This is my first presentation in my conversation class.

My first secret to spoken English.

Spoken English is not written English.

When we speak English, we do it differently.

Sometimes my students in Taiwan get nervous about

using some of my Spoken English tips.

They're worried it's not formal English.

Taiwan students know a lot of written English.

But, unfortunately they don't have very much experience with spoken English.

Let's take a look at secret number one for spoken English.

Quickly read these sentences aloud.

Don't think.

Just read.

Go.

And, you should be finished by now.

Did you say: "Where's the bathroom?"

or did you say " Where is the bathroom?

I heard they will be here next week.

She would have bought the house if it had been up for sale.

Did you know that was "had", or did you think it was "would"?

You shouldn't think to much.

You probably separated your contractions and said, "Where is the bathroom?"

"I heard they will be here next week."

and that means you failed spoken English because you separated the contractions.

Why did you separate the contractions?

You should have said, "Where's the bathroom?"

"I heard they'll be here next week."

"She would've bought the house if it'd been up for sale."

These are the way these words were meant to be read.

but, in Taiwan, most of my students separate the contractions.

And, I wonder why they do this.

Who taught you to ignore this essential part of our spoken language?

Who was the person that never made you learn to use contractions in your English?

My first secret is Don't separate your contractions.

Don't separate your contractions.

It's the first bad habit your teacher taught you.

I believe that the teachers in Taiwan

don't teach contractions

and instead

require the students to separate their contractions.

So, read them aloud again.

Where's the bathroom?

I heard they'll be here next week.

She would've bought the house if it'd been up for sale.

Let's start from the beginning.

The twenty-five most common verbs.