English Speaking
English speaking is what you do with someone else, in real time, to get something done. Early talks are short and practical, such as Asking someone's name or Asking for something in a shop. Later you hold a longer turn, and Comparing and choosing is one of the talks where you have to give reasons, not only facts.
By 
Christopher Huntley. Updated
A talk has a job
People speak English to do something: meet someone, buy an item, explain a problem, agree on a plan. The job decides which phrases you need. Asking someone's name is a greeting. Asking for something in a shop is a transaction. Both are short, and both have a shape you can learn before you invent your own lines.
A longer talk still has a job. Comparing and choosing asks you to name two options, say how they differ, and pick one. If you only list facts and never choose, the other person does not know what you want.
Turns, not speeches
A conversation is a series of short turns. You say something, the other person answers, and you show you heard them before you add the next point. A prepared speech is useful for a presentation. It is a poor model for a talk, because the other person will interrupt, ask, or change the subject.
When you do not catch a word, asking them to repeat is part of speaking, not a failure of it. "Sorry, could you say that again?" keeps the talk going. Guessing and nodding does not.
Hi, I'm Nora. What's your name?
Could I have a large coffee, please?
The train is cheaper, but the bus is faster, so I'd take the bus.
What makes a talk stall
Speaking stalls when the sentence is planned in full before any word comes out, or when a missing word stops the whole turn. A shorter true sentence beats a long one you cannot finish.
Not: I want coffee. Use: Could I have a coffee, please? In a shop, a bare "I want" comes across as an order. The request form is ordinary politeness.
Not: Me name is Luis. Use: My name is Luis. "My" shows whose name it is. "Me" is not used there.
Not: This one is more good. Use: This one is better. "Good" becomes "better" when you compare. "More good" is not the form.
Build from short talks
Start with talks you will have this week, and say them out loud, not only in your head. A line you have said once is easier the second time. Then add a reason, a follow-up question, or a repair when you miss something.
Record yourself on one task, listen back, and fix one thing. Changing everything at once makes the next talk worse, not better.
- Greet someone and exchange names.
- Ask for one thing in a shop or a cafe.
- Describe your day in four or five sentences.
- Compare two options and say which you prefer.
- Ask the other person to repeat when you miss a word.
Absolute Beginner
- Asking for something in a shop A coffee, a ticket, a bag — and please.
- Asking someone to repeat Sorry? Again, please. More slowly.
- Asking someone's name What's your name? — and hearing the answer.
- Saying where you are from Country, city, and nationality.
- Saying your name and spelling it Your own name, letter by letter.
Beginner
- Giving personal information Answering questions about yourself.
- Introducing yourself and meeting people First contact: name, country, and a greeting.
- Talking about what is happening now Describing a scene as you look at it.
- Talking about what you can and can't do Ability in everyday situations.
- Talking about what you like doing Preferences with -ing forms.
- Talking about where people and things are from Countries and nationalities in use.
- Talking about your family and the people around you Describing who is who.
- Talking about your weekend A short account of free time.
- Telling a simple past story A few sentences about something that happened.
Elementary
- Daily Activities
- Describing things and comparing them Saying what something is like, and how it differs.
- Getting to know somebody Asking and answering to keep a conversation going.
- Giving opinions Saying what you think and why.
- Retelling a story Passing on a narrative in order.
- Saying hello and goodbye Opening and closing a conversation.
- Saying where things are Describing a room or a scene.
- Talking about a typical weekend An account of ordinary free time.
- Talking about abilities What you can and cannot do.
- Talking about experiences What you have and have not done.
- Talking about food and quantity Meals, amounts, and ordering.
- Talking about plans What you are going to do.
- Talking about the past Describing what happened and when.
- Talking about your country What you like and do not like about where you live.
- Talking about your family Who is who, and what they do.
Pre-Intermediate
- Comparing habits — now and in the past Contrasting what you do now with what you used to do.
- Describing a person's appearance and personality Giving a full description of someone you know.
- Describing a photo and talking about preferences Saying what is in a picture and which one you prefer, and why.
- Describing and paraphrasing an unknown word Getting your meaning across when the exact word escapes you.
- Describing feelings Saying how something makes you feel and why.
- Describing your weekend Giving an account of recent free time using recent-past forms.
- Discussing habits, rules, and preferences Talking about what you have to do, what you must not do, and what you prefer.
- Entertainment
- Exchanging personal information Asking and answering questions about yourself and your life.
- Finding similarities and differences with a partner Discovering what you have in common through questions.
- Giving examples and reasons Supporting an opinion with a reason and a concrete example.
- Handling everyday service situations Dealing with hotels, restaurants, shops, pharmacies, and directions in person.
- Making arrangements Suggesting, accepting, and rearranging times to meet.
- Making predictions Saying what you think will and won't happen, and why.
- Meeting New People
- Planning and describing a tour Agreeing an itinerary with a partner and presenting it.
- Reacting to a story Responding with interest, surprise, or sympathy while someone tells you something.
- Responding to opinions Agreeing, partly agreeing, and disagreeing politely.
- Retelling a news story Reporting what happened, in order, including what people said.
- Retelling a story in the right order Retelling events using sequencers and connectors.
- Retelling an article in your own words Summarizing something you have read for someone who has not read it.
- Talking about a past vacation or trip Narrating where you went, what you did, and what went wrong.
- Talking about choices and decisions Weighing options aloud and saying what you might do.
- Talking about housework and shared responsibilities Saying who does what at home and how you feel about it.
- Talking about imaginary situations Saying what you would do if things were different.
- Talking about life events Describing the stages of your own or someone else's life.
- Talking about memorable experiences Describing the best, worst, and most surprising things you have done.
- Talking about school days Describing what school was like and what you used to do.
- Talking about shopping experiences Describing a good or bad purchase and what happened.
- Talking about the past, present, and future Moving between time references in one conversation without losing accuracy.
- Talking about your lifestyle and health Discussing diet, exercise, sleep, and what you would change.
Intermediate
- Comparing and choosing Weighing options aloud.
- Giving opinions and agreeing or disagreeing Holding a position politely.
- Handling everyday social situations Introductions, permission, requests, suggestions, and apologies.
- Reporting what someone said Passing on a conversation accurately.
- Safety
- Speculating about a situation Saying how likely something is, and why.
- Talking about abilities and achievements What you can do, and what you managed.
- Talking about food and eating habits Meals, preferences, and cooking.
- Talking about money and spending Habits, attitudes, and decisions.
- Talking about rules and obligations What you have to, must not, and should do.
- Talking about work and study Jobs, applications, and learning.
- Talking about your family and the people you know Describing people and relationships.
- Telling a story about the past A narrative with a beginning, middle, and end.
Intermediate Plus
- Describing people and things in detail Stacking adjectives without sounding odd.
- Describing something you cannot name Paraphrasing your way round a gap.
- Handling everyday practical situations Lost luggage, car rental, police reports, house rules, and directions.
- Public Speaking
- Reporting a conversation or an event Passing on what happened accurately.
- Talking about habits and how long Duration, and its visible results.
- Talking about names and identity What you are called, and what that means.
- Talking about rules and advice What is required, forbidden, and sensible.
- Talking about shopping and services Asking, comparing, and complaining.
- Talking about study and career plans What you have done and where you are going.
- Talking about the environment Waste, recycling, and what could be done.
- Talking about travel and preparation Plans, packing, and what goes wrong.
- Talking about your life so far Stages, turning points, and what changed.
Upper-Intermediate
- Asking and answering at length Sustaining an exchange beyond a single turn.
- Debating a position Arguing a case, and conceding a point.
- Describing appearance and style Clothes, fashion, and impressions.
- Describing symptoms and health Explaining what is wrong precisely.
- Discussing abstract topics Science, media, business, and free speech.
- Expressing regret and wishes About now, and about the past.
- Handling extended social conversation Talking about work, books, waste, performance, and advertising.
- Reporting and paraphrasing what others said Passing on speech with the right reporting verb.
- Speculating about the future What will have happened, and what might.
- Talking about habits and adjustment What you used to do, and what you are used to.
- Talking about hypothetical situations Unreal conditions and their consequences.
- Telling an extended story A narrative with background and climax.
Advanced
- Describing people with precision Character, motive, and impression.
- Discussing abstract and cultural topics Art, health, travel, food, and society.
- Discussing an issue at length Sustaining a position through objections.
- Discussing work and career Ambition, conditions, and change.
- Distancing yourself from a claim Reporting a view without endorsing it.
- Expressing strong feelings and attitudes Loving, hating, and everything between.
- Giving a structured opinion Claim, support, and concession.
- Negotiating and persuading Moving someone toward your view.
- News & Current Events
- Recounting memories Habitual past against a single incident.
- Speculating and deducing Reasoning aloud about what must be true.
- Sustaining natural conversation Work, family, history, stress, illustration, and animals.
- Telling an anecdote well Timing, emphasis, and a point.
Advanced Plus
- Arguing a case with concessions Holding a position while granting the other side.
- Comparing and contrasting at length Sustained comparison beyond the obvious.
- Debating an abstract proposition Sustaining an argument on unfamiliar ground.
- Discussing cultural issues sensitively Handling difficult subject matter with care.
- Discussing data and evidence Talking about figures without distorting them.
- Expressing nuanced emotion and attitude Precision about how you feel.
- Presenting a well-structured description A sustained, organized account.
- Prioritizing and explaining choices Ranking options and defending the order.
- Speculating about causes and consequences Reasoning aloud about why and what follows.
- Summarizing a text in speech Compressing accurately and fairly.
Proficiency
- Adjusting register to the room The same point, pitched three ways.
- Chairing and steering a discussion Running a conversation you are not the subject of.
- Delivering an extended, structured argument A long turn that holds together.
- Handling hostile questions Staying precise under pressure.
- Interpreting and paraphrasing on the spot Restating someone else accurately, at speed.
- Speaking with humor and irony Timing, and knowing when not to.
Frequently asked questions
How can I speak English if I forget words?
Use a simpler word you do know, or describe the thing. Stopping the whole sentence to hunt for the perfect word is what makes the talk stall.
Should I wait until my grammar is correct?
No. Short, true sentences are enough to be understood. Grammar improves faster when you are actually talking than when you are waiting to talk.
What should I practice first?
The talks you already need: greetings, simple requests, and saying what you did today. Add opinions and longer reasons after those feel ordinary.