Did you know that over a billion people speak English?? It is known as the international language of business, the common language that people from different backgrounds can use to communicate with each other.? Becoming bilingual will increase your worth in the business place.? As the world is becoming more global, speaking English is no longer just a skill that an employee possesses; it is a qualification you need to secure a job.

You?e taken the first step: you?e made the decision to study English.? It can be frustrating, time-consuming, and confusing.? However, as long as you are consistent in studying, you will soon become fluent.? There may be times in your studies you feel that you?e hit a plateau; your English is not improving.? It is at these times that you need to take the initiative and realize that you are the person who controls how much you can learn.? The more you try, the easier it gets and the more you will know.?

Follow these tips to become more fluent:

Become a grammar expert.?Try using a word processing program such as Microsoft Word.? Not only does it spell check for you, it will also let you know of any grammatical mistakes.? You can practice typing business documents, letters, and stories.? Most programs will underline any problems and give you solutions under the spell-check button.

Increase your vocabulary.?Did you know that there are over 300,000 main entries in The Oxford English Dictionary?? This does not include many technical and scientific terms.? It has been estimated that over 25,000 new words are added to the English language each year.? This can be overwhelming for someone just beginning to learn English.? Fortunately, the average speaker uses only about 2,000 to 2,500 words on a daily basis.? The best way to improve your vocabulary is by reading in English.? It can be a magazine, a newspaper, a novel, or even a children? book.? Even the simplest children? picture books use vocabulary that you may not know.? Start with children? books, because they?e easy to comprehend and provide pictures to explain the story.? Also, don? forget that children? books are written by adults and are not only for entertainment but are also used to improve our children? vocabulary.? So oftentimes, difficult vocabulary will show up in picture books.

Improve fluency.?The only way to improve your English language fluency is to speak it.? If your friends or family are learning English, declare an English day when you only speak English for the entire day.? It doesn? have to be an entire day.? Maybe you could speak English every night at dinner or when you go grocery shopping.? The more you speak, the better you will speak.? If you don? have anybody to practice with, don? be afraid to have a conversation with yourself.? Then you?l learn how to ask and answer questions.?

Pronounce like a native.?Try watching a movie in English.? Then rewind a small section of it and repeat what the actor says.? Try to say the words exactly like the actor.? This will not only improve your pronunciation but will also help with your intonation of sentences.? Also, you can use a tape recorder to tape yourself speaking in English.? How do you sound?? Are there words you know you don? pronounce correctly?? Next time that you?e on Tutor ABC, ask the consultant how to say these words.

Remember: Rome wasn? built in a day. With patience, dedication, and a lot of hard works, you will become as fluent as a native speaker.? ???