Learning any language takes a lot of work and dedication. But if you’re willing to put in the effort to learn a language, it’s well worth it! Speaking English in daily conversation is one of the fastest ways to do this.

If you’re feeling like you’re in a conversation rut, and don’t really know how to progress in learning English, here are 5 ways you can spice up your English conversation skills. You’ll be moving forward in no time!

Find New Words

Tired of using the same old words for the same old things? Get out your trusty thesaurus and see if you can find some fun new synonyms.

Make sure to look up their definitions in a dictionary, but also don’t be afraid to use your newfound words in conversation with native English speakers. They’re more likely to let you know if you’ve used it incorrectly. Oh, and don’t worry -it’s ok to make a mistake!

Gain Fluency By Watching TV

Relaxing and learning? Some would say it’s impossible, but I’m not one of them!

Watching TV or movies on Netflix with the subtitles on in the language you’re trying to learn can help increase your fluency in the extreme. Watching your favorite TV show with English subtitles of course can help you read along with what’s going on, but also teach you idioms, slang, and humor. Once you feel you’ve “graduated” and are looking for something a bit more challenging, see if you can watch your favorite show in English. It’ll really help you to get a feeling for how the language flows.

Use the Internet

Besides Bespeaking, of course, what are your favorite English-learning websites?

Use your online resources to help you practice in between lessons. Look up online quizzes, practice on Duolingo, or even try playing language games. Taking the extra time to practice during the week will make all the difference in your weekly lessons!

Speak English Whenever Possible

Do you know anyone else learning English, or have friends that are already fluent in it?

While it can be difficult to switch from whatever language you’re used to speaking together, it can be done! Just try and speak 10 minutes of English together a day, write all your texts in English, or dedicate certain times/situation to English and see how quickly you can make progress.

Listen to Music in English

While this one is a little more advanced, it’s a good one to practice!

It might take listening to songs over a lot to end up catching every word, but it helps enormously. Listening to different songs and singers can help you pick up on different speech patterns and intonations, which will overall help your comprehension and listening skills. And isn’t having good listening skills half of having a sparkling conversation?

What are some of your favorite ways to help increase your conversation skills? Share them with other learners in the comments below!

Erin Duffin lives in Berlin, is an English teacher, yoga instructor, and is killing it on Duolingo!

5 Ways to Improve Your English Conversation