Tips on How to Speak English Fluently (1)

English today has become an international language which connects almost everyone in this tiny planet we call home. English is now used in so many fields, such as education, history, politics, etc. As a result of that students all over the world are urged to learn English, and the terms ESL (English as Second Language) and EFL (English as a Foreign Language) are widely spread.

In Indonesia, English language is considered a foreign language, which means in this country, an English user might not have the chances to use it in public area since the users of the language are rare. Exception occurs when the "public area" are international schools or embassies. This condition is different with what happens in Malaysia. In that country, English is considered a second language and English has wider range of users than it does in Indonesia. This happens because in the past, Malaysia was a part of British Empire.

We as Indonesians sometimes have difficulties in speaking English fluently. Here are some simple tips how to do it. I hope you can apply and share them with your friends :)

Tip #1 : You Are What You Think
We, as EFL learners, sometimes think so many things before we decide to use English, e.g. : "Oh my God, I'm going to embarrass myself. My English isn't good and people will laugh when they hear I don't speak correctly." or "English is so hard, there's no chance I can master it."
As a matter of fact, even if you are a native speaker, it does not mean that you will speak 100 % correctly. Incorrect usages of language can be classified into two groups; errors and mistakes. Errors are incorrect usages that people make unconsciously and they actually think those things are OK. They simply think that it is the way a language is actually used. The incorrect usage is a part of their communication system. On the other side, when people make mistakes, they might be unaware about them at first, yet when they realize them, they will make some corrections.
If you ever watched the movie "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", you will see clearly what I mean. The main character of the movie, Harry (portrayed by Robert Downey, Jr.) made some grammatical errors several times, especially when it comes to the different between adjective and adverb. Here is an example of them:

Perry: Go. Sleep badly. Any questions, hesitate to call. 
Harry: Bad. 
Perry: Excuse me? 
Harry: Sleep bad. Otherwise it makes it seem like the mechanism that allows you to sleep... 
Perry: What, f**khead? Who taught you grammar? Badly's an adverb. Get out. Vanish. 

So, you are afraid of making errors and mistakes? You do not have to be. It is not your own language, so people will  understand if you use it incorrectly sometimes.
Next, if you think that English is so hard, I will say, "No, it is not." Do not limit yourself. History shows that ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they do not limit themselves. Remember Muhammad II, the Ottoman Sultan that conquered Constantinople? He and his troops dragged their battleships over hills. Remember Edison? Do you still remember how many times he did his experiment to get his ultimate prototype of lamp bulb?

Next, have you ever experienced that you are in a middle of a conversation, but you cannot find how to say the word you mean in English? Everyone has. In the next part, we are going to discuss how to enrich your vocabularies. See you! :) [AP/SmartStudents]