Imagine this scenario. You have been self-learning Malay for a few months. You have no problem listening, reading and writing simple sentences in Malay. To improve your speaking in Malay, you have been practising several Malay dialogues on your own every day.
After giving some thought, you think that you are now ready to speak confidently to native speakers. You decided to approach one of them to initiate a conversation. Before you know it, you could only utter “Apa khabar?” and nod awkwardly whenever they ask you a question back.
This is certainly not uncommon among many language learners as speaking is a language component that requires much practice in the form of real-life interaction.
Building your confidence in Malay public speaking
Communicating with a Malay native speaker is certainly the best way to improve your speaking drastically. If you find that it is difficult to meet a native speaker around you and nobody around you speaks the language, you can start by enrolling in a Malay lesson. Having an experienced Malay teacher could be the turning point to help you build your confidence to speak better Malay.
During the lesson, your Malay teacher will give you many practical tips to improve your speaking. After you are confident in speaking basic phrases and conversing about simple topics, you can slowly increase the speed and try to speak as fast as you can with the words that you are confident in.
The essence of speaking is also the skill of making your sentences by writing down your thoughts on paper or on the computer. At the same time, you also get to practise and improve your writing as you get to learn to make your sentences.
Make it a habit of listening to your voice when you are speaking Malay. Sometimes, you can just read a normal Malay passage from the computer or a book and pay attention to your pronunciation. To improve your Malay speaking in public, you can think of participating in group activities too. If you are a student, look for opportunities to join a Malay choral speaking competition with your school friends.
Source: The Star
Speak like a local by learning Malay slang words
Sometimes, you may find it difficult to understand some of the slang words that are commonly spoken among native speakers. Malay slang words are part of everyday conversations and you may feel left out if you do not know what they are saying.
If you want to sound natural like a native Malay speaker, use this opportunity to boost your listening skills by listening to their tones and natural phrases. Pay attention to how they stretch certain words or include certain phrases in casual conversations. Malay slang words are also widely used among close friends when you are typing on Whatsapp or social media platforms. Malay slang such as boleh tahan (which means not bad), kita orang (which casually means we) are commonly used on the Internet as well.
Simple ways to improve your speaking in Malay
Sometimes it may be difficult to find someone to speak to all the time. You can practice speaking anytime and anywhere you want, even from the comfort of your home. All you need is just to follow the steps below.
1. Listen to various audio or video
Be selective in what you choose to listen to. Make sure it has a consistent and simple theme that is easy to follow. For instance, you can set a theme for food-related topics for the first week and another theme on books for the following week. It could be a podcast or a Youtube weekly vlog that you subscribe to. You can even watch a drama in Malay with a simple yet engaging plot.
Research has shown that many people slowly attain fluency when they watch dramas in a foreign language after a long time. While listening, you can also take note of the transcript of the audio or video recordings (they normally come together) and look at them in detail to look for words or phrases that you are unfamiliar with.
2. Read everything out loud
This is killing two birds with one stone. You can enhance your Malay reading comprehension and practice your speaking at the same time. When you read out loud, you can listen to yourself and practise your pronunciation and learn new words along the way. You can even practice this when you are watching a Malay drama or movie. For instance, you can read the Malay subtitles out loud when you discover a new word or sentence that you have not heard before.
3. Record your voice and ask for feedback
Make good use of your mobile devices when you are alone. You can either opt for simple voice recording or send your Malay teacher or Malay speaking friends some voice messages about random things or some speaking exercises that you have come across on the Internet. If you are preparing for a public speaking competition, you can video-record yourself and practice speaking with the right gesture and be more confident.
Source: Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels
Don’t be shy to send your recordings to native Malay speakers because you need objective and constructive feedback on your pronunciation, accuracy in grammar and suggestions on improving vocabulary retention and variation. Furthermore, you can also get suggestions on how to speak Malay during different settings. For instance, the usage of proper salutations and vocabulary during formal speaking occasions such as interviews, an opening speech or an oral test.
4. Talk to yourself
Self-talk is a common way to improve your fluency in the Malay language. You can start by talking about the weather. You can talk about what you plan to do on a holiday. If you find it difficult to begin, you can list them down on paper or your phone and after organizing them. You can also construct your sentences and make them sound like a normal conversation.
Ways to effectively practice your speaking in Malay
One useful tip to speak well is to have accurate pronunciation. Everyone loves to listen to clear pronounced words and sentences. Many words are occasionally mispronounced because people tend to speak too fast or ignore the proper pronunciation of vowels and try to jumble the syllables together. What you can do to loosen up your tongue to speak clearly is by practising tongue twisters. Tongue twisters enable you to speak more rhythmically and melodically.
Next, look for places and platforms to talk about yourself. Whether you are at an interview or when you are at a pasar malam (night market), you can start by practising your self-introduction. This is especially useful when you need to speak in public. Talking about yourself will increase your confidence when you are speaking and establish credibility because you know yourself best. When you are confident, it will draw people’s interest to continue listening.
Unleashing your X-factor by mastering the art of Malay language conversation
The main reason why language learning is important is for us to carry out conversations. Most of the time, it is even more important than our first impression. The ability to express yourself well confidently is an attractive trait! It is an essential skill to speak well at school and work. When you speak good Malay, you will be an ace candidate during interviews. This applies to whether you are interviewing for a scholarship application, for a position in clubs and societies or a job interview.
Sometimes you may feel overwhelmed because you are afraid of making mistakes and not having a smooth flow while speaking. But you can always practice several dialogues that you can use in various situations.
Source: Photo by Kindel Media from Pexels
How Superprof can equip you to be a better Malay speaker
At Superprof, you will be exposed to diverse speaking materials and practice according to your language level. From role-play exercises to listening practices, you will be able to discern the differences between spoken and written Malay as you progress from a beginner to an advanced Malay language learner. With direct guidance from your Malay teacher, you will receive personalized lessons at an affordable price. Furthermore, you also get improve through consistent feedbacks and regular assessments.
Your Malay lessons with Superprof allows you to easily access your learning materials whenever and wherever you want. Every language component will be taught comprehensively and your progress will be monitored according to your required language proficiency.
The next time someone else asks you a question in Malay, you will certainly have the right words and right pronunciation to impress them with a fluent and smooth conversation. With Superprof, you are now on the road to becoming a better Malay speaker!
Find your perfect teacher in Malay today!
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