Just Listen and Speak

Just Listen and Speak!

Many persons who want to speak in English hesitate to do so because they fear that they will not be able to speak correctly. Also, all of us want to know about how English, or for that matter any second language, can be learnt easily.

Many times we get answers to our questions from unlikely sources.

Like, I got answers to these questions from interviews of two Bollywood actresses, one a school drop out and second had her schooling in Europe. Given below is how it happened.

A very popular all India based radio channel runs a one hour program every Sunday afternoon. A celebrity from Bollywood is called and interviewed. In between favourite songs of the celebrity are played.

In one such program an actress from West Bengal, who is school drop out, was invited.  

When the program started the actress told the interviewer that she is not much fluent in English and that she can not express herself well in this language.

 ‘That’s OK’, Said the interviewer ‘This program in any case is in Hindi and there are billions of persons in the world who can not speak in English. So, it is no problem.’

‘But, I can not express my self well in Hindi also.’ Said the actress.

‘That’s also OK. There are millions of people in India who can not speak in Hindi. But, we have spoken to you so many times in the past and we can manage with your skill and fluency of Hindi.’ Said the interviewer.

‘Let me tell you that I can not express my self well in Bangla too.’ The actress revealed.

(Let me add here that Bangla is the mother tongue of the actress.)

Now even the interviewer was surprised and she said: ‘You say that you can not express yourself well in English and Hindi. I can understand that. But, you say that you can not express yourself well in Bangla also. How do you communicate? How do you make people understand what you want to say? Please tell us this.’

Here is the gem of an answer from the actress.

She said, ‘It is true that I can not express my self well in any of these languages. But I know one thing. I know that purpose of speaking is not to speak well or speak accurately or use impressive words. Speaking has only one purpose and it is to see that your listener understands what you want to say. And this madam I can do in all three languages.’

How true!

Purpose of speaking is not to speak well or speak accurately or use impressive words. Speaking has only one purpose and it is to see that your listener understands what you want to say.

Let’s just do that.

And, on another occasion the second actress who was being interviewed on the same program said that she can speak in about ten languages.

‘You must have worked very hard to learn these ten languages.’ Said the interviewer.

‘No, I just listened.’ Said the actress.

So, just listen!

Such useful advices coming from such unlikely sources!

So, how to learn to speak any language?

Keep in mind that purpose of speaking is not to speak well or speak accurately or use impressive words. Speaking has only one purpose and it is to see that your listener understands what you want to say.

Just do that.

and

Just listen!

by:

Sarwan Singh

@sarwan_singh

We conduct many English improvement and soft skills training programs, both on site and on line, for industries, educational institutes and individuals. We also offer a few programs like ‘Shine under Stress (Strategies to Succeed in Exams)’, ‘Seven Laws of Teaching’, ‘Student’s Behaviour Management’ etc. pro bono to educational institutes 

Please write to us at sarwansingh6644@gmail.com or englishacademybaroda@gmail.com or call (91)8866680407 to know details of our programs.