Realistic practice scenarios to boost your English skills

app Languages
friends chatting around a laptop

It's essential to engage in real-life conversations to truly become proficient in a language. By immersing yourself in realistic situations, you can really boost your English skills. Of course, it can be difficult to find people to speak to if you aren’t in an area with many English speakers. By practicing different possible scenarios, when the time or situation arises, you know you’ll be ready to take on the challenge.

You might be preparing to work or study abroad, trying to connect with a new friend or improving your workplace communication. Let’s explore some realistic practice scenarios that can help you feel more confident and fluent when speaking English in your everyday life.

Realistic practice scenarios to boost your English skills
Play
Privacy and cookies

By watching, you agree app can share your viewership data for marketing and analytics for one year, revocable by deleting your cookies.

1. Everyday conversations

Engaging in day-to-day dialogues is an effective way to acquire colloquial language, idiomatic expressions, and authentic English. For individuals who are keen on advancing their language proficiency, provides a valuable resource that offers concise audio conversations with corresponding transcripts, tailored for various real-life scenarios.

Practice with scenarios like these to become familiar with what vocabulary you might encounter, everyday conversations are usually light-hearted and uncomplicated so there's little pressure if you make a mistake in a real-life chat.

2. Job interviews

If you're looking to improve your performance in job interviews or looking for a job within an English company, it can be incredibly helpful to practice various possible scenarios beforehand, giving you time to practice your language skills. This way, you'll be better equipped to communicate your experiences, skills, and future aspirations in a clear and concise manner.

has compiled a list of commonly asked interview questions, each one accompanied by sample answers that can assist you in your preparation process. There are lots of with prep questions available online. Whether you're a seasoned job hunter or just starting out, taking the time to review these questions and answers can go a long way in boosting your language confidence and success during your next real-life interview.

3. Role-playing debates

Enhance your ability to use persuasive language and sharpen your critical thinking skills by engaging in debates on topics that challenge your thoughts and beliefs. With , you have access to a diverse selection of debate topics and resources that are specifically tailored to meet the needs of ESL learners. Take advantage of debate opportunities to broaden your perspective and develop valuable communication skills.

You could have debates with friends, family or online. If you don't feel confident enough to debate with others, you can also look at existing debates online and on TV and construct a theoretical argument in English to go against or support their points.

4. Travel simulations

Practicing travel scenarios can assist you in improving your ability to ask for directions, book accommodation, and communicate with locals. You might intend on working abroad in an English-speaking country and need to travel a lot. If you are looking to improve your airport-related vocabulary and phrases, you can find videos of various travel scenarios like that can be good to familiarize yourself with.

By practicing such scenarios, you can boost your confidence and make your travel experience smoother and more enjoyable – potentially removing any stress or confusion that can come with travel.

5. Storytelling practice

Engaging in the practice of storytelling, be it in the form of personal stories or fictional tales, can greatly enhance one's linguistic skills and aptitude for storytelling. , an organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the authentic narratives of everyday people, provides an exceptional opportunity for individuals to learn and grow from the raw and unfiltered experiences of others.

By immersing yourself in genuine stories, you can gain invaluable insights into people’s use of the English language and the nuances of effective storytelling. Being a good storyteller can also help you with other essential skills, like pitching and selling ideas.

6. Conflict resolution

Enhancing your language skills in negotiation, empathy, and communication can be attained through the consistent practice of conflict resolution scenarios. If you are looking to acquire a comprehensive understanding of conflict resolution methods and techniques, then the "" guide is an excellent resource to consult. This guide offers a detailed and thorough overview of various conflict resolution techniques that can be employed in a variety of settings, helping you to also practice your English.

Having strong conflict resolution skills in English can help you in many scenarios, from workplace conflict to a disagreement between friends or strangers. You can try looking at common conflicts you see on the tv/film/internet or come across in real life and practice how you would personally approach it and what kinds of things you would say.

7. Academic presentations

To enhance your ability to communicate in English effectively and coherently in public, consider taking part in academic-style presentations. , a platform that offers a diverse range of educational videos covering various topics, can serve as an excellent resource for honing your presentation skills. By utilizing TED-Ed's resources, you can gain valuable experience and confidence in delivering presentations with clarity and precision.

You could try filming yourself giving the presentation, critique areas for improvement, or ask your friends for feedback. If you’re feeling particularly brave, even posting it online for feedback. For extra help with your confidence, there are to help you with your public speaking.

8. Negotiation

If you're looking to improve your English language skills in a business context, one of the most important aspects to practice is negotiating. Negotiating prices, terms, and agreements effectively can lead to better outcomes for everyone. From negotiating the price of fruit at a market to negotiating your job's salary, negotiation is a huge part of people’s lives and knowing how to confidently negotiate in English is important.

The provides resources, including thorough articles and guides that are designed to help you hone your negotiation skills. By utilizing resources like these, you can gain the knowledge and confidence needed to succeed in any business negotiation. Watch business-related and TV shows, watching how they negotiate and what sort of language they use. Take note of commonly asked questions relevant to your situation, so you are prepared for what someone might ask you.

By placing yourself in realistic practice scenarios, you can transform your language learning experience. Remember, consistent practice and a willingness to step out of your comfort zone are key to becoming a more proficient English speaker. Embrace these opportunities to interact with the language in diverse contexts, situations and watch your language confidence grow.

More blogs from app

  • Office works stood in a cubicle and in a hallway talking

    Goal setting: A path to achieving team fluency

    By Samantha Ball

    Reading time: 5 minutes

    We know businesses that invest in skills development are more likely to retain top talent, and see many other benefits as well. Upskilling your team's English proficiency can have a transformative effect on the business, leading to new opportunities, growth, and a more engaged workforce. However, implementing a corporate language learning program can be challenging. Using traditional goal-setting frameworks can support you and your team on this journey. Here's how:

  • two colleagues working outdoors talking to eachother over a laptop and paperwork

    The role of English proficiency in a global organization

    By Samantha Ball
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    To compete in the modern business space, many organizations are shifting to a more global way of working.

    The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital transformation and globalization across industries but, as many businesses look now to sustaining future growth, the question is: what powers a successful, global organization?

    Why English proficiency is key to unlocking international success

    According to app’s 2022 Power Skills Survey, one of the biggest factors in effective workplace globalization is the use of English as a common language. The report states “Adopting a common language and ensuring that the entire workforce can access it has become more important than ever before.”

    It points to statistics from rising economies in Southeast Asia, showcasing the strength of English use and their respective booming industries:

    • In Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy in terms of GDP, the service sector employs nearly half of the country’s local workforce.
    • In Thailand, nearly 60% of the country’s GDP is generated by tourism and export-oriented production. Vietnam, one of APAC’s fastest-growing markets and a rising manufacturing powerhouse, counts the US among its top trading partners.
    • The Philippines’ business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, a key pillar of the country’s economy, employs 1.3 million people.

    The power of effective communication

    app’s 2022 Power Skills Survey is a drop in the ocean of reports hailing effective communication as one of the top factors to both personal and business success. Good communicators have been linked to higher performance in school, at work and in their personal lives. It is no surprise then that good communicators are highly sought after by talent recruiters.

    With many businesses moving to hiring outside of traditional location boundaries, more languages are inevitable in the workplace. So, can good communication transcend language barriers?

    As the statistics gathered by the Power Skills Survey show, there is evidence that sharing one common language, and therefore enabling more effective communication, can improve business opportunities, workforce growth and ultimately the economy. In the survey report, Norlida Azmi, Group Chief People Officer at Axiata, said:

    “Communication is a critical skill that sets the foundation for not only leadership competencies, such as people management and coalition building, but also for wider and effective stakeholder management in the ecosystem – communicating with our shareholders, customers and the communities that we operate in.”

    English: the official language of business

    While communication for globalization can look different for different markets, the English language is recognized as the prevailing choice for multinational companies. The Harvard Business Review says:

    “The need to tightly coordinate tasks and work with customers and partners worldwide has accelerated the move toward English as the official language of business.”

    So, with businesses now fighting to grow in a global marketplace, unlocking the power of the English language is crucial to success.

    Assessing English proficiency within your organization

    The survey shows that many organizations have work to do in this area, even if they view strong English proficiency as extremely important to their roles. It details the current state of assessing candidates’ English language proficiency and the percentage of organizations that have strategies in place to upskill their employees English proficiency. Both leave room for improvement.

    According to the survey, the number one way talent acquisition managers test English language skills is at the interview (58%), although 37% aren't measuring English language skills at all. This can be problematic later down the line, as not all four language skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) will be accurately represented in an interview.

    Meanwhile, 27% of businesses use computer-based tests and 14% use paper-based tests to assess English language proficiency. By getting standardized test results, talent managers can more accurately assess if candidates’ English proficiency is suitable for the role, making for more confident and successful hires.

    Strategies for English upskilling

    Talent managers can also pass on these insights to learning and development managers to help them implement effective English language upskilling programs. While this investment can empower employees to perform better in their new role, it may also improve employee retention and even lead to succession and impact business growth.

    Whether organizations choose to hire new talent with higher levels of English proficiency or invest in learning and development programs to build their employees’ language skills, there are tools available to help.

    app Language Solutions for Work enables talent and learning and development managers to fast-track and simplify their recruitment and training processes, giving you total confidence that your candidates and employees have the English language skills to drive your business forward. Find the best language assessment and learning solutions for your organization here.

    Drive your business forward with language training

    If you liked this blog post and want to learn more, download our PDF report here.

    Find out more about how language training and assessment can drive your business forward by checking out our resources for HR professionals, including articles, whitepapers and research.

  • Business woman presenting and discussing with two people in front of her

    How to recruit more effectively: leveraging language assessment AI

    By Samantha Ball
    Reading time: 3 minutes

    There arewhy recruiters use artificial intelligence (AI) tools in their hiring process: to save time, provide valuable insights and to make their jobs easier.

    The recruitment process is vital to any thriving business, but it can be time-consuming and labor intensive. Sourcing candidates, screening resumes, conducting interviews and making hiring decisions can be stop-start, with some time-wasting tasks and reprocessing. However, as technology continues to evolve, the role of AI in recruitment is becoming increasingly important.

    With the help of AI, Talent Acquisition leads can improve their recruiting processes, save time and find better-quality candidates. believe AI greatly enhances talent acquisition and retention.