English nowadays is not an added skill – it is a basic requirement. Whether you are a student, intern, professional, or just a regular person, you will realize how important fluent spoken English is in your day-to-day life. While English speaking is important, English fluency is something a number of people struggle to develop.

It will not help if you plan, plan and plan to improve your English skills, this is an active job – one that requires you to practice and improve daily.

The one problem many English students face is not being able to retain what they learn. When you come across a new English word, it is easy for you to remember it and its meaning. However, two days down, do you still remember it? This is the problem, you do not need to simply learn a word, you need to remember the word and use it where it fits!

If you seriously want to improve your English speaking, you need to include it in your daily habits. Your every waking moment should be a conscious effort towards learning and improving spoken English.

How do 'adopt' English in your daily routine?

Keeping aside an hour or two strictly for learning English is a good discipline, however there are certain things that you can do all day long to keep your mind engaged.
 

• Make flashcards: When you learn a new word, you should learn its three facets – the word itself, its meaning, and how to use it in a sentence. Make small flashcards and note down the three aspects of the word that you wish to learn. Carry these flashcards with you and study them whenever you get time. Travelling in a bus, waiting for a train or during your lunch/ tea breaks, etc. are the best times when you can take a quick glance at these cards.
   
• Identify objects in English: The next time you ask your colleague to pass your ‘Chai’ make sure that you use the word ‘tea’. It is easy and convenient for us to address regular objects in our mother tongue. However, if you try to identify these objects in their English name, you are ordering your mind to think in English.
   
• Think in English: What language are your thoughts? In what language do you converse with yourself? Have you ever thought of this – if you are using Hindi or other vernacular language when you think, how will you train your brain to use English! When we say that you need to make a conscious effort, we mean that every act, every thought should be in English. So the next time you are thinking, do it in English.
   
• Set goals: You will achieve many things if you are disciplined. This applies to your English learning routine as well. Set goals for yourself, say I will learn five new words every day, or I will write a passage using the five words I learnt yesterday. Setting goals and sticking to them acts as a great motivator!