English Fluency Goals

Indeed, our main goal is to be able to speak English fluently and without hesitation. It will of course take our some time to reach this level. One thing that may slow us down is the influence of our mother tongue. A number of of English learners are very good at grammar, but when they want to speak they get stuck. That's usually because, in their head, they think about what they want to say in their mother tongue and then try to translate that into English. This is a tiring process for the brain. Plus, the word order of their first language can be totally different from that of English. Thus, their translation will most of the time confuse the listener; their message will not be understood.

Translating in our head is something that we should totally avoid because it will always fail us. What I recommend instead is to work on thinking in English, and this means that we should think in English only without translating in our head. We need to be accustomed and used to thinking in English. This can be a little difficult, especially if we are used to translating from our mother tongue. However, thinking in English is a skill that we can work on. When I say it is a skill, that means that it is something that we can learn.

The best way we can master this skill is to create an English environment around us like reading English story or articles. This can be very easy to be done if we are living in an English speaking country because we will hear the language spoken all the time. However, even if we cannot afford going to an English speaking country, we can still manage to have our own English environment. This can be done mainly through integrating English into our daily living. We can do that through many ways.

The most important thing is to listen to English several times a day. This helps our brain to be familiar with the language, which maximizes our chances to start thinking in English faster. Listening to English will also help us to familiarise ourselves with the English sounds, and this means that we will understand better what others say in English.

We also need to practice speaking because we need to practice what we know. Otherwise, we will never be able to speak fluently. When we speak English on a daily basis, this will greatly help us to start thinking in English. The reason why some learners of English translate from their mother tongue is usually lack of practice. We cannot improve a skill without doing something that involves using that skill. Thus, we need to push ourselves to start using English more in our everyday life. Nowadays, there are many platforms that offer opportunities to practice our English for free. Therefore, taking advantage of them is a must if we really want to improve our fluency.

We may make mistakes when we speak, and that's totally okay. We do not have to worry too much about it. Mistakes are part of the learning process. We are not supposed to speak English perfectly. If we are supposed to make no mistake, then that practice will not be of any use at all. What we need to understand is that as we keep practicing and learning, we will gradually improve. Along this process, we will make some mistakes and that's normal. We just have to recognise our mistakes and work on it because repeating the same mistakes again and again is a problem.

Once again, we need time to speak English fluently and without hesitation. I advise you all to learn at your own pace. There is no need to force yourself to do something that is beyond your capabilities. Learn at a pace you find suitable for you but don't be lazy. The most important thing to keep in mind is that if you continue working and practicing on a daily basis, you will eventually reach your fluency goals.

The End!

Thank you!

Always remember that practice makes progress.