How to sound more natural in English conversation

Why do correct sentences still sound unnatural?

A common worry at B1 and B2 is that your grammar is fine but you still sound like a textbook. That worry is often justified. The problem is rarely mistakes. It is that they build every sentence from single words and full grammar, while fluent speakers reach for ready-made phrases, shorten what they can and spend a lot of the conversation reacting to the other person.

Compare these two replies to "How was your weekend?":

• "My weekend was very good. I went to the cinema with my friend and we watched a film. It was interesting."
• "Oh, really nice, thanks. I went to see that new thriller with a friend. It was pretty good, actually. How about yours?"

Both are correct. The second sounds natural because of small things: a reaction word (oh), a softer adjective (pretty good), a comment word (actually) and a question back. None of that is advanced grammar. It is a set of habits, and habits can be practised.

What are the habits that make English sound natural?

In more than 30 years of teaching, these are the changes I see make the biggest difference to how learners come across in conversation.

1. Use contractions. Say I'm, it's, don't, I've been, we'll and wouldn't. Full forms like I do not know sound emphatic or cold in everyday speech.
2. Learn phrases, not just words. Fluent speakers use thousands of fixed chunks: to be honest, it depends, I'm not sure about that, that makes sense, no worries. Each one saves you building a sentence from scratch.
3. React before you answer. Short responses such as oh really?, that's great, oh no and fair enough show you are listening, and they give you a second to think.
4. Soften what you say. British English in particular uses a lot of softening: a bit, quite, I think, maybe, I'm not sure, but.... "This is wrong" becomes "I'm not sure that's quite right".
5. Buy time naturally. Instead of silence or "eeeh", use let me think, that's a good question, well... or how can I put it?
6. Keep answers the right length. One-word answers sound abrupt, but long speeches sound like a presentation. Answer, add one detail, then pass the conversation back.
7. Ask a question back. What about you? and Have you been there? keep the conversation balanced and take pressure off you.

Textbook English vs natural English: what is the difference?

The table shows common textbook-style sentences and more natural everyday versions. The textbook versions are not wrong; they are simply more formal than most conversations need.

A word of caution: natural does not mean slang. You do not need innit or the latest internet expressions. The phrases above are safe in almost any everyday situation, including at work.

Does pronunciation matter more than vocabulary?

For sounding natural, rhythm often matters more than individual sounds. English is a stress-timed language: we stress the important words and squeeze the small ones. In I want to go to the shop, most speakers say something closer to "I wanna go to the shop", with to and the reduced to a quick, weak sound.

Three things to practise:

• Weak forms. Can in "I can swim" is usually short and unstressed. Of, to, for and and are usually reduced too.
• Linking. Words run together: an apple sounds like "a-napple", turn it off like "tur-ni-toff".
• Sentence stress. Stress the words that carry the meaning. "I didn't say she took it" and "I didn't say she took it" mean different things.

You do not need a British accent to sound natural. You need a rhythm that native and fluent listeners can follow easily.

What does a natural conversation sound like?

Here is a short example at a work coffee break. Notice the reactions, softeners and questions back.

• A: Morning! Good weekend?
• B: Yeah, not bad, thanks. Pretty quiet, to be honest. We just stayed in and watched a few films. You?
• A: Oh, nice. We went to the coast, actually. It was freezing, but lovely.
• B: Oh really? Whereabouts?
• A: Brighton. Have you been?
• B: Ages ago. I keep meaning to go back. Anyway, are you going to the meeting at ten?

Nothing here is above B1 grammar. What makes it natural is the short answers, the reactions (oh, nice, oh really?), the comment words (to be honest, actually) and the way each speaker hands the conversation back.

How can you practise sounding more natural?

Here is a simple two-week routine you can fit around work. It takes about 20 minutes a day.

1. Days 1 to 3: collect phrases. Watch a short clip of unscripted conversation, such as a chat show, podcast or interview. Write down five phrases people use to react, agree or buy time.
2. Days 4 to 6: shadow. Play one or two sentences, pause, and repeat them with the same rhythm and stress. Do this for ten minutes.
3. Days 7 to 9: swap your defaults. Choose three textbook phrases you overuse (for example I agree, very good, I don't understand) and replace them with two natural alternatives each from the table above.
4. Days 10 to 12: record yourself. Answer everyday questions for one minute each: How was your weekend? What do you do? What are you up to this evening? Listen back and check for contractions, a reaction and a question back.
5. Days 13 to 14: use it live. Use your new phrases in a real conversation, with a colleague, a shop assistant or in a lesson. Note which ones felt comfortable.

Repeat the cycle with new phrases. After a few rounds, the new chunks start to come out automatically, which is what fluency really is.

Where does a teacher help?

You can do a lot on your own, but it is hard to hear your own habits. A teacher can tell you which phrases you overuse, where your rhythm makes you harder to follow and whether a phrase sounds natural or slightly odd in context. That kind of feedback is difficult to get from apps or from friends, who are usually too polite to correct you.

At ELS, our speaking and conversation lessons focus on exactly this: real conversation, with correction on the language that makes you sound stiff. The ELS Flagship Private English Programme gives you two private 60-minute online lessons a week for £280 every four weeks (8 lessons), with an introductory first four weeks at £240. If you would like to see where you stand first, start with a free 20-minute consultation and level check.