Advice to "improve" your English

Hi everyone,

I would like to open this topic to discuss about improving English... I don't mean learning (another topic) but make people think you're good at English, your English is fluent or say better than you think it is

I don't mean to "show off" but give some advice to speak correct English, better English than usual.

Hm, difficult to explain. I'm going to start and you'll understand

~~

I will give two and a half pieces of advice ("advice" is uncountable i.e. there's no plural that's why I'm obliged to use "piece of advice" and not advices which doesn't exist):

-1- KISS principle
As you can see, there's an entry in En Wikipedia (Fr Wikipedia), that means it's a very important rule in English and especially American English: Keep it simple, stupid.
The French like beautiful sentences, beautiful language and the more sophisticated, the better. It's not the same in English: please make simple sentences and you will better manage, you will make less mistakes.

-2- periphrasis
Don't start a complicated pattern.
If you're speaking with a friend (and not translating a sentence), you can choose your words: when you don't know a specific word or the preposition to use after a verb, change your sentence to go to something you know better.
Don't try to "translate" from French, especially when there's a subjunctive (or the pluperfect of the subjunctive): try to use what you're sure of; don't hesitate to use a periphrasis, it's far better than to stop speaking when you don't know the specific word you've in mind.
If you're taking a important oral exam e.g. to apply for a job, speak slowly (to better control your sentence and anticipate) but don't stop: you have to show a fluent language.

-2.5 bis- periphrasis
In French, we've got an important principle: we must not use the same word in our texts. It's not the same in English.
In French, we usually use an homonym or a periphrasis, in English, don't get mad about this: you can use the same word... don't exaggerate though!

HTH

Please, could members who are fluent in English (persons who usually experienced traps) suggest "their" personal advice?

Learners are invited to suggest theirs and ask questions...

Hi Gerard, Hi everyone
Here is a tip I use for the languages I am trying to improve. I log onto "google", I write the sentence I want to check and then I find my sentence in different contexts.
When I am home, ironing or tidying up the house I listen to CDs in different languages. When I have enough of English I start German or whatever other language. When I am fed up with listening I go upstairs and check the new posts in "café polyglotte sur le net" because I need my friends to correct all my mistakes. Furthermore, they write very interesting things.

Thanks for your tip Muriel!