Speaking: Fluency & Coherence A2 - Lesson 4: Reducing Hesitation on Familiar Topics

Speaking: Fluency & Coherence A2

Reducing Hesitation on Familiar Topics

Listen to the examples here.

What you will learn: You will learn strategies to reduce long, silent pauses and speak more fluently about familiar topics like your family, hobbies, and daily life.

Hesitation is Normal! 💬

Pausing to think of words (hesitation) is normal. Even native speakers do it! The secret is to hesitate in a more natural way using special filler phrases.

🤫 Hesitant Speaking

"My family... is... small. I have... uh... one brother. He is... um... a student."

👍 More Fluent Speaking

"Well, my family is quite small. I have one brother. Let me see... he's a student at the university."

3 Strategies to Sound More Fluent

Here are three key strategies to help you speak more smoothly on topics you know well.

• 1. Use Filler Phrases

  Instead of a silent pause or saying "uhh," use a phrase like "Well," "Let me see..." or "You know...". It buys you thinking time and sounds much more natural.

• 2. Prepare for Familiar Topics

  You know people will ask about your family, job, or hobbies. Think about these topics! Practice the key vocabulary and sentences so you are ready to answer.

• 3. Use Simple Words

  Don't search for the perfect word. If you can't think of "delicious," just say "very good." The goal is clear communication, not perfection.

Tips for Using Fillers

🗣️ The Music of Fillers

Filler phrases have a special "thinking" intonation. You usually draw out the sound a little and your voice stays flat or goes up slightly, to show you haven't finished your thought. Click 🔊 to hear examples:

• "Well..." → The 'e' sound is often made longer. "Weeeell, I think it's a good idea."
• "Let me see... ↗" → Your voice might go up at the end, as if asking a question to yourself.
• "You know... ↗" → Can have a slight rise too.

Practice "Keeping Talking" 🎯

Activity 1: Fill the Pause

Read the sentences below. Fill the thinking pause [...] with a filler phrase. Click 🔊 to hear an example answer.

1. My favorite subject in school is... [...] ... English.
   → Example: "...let me see... English."
2. I want to travel to... [...] ... Japan.
   → Example: "...you know... Japan."
3. Actually... [...] ... I think I prefer tea to coffee.
   → Example: "Actually... well... I think I prefer tea."

Activity 2: 30-Second Talk

Work with a partner or practice alone. Your partner gives you a familiar topic (or choose one below). Your mission is to talk about it for 30 seconds without long, silent pauses. Use filler phrases if you need time to think. Then, switch roles.

Example Topics: | |

Your Fluency Toolkit (Vocabulary)

• Hesitation | ការស្ទាក់ស្ទើរ
  A pause in speaking, often because you are thinking.
• Familiar Topic | ប្រធានបទដែលធ្លាប់ស្គាល់
  A subject you know well, like your family or job.
• Filler Phrase | ពាក្យបំពេញចន្លោះ
  A word or phrase used to fill a pause while you are thinking.
• Well, ... (Filler) | អឺ...
  A very common word to start a sentence or to use while you think.
• Let me see... (Filler) | ចាំខ្ញុំមើលសិន
  A phrase that means "I need a moment to think or remember."
• You know... (Filler) | អ្នកដឹងអត់...
  A phrase used to make a connection with the listener or to pause.
• Actually... (Filler) | តាមពិតទៅ
  Used to add a surprising or more correct piece of information.

Your Fluency Mission ⭐

This week, your mission is to use a filler phrase in a real conversation.

The next time you are speaking English and you need a moment to think, don't just pause silently. Say "Well..." or "Let me see..." first, and then continue your sentence. It will make you sound more confident and fluent.