There are just a few things that make successful English learners improve twice as fast as most other English learners: they’re confident in themselves and their attempts at speaking!
Decide to Trust Yourself and the Language Learning Process
Most of the 1-to-1 students I speak with aren’t very confident in themselves during the first session. They spend a lot of time thinking about their sentences before starting to talk.
There is nothing wrong with this!
However, those students who improve the fastest are able to keep speaking in spite of their nerves.
Students who speak at least 60% of our 1-to-1 lessons tend to improve the fastest.
They realize that when they make mistakes, they’re learning. You might feel awkward or silly when you’re trying to pronounce some things – but that’s okay!
The only way to improve is to accept the imperfections, breathe, and keep speaking.
Write Down Every (Language) Situation That Frustrates You
You can’t practice the hard conversations if you can’t remember the details!
Sometimes the most difficult thing is getting the words out of your head – and into the world. Writing them down is less intimidating than speaking.
Every time you’re in an English-language situation that frustrates you, pull out the notes app on your phone and type out the details.
Then, when you’re back at home you can start writing out various ways to say what you wanted to say.
It will be easier to get the words flowing the next time!
Practice, Practice, Practice
Even if you drill grammar for hours every day, you still won’t be comfortable and confident speaking unless you practice speaking.
Talk to yourself in the mirror as if you were back in those frustrating situations.
Soon, you’ll go from staying silent to confidently introducing two coworkers or telling a customer about one of your business services.
After you’ve practiced these conversations in the mirror, then go find a tutor or a conversation partner.