and other forums. The skype forum is a very good place to start.

What makes a good language exchange partner?

Your language exchange partner needs to be friendly, patient, allow you to speak freely and most importantly be interested in your learning. Remember that your language exchange partner wants to learn your language, and there are many who just want to speak in the language that they are learning. Make sure that you spend an equal amount of time on both languages. If he/she isn’t interested in helping you progress, then you should find somebody else. This goes for you too. You should also take an interest and help your partner. Helping each other and giving encouragement is what a language exchange is about.

Why a language exchange is good for you

A language exchange is perfect for pracitising English in an open and relaxed environment. If you are taking an English course you can put what you have learned into practice. Having the right language partner is key because only when you are relaxed can you use your English in a creative way.

There are many different ways that you can increase the amount of time you spend speaking English, and this can be summarised into two categories:

• Take advantage of every opportunity you get to speak English
• Increase the number of opportunities to speak English.

How to take advantage of opportunities

In your English course are you the student that is always speaking or the one who only speaks when the teacher asks you a question? Speaking as much as you can in class (without taking away speaking time from others) is our number one tip when it comes to taking advantage of opportunies. Language classrooms can be intimidating and it is sometimes difficult to speak up in class. But once you get over this fear you will realise what you have been missing. If you can’t speak because the level is too difficult then you need to speak with your school and changes courses. The next time the teacher asks a question, be the one who answers. We all make mistakes, that is part of learning a new language, we learn from them.

Other ways to take advantage of speaking opportunities:

• If you have English speaking friends, go and do something with them and speak to them as much as possible.
• If you have an intercambio, don’t just listen in English, speak in English. And make sure that they help you with this.
• If you live in an English speaking country, go out and speak to people in ‘natural situations.’

Increase the opportunities to speak English

There are many ways that you can increase the amount of time you spend speaking English. You can:

• Start a new course.
• Get a private tutor.
• Start an intercambio.
• Join a Skype conversation group.
• Make English speaking friends.

These are just a few ways that you can increase the time you spend speaking English.

We will include examples, tips, videos and more to help you. We welcome any comments and suggestions to improve the blog and want you to get involved in our posts.

Thank you,

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