Improve Conversational English Skills Fast with Five Tips

Call centers require good communication skills. English is the primary language and the best part is that your English does not have to be perfect for you to get hired because conversational level English will do.
If you’re looking for ways to learn how to improve your English, here are some of the tips I can offer to improve your communication skills faster.
1. Watch American films. The best way to imitate how they speak is to see then in action. Since you watch TV anyway, spend it trying to improve your English. Pay attention to how the characters pronounce certain words and learn from them.
2. Read books and comic books. This is where you can increase your vocabulary and grammar skills. Observe the dialogue and how things are described to get ideas.
3. Practice speaking with someone in English. This is my favorite. You get to practice with a live English speaking person. I usually go for foreigners or friends who are comfortable in speaking in English. Ask them to correct you an learn from your mistakes and you’ll learn to speak in English well in no time.
4. Start thinking in English. We all talk to ourselves. If you’re a Filipino chances are, you speak to yourself in Filipino. When you say “gutom na ako” in your head, say “I’m hungry” instead.

A reason why a lot of Filipinos I know have a hard time speaking in English is that try start with their thoughts expressed in Filipino, translate it into English, double check then speak. Sometimes we get conscious because we have to check if we spoke what we just said correctly. That’s a lot of steps before you get to say something. I propose, you do the exact opposite and have most of your thoughts in English then translate them in Tagalog if you have to.
5. Text, chat, email, Facebook, tweet or write in English. This is how we communicate most of the time so extra practice in these platforms help as well.

What are you doing to improve your conversational English skills?


Thank you for reading. Email me one thing that you learned that had an impact and what you did about it. callcentertrainingtips@gmail.com. I read each and every email.


Download a free copy of my book, A Shy Person's Guide on How To Get Hired in a Call Center plus get free lessons.


Hire me to fix your English.


  • http://www.dominiodisponivel.net Alzira

    interesting and informative post thanks a lot for posting it.http://www.dominiodisponivel.net

  • http://www.mountlands.com/ English Summer Schools

    My sister has been improving her conversational English skills by doing those things you have mentioned. Actually those are good ways to improve English spoken ability.

    • http://www.minimalchanges.com Kevin Olega

      I’m glad it helped. How is she doing now? :) hit me up for questions :)

      • picazso

        Sir, I’m having a hard time hope your suggestions will help me improve speaking English skills. Sometimes I’m just being scared and shy to speak English with my  friends so I’d really like to improve and to have a guts to overcome all of it.. I really Thank you sir. Please correct my grammar if  somethings wrong and you know what it takes me about 30 minutes to wright this paragraph. Thank you sir.

        • http://www.minimalchanges.com Kevin Olega

          Just keep practicing. Have you seen my book?

          Kevin Olega
          Sent from my iOS device.
          kevinolega.com

          • picazso

            No sir, what book?  e-book? I’m practicing for about 4 hours and keep reading and I think it really  helps me a lot, thanks for this blog sir. You’re helping a lot of people including me.

          • http://www.minimalchanges.com Kevin Olega

            Yeah. I’m writing one. Checkout the link on the site that says book. It leads to the link to the google docs file I’m using to write the book. I hope you can share your thoughts as well.
            Kevin Olega
            Sent from my iOS device.
            kevinolega.com

  • Gem Cue

    hello, kevin. i had my 11th application in a call center only 2 days ago. i was told to be reassessed and i undergone the same reading and listening skills. i did not pass. i’ve been asking what was wrong again this time as i had just completed my finishing course for call center agents in one academy. my answer to myself was i did not applied some of the important points that i’ve learned. i missed what i’ve read here from your tips that it pays to talk like a sossy, exaggerate slightly your intonation, accent and pronunciation. am i right? anyway as you said, there are still more than a hundred call centers in the country. but i’m already 55 year young. pls give me some inspiring advice so i would not climb the highest billboard on EDSA. (joke!) my email add is: gemini.sl73@yahoo.com. thanks and have a pleasant day.

    • http://www.minimalchanges.com Kevin Olega

      Would you like to organize a free training session? We could do an assessment or a q&a or something like that. I’m only free to do it on a weekend though
      Kevin Olega
      Sent from my iOS device.
      kevinolega.com

  • Gem Cue

     correction: i did not apply (i typed fast)

  • Kurenei347

    Hello kevin, my name is jay, and i need your help to improve my communications skills. however i’m in pangasinan and there’s no way i can go to either sampaloc or ortigas area, I’m just wondering if you can do the teaching online?through skype?please add me kurenei347 or you can txt me at 09092052490… hope you could help me with my problem, and im looking forward for your answer.

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  • rhenebhoi parungao

    hi kevin, im rhenebhoi. I’ve been looking for tips regarding call center training that i could use for my training in convergys. I want to be aware of how a call center agent would be doing when he is now ready to handle phone calls and something like that. This is my first time to be hired in a call center company, and so Im very much willing to acquire some tips on how to improve my english and learn how to handle correct phone call etiquettes. Please give me some advice or tips on how to think fast of what i am going to say. I know that a lot of us know how to speak english, but it’s just that some of us do not know how to use it correctly. I sometimes having a hard time to construct sentences when i am speaking.,, but when i write them, it does’nt give me so much difficulty. I want to know how im gonna be performing my duties as a call center agent , please give me some tips , how to handle phone calls, how to handle irate custmers and how to become an efficient and effective call center agent. thanks and more power,… god bless you.. hope to hear from you soon….

    • GANDA

      i can relate with you.we have the same sentiments :) LOL