Is Grammar important for speaking English?

Well, there is no simple answer to that. But I can say if you can make sentences, understand them, and read them. Then, believe it or not, you are good at grammar. Sometimes, we don't know the technical terms but we still know how to make a sentence or what to say at what time. This just means that we possess the basic knowledge of grammar that one needs to speak English fluently.

Let's take an example! How did you learn your native language? Did you learn its grammar when you were trying to master it at the age of 2 or 3? Absolutely not! We learned our native language by observing the people around us! We got better at it by practicing it and repeating it again and again. 

How much grammar is needed to speak English fluently?

You do not need to have in-depth knowledge of grammar, only very basic knowledge is necessary. You should know how to make a sentence and what tense should be used where! Remember, I am focusing on the practicality of grammar not learning the grammar rules or terms.

I believe if you are able to understand everything written here, then you already have the basic knowledge of grammar. I am sure, you can even write and read in English without much difficulty! But speaking is a problem for you.

How can you master the skill of speaking English fluently?

You need to practice it! Yes, I know you have been hearing this all over your life but this is true. Practice is the key to everything. If you want to learn driving, you should practice, if you want to learn swimming, you should practice. These are skills that require a practical application. You can not learn swimming or driving just by reading about it or watching some tutorials. you need to do these activities for yourself.

But how can you practice speaking in English all the time?

People suggest you practice but they don't tell how. There are many ways you can practice speaking English. Here are some of them:

1. Schedule everything in English

When you wake up, try to schedule everything in your head. Try to make some sentences right away about the things that you are going to do that day. While brushing our teeth, making breakfast, or getting ready, we always think of something. So, start making the schedule of your day in English

2. Thinking in English

Try to think in English throughout the day in English. Make sentences about the things you see around you, for example: "This is a new coffee shop. I should check it out sometime. Maybe, I will go with my mother." This will let you speak in English throughout the day without needing anyone else. Of course, you will make mistakes but at least you are practicing. And if you follow the reading, watching, and listening techniques daily, then after some time, you will stop making mistakes. Your mind will automatically tell you that your sentence is incorrect. But it will require some time, effort, practice, and patience.

3. Watch English content

Well, this might be your favorite way to learn English. And it really works. I have seen many people learn English by just watching English TV shows and movies. We have so much content available online that you can watch almost anything you like. But if you are a beginner, then I would suggest you watch animated English movies. They are comparatively easy to understand. Some popular TV shows you can start watching are- 'friends', 'modern family', 'the big bang theory', 'house m.d.', 'lost in space', etc.

4. Read short stories

Reading really helps develop your sentence formation skills and along with that, it also helps to enrich your vocabulary. The biggest mistake people do while reading is that they start reading English newspapers for learning words. But this is not the right way! English newspapers have a lot of difficult words that can easily overwhelm any new English learner. So, start with short stories. they will surely help you with vocabulary and sentence formation.

5. Talk to customer support

You need a real conversation with real people to learn English and be fluent in it. If you are not surrounded by people who can talk in English then you can try to talk with customer support people in English or try to order something in English. Maybe the next time, you go to the mall, talk to your shopping assistant in English. Whenever you can, try to speak in English. The key is to stay confident and stay focused. If it is daunting, start with just a few words in English, not the whole sentence. Then gradually, start with half of the sentence in English. And ultimately, you will be speaking the whole sentence in English. But it will take some time. 

The key element is practice. No matter how much you read, listen or write, until you start speaking in English, you will never get fluent. So, follow these above-mentioned steps or find some more creative ways to talk in English. And remember, stay confident, do not hesitate. You can make mistakes, they are all right!