Hello everybody.

For my weekend words this week I want to talk about conversation practice and speed of speaking.

Over the years, I've met a lot of people who are learning English as a foreign language. I'm always surprised how hard they try to learn English and their level of language, their high ability to handle difficult grammar points and how much vocabulary they have.

In some cases, maybe it is the first time they have had an opportunity to speak with a native speaker (me) and they want to be able to have an intelligent interesting conversation.

This means that very often, in order to develop the conversation, they speak much faster than they need to, and sometimes forget that a conversation is two-way - speaker and listener.

I often find myself doing a similar thing when I speak French or German. I speak faster than I should do. It is like I am in a race against time, to say what I want to say and hope that I have made myself understood.

As a native speaker of English, what I can tell anyone who speaks English as a foreign language is that you don't need to rush when having a friendly conversation with a native speaker.

It is completely different from speaking exams or making a presentation - when accuracy and speed is very important. When you are having a conversation it is a two-way thing. You speak, the other person listens. Then the other person speaks and you listen.

To make this a more enjoyable experience, try speaking a little slower than you would normally like to and always allow a small gap for the listener to use certain phrases that let's you know that they are listening. Words such as: "I see..." "really?" , "oh right.." " do you think so?", "ehm....well, you have a point..."

This makes the conversation truly two-way and you can learn much more. Speaking more slowly allows you time to think of more interesting words, more appropriate words, develop the conversation and allow the listener to correct you sometimes.

This way you will develop your language skills even more I believe.

Now you've heard my podcast, you might like to listen to it again as I am speaking at a normal conversational speed - as I would do if I were talking with my family, to my colleagues at work and people I meet in the street.

If I were to speak with a taxi driver, someone on the telephone when I am busy and situations like this, then I would of course, speak more quickly.

But this podcast is just to help you to understand that whilst maybe you think English people speak fast, only a few do in a relaxed conversation - and as I believe strongly -being relaxed is the best way to learn. Stressful situations don't make good language learning situations I think. Such as:

* getting information for catching a bus or a train

* asking someone the time

* answering the telephone when you are busy

So, make use of each informal/friendly conversation you have to learn and enjoy the conversation!

* meeting someone on a train journey

* meeting someone on holiday

* meeting someone in an online chatroom

* discussing things in another language with friends who also speak the language

* meeting someone in a social setting, party, church etc

See you next time

Bye for now