"I worked at this comp...
Um, I have worked at a company...
I have been working at this com...
Can I just email you my answer?"
If you're the kind of person who much rather write and communicate over email
than speak because you feel that there is this huge gap between how you speak and
the language that you know while writing - especially when it comes to grammar
because you know the rules, but you can't seem to freaking use them when you speak
spontaneously, then this video is for you.
But before that, if you're new to my channel, then
allow me to introduce myself.
My name is Hadar.
I'm a non-native speaker of English, and my job is to help you feel confident,
clear, and very expressive in English.
So come on over to my website at hadarshemesh.com to check it out and
get a lot of resources that are going to help you get the results that you want.
And consider subscribing if you like my content.
And click the bell to get notifications so you know when I release a new video.
Now, here's the thing.
I always say that knowing English, the English that you know and
the English that you speak - is like two different languages.
And we need to treat it as two different languages.
You cannot expect yourself to use all the things that you know when
speaking, as you do when writing.
Because when you write an email or when you journal, you have
time to think and to retrieve the rule or to make sense of things.
And when you speak spontaneously, there's so much that goes into what
you are doing, right, like you're communicating, you're thinking about
what the other person is saying; you're trying to retrieve words, you want to be
clear, you're thinking about your body language, maybe you want to be heard.
So it's kind of like your brain doesn't have a lot of space to
retrieve the right rule because it hasn't become automatic just yet.
So, what happens when you're speaking, instead of using all the things that
you know, is that because there are all these things that are going on, you
are simply going back to old patterns.
And it could be old patterns from the time before you even started
learning or improving your English.
So what happened here between the time that you just started speaking English
and you were just trying to get by and survive, and you pretty much translated
the grammar of your native language.
And now you know so much more, but you still go back to these old patterns.
Why?
The reason why is because you haven't created new patterns.
And the way to create new patterns is through consistency and repetition.
And if you're not using while speaking these new tenses because of the
old patterns, then it's a catch 22.
Because there is no way for you to create consistency and repetition
using those new tenses or grammar rules, because you're not using them.
So, as a result, what happens is that you're going back to old patterns,
you're going back to your autopilot.
Right?
And even though you know these things, you need a little
bit of time to retrieve them.
This is why it's easy while writing, but harder when speaking.
Which leads us to the question, "Okay.
So if I don't use it, how can I create new patterns?
How can I create this repetition, this consistent repetition that
kids have, right, like when learning a language because they
use it again and again, and again?
How can I create it if I never get to use it because I don't have
the right circumstances for that?"
And my answer would be you create those circumstances.
Now, my entire method, my pronunciation confidence method, is based on that
concept that you can't change not your pronunciation, vocabulary, nor grammar
without building pronunciation confidence, which means without creating new patterns.
Now, the common misconception is that people say, "I don't have a lot
of opportunities to speak, and this is why I can't create new patterns.
And when I do" - usually it's the case that I've illustrated before,
you are really trying to get by and put in all these elements and
information into the conversation.
So it's not just about that right tense that you need to use.
Right?
So, the misconception is that like, "I can't change it until I use
it in a real-life conversation."
However, your subconscious mind does not know or does not care if
when you're speaking and saying something again and again and again
is to a person - or to yourself.
But the act of consistent repetition is the way for you to
start changing your old patterns.
And I have learned that doing this work while I was working on my
pronunciation, right, as I was trying to learn the new sounds of English
- sounds that I was not born into.
But then I realized that that's the case with vocabulary as well, as you can
see in this video, if you haven't yet.
But it's the same with grammar.
And in the near future, I'm going to create some drills and share them
here with you to show you how to do that and to help you how to do that.
But for now, I just want you to understand that concept, that for you
to create the new grammatical patterns and the new structures, repetition and
being consistent is the way to do that.
So one of the things that I do with my students is I create drills
and exercises, like my Sprints.
If you don't know what a Sprint is, then I will link to it in the description.
So I create those repetitions of tricky sounds, grammatical structures for people
to repeat them again and again and again until they change the old patterns, okay.
So for example, if you struggle with the present perfect continuous, then I
would recommend to create a list of many, many, many different sentences that have
the present perfect continuous tense and then say it again and again and again and
again, and repeat the different sentences.
And then again and again, and again and again, and again, and repeat
it and repeat it and repeat it and repeat it until your subconscious mind
understands how to use this tense.
And because it's always in context, it's always in context, then the
brain will know also when to use it, even if this tense does not
exist in your native language.
That's how babies learn the language.
That's how they form these grammatical structures in their brain.
And it shouldn't be any different.
So think about it.
Learning a certain grammar rule and then expecting yourself to use it effortlessly
and spontaneously while speaking is like reading about how to ride a bicycle
and then expecting yourself to get on a bicycle and then to ride without falling
right away, even if it's your first time.
It doesn't make any sense, right?
Like you can't learn how to swim by reading a book about swimming.
You can't bake a cake simply by buying the ingredients.
You have to put it together and you have to put it into practice and you
have to get it into your body, okay.
You have to create the new patterns.
So if you don't have the opportunity of doing it while speaking to other
people, then I would recommend to fake it and to create this
repetition, even if it's just you.
But be very focused, only do it with the things that you'd
like to change and improve.
So, reading out loud will help you with general things, but it's not
going to help you with certain tenses.
So you've got to have repetition of the same thing and of the same tense.
And by the way, this is exactly what we're doing with the Sprints and in
my membership, because we help our students build the confidence that
they need - whether it's pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar - through
consistent repetition, and only of the things that they really need to change.
And by the way, if you want to find out more, cause you don't want to do it alone
and you want guidance and help, and to save time, then click on the link below to
find out more about Beyond - my membership for English learners, and my Sprint
challenge, which is 30 Sprints for 30 days to boost your pronunciation confidence.
Okay.
So let's wrap it up.
First, remember that if you know a certain grammar structure or rule, the
fact that you know it doesn't mean that you'll automatically use it when speaking.
In fact, it's impossible without building consistent repetition.
Okay?
So that's the first thing.
The second thing is that you need to understand what is your biggest struggle.
So, not what your pattern is, but what can't you change about your pattern?
What is that one tense that you keep failing to use, or that grammar
rule that you keep forgetting?
Even though if you were to write an email, you would use it correctly.
So you got to understand that pattern, and then focus only on that rule or
tense, and create consistent repetition.
So start repeating the same thing again and again and again, and again, and again.
Like the same idea, same sentences, same examples, like we did with the vocabulary
drills in the video that I recommended.
Okay?
And then do it enough times and then try to use it intentionally in a conversation.
So you come very aware to a conversation that you want to use that specific
thing that you have practiced.
Okay?
And of course, if you want my help and resources, and my community
and my coaches, then check out my programs in the description below.
Okay.
Now let me know in the comments, what is the one grammar rule that you keep
failing to use, even though you know it - grammar rule or tense, whatever that is.
And that's it.
If you like this video, click "Like" and share it with your friends.
I will truly appreciate it.
And remember, speak up, always speak up, whether you use the right tense or not.
Because mistakes is the only way to learn.
Have a beautiful week, and I'll see you in the next video.
Bye.