5 myths that keep you from speaking English fluently

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

We demolish popular stereotypes about learning English and tell you how to go much further than "London is the capital of Great Britain".

What misconceptions prevent us from mastering English

1. "The more words I learn, the easier it will be for me to speak."

Yes and no. Of course, vocabulary is necessary for a conversation, but it is better to concentrate not on individual words, but on sentences and phrases. If you are not yet at a very high level of language proficiency, memorizing entire phrases is most effective. “It doesn't matter”, “as far as I know”, “I'll be back in a minute” - what matters is not that you know the translation of each individual word, but that you can use the whole expression in the correct context …

Phrases are not hard to find in special editions (for example, English Collocations in Use or Using Collocations for Natural English) and in articles in English - although reading alone will not help you to speak, it will enrich your speech with useful phrases and examples of using words in context.

You will find many interesting English channels on YouTube, and almost every one has a series of videos with idioms or collocations. I would recommend the channel of Emma, an English teacher from Australia.

2. “In order to speak, I need grammar. Lots of grammar"

You will need a certain level of grammar, but you shouldn't dwell on it. If you load your brain with rules that don't match your current level, then only make it harder for yourself. You will constantly stop, ponder over each spoken word. At the initial stage, it is better to make mistakes, but talk more.

3. "I will watch films without translation, and" the language will come ""

No. When you listen, you perceive the language passively, so knowledge will not come by itself. You should definitely not give up watching films, TV series and videos in the original, but you should not rely solely on this. It is important that the new vocabulary that you have learned from the film, write it down in your note-book or tablet, and find application in your speech. That is why you need to speak.

For example, you can retell a film, discuss it with friends, record a video where you imagine yourself in the place of one of the heroes. The main thing is that the words and phrases should be pronounced by you, and not by the character on the screen. Then watching movies will help you to quickly master spoken language.

4. “I’ll start talking when I’ve learned a lot of words and rules. Now I still won't succeed"

And again, no. First, the sooner you start speaking, the better, so don't put off speaking practice. Secondly, while learning a foreign language, it is important to treat yourself and your mistakes with patience, to give yourself time to get used to the flow of new information, new words.

If you are just starting out to learn a language, don't even think about jumping into complex reasoning in English.

Either you will quickly become disillusioned with yourself and your abilities, or you will get tired of constantly opening the dictionary in search of suitable lexemes, and you will drop everything, or you will learn a bunch of phrases and words, but your speech will not be "lively".

Start with very simple, sometimes even childish topics. And think of mastering a foreign language as the birth of something new. For example, you can talk about topics that are closest to your daily life: family, home, hobbies, work, travel, food. Over time, move on to topics about nature, education, communication with friends and colleagues, describe what surrounds you.

At a higher level, one can talk about more abstract concepts and global phenomena: environmental protection, the health care system, the problem of motivation, the opportunities that technology gives us, and so on.

5."I will go to courses in a country where they speak the language - they will teach me there"

Courses are different. For example, Eric Gunnemark's book The Art of Learning Languages says that at the end of the last century, many language schools for foreigners in England (over 70%) did not pass the test of the quality of education they offer. Surely now this level has increased, but one should not hope that this applies to all language schools and organizations.

In any case, you do not need to fully rely on the selected courses. Much depends on your mood and level of preparation, as well as the purpose of the trip.

Do you want to visit a country to spend most of your time in class with other foreigners who probably speak the language no better than you? Or do you want total immersion? In the second case, it may be more effective to go to the country alone, having thought in advance which places you will visit, and having drawn up a program with situations when you can communicate in a foreign language. For example, you can take part in conferences, ask locals for advice and recommendations, register on forums popular in the region, join hobby club meetings. This way you will get to know the local culture better and have many opportunities to practice the language.

How to improve conversational English

1. Think about why you need all this and what you are striving for

“I want to speak freely” is a very vague goal. Talk about what, with whom, in what format? Decide what is a priority for you, and practice the language in this context.

For example, you need to communicate with customers. Learn to represent yourself, your company, your field of activity. Practice making presentations, giving the necessary professional information. Over time, complicate the task: start thinking about the questions that the client may ask you, find the answers to them.

Don't be discouraged if you didn't get the perfect presentation or meeting right away. So far, your goal is not to perfect your skills, but to realize that you can work in English. Tell yourself that you are doing the best you can.

2. Don't try to make complex sentences

Often our students literally translate phrases from their native language, involuntarily complicating the task for themselves. They try to use fancy constructions with adverbial phrases and complex sentences. At the initial level, this can only be confusing.

Speak in short sentences, even if it seems odd or primitive.

Simple phrases will help you understand the structure of the language. And you can also avoid additional mistakes and make your speech clearer.

Imagine what you want to say: "Knowing all this, David chose to come to him in person and tell him how happy he is that they have overcome all difficulties." It should sound like this: "Knowing all this, David chose to see him in person and tell how happy he was that they had overcome all the difficulties." But initially, you can simplify your task by saying: “David knew all this. That is why he decided to see him in person. David said: 'We overcame all difficulties. I am so happy '.

Yes, it's not exactly the same thing, but you conveyed the meaning. Later you will learn how to connect sentences to convey more complex thoughts, but everything has its own time.

3. Don't blame yourself

Do not be distracted by feelings like "why am I slowing down like that, it's impossible" or "why is everything flying out of my head full of holes." Take it easy and take your time. Everything is fine with you, such difficulties arise not only for you. Remember that by blaming yourself, you lose concentration even more and move more slowly towards your goal. Think only of the point that you want to convey during the conversation.

4. Learn phrases to fill in the gaps

The phrases “I’m not sure how I can say that”, “I am trying to find the right word” or “Just give me a minute, please” are useful. They will dilute the pauses, and also help you avoid the words-parasites and the annoying "uh-eh". For the advanced level, the phrase “It’s on the tip of my tongue” is suitable when you cannot remember a word.

5. Prepare for Speaking Lessons

For your oral practice to be more effective, you need to prepare for it. Think about what you can say on a given topic, find the right words in advance, make a plan. This does not mean that you have to spell out the entire text verbatim - in this case, it will no longer be spoken, but reading. But making plans and lists of useful words and phrases can dramatically accelerate your language learning progress.

6. Use techniques to help you talk

• Speak phrases to yourself. Try to translate your thoughts into English. When you are alone with yourself, you have time and opportunity to concentrate and correctly form a phrase.
• Make up stories. Just like in childhood, imagine yourself in various unpredictable situations. You can become a pirate or take a trip in a time machine, have a dinner with a star, or be aboard a space station. Each of these situations will give you the opportunity to expand your vocabulary. You can record yourself on a dictaphone, and then listen to it yourself, or send it to a native speaker for verification to correct mistakes.
• Participate in activities that are held in English. Many of them are conducted online. Listen to speakers, ask questions and share your opinion in a foreign language. If you don't yet feel confident enough to engage in lively discussions, pay attention to how other attendees are communicating. Interesting activities in English can be found on the Eventbrite or Meetup sites.
• Arrange a language exchange. Meet a foreigner learning Russian. Morally, it will be easier for you to communicate with a person who, like you, is learning a new language for himself. You will see that everyone makes mistakes, but they do not prevent people from understanding each other. This will give you more confidence in your language learning. It is convenient to use applications to find a partner: for example, Tandem.
• Retell books and films that you have recently read or watched. Use the words and phrases that you have learned from these materials. It is better if you immediately watch and read in English. For a start, films and TV series that are familiar to you in Russian are suitable: "Harry Potter", "Star Wars", "Friends". If you are ready for a challenge, then you can choose from new products: for example, the Witcher series, new films about superheroes or Gentlemen.

The most important thing in learning a foreign language is regular practice. If you want to speak English - speak today, albeit not perfect, with flaws. Remember: if you don't make mistakes, then you are not developing.