Learning: English
For anyone who’s studied English for years but still can’t speak it
Published
I asked a teacher: “I’ve been studying English for months, but I still can’t speak it…” I still remember the reply. “If you read 100 books about swimming but never got into the water, do you think you’d learn to swim?”
“English is the same.”
You can memorise thousands of words and finish several textbooks. But you still need opportunities to use what you’ve learned in a conversation. Think about a question you understand immediately when you read it, but struggle to answer aloud. Try answering it now, using a short sentence. You can add more once you’ve managed that first reply.
The answer was simple: listen, try speaking, make mistakes, then speak again.
👂 Listen. 🗣️ Try saying it. Make a mistake. Try again.
When someone corrects a sentence, say the corrected version aloud. Then change one detail and use it again. Give yourself another chance to say it while the correction is still fresh.
I knew speaking mattered. I just wasn’t doing enough of it.
Studying expressions for a conversation felt comfortable. Actually starting a conversation was harder.
You can make that first attempt small. Describe what you’re eating, explain what you did this morning or answer a question about a film you watched. A few sentences are enough to get started.
So I started using the English I’d learned.
A phrase from YouTube. A word I’d studied that day. I tried saying them aloud and finding somewhere to use them.
Recently, I’ve also been practising conversations with YokoTalk. Having somewhere to make mistakes has helped me feel less nervous when speaking to other people.
Take one English expression you learned today. Before learning another one, try using it to say something about yourself.