Build a group to practice speaking English!

If you are not confident enough in your speaking English, spend this summer on improving it. You can practice speaking English alone, but it is more and more effective if you invite your friends to practice with you by building a group. A group helps you speak English better. In addition,  you will have both better skills when working in group and closer relationships with your friends. Now read this article and I will tell you how to build an English-speaking-group in this summer.

You should concentrate in these tips:

1. 1.       Organization

First of all, you should invite about 5-10 of your friends to build this group. They can beyour friends at your school, your office or your hometown as long as they love English and they want to improve their speaking English in this summer. Do not pay much intention in their level because everyone has own weak points and strong points.

Next, organize the first meeting to discuss about a clear plan including purposes, lessons, programs, fund, time and place for each meeting. Besides, remember to select the key members and cashier for your group.

Key members are responsible for preparing the lessons for each meetings. They can also offer some directions for your group.

The cashier  is the person who keeps the fund of your group.

 2.     Purposes

Discuss with each other in order to determine the purpose of you group. A clear purpose helps your group have good directions to work with each other. In my opinion, you should have three most important purposes. First of all, all members can be confident enough to speak English before many people after this summer. Secondly, everyone’spronunciation is better. Thirdly, everyone can speak English more fluently.

 3. Lessons and learning programs

The lessons and learning programs are based on level of all members in your group. You can buy some English communication books; similarly, you can also download English communication programs on Internet for your groups.

Besides practice speaking English, you should pay much intention in pronunciation.

Pronunciation is very important in speaking English. If you want to speak as well as a native speaker, you must pronounce exactly. There are some pronunciation books you can choose to learn such as Ship or Sheep, Pronunciation In Use. Besides, you can learnpronunciation through some programs on You Tube such as: Learn English with Jennifer, Learn English pronunciation.

 4.       Activities

There are two kinds of activities you should consider.

First of all, you should discuss about the activities in each meeting. There are some activities such as free talk, talk in topic, talk in pairs, talk in groups, presentation, learning techniques in speaking, learning pronunciation, playing games ( guess the words), drama, so on.

Secondly, you can sometimes organize some out-side activities such as watching film in the cinema, riding bike on street, going to a coffee shop . Try to speak English in these activities because they are good chances for all of you to speak English in a natural environment.

 5.  Time and place

There are about 5-10 members in your group; therefore, choosing a place for all of you to practice is very important. It can be anywhere as long as all of you feel comfortable and happy when practicing together. It can be a place at a park, stadium or culture house. If anyone in your group volunteers to invite all of you to her/his room or house, it is really good and convenient! Remember to choose only a definite place which is quite near all members’ house.

Never rent any place because it is very expensive. Spend the money on other meaningful activities instead of wasting money on renting an expensive place.

How about the time? I think you are very free in the summer; hence, try your best to organize at least 5 meetings a week. Each meeting lasts 2-3 hours and they can be heldin the morning, in the afternoon or in the evening as long as all members can attend. In my opinion, evening is the best time because it is cool and you feel more pleasant. However, if there is any girl in your group, try to pick up and take her home. It is very dangerous for a girl to go out alone in the evening.

Do not forget to make a definite timetable which is suitable for all members. A timetable expresses the professional of your group.

This is a sample timetable.

1. 6.       Fund

Your group always need money to pay for everything such as tools, books, photo documentary, electric bills, water and foods, so on. Therefore, try to raise a strong fund every week.

 7.       Rules

If someone comes late each meeting or they do not finish their task and lessons, they have to pay the money for the food of that meeting.

You can offer him/her other forms of punishment.

8.       Responsibility of all members in your group

When all of you decide to build an English-speaking group, all of you have to obey the rules of your groups. Try to make as comfortable and humorous atmosphere as possible for your group. 

All of you should respect and help each other. Always remember that you are a group, not an individual! A group only exists for a long time if all members always try to build it.

Do not miss any meeting if you want to improve your English. When you have any idea, share it with other members.

Sometimes, all of you should spend some meetings to assess the quality of your group and draw some experiences to build your group better.

I hope all of you will speak English better because of all your efforts.

Finally, build a group to practice speaking English in this summer as fast as possible!

Best wishes for you!