Hi everybody, Cédric here!
Today I want to talk about a frustration that
I think many of you have experienced.
I sure have! Why is speaking English so difficult?!
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I know what you’re thinking:
you’re speaking perfect English right now!
Well, that doesn’t mean that I’ve never been challenged or felt like giving up.
There are a few factors working against us non-native English speakers,
but don’t let that discourage you.
I’m here to reveal some of the biggest reasons why people struggle to speak English
and give you some tips on how to overcome them.
First up, one external factor:
your school system.
The way the education system is set up in most countries
isn’t very conducive to language learning in general.
Large class sizes, education requirements, standardized tests, and limited class time
make it difficult for teachers to focus on speaking with their students.
Which means that even if you studied English in school,
you probably had little practice speaking the language.
There isn’t much you can do about your background in English now,
but you can take control of your future!
Next, speaking usually requires us to combine multiple skills.
What I mean by this
is generally we don’t just speak to ourselves
(although this can be a great way to practice!).
We speak with another person,
so in order to speak, we need to be able to listen to
and understand what the other person is saying,
Then, we need to have the vocabulary to come up with an appropriate response.
You also need to have
the correct pronunciation to be understood.
It can be really helpful to practice with a native English-speaking conversation partner
who is roughly at the same level in your native language.
Since they will understand your struggles,
they will likely be more patient with you.
It also helps to prepare as much as possible before a conversation.
If you know the topic,
you can work on identifying and using subject-specific vocabulary.
If you don’t know the topic ahead of time,
at least practice a few “emergency phrases”
to use if you don’t understand or need the speaker to slow down.
Another reason why a lot of people find English speaking to be difficult
is because of the pronunciation aspect.
Depending on your native language,
you might not have ever produced some of the sounds
that exist in English.
And even worse,
you might not even know your pronunciation is wrong
because your ear isn’t trained to hear the subtle difference
between your pronunciation and the correct one.
To overcome this challenge,
I suggest focusing on a few of the most commonly mispronounced sounds of English
like the “th” sounds.
Getting really good at these tricky sounds
will not only boost your confidence
but will also help you sound more “fluent” than you actually are.
And finally, speaking English is hard because
you tell yourself it is.
So much of speaking a foreign language is in your head.
If you have a negative attitude about it,
you won’t get very far.
Envision a version of yourself that speaks fluent English.
Imagine how confident you are,
and how many exciting opportunities
you have available to you because of your skills.
Now, get to work to make that vision a reality!
Now that you know some of the reasons behind why
English can be difficult for people who are trying to learn the language,
you’ll be much better prepared to kick those obstacles in the butt!
And if you want to focus on improving every aspect of your spoken English
including your confidence
in a way that is both
structured and flexible, fun and productive,
our Masterclass “Speak English with Confidence” is a great option
(check the link below for more details)
Once again, subscribe to our channel for more language learning videos,
and consider sharing this video with a friend who is experiencing the same frustrations
with English that you are! See you next time!