Practice Out Loud

Read the material or a portion of it out loud.

• If audio or video, practice talking along with it and imitating the speakers.

Practice verbally summarizing the material:

• Use the 4-3-2 technique:
  • Describe the material for 4 minutes, pause, then do it again for 3 minutes, pause, then do it again for 2 minutes.
  • Each time, try to ensure you are still sharing the essential points and getting clearer and clearer in your explanations as you go.
• Practice giving a presentation about the subject to different audiences:
  • Friends
  • Small children – how would you need to simplify the language?
  • A classroom or office – how would you make your language more formal?

Write questions about the selection and practice asking and answering them.

Think about alternative positions or perspectives on the material and practice representing them as though you are in a debate.

Record yourself doing one of the above activities:

• Listen to your recording and critique yourself:
• Do you need to fix grammatical, pronunciation, or vocabulary issues? How is your intonation and emphasis? 
• Re-record yourself and see if you've improved.

Practice with a partner:

• Choose a conversation preparation guide and complete the roleplays.
• Go to a zoo or museum and talk about what you see in the target language.
• Choose an issue you’re passionate about and try to convince the other person to support your cause.