How to speak and write better English

In an online chat with readers on February 18, Chander Madan, CEO of eAge Tutor, an online addressed queries on how to improve English communication skills.

Struggling to communicate in English?

In the age of the Internet and online communication, it is required of each one to be able to communicate thoughts with fluency in both written and spoken communication.

What are the mistakes you think you're making?

What can you do to improve your English language skills?

What are the books and resources you can refer to?

To help readers seek help on the above, Rediff.com had organised a chat with Chander Madan, CEO of eAge tutor, an online English training services provider on February 18, 2014, between 3 pm and 4 pm IST.

For those who missed the live chat, here's the unedited transcript:

Jaydeep Kumar: Is there any book available in market to improve vocabulary?

Chander Madan: Hi Jaydeep, you can try to use fair bit of resources online. More importantly, you should trying reading variety of materials that would include books of your interest, online articles/blogs. You may watch English movies and English news. Also have an online English dictionary handy on your phone or mobile internet.

bhanu: Sir my mother is 50 yrs old and wants to learn english. Is she too old to start now?

Chander Madan: Hi Bhanu,I don't think she is too late. Assuming she can understanding basic English, she can either join an Institute in your area or try to join an interactive Online Spoken English course. Most of these courses can be attended within the comfort of your home and you need only a PC and internet connection.

sudaram: Approximately how much time is required to learn basic spoken English?

Chander Madan: Hi Sudaram, it depends on your current knowledge of English. I would say the basic spoken English skills can be acquired within 3-6 months. It is very important to practice on a regular basis and keep improving these skills.

sathish kumar: I can speak good English but still i could not match with the standard of The Hindu paper and some other articles. How can i improve that?

Chander Madan: You can try the following for Improving vocabulary :1. Read books and English newpapers daily 2. Watch English movies and practice speaking English with a friend, colleague or with an online English Tutor.

Vinayak Tavade: I come from an English medium school but cannot watch English movies without subtitles. Is that a problem?

Chander Madan: You need to watch many movies to be able to understand the accent. Don't worry if you are not able to understand everything to start with.

Hanumant Kale: I am not able to speak fluently whereas i can draft a good emails and letters.please guide..

Chander Madan: Hi Hanumant, you need to practice everyday to be able to speak English well. Try practicing with a friend, colleague or a family member. Alternatively, you can try looking for online Spoken English courses.

rahim: Sir, when i speak with someone i run out of words and i stammer. How can i improve this?

Chander Madan: Hi Rahim, It is very important to practice every day.

naman: How to improve English grammar. Pls recommend some books for easy reading for beginners

Chander Madan: Hi Naman, you can try British council site that has some excellent resources on grammar.

saha amit: How to improve grammar and reasoning while talking?

Chander Madan: In order for you to speak correct English, practice is very important. You can start with the following: 1. Listen to daily news 2. Read papers daily 3. Write something and read aloud, you will get to know your mistakes 4. Practice with a friend or a colleague everyday

Kamlesh Dhakar: I am very confident to speak English but whenever i communicate to others i hesitate to talk in English what I should do

Chander Madan: Practice is a key to speaking good English. You can practice with a colleague, friend or join an online course where you can practice with small group of students.

Satish Pulli: How to know if someone is speaking wrong English?

Chander Madan: Most sentences if not spoken well will not sound correct. You can only judge if you are yourself good at English.

alex: I want to improve my spoken English. Can you suggest some good english courses from british council for me?

Chander Madan: You can look at English Impact course from British Council.

Gurshan Gurmeet: Hi my question is how to introduce oneself over the phone? i am into sales and sometimes the other person just puts the phone down without even listening to what I have to say.

Chander Madan: Dear Gurmeet, best way to avoid the situation you are facing is to briefly mention your name and company and ask the person if this is a good time to talk. If they say no , ask them for a convenient time to talk.

NIRJHAR MAJUMDAR: How can I talk better English when people around me speak very ordinary English? For my future prospect, I need to improve this skill.

Chander Madan: Dear Nirjhar, very good question. It is very important to practice with someone who can speak English Fluently. If you don't have a good speaker around you, try enrolling with either an Institute in your area or look for English speaking practice online.

Chander Madan: Thanks everyone for great questions!, I hope you enjoyed the interaction as much I did!. Thanks and see you soon