Why you understand English but CAN'T speak fluently (a step-by-step action plan to solve it)

Summary

This video script addresses the common challenge of understanding English without being able to speak it fluently. It identifies four main reasons for this gap, including the difference between passive and active language skills, the focus on passive skills in education, the fear of making mistakes, and lack of practice. The speaker then offers a three-tiered strategy for improvement, starting with solo exercises like shadowing and talking to oneself, progressing to conversations with a partner, and concluding with post-conversation reflection. The script also suggests using language exchange apps or hiring a tutor for additional practice and accountability.

Takeaways

• 😀 Understanding English and speaking it fluently are two different skills; the former is passive, the latter active.
• 🏫 The education system often focuses on passive skills like reading and listening, neglecting active speaking skills.
• 🚫 Schools tend to discourage mistakes, which is counterproductive to language learning where making mistakes is essential for growth.
• 🧒 Encouraging a childlike mindset that is not afraid of making mistakes can facilitate language learning.
• 🚴‍♂️ Practice is key to mastering a language, similar to learning to ride a bike where falling and getting up again leads to improvement.
• 💡 Confidence in language comes from competence, which is built through consistent practice and improvement.
• 🎥 Shadowing, or mimicking the speech of a content creator, can help improve pronunciation and sentence structure.
• 👥 The 'blind friend' exercise encourages creating sentences and descriptions, enhancing active language use.
• 🤔 Talking to oneself can simulate a conversation, helping to prepare for real dialogues.
• 🤝 When speaking with a partner, embrace the opportunity to make mistakes as part of the learning process.
• 🔍 Avoid switching to a more comfortable language during conversations to stimulate creative communication in English.
• 🌐 Utilize language exchange apps or hire a tutor for specific feedback and to stay accountable in language learning.

Q & A

Why might someone understand English but struggle to speak it fluently?

The script suggests that understanding and speaking are two different skill sets, with speaking being an active skill that requires more mental processing, such as extracting words, translating, and coordinating mouth movements for pronunciation.

What is the difference between 'output' and 'input' in language learning as mentioned in the script?

Output refers to the active use of language, such as speaking or writing, while input refers to the passive reception of language, such as listening or reading.

How does the traditional education system contribute to the difficulty in speaking English fluently?

The script points out that the education system often focuses on passive skills like grammar, vocabulary, reading, and listening, rather than active speaking skills, which can lead to a lack of fluency in spoken English.

What is the impact of the fear of making mistakes on language learning according to the video?

The fear of making mistakes can inhibit language learning because it discourages learners from practicing speaking. The script emphasizes that making mistakes is a natural part of learning and essential for growth in any new skill set.

Why is it important to get back into the mindset of a child when learning a new language?

Children are not afraid of making mistakes, which is necessary for rapid language acquisition. The script encourages learners to adopt this mindset to overcome the fear of making mistakes and to learn more effectively.

What is the role of practice in becoming fluent in a language?

Practice is crucial for language fluency. The script likens language learning to learning to ride a bike, where repeated attempts and getting back up after falling lead to mastery over time.

How can one practice speaking English when alone, as suggested in the script?

The script recommends exercises such as shadowing, where one mimics a content creator, and the 'blind friend' exercise, where one describes the environment to an imaginary blind friend to practice forming sentences and using vocabulary actively.

What is the 'shadowing' exercise and how does it help with language learning?

Shadowing involves copying a content creator's speech, mimicking their gestures and pronunciation, and reading along with subtitles. This helps with pronunciation and familiarizes the learner with sentence structures.

What is the purpose of the 'blind friend' exercise in language learning?

The 'blind friend' exercise requires the learner to describe their surroundings in detail to an imaginary blind person. This encourages active sentence construction and helps practice using language to convey information.

How can one maintain a positive mindset when speaking English with a native speaker?

The script suggests telling oneself that it's okay to make mistakes and aiming for them as a way to grow. This mindset helps to overcome the fear of speaking and encourages active participation in conversations.

What are some strategies for finding language exchange partners or tutors online?

The script mentions using apps like Tandem or HelloTalk for language exchange, where one can find partners to practice speaking English in return for teaching them another language. For more structured learning, hiring a tutor through platforms like italki is recommended.

How can reflecting on conversations help improve English speaking skills?

Reflecting on what worked and what didn't during conversations helps learners identify areas of difficulty, such as specific words or phrases. Looking up and memorizing these can lead to gradual improvement in language proficiency.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Understanding vs. Speaking English: Barriers and Solutions

The speaker discusses the common issue of understanding English but struggling to speak it fluently, attributing it to four main reasons. First, speaking and listening are distinct skills; speaking is active, requiring more cognitive effort, while listening is passive. Second, traditional education systems tend to focus on passive skills like grammar and vocabulary, often neglecting speaking skills. Third, the fear of making mistakes in a strict educational environment can hinder language acquisition, as making mistakes is essential for learning. Lastly, a lack of practice is a significant barrier, as consistent practice is crucial for language proficiency. The speaker suggests embracing a childlike mindset, unafraid of errors, to improve language skills.

05:01

🚀 Enhancing English Fluency: Strategies for Practice and Improvement

The speaker provides a structured approach to improve English speaking skills at three different levels. For solo practice, the speaker recommends shadowing, mimicking the speech of favorite content creators to improve pronunciation and sentence structure. The 'blind friend' exercise encourages creating detailed descriptions of the environment to practice forming sentences independently. Talking to oneself in the role of two people is suggested for advanced practice. When interacting with a partner, the speaker advises embracing mistakes as part of the learning process and avoiding reverting to one's native language. For those without English-speaking contacts, the speaker suggests using language exchange apps or hiring a tutor for personalized feedback and accountability. Finally, reflecting on conversations to identify areas of struggle and success is recommended for continuous improvement.

Keywords

💡Language Fluency

Language fluency refers to the ability to speak a language easily and accurately, with a native-like command of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. In the video, the speaker discusses the common issue of understanding English but struggling with speaking it fluently, highlighting the gap between passive and active language skills.

💡Skill Sets

Skill sets are specific abilities or competencies required for particular tasks or activities. The script distinguishes between 'speaking' and 'listening' as two different skill sets, where speaking is an active skill requiring more cognitive processing, while listening is more passive. The speaker emphasizes the need to develop both for true language proficiency.

💡Output and Input

Output in language learning refers to the production of language, such as speaking or writing, while input is the intake of language, such as listening or reading. The video script mentions the importance of balancing these two aspects, as the education system often focuses more on input, leading to a lack of speaking practice.

💡Passive Skill

A passive skill is one that involves receiving or absorbing information without actively engaging in the activity. In the context of the video, the speaker points out that traditional education systems tend to emphasize passive skills like reading and listening, often neglecting the development of active speaking skills.

💡Mistakes

Making mistakes is an integral part of the learning process, especially in language acquisition. The script discusses the fear of making mistakes in a formal educational setting and encourages viewers to embrace mistakes as a way to grow and improve language skills.

💡Practice

Practice is the act of repeatedly performing an activity to improve or master it. The video emphasizes the necessity of practice in language learning, comparing it to learning to ride a bike, where repeated attempts lead to mastery despite initial failures.

💡Confidence

Confidence in language learning is the self-assurance that one can effectively communicate in a language. The script relates confidence to competence, suggesting that as one becomes more skilled in a language through practice, their confidence in using that language also grows.

💡Shadowing

Shadowing is a language learning technique where one repeats after a speaker, mimicking their pronunciation and intonation. The video script recommends shadowing as a method for practicing pronunciation and sentence structure when alone.

💡Blind Friend Exercise

The 'Blind Friend Exercise' is a creative language practice method suggested in the video where one imagines explaining their surroundings to a hypothetical blind friend. This exercise forces the learner to actively construct sentences and describe their environment in the target language, enhancing speaking skills.

💡Language Exchange

A language exchange is a mutual arrangement where two individuals teach each other their respective native languages. The script mentions using language exchange apps as a way to find conversation partners for practicing English, emphasizing the benefit of such exchanges for improving language skills.

💡Tutor

A tutor is a private instructor who provides personalized guidance and feedback. The video script suggests hiring a tutor as a way to receive professional feedback and stay accountable in language learning, offering a more structured approach to improvement.

Highlights

Understanding English and speaking it fluently require different skill sets: active speaking and passive listening.

The importance of distinguishing between output (speaking) and input (listening, reading) in language learning.

The complexity of speaking a foreign language, including word extraction, translation, and physical coordination for pronunciation.

Education systems often focus on passive skills like grammar, vocabulary, reading, and listening, rather than active speaking.

The negative impact of strictness in schools that discourages making mistakes, which is essential for language learning.

The need to overcome the fear of making mistakes and to embrace the learning process as children do.

The significance of practice in language learning, similar to learning to ride a bike, where mistakes lead to mastery.

Confidence in language speaking comes from competence, which is built through continuous practice.

The concept of 'shadowing' as a method for practicing pronunciation and sentence structures alone.

Imagining a 'blind friend' exercise to practice describing the environment and practicing active sentence creation.

The benefits of talking to oneself as a method to practice language fluency and overcome the fear of judgment.

The importance of mindset when speaking with native speakers, embracing the opportunity to make mistakes for growth.

Avoiding the temptation to switch back to one's mother tongue during language practice to foster creativity in communication.

Utilizing language exchange apps like Tandem or HelloTalk for practicing English with native speakers.

The advantages of hiring a tutor for personalized feedback and staying accountable in language learning.

Reflecting on conversations to identify areas of struggle and improvement, enhancing language proficiency.

A comprehensive step-by-step plan for improving English speaking skills at different levels of practice.

Transcripts

why do I understand English but can't

speak it like why I know all too well

how this feels because actually English

is my third language I grew up with

Vietnamese and German so in this video

I'm going to share with you in the first

part why we understand English but can't

speak it and the second part how we can

speak English more fluently let's dive

right into it in my opinion there are

mainly four reasons why we understand

English easily but we can't speak it

number one speaking and listening

require two entirely different skill

sets one is active and one is passive if

you have watched my other video on how

to learn any language in 6 months by the

way I will link it in the description

below you know the difference between

output and input when you talk there are

a lot of different things going on you

need to extract the words from your

brain translate them within your brain

send them to your mouth and then

coordinate your mouth and your tongue to

spell out the foreign words especially

if you learn a new foreign language

there are a lot of words that are going

to be hard to pronunciate for you in

other words when you talk you need to do

way more of the thinking when other

people talk and you're just listening

they are doing the thinking for you if

that makes sense secondly our education

system is mainly focused on teaching us

passive skill there's way too much input

like grammar vocabulary reading or

listening our school seems to prepare us

to write essays or CVS instead of

preparing us to talk to our

English-speaking friends I have a lot of

foreign friends especially in Asia who

say that they only get tested on reading

listening or writing but barely on

speaking so it's no wonder that they're

struggling with speaking so

fundamentally schools should shift their

focus more on speaking and output and

that brings us to number three in school

there is this strictness and feeling

that we're not allowed to make mistakes

in fact if you make a mistake on a test

you're likely to get an F you're likely

to get a bad grade and that sets this

fundamental tone that we're not allowed

to make any mistakes but learning any

new skill set especially a language

requires us to make a lot of mistakes

that's the fastest way to grow in any

new skill set but because of the way

we're raised in our school system we're

embarrassed to make mistakes we don't

want to lose face we don't want to look

dumb and as a result we tend to

overthink things instead of saying

something you rather say nothing because

saying nothing is better than sounding

dumb right wrong you need to learn to

push away these negative thought pattern

remember how we learned our very first

language as kids as kids we're not

afraid of making any mistakes as kids it

is necessary for us to learn language

very fast otherwise we won't be able to

communicate with our parents we won't be

able to communicate with other humans I

encourage you to get back into this

mindset of being a kid number four is

lack of practice remember when you first

tried to ride a bik you probably fell

down a few times but got up again and

again again until you mastered riding a

bike eventually the same thing goes for

learning a language you will make a lot

of mistakes you will fall down many

times but if you keep standing up again

and again I assure you you will make

slightly improvements over time to be

confident in any skill and especially in

the language requires us to know inside

of us that we are competent to speak the

language confidence comes from

competence if you're really good at

something pick anything that you're

really good at right now in your life

you will automatically become confident

so the more you practice the easier will

it get for your mind to come up with the

right words the right sentence

structures and the right grammar at some

point you will even think in the

respective language you're trying to

learn for me for example when I'm

speaking in English I'm not thinking in

German and then translated to English

but I'm actually thinking in English how

do we get the reasons let's get to the

meat let's get to the juicy part the

ultimate goal for us is to communicate

with others how can we learn to speak

more efficiently I will give you a

detailed step-by-step plan on how you

can improve your English there are

basically three levels that we can look

at right now level number one is when

you're by yourself how can you practice

speaking English if you're alone with no

partner level number two is when you

actually have a friend a native speaker

or somebody who's fluent in English how

should you practice your English with

another person level number three is for

the pros what can you do to reflect on

the previous conversation so let's talk

about level number one how can you

practice speaking English by yourself in

your room you might be thinking don't I

need like a partner to talk to no of

course it would be ideal for you if you

would have a partner around a native

speaker with whom you can always talk to

on a daily basis but most of us don't

always have a partner at hand in that

case there are a couple of things that

you can do right now step one I call

shadowing pick any content creator that

you really enjoy watching could be me

for example and then start copying their

mimic the guesture and the way to

pronunciate different things turn on the

subtitles and read along from the very

beginning all the time you will notice

that they use similar sentence

structures and this is such an effective

way if you're by yourself to learn

pronunciation too because you can always

go back in the video or the podcast just

listen to the pronunciation again and

again your tongue will also get more

familiar with the sounds in English step

number two once you're done shadowing is

an exercise I call the blind friend

imagine you have a blind friend right

next to you and in my case I imagine

she's a hot Asian girl okay and that

blind friend is standing right next to

you and you're trying to explain all the

different things that are going on in

your environment because your friend

obviously cannot see anything be as

detailed as you can and for example

label different things in your

environment your surroundings let me

show you hey Susan my blind friend we're

currently in my studio where I'm filming

and recording a YouTube video it's

really sunny outside so after I've done

recording this video we could go outside

and take a walk are you down for that

season you want to go with me on a date

please this exercise the blind friend is

way harder than the first step because

now it requires you to actively come up

with sentences yourself instead of just

copying what your favorite content

creator AKA is talking once you've

mastered the second exercise you can

then move on to the pro level talking to

yourself This one is even hotter than

the blind friend now it requires you to

talk to yourself now you're slipping

into the role of two people you against

you and I know it's weird and if people

would look at me while I'm doing this

they would probably think I'm crazy

that's why we can do this by ourselves

for some reason I'm most comfortable

doing this in my shower because there I

feel the most comfortable probably I'm

not being judged there's no one around

me let's move to level two where you're

talking to a partner number one is

remember the things we discussed in the

beginning it's okay to make mistakes you

have to have the right mindset whenever

you're speaking to a native speaker so

before I go in a conversation with a

native speaker I say this one sentence

to myself within my mind I'm here to

make mistakes let's aim for a lot of

mistakes because that's the only way I

can grow so next time you have the

opportunity to talk to a native speaker

say this sentence in your mind and

prepare your mindset to make a lot of

mistakes number two is try to avoid to

switch to your mother tongue or another

language you're more comfortable with

I'm actually really guilty of this when

I lived in Korea and wanted to improve

my carean occasionally when I didn't

find the words I would just switch back

to English the language I was more

comfortable with that really slow down

my progress in Korean so really try to

avoid at any cost to switch to your

mother tongue or to any other language

you're more comfortable with because

that way your brain is going to be like

huh I guess we cannot switch to our

mother tongue so let me find a way to

paraphrase this your brain will come up

with creative ways to communicate and

you will be surprised how often the

other person will understand what you're

trying to say in the next segment I want

to talk a little bit about what do you

do if you really don't have anyone in

your Social Circle where you can talk in

English this is what you can do there's

a free option and there's a paid off

with the power of the internet you can

download apps like tendem or hello talk

I will link some of them in the

description box below I personally use

tendem before to practice my Korean and

it's totally free how it works is that

you will show what kind of languages you

speak and then you just search for

another person who speaks the language

you want to learn and the important

thing to notice is that it is an

exchange so when the other person is

teaching your English they're expecting

you to teach them another language in

return preferably you would speak a lot

of language so you have a lot of options

to offer to them I think it's going to

be very hard for you to find somebody if

you speak a language that is not very

popular or only a really small minority

speaks because chances are most people

are not going to be interested in that

language but just try out your luck

because it's totally for free the second

option is actually what I'm trying to do

right now with my Korean that is to pay

a tutor because that way you can have

specific feedback and advice from a

professional for that I use I talkie I

know this video is not sponsored yet

actually had my first lesson a few hours

ago so I'm going to show you guys a clip

right now

I think paying a tutor is a really good

way to stay accountable too because

you're actually paying the money to get

better in the langage all right now we

reached the final level what can you do

after you spoke to a specific person

most efficient thing you can do is to

reflect on what worked and what didn't

work what were the words that you

struggled with what were the words that

you forgot look them up on Google try to

memorize them with these three levels

you really have a detailed step-by-step

plan all the knowledge that I didn't

gatekeep for you guys really hope it

helps you out and make you a better

English speaker if this video helped you

out please consider subscribing and I

see you in my next video