The author, a communication expert and Senior Manager at UEI Global Institute tells you four easy, result-oriented ways to better your communication skills.

The connection between thought and expression is an important feature that has to be considered whenever a person has to be helped in learning a language.

There are numerous skills of the mind such as interpreting, concluding, recalling and many others that are necessary for speaking. These skills have to be developed so that your speaking skills can be improved.

Today, you will come across many strategies and methods that are being used to improve the communication skills of an individual. If we speak in terms of result oriented core strategies then, probably there are only a few of them.

1. Keep it simple

People often puzzle themselves by practicing difficult tasks while starting to learn a language or improve one's communication skills.

The mantra should be to analyse the potential of a person; this is done by taking a diagnostic test. Through the diagnostic test, the learner is tested on all the four language skills- Reading, listening, writing and speaking.

The performance of the diagnostic test will help the learner to focus on the required skill.

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2. Process of Unlearning

In countries like India, where English is considered to be a second or a third language, learners differ in pronunciation, cognitive and also in comprehending skills.

Here comes the process of unlearning.

For example, the MTI (mother tongue influence). People from Eastern India have a different pronunciation pattern compared to people in southern India.

Speech drills are used to get the correct sound of vowels and consonants.

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3. Use and Usage of language

It is generally seen that learners can understand a language but they often hesitate to speak. This is due to lack of practice.

Just like how driving skills cannot be learnt by merely watching a TV program that explains all about cars, you can't learn English by merely reading grammar and communication books.

Although you will know the meaning and usage of words, you can never learn or master your communication skills until you put them to practice.

To learn a language one has to 'Use' the language and not just understand the 'Usage'.

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4. Familiar and Unfamiliar situations

An excellent strategy to be adopted is to expose the learner to actual situations that would help them in promoting the skill.

These would include role plays and other guided and unguided exercises to facilitate learning.

The greater the number of situations and longer the exercise, the more effective will the skill development exercise be.

Freedom to think and the development of individuals through activities that lead to human interaction definitely leads to improved communication skills. It is rightly said,

"Speaking makes a ready man; writing, an exact man; reading makes a full man"

The author is Senior Manager, R&D at UEI Global Institute. An initiative of Berggruen Education (P) Limited, USA, UEI Global was launched in 2007 to offer quality education to students with industry integrated programs.