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Minutes+speaking Skills

Minutes of a meeting include a list of attendees, issues discussed, responses to those issues, and any final decisions made. They are written in past tense and passive voice to emphasize the actions taken. Their purpose is to record assignments, deadlines, and achievements.

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121 views

Minutes+speaking Skills

Minutes of a meeting include a list of attendees, issues discussed, responses to those issues, and any final decisions made. They are written in past tense and passive voice to emphasize the actions taken. Their purpose is to record assignments, deadlines, and achievements.

Uploaded by

usama qureshi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Minutes of meeting or, informally, notes, are the instant written record of a

meeting or hearing. Minutes are the essence of meeting. They include the list of
attendees, issues raised, related responses, and final decisions taken to address the
issues. Their purpose is to record what actions have been assigned to whom, along
with the achievements and the deadlines. Typically, Minutes are written in past
tense and in passive voice, so, as to emphasize the verb/action.

How To Improve English Speaking Skills


Many people master the fine points of English grammar but find themselves at a
loss when it comes to actually having a conversation with native speakers. In
reality, the only way to develop fluency in speaking is by huge amounts of
listening, and then practicing. The following are a few tips for improving English
speaking skills. Don’t forget that listening is the foundation for speaking! When
you also want to practice speaking, here are some suggestions for how to improve
English speaking skills. 
Find an English-Speaking Conversation Partner
First of all, it’s important to find native speakers to practice with. Students who are
living around many English speakers may be able to find informal opportunities to
chat with neighbors and local business people. Joining a club or a volunteer
organization can be a great way to get to know people informally. If that isn’t an
option, consider hiring a private tutor. A lot of students find and meet with tutors
online via tools like Skype or Google Hangouts.
Make Sure To Listen As Well As Speak
When practicing with a native speaker, try to balance your listening and speaking.
It’s a good idea to prepare questions in advance so that the conversation will flow
back and forth. If your conversation partner asks you a question and you answer at
length, you can always turn the question back to your partner by asking, “What do 
you think?” or “What about you?”
Record Your Conversation Practice
Recording is a great way to get the maximum benefit from a conversation with a
native speaker. When you listen again, you can evaluate your own pronunciation
and notice areas where you need to improve. You can also review the content of
the conversation, take notes on new vocabulary or misunderstandings, and prepare
questions for the next meeting.
Surround Yourself With The English Language
Another way to improve your English speaking skills is to immerse yourself in
English as much as possible. Watch movies or TV in English, with subtitles if you
need them, and watch the same programs over and over. Most people find that they
understand more each time. Listening helps you become familiar with the rhythms
and intonations of English. Once the sounds are familiar, try imitating them.
Practice With Music and Movies
Listen to music in English and sing along. Music is one of the best tools for
learning intonation pronunciation. Listening to and singing songs might also help
you remember vocabulary and phrases (if the song is easy to understand), and it
will help you learn to pronounce English rhythm in a more natural way. By
unconsciously imitating the singer, you’ll learn to pronounce phrases the way
native speakers do. One good song for ESL or EFL students is “Tom’s Diner” by
Suzanne Vega because it uses simple language to describe everyday scenes and
actions.  Movies are a much better choice for learning English.  You’ll learn
vocabulary, idioms, slang, pronunciation, and listening by watching movies.  Be
sure to use my movie technique when you do this!
Read Aloud
Reading out loud is a great way to practice speaking when there are no
conversation partners available. Reading aloud gives you a chance to focus on
pronunciation and pacing without worrying about coming up with words. Make
sure to practice with material that you can understand. Some students find videos
online that have transcripts. Many TED talks, for example, include word-for word
transcripts of the talk. By reading aloud from a transcript, you can check your
pronunciation by listening to how the speaker says something.
Talk To Yourself
Saying your thoughts out loud or narrating your actions (“I am drinking coffee, and
now I’m going to open my book”) can be a very effective way to practice spoken
English. By talking to yourself, you can become more fluent in translating your
thoughts into spoken words. Practicing alone is also a low-pressure way to
practice, since no one will hear your mistakes.

Accurate pronunciation is an important part of learning any language, and


especially when you’re learning English. The way your speech sounds can have a
big impact on whether or not people understand what you are saying and their
initial impression of you. The tricky thing about pronunciation is that it not just a
question of acquiring knowledge, it’s a physical skill that you need to practise
regularly.

How to improve English pronunciation

There are no shortcuts to perfect pronunciation, however there are some ways you
can practise more effectively and improve your skills faster. Follow our ten top
tips, start improving your pronunciation today and take a step closer towards your
goal of perfect English pronunciation.

1. Listen to yourself
2. Slow down!
3. Picture it…
4. Get physical!
5. Watch yourself
6. Copy the experts
7. Practice English alone
8. Find a language buddy
9. Pay attention to intonation and stress
10.Sing a song!

Test your English level for free in one click! Take our 10min free EF English
Live test and start the challenge. 

1. Listen to yourself
It’s often difficult to hear pronunciation errors in your own speech because
you are concentrating actually communicating rather than the sound you are
making. If you can’t hear your pronunciation problems, it’s tough to correct
them. Try recording your speech with your smartphone or PC and making a
note of specific areas you need to improve on

2. Slow down!

Many English learners think that speaking fluently means they need to speak
fast. This is wrong. Speaking too fast reinforces bad habits and makes the
speaker sound nervous and indecisive. Speaking slowly will give you time to
breathe properly and think about what you want to say next. Because it gives
you time to think while you are speaking, you’ll feel more relaxed and be
able to concentrate on making your English sound fantastic.

3. Picture it…

Close your eyes and think about how to make a sound before saying it.
Visualize the positioning of your mouth and face. If you have studied with
the phonemic chart, think about the sound you are making and how it relates
to other English phonemes. If you have used diagrams of the mouth and
tongue, think about the shape you need to make inside your mouth if you
want to make the sound correctly.

4. Get physical!

Pronunciation is a physical skill. You’re teaching your mouth a new way to


move and using different muscles. Focus on difficult sounds each day.
Having trouble with ‘th’? Put your tongue between your teeth (don’t bite
down) and blow air out of your mouth. Feel the air move over the top of
your tongue.

5. Watch yourself

Stand in front of a mirror to see the placement of your tongue, lips, and
shape of your mouth when you make certain sounds. Compare what you see
with a video of a native-speaker saying the same thing.

6. Copy the experts


There’s no replacement for learning pronunciation from the experts – native-
speakers. So listen! Listen to English radio programs and watch television
and movies in English. Imitate what you’re hearing – even if you’re not sure
what they’re saying yet.

7. Practice English alone

Pronunciation problems persist because we’re afraid to make mistakes.


Create scenarios – meeting someone for the first time, ordering at a
restaurant, asking for directions – then act out the dialogue by yourself.
Don’t be shy.

8. Find a language buddy

Getting feedback from an outside observer is crucial. Find a friend who’s


also interested in improving their English. Try exchanging recorded
messages so you can listen closely to each other’s pronunciation.

9. Pay attention to intonation and stress

Good pronunciation is more than just mastering individual sounds. It’s also
understanding intonation (the rise and fall of the voice) and stress (some
sounds in words and some words in sentences are louder or clearer than
others). Read poems, speeches and songs aloud, concentrating on the word
stress and intonation.

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