Just like in anything else in life, practice truly makes perfect. And this is no different when learning how to speak English as a second language. But applying your new English skills to the telephone can be a whole different process altogether. An ESL school will cover the basics, providing vocabulary and expressions. However, developing a regimen of regularly done telephone exercises, and practicing with friends, will take your English fluency to the next level in no time. The first thing you need to find is a classmate to practice with, and then you'll be on your way.

One of the most important things about practicing telephone conversations is that the person you're practicing with should not be visible at any time. This will create the simulation of talking to someone in English on the telephone, without looking at their facial features and gestures, as you would in a normal phone conversation. Here are a few tips that can help you in your process. You can put you chairs back to back, and use a practice phone to simulate the experience. The person's voice will sound similar to that in a telephone conversation, and you will not be able to see them.

Another thing you can do is to just sit around with a practice telephone and practice your English. This may seem silly, but the very act of being on the phone will give you more experience on the telephone, and allow you to feel more comfortable and secure. A great way of practicing business related conversations is to use different offices to call one another, to practice your conversations. When you have your conversation make sure to keep it strictly business, as you would on a job interview or in a meeting. Leave the small talk aside and practice being in a formal conservation. This will do wonders for your confidence level, and give you the valuable experience of being in high priority conversations.

One of the best exercises you can do to help develop your English telephoning skills, is to record your conversation. Many modern telephones and computers come with this ability already built in, and you only have to access it. Hearing yourself recorded will give you the precise idea of what your strengths and weaknesses are on the telephone. You will see where you are making progress and what you need to improve.

But the best method of all, to practice your English telephoning skills, is to practice using English in a real life telephone conversation. Find a business to call, or a service hotline, where you can talk to a representative and practice your English. You could get information about a certain product, or find out more details about a specific service, while you really gain valuable experience in real life conversations. As long you are making an effort to communicate, the customer service representatives will help you along the process and answer any questions that you may have. This can be a great tool to increase your telephone proficiency and will get you speaking the language like a pro in no time.

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Susan Thomason has written numerous articles for LCI English Center, an ESL school in Denver, Colorado. LCI offers the best English training through experienced teachers and high quality programs. Check out more ESL articles at www.englishlci.com/blog