How to improve communication skills?

[Rahul Noel]

Hi Friends,
How to improve communication skills and english.Sometimes, I speak good in english sometimes I can't with my superiors.when I am talking to some one I want to tell one thing but I am ending up with another thing I mean I am unable to tell what really I want to ? Please help me to improve my skills.

[Maneesh Godbole]

Imagine the person you are speaking to, to be a complete idiot, or a child.
You will find yourself explaining things clearly.

Also start thinking in English while talking, instead of thinking in your mother tongue.
[ November 04, 2008: Message edited by: Maneesh Godbole ]

[Nitin Nigam]

I also faced similar problem.
Things that were suggested to me and have worked well are:

1-Take a pause before speaking. There is no harm in it. Use this time to attain aomposure. (sometimes people become nervous when talaking in front of supervisors/boss)

2-Structure your sentence before speaking. Dont just get started. You can practice this thing while doing daily chit chats with your peers. This is very effective if you have to talk in a meeting/call. Take 5 mins and prepare what you have to say. You can make notes also.

3- Talk slowly. I was told that our clients complain that we talked (trying to influence them with our fluency) too rapidly. And when you are talking to a person of different culture, then difference in accent is also a key factor.

[Rahul Noel]

Thanks Maneesh,Nitin for your response.
I am struggling in forming sentences,grammatical mistakes. sometimes I speak very good sometimes very silly to my superiors because of fear.How to avoid fear while talking to new persons or boss ? Really,I am feeling bad about my communication because of this I am not talking to colleagues becoz I joined in new organization.

[abhishek pendkay]

Start reading some good books , I would advice read Reader's Digest its a really good book simple and fun to read too

[Akhilesh Trivedi]

Make a girlfriend who doesn't understand your language. I am serious.
[ November 04, 2008: Message edited by: Akhilesh Trivedi ]

[arulk pillai]

Key component of communication skill is active listening.


-- Try listening to talk back radio and news, while driving, before sleeping, etc. Also, practice! practice!! practice!!!

-- Observe actively to what others say and pay attention to key terms, words that are used repeatedly, etc.

-- Build your confidence. Don't worry, what others will think or say.
[ November 04, 2008: Message edited by: arulk pillai ]

[Shailesh Chandra]

Why don't you join some English speaking course, assuming that you are in India, go for Inlingua, British school of English etc...but don't tell it at your job, If you tell this at your job, people will stamp on your problem.

But on the top I will say same what Maneesh said
"Also start thinking in English while talking, instead of thinking in your mother tongue."

Also plan a conversation in advance......

Shailesh

[Pat Farrell]

Practice.

Reading is critical, to let your brain see how english sentences are constructed.

But practice is the key. Find something you love to do, and get a bunch of folks that talk about it only in English.

[arulk pillai]

Originally posted by Pat Farrell:
Practice.

Reading is critical, to let your brain see how english sentences are constructed.

But practice is the key. Find something you love to do, and get a bunch of folks that talk about it only in English.

Yes, you start practising consciously and eventually it will get to your subconscious mind. Some pick it up lot quicker than others.

[ramya narayanan]

I found this topic very important to everyone.
Because communication alone cannot trigger anyone to greater heights, leave alone his hard-skills.
But seeing people from BPO sector, I understand that a person with only good communication in English can atleast make a good living to pay up for his monthly bills.
But the response has been very low.
Can others share their experience on how they have improved or are improving their communication skills?
Also communication means it's not only confined to speaking skills, it's also about non-verbal skills right?

Regards.

[Eugene Abarquez]

Originally posted by ramya narayanan:
I found this topic very important to everyone.
But the response has been very low.
Can others share their experience on how they have improved or are improving their communication skills?

You learn it by doing it, there's really nothing more to it than that. That means talking, reading, and thinking in English until the language becomes second nature to you.

Living in a society with a culture that revels in anything American should also help. In my country, English has become like a de facto language that reading and writing using our native language feels unnatural.

[Pat Farrell]

Originally posted by Eugene Abarquez:
. That means talking, reading, and thinking in English until the language becomes second nature to you.

I took five years of French in highschool and college. In the fifth year, I was thinking in French, rather than thinking in English and translating it in my head as I spoke.

I spoke slowly, and I'm sure with a laughable accent.

Four months later, I was working in an office building that had a small branch of the French Embassy on another floor. I could not understand anything that they said.

You learn by doing, that's really all there is.