Learn English With Podcast Conversation English Podcast For Advance - S2-EP2

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to another deep dive. Today, we're tackling one of
the biggest questions we get. Really, it's something everyone trying
to connect in a new language thinks about. What does
it actually take to become fluent in English? It's a
question that often comes loaded with misconceptions. So our mission
today is well to cut through some of that noise.

(00:21):
Right when you think about English fluency, what pops into
your head. Is it talking super fast like a news anchor.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Yeah, or maybe knowing thousands and thousands of words like
a walking dictionary exactly.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Or is it about being totally perfect, never making a
grammar mistake, never pausing, never slipping up.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
At all, and those ideals they've put so much pressure
on learners for so long it's often paralyzing that fear totally.

Speaker 1 (00:47):
But today we want to clear the air bit. We've
really dug into our sources, articles, research stories from real
learners to try and redefine what English fluency truly means.
Our aim isn't to give you like a quick fix
or some magic trick. No, we're going deeper. We want
to explore the mindset shifts you need, the habits, the

(01:07):
sort of psychological walls you got to break down.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
And the actual daily practices, even simple ones. Yeah, that
can genuinely make a difference, make your English flow feel
more natural, more confident.

Speaker 3 (01:17):
Yeah, this isn't about crazy promises.

Speaker 1 (01:19):
It's about real practical advice you can actually use, maybe
even starring.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
Today, and that redefinition that's maybe the most liberating thing
we can start with. Because the first truth, the absolute baseline,
is that fluency is not about being perfect, not at all.
Think of it maybe less like a perfect building, like
flawless bricks and mortar, and more like a river.

Speaker 3 (01:42):
A river.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
Interesting, a river that flows might have ripples, maybe it
bums over some rocks, but it keeps moving right. It's essences,
movement flow right, unhindered, exactly, and fluency is like that.
It's about that flow of communication. It's the confidence really
to express yourself smoothly, spontaneuaneously, getting your ideas across effectively,

(02:03):
even if you know you stumble on a word here
or make a small grammar mistake.

Speaker 3 (02:07):
There, which everyone does even in their native language.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
Absolutely, those little imperfections that are just part of talking
any language.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
So letting go of that perfection chase that must be
freeing for people.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
Oh, incredibly empowering. So many owners get totally stuck. You know,
they're just endlessly studying grammar rules, memorizing these huge lists of.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
Words, thinking that knowing more stuff will automatically make them
fluent speakers.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
Right, But that intense focus on being correct all the time,
it just leads to hesitation, constantly second guessing yourself, and
often just silence. Yeah, it becomes this huge internal roadblock.
It stops them from actually doing the things they need
to do to improve.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
And traditional schooling sometimes makes that worse, doesn't it. Focusing
so much on grammar tests.

Speaker 2 (02:49):
Exactly, prioritizing accuracy on paper over actually being able to
communicate rules over real talking. You see people ace the
written exams.

Speaker 3 (02:58):
But then freeze completely when you try to have a conversation.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
Precisely that feeling that huge gap between knowing English in
your head and actually using it.

Speaker 3 (03:06):
Yeah, that brings us right to the core challenge. I think.

Speaker 1 (03:09):
I remember the student I worked with Lucas from Brazil,
super dedicated guy, honestly studied English for like over ten years, seriously,
a decade of classes, books, everything. Wow, that's commitment, right,
He could read really complex novels in English, no problem.
His grammar test scores always sky high, his knowledge of
the rules, the vocabulary, it was amazing, frankly, okay, but

(03:32):
the moment we needed to actually speak English, he just froze,
like total deer in headlights, long painful pauses. You could
see the fear on his face, the fear of saying
something wrong.

Speaker 2 (03:42):
Oh that's tough.

Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yeah, And I remember him saying to me, just so frustrated.
I feel like I know English, but I just can't
speak English.

Speaker 1 (03:49):
And I have to ask you listening right now, have
you ever felt like Lucas, that gap.

Speaker 2 (03:54):
That disconnect between what you understand intellectually and what you
can actually say when you're on the spot.

Speaker 3 (04:00):
Exactly. That's the gap we're trying to bridge today.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
Lucas's story it's well, it's unfortunately common, but it perfectly
highlights this fundamental truth about learning a language. Fluency isn't
really about how much knowledge you have stored up. It's
about performance. It's about how well you can use what
you know.

Speaker 3 (04:20):
Performance.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
Okay, it's one thing to you know, sit calmly and
remember a grammar rule or a word when you're looking
at a textbook. It's a completely different ballgame to pull
that knowledge out instantly in real time, without thinking, without fear,
without hesitation, right in the middle of a flowing conversation.

Speaker 3 (04:37):
Yeah, and when the pressure's on exactly.

Speaker 2 (04:40):
At its heart, fluency is that feeling of being well
free in a conversation free.

Speaker 3 (04:44):
I like that.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
Yeah. The ability to say what you think, what you feel,
what you need, not just accurately, but smoothly without this
huge mental effort. You know. It's that amazing feeling when
the words just seem to flow from your mind to
your mouth without you consciously translate or building sentences piece
by piece in your head, which just slows everything down.

Speaker 3 (05:05):
Right, that internal translation trap exactly.

Speaker 2 (05:07):
And to really get this, it helps to understand the difference
between two kinds of knowledge. There's declarative knowledge and then
there's procedural knowledge.

Speaker 3 (05:16):
Okay, declarative and procedural. What's the difference.

Speaker 2 (05:18):
Declarative is the knowing what it's the facts, the rules,
you can state, the definitions you learned. So Lucas he
had tons of declarative knowledge. He knew what the past
tense was, what a word meant, what the grammar rules were.
He could tell you all about them. Got it the facts,
but procedural knowledge, that's the knowing how, it's the ability

(05:38):
to use that knowledge automatically, spontaneously, without consciously thinking about
each step. It's built into your actions, almost like muscle memory.

Speaker 3 (05:46):
Ah, okay, like riding a bike.

Speaker 2 (05:49):
Exactly like riding a bike. You can read the manual,
understand the physics, all the parts is declarative. But until
you get on wobble maybe fall practice, your brain hasn't
built the procedural knowledge to just balance and steer without thinking.
That automatic feeling it only comes from doing it.

Speaker 3 (06:09):
Okay, that makes sense.

Speaker 2 (06:11):
And that fear of making mistakes, that's often the biggest
blocker to developing procedural fluency in.

Speaker 3 (06:17):
Language, because you're too busy worrying.

Speaker 2 (06:19):
Precisely, when you're consumed by worry about being wrong, your
brain gets stuck in that conscious analysis mode. You're constantly
checking rules, searching for the perfect word, translating all.

Speaker 3 (06:29):
That mental energy exactly.

Speaker 2 (06:31):
That huge cognitive load, all that effort, it actively stops
you from making the lead, from knowing the rules declarative
to just using them automatically procedural. It keeps you from
reaching that automatic state where real fluency lives.

Speaker 3 (06:43):
So it's like you can know all the ingredients for
a fancy.

Speaker 2 (06:46):
Recipe, right, You know every ingredient, every step, the science
behind it. Yeah, amazing declarative knowledge.

Speaker 1 (06:51):
But if you've never actually cooked, never held the knife,
felt the heat, and you're terrified of burning something, you
just can't cook confidently.

Speaker 2 (06:59):
When things get did, you're stuck thinking chop this way
assault now instead of just doing it intuitively. Your brain
hasn't made that jump to automatic action.

Speaker 3 (07:08):
It needs practice, real practice, exactly.

Speaker 2 (07:10):
Your brain needs that consistent, low stakes practice to go
from consciously applying rules to just speaking. It needs to
build that muscle memory, not just in your mouth, but
in those neural pathways firing effortlessly. That's the gap we
need to bridge.

Speaker 1 (07:26):
Okay, that driving the cooking, Those analogies really hit home.
Knowing about it isn't the same as being able to
do it smoothly. So with that crucial idea in mind,
performance over're just knowledge.

Speaker 3 (07:37):
Let's shift gears.

Speaker 1 (07:38):
Let's get into the practical stuff, the strategies you can
actually start using.

Speaker 2 (07:42):
Let's do it.

Speaker 1 (07:42):
We've distilled twenty really deep practical tips from our sources,
all designed to help you unlock that fluency.

Speaker 3 (07:51):
And my challenge to you listening right now isn't just
to listen, be active.

Speaker 1 (07:56):
Pick maybe the two or three tips that really click
with you, that seem doable or even exciting, and actually
commit to trying them out today or maybe this week.

Speaker 2 (08:06):
Yeah, that's the perfect way to approach this. Please don't
see these twenty tips as some giant, scary checklist you
have to master all at once. That's overwhelming, right, Think
of it more like a toolkit. You know, a good
craft person doesn't use every single tool for every job.
They pick the right ones for what they need.

Speaker 3 (08:20):
Now, okay, a toolkit. I like that.

Speaker 2 (08:22):
I've grouped them thematically, hopefully to make it easier to digest.
We'll go from mindset to solo practice, then interact to
stuff and finally refining your speech and keeping it going
makes sense, So let's start with what really feels foundational,
getting the right mindset, because honestly, without that right internal frame,
even the best techniques won't stick or be as effective.

(08:43):
Your mindset is like the operating system for your learning.

Speaker 1 (08:46):
Absolutely couldn't agree morely. So, first mindset shift, and we're
putting this right at the top because it's so key.

Speaker 3 (08:52):
Stop chasing perfection.

Speaker 2 (08:53):
Yes, tip four in the source list, but number one
in importance.

Speaker 3 (08:57):
Maybe totally.

Speaker 1 (08:59):
So Many learners like Lucas get trapped because they're terrified
of making a mistake. They want to sound correct, flawless
and look, that's understandable, but it quickly becomes the suffocating
thing that stops them from speaking at all. The reality
check is even native speakers make grammar mistakes all the time.
We stumble over words, use the wrong tense sometimes in

(09:19):
casual chat, use slang weirdly, and oh boy, do we
use filler words like and way more than we realize
exactly true fluency, like we redefined. It is about getting
your message across effectively with flow. It's honestly much much
better to say something like he go yesterday, clear message,
quickly delivered than to pause for tense seconds agonizing, Yeah,

(09:41):
agonizing trying to remember the past, tense ago, maybe getting
it wrong anyway, or just losing the listener completely. For
real communication, speed plus clarity plus confidence that beats perfect
grammar every single time.

Speaker 3 (09:57):
Perfectionism is the enemy here, and that.

Speaker 2 (10:00):
Raises a really important question. Yeah, how does shifting that
perspective away from perfect grammar towards just communicating effectively. How
does that actually lower anxiety and get people speaking more question? Well,
when you let go of that huge burden of perfectionism,
you free up so much mental space. Your brain isn't
constantly running this internal spell checking, grammar check, terrified of judgment. Instead,

(10:23):
it can actually focus on the message, on connecting with
the person you're talking to, rather than getting tangled up
in the mechanics.

Speaker 3 (10:29):
It takes the pressure off massively.

Speaker 2 (10:31):
Perfectionism often comes from fear right fear of judgment, fear
of sounding dumb, fear of embarrassment. These fears trigger that
fight or flight thing in your brain.

Speaker 1 (10:40):
Which makes it hard to think clearly, let alone speak
fluently exactly.

Speaker 2 (10:44):
Your brain's busy scanning for threats, not producing language smoothly.
But if you accept right from the start that mistakes
aren't just okay, but actually necessary.

Speaker 3 (10:54):
You reframe them, they're not failures exactly.

Speaker 2 (10:57):
They become data points yeah, learning opportunity, and that psychological
shift it encourages risk taking. You become more willing to
try new words, new structures, jump into conversations, knowing that
even if you mess up, it's just a step forward.
It's not the end of the world.

Speaker 1 (11:14):
And that willingness to take risks to get out of
your comfort zone, that's what speeds up progress.

Speaker 2 (11:19):
Absolutely because you're putting yourself in those real situations where
you have to use the language.

Speaker 1 (11:22):
Okay, building right on that point. The next crucial mindset piece,
and this can be a tough one for people. Don't
fear making mistakes. That's Tip eighteen. It sounds obvious, maybe
even a bit cliche.

Speaker 2 (11:34):
But it's so fundamental.

Speaker 3 (11:35):
It really is. And here's a secret that might surprise you.

Speaker 1 (11:38):
Backed by how our brains work right, Actually making mistakes,
especially if someone gently corrects you, helps you remember the
right way faster and better. It makes a stronger imprint
than just reading a rule. Think about it in your
own language. You say something wrong, someone points it out,
or you catch yourself, that moment often cements.

Speaker 3 (11:57):
The correct way in your head. Right.

Speaker 2 (11:59):
Yeah, it sticks more than just.

Speaker 1 (12:01):
Reading it exactly, So stop holding back, don't let that
fear paralyze you. Speak up, be bold, take the chance, because,
as the source material says, fluency is on the other
side of your fear.

Speaker 3 (12:15):
It's waiting for you there.

Speaker 2 (12:16):
That's so true and cognitively, there's a lot going on there.
When you make an error and then correct it. It's
not just about spotting the wrong thing, it's actively strengthening
and refining the neural pathways for the right thing. H
your brain detects a mismatch, Oops, now wasn't right, creating
this little error signal. Then when you get the correction,
either from someone else or figuring it out yourself, your

(12:38):
brain works to fix that connection.

Speaker 3 (12:40):
It's like repairing the wiring kind.

Speaker 2 (12:42):
Of and that fixing process engages different parts of your brain,
making the correct form much more memorable. Mistakes become these
super targeted learning moments. They show you exactly where your
understanding needs.

Speaker 3 (12:53):
Tweaking right, much better than just general study.

Speaker 2 (12:55):
Exactly. It's this cycle, try, mess up, fix, try again.
That's how procedural fluency develops its hands on and yeah,
that breakthrough moment often happens right when you finally push
past the fear and just embrace the messiness of learning.
It's about learning from errors, not avoiding them.

Speaker 1 (13:11):
Okay, and the final piece of this mindset puzzle believe
in yourself Tip twenty.

Speaker 3 (13:17):
This might sound a bit fluffy, but its impact is huge.

Speaker 1 (13:23):
Absolutely critical fluency isn't just about English skills, grammar, vocab, pronunciation.
It's also deeply about confidence. If you don't genuinely believe
you can become fluent, you're basically setting up roadblocks for
yourself right from the start.

Speaker 2 (13:36):
You're fighting an uphill battle against yourself.

Speaker 3 (13:38):
Exactly. Think about it. You already learned a language, You
mastered your native tongue, which.

Speaker 1 (13:43):
Is incredibly complex, mostly just by being around it, your
brain can do this. So the question for you listening
is deep down, do you truly believe you can become
fluent in English? Because if you cultivate that belief, really
commit to it, your brain is amazing at finding ways
to make it happen. It adapts, connects the dots, learns

(14:03):
what it needs to. That belief is the foundation, and.

Speaker 2 (14:07):
That ties directly into what psychologists call self efficacy and
this idea of a growth mindset. Self efficacy is just
your belief in your own ability to succeed at something specific. Okay,
If learners have high self efficacy, they're much more likely
to set challenging goals, stick with them when things get tough,
and bounce back from mistakes. Low self efficacy that leads

(14:28):
to avoiding practice, giving up easily, feeling helpless.

Speaker 3 (14:31):
Right, and the growth mindset part.

Speaker 2 (14:33):
That's the idea from doctor Carrol Dweck that your abilities
aren't fixed. You can develop them through effort, dedication, good strategies.
So for language, it means understanding your current fluency isn't permanent.
It can improve with practice.

Speaker 3 (14:45):
So you're not just bad at languages exactly.

Speaker 2 (14:47):
That core belief changes everything. It fuels your motivation, makes
you willing to seek out speaking opportunities, and even helps
your brain find solutions when you hit tricky spots in conversation.
It's the fundamental fuel for all the practical tips we're
about to cover.

Speaker 1 (15:02):
Okay, mindset sordid, foundational. Now let's get into the practical
stuff you can do solo. Just you to build those
core skills and get your mouth moving.

Speaker 2 (15:11):
Basically right, the things you can do anytime, anywhere, no
partner needed.

Speaker 1 (15:16):
First one, and this is a real game changer. Start
thinking in English. Tip one. One of the biggest hurdles
is that constant internal translation. You hear something, translate to
your language, think of a reply in your language, translate
back to English.

Speaker 2 (15:29):
It's exhausting and so slow totally.

Speaker 1 (15:32):
It causes that freezing thing Lucas had. So instead, start small,
make it a habit as you go about your day.
Just narrate things in your head, but only in English.
I'm washing the dishes, warm water, opening the door, sunny day, need.

Speaker 3 (15:45):
My keys, tiny internal monologues exactly. Sounds small, but it's powerful.

Speaker 1 (15:50):
It trains your brain to link concepts directly to English words,
skipping the translation step. Over time, English starts becoming the
default language in your head, and that.

Speaker 2 (16:00):
Directly tackles the cognitive load issue we talked about. Thinking
in English builds those direct neural pathways concept straight to
English word, no detour through your native language.

Speaker 3 (16:12):
Which just saves time and mental energy, a lot of it.

Speaker 2 (16:15):
It reduces cognitive load dramatically. Your brain process is faster,
you react quicker in conversations, and it just feels less hiring,
less effortful. You're making English the intuitive language of your
inner thoughts.

Speaker 3 (16:28):
Okay, next tip. This one might feel a bit weird
at first, but trust us, it works. Talk to yourself.
Yes really, tip too.

Speaker 2 (16:35):
Uh huh, Yes, embrace the weirdness.

Speaker 1 (16:37):
You don't need a speaking partner. Twenty four seve you've
always got yourself. Try standing in front of a mirror
and just describe things. Talk through your day out loud,
or practice an imaginary interview, rehears of presentation, debate a
topic with yourself.

Speaker 2 (16:49):
Sounds silly, but it's powerful.

Speaker 3 (16:50):
Practice it really is.

Speaker 1 (16:52):
You're building that muscle memory for speaking, getting your mouth, tongue,
breath coordinated for English sounds and rhythms. And crucially, it's
a totally safe space, no judgment, no pressure, experiment.

Speaker 2 (17:03):
Freely and that physical aspect, the articulatory muscle memory is vital.
Speaking is physical. Your mouth, tongue, lips, breath coat, they
all need to work together in specific ways. For English,
talking to yourselves gives them that workout.

Speaker 3 (17:18):
It's them use to the movements exactly.

Speaker 2 (17:20):
Plus that safe space aspect is huge. No fear embarrassment
means you're more likely to try out new words, complex sentences,
different ways of saying things. You're moving vocabulary from passive
recognition to active use. It primes you for real conversations.

Speaker 3 (17:34):
Okay, then there's a cool technique called shadowing. Tip three.
I call it karaoke for your brain.

Speaker 2 (17:39):
Good description.

Speaker 1 (17:40):
Here's how it works. Find a short audio or video clip.
Ted Talk movie scene YouTube, even this deep dive. Play
just one sentence or phrase, pause, then repeat it exactly
like the speaker mimic the tone, the rhythm, the pronunciation,
everything as.

Speaker 3 (17:54):
Closely as you can, over and over, yep, repeat it.
You're not just saying words, You're the music of English.

Speaker 1 (18:02):
It trains your ear to hear the nuances and your
mouth to make those sounds and rhythms naturally great for
improving flow and reducing accent.

Speaker 2 (18:11):
Shadowing is brilliant because it hits both listening and speaking simultaneously.
You're sharpening your auditory perception, noticing those subtle sounds and rhythms,
and immediately practicing the oral production. That mimicry is key
for prosody, the intonation, stress, rhythm, which makes you sound
so much more natural.

Speaker 3 (18:30):
Right the music of the language exactly.

Speaker 2 (18:32):
You're internalizing how it flows. It helps reduce your native accents.
Influence makes you easier to understand and honestly sound more fluent.
It also builds automaticity by linking hearing directly to speaking,
by passing that slow sentence construction part. Try focusing on
connected speech too, like how going to becomes ghana. That's
a huge part of natural sound.

Speaker 3 (18:51):
Good tip.

Speaker 1 (18:51):
Okay, next up, super simple but really effective read out
loud Tip six. Don't just read silently. Grab a book
and article, song, lyrics, whatever, and read it aloud.

Speaker 3 (19:01):
Articulate the words.

Speaker 2 (19:01):
Get your voice involved.

Speaker 3 (19:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (19:03):
It helps pronunciation because you have to make the sounds.
It helps you feel the rhythm of sentences. It even
trains your breathing for speaking. And here's a pro tip.
Record yourself doing this weekly.

Speaker 2 (19:15):
Ooh, the recording trick.

Speaker 1 (19:16):
Yeah, then listen back after a month or two. Compare
the old and new recordings. You will hear the progress
and it's incredibly motivating. Plus you can spot things to
work on.

Speaker 2 (19:26):
Reading aloud is such a great bridge between receptive skills
reading listening and productive skills speaking writing. Vocalizing the words
connects the visual input to the verbal output, strengthening those
neural links for production. You internalize structures, fraving vocab much
more actively than silent reading makes sense, And the recording part,

(19:47):
that's gold. It gives you objective feedback you can't get
in a moment. You can hear your pronunciation, rhythm issues,
grammar slips without the pressure of a conversation. You become
your own coach, targeting exactly what needs work. It really
helps track progress and boost confidence.

Speaker 1 (20:02):
Okay, another daily habit, describe your day in English Tip eleven.
Super simple. At the end of the day, take five minutes.
Just recount what you did aloud or in your head.
Woke up at seven, had tea, went to work, sauserah
at lunch.

Speaker 2 (20:16):
Just narrate the day's events exactly.

Speaker 1 (20:19):
You can say it or write it in a journal.
It reinforces every day vocabulary, helps you practice sequencing events logically,
building narrative coherence, and develops your basic storytelling ability. All
crucial for real conversation.

Speaker 2 (20:32):
And it's effective because it uses your life. It's relevant, personal, memorable.
You're constantly retrieving and using words in grammar related to
your actual daily routine, actions, interactions. That really speeds up
lexical access, getting the words out when you need them.
Plus it directly builds storytelling skills. Conversations are full of
little stories anecdotes. Practicing describing your day helps you organize thoughts,

(20:53):
sequence things, clearly, connect ideas. It turns passive knowledge into
active language for telling your own story.

Speaker 3 (21:00):
One more solo practice similarly, but with a twist, for feedback.
Keep a speaking diary. Tip sixteen the.

Speaker 2 (21:05):
Audio journal idea.

Speaker 1 (21:07):
Yeah, every day, maybe record yourself speaking for just two
minutes about anything, your thoughts, feelings, something you learned, a problem.

Speaker 3 (21:18):
Just talk, don't censor.

Speaker 2 (21:19):
Yourself, just flow and the key step.

Speaker 3 (21:22):
Listen back regularly, maybe once a week. This gives you
amazing insights.

Speaker 1 (21:26):
You'll hear your progress. You'll spot those recurring mistakes you
don't notice live. You'll see you where to focus. It
really accelerates self correction and improvement.

Speaker 2 (21:35):
This is fantastic for developing metacognition thinking about your own learning.
Recording creates that objective snapshot of your speaking. Listening back
allows for analysis you just can't do while you're busy talking.
You spot phonetic errors, grammar issues, hesitation patterns, maybe places
you could use better words. Right, You catch things exactly
that cycle. Speak, listen, reflect creates this powerful self awareness.

(21:58):
It helps you identify and fix errors much faster, preventing
them from becoming ingrained habits. You're essentially coaching yourself using
your own output as a textbook.

Speaker 1 (22:07):
Okay, so that's a solid set of solo practices, but
we know that's not the whole picture right.

Speaker 3 (22:10):
To really fly, you need interaction.

Speaker 2 (22:13):
Absolutely. Solo work builds the foundation, but interaction builds the
bridge to real world performance. Time to talk to people
or maybe not just people intriguing.

Speaker 1 (22:23):
Okay, First, the classic, maybe the most vital practice, speaking
with real people. Tip eight. You've heard it before, but
it's crucial. Find ways to talk English with others. Get
out there, yeah, Join online speaking clubs, use language exchange
apps like Tandem or Hello Talk, find Reddit forums. There
are tons of options. And here's the key thing people miss.

(22:47):
You don't need a native speaker.

Speaker 2 (22:49):
That's a really important point.

Speaker 1 (22:51):
Any English learner around your level or even slightly different,
can be a huge help. It's not about their perfect grammar.
It's about the act of conversation, the back and forth.
Even fifteen minutes a day of real interaction makes a
massive difference to your confidence and flow.

Speaker 2 (23:04):
The value of real time human interaction is just irreplaceable.
It forces that unpredictability. You can't script it. You have
to retrieve words instantly, generate ideas on the fly, adapt
to where the conversation goes, reacting in the moment exactly
you're listening, actively, interpreting, responding under pressure, and that immediate feedback,
a nod, a confused look, a gentle correction from a peer.

(23:26):
It's invaluable. It helps internalize patterns, improves response time, builds
confidence in dynamic situations. It pushes you out of your
comfort zone. That regular conversation, even short bursts, breaks down
hesitation and builds that automaticity needed for flu in exchange.

Speaker 1 (23:44):
Okay, but what if you're shy or finding a partner
is genuinely hard with your schedule.

Speaker 2 (23:49):
Good point. That's where technology can be amazing, which brings
us to use apps that focus on speaking Tip.

Speaker 1 (23:55):
Twelve like Camley for tutors are those AI tools.

Speaker 2 (23:58):
Exactly Camly connects you to lot tutors. Then you have
AI powered apps like Speak or talk pout where you
talk to a voice based AI. These are fantastic, especially
if you feel anxious about talking to real people.

Speaker 3 (24:08):
Initially safe space to start, totally non judgmental.

Speaker 2 (24:11):
You can mess up without embarrassment, practice specific scenarios over
and over, build confidence at your own speed. Think of
them as a great stepping stone towards real world conversations.

Speaker 3 (24:20):
Warming up your speaking muscles.

Speaker 2 (24:22):
Precisely, and these apps have unique advantages AI offers that
two hundred and four to seven availability practice anytime, plus
often instant feedback on pronunciation or grammar. It lowers that
effective filter the anxiety that blocks learning. Okay, human tutors,
though offer nuance, AI might miss cultural insights, real empathy,

(24:42):
adapting to totally unexpected turns in conversation. So ideally you
leverage both. They complement each other perfectly for different needs
and stages.

Speaker 3 (24:51):
Makes sense. Use the tools that work for you. Okay,
so we've got solo practice interactive practice. Now, let's talk immergion.
Surrounding yourself with English.

Speaker 2 (24:58):
Making it part of your environment passively and actively.

Speaker 1 (25:00):
First one here, and this is huge for sounding natural.
Learn phrases, not just words.

Speaker 3 (25:06):
Tip five. A lot of learners focus on single words,
which you need obviously, but fluent speakers don't just glue
individual words together. They use chunks collocation.

Speaker 2 (25:16):
Words that naturally hang out together exactly.

Speaker 1 (25:19):
Don't just learn decision, learn make a decision, not just
break but take a break, not cold but catch a cold.

Speaker 3 (25:26):
Learn these as whole units.

Speaker 1 (25:27):
They roll off the tongue more easily, sound more natural,
and actually reduce your mental effort when speaking.

Speaker 2 (25:33):
Learning in chunks or collocations is absolutely fundamental. It's how
native speakers learn. Our brains or pattern finders, they store
common sequences. Learning word by word means retrieving each one,
applying grammar, slow learning, make a decision as one chunk.
Your brain grabs the whole thing instantly, faster and less
work for your brain, much faster, and it makes you

(25:55):
sound so much more natural. Word for word translation often
sounds clunky, even if it's technically correct. Do a break
versus take a break. Yeah, Learning phrases trains your intuition
for how English actually sounds. It's about speaking like a native,
not just correctly.

Speaker 3 (26:08):
Right.

Speaker 1 (26:09):
Okay, Next, watch English movies the right way Tip seven
movies TV shows great resources, But passive watching maybe with
subtitles in your language, it's not doing that much for
your speaking.

Speaker 3 (26:20):
You need active viewing exactly. Watch with English subtitles.

Speaker 1 (26:24):
Pay attention not just to words, but whole phrases, the
speaker's tone, their body language, pause, often rewind, repeat lines
out loud, try to copy the actor's delivery.

Speaker 3 (26:35):
The rhythm. Turn fun time into powerful learning time.

Speaker 2 (26:39):
That active versus passive difference is key. Passive viewing is
just exposure. Active viewing engages your brain deeply. You're not
just learning words, but context, nonverbal cues, culture. Communication is
way more.

Speaker 3 (26:52):
Than just words, tone, expression, gestures.

Speaker 2 (26:55):
All of it. Pausing, mimicking, replaying. You're using multiple senses,
multiple brain functions. It creates a much richer, stickier learning experience.
You're internalizing how things are said, why they're said that way.
That leads to fuller understanding and more natural production.

Speaker 1 (27:08):
Okay, here's a super simple immersion trick. Label your environment
Tip ten. Get sticky notes.

Speaker 2 (27:14):
Uh huh, the sticky note method, classic label everything.

Speaker 1 (27:17):
Fridge, mirror, closet, light switch table. You create this constant
visual stream of English words around you.

Speaker 3 (27:24):
You see them all day without even trying to study.
It just seeps in. Makes English part of your world,
not just a school subject.

Speaker 2 (27:31):
It's brilliant because it uses constant passive exposure and visual association.
Every time you open the fridge, you see fridge. It
reinforces the word effortlessly, embedding it in your long term memory.
Without dedicated steady time, your home becomes a learning zone.

Speaker 3 (27:47):
Learning by osmosis pretty much.

Speaker 2 (27:50):
It normalizes English, makes it feel less foreign, less academic.
It integrates it into your routine. Sustainable effortless and really
effective over time.

Speaker 1 (27:59):
Okay, expanding on that, surround yourself with English. Tip fifteen
goes beyond just sticky notes.

Speaker 2 (28:04):
Think digital, your phone, your apps, Yeah, change language settings
to English. Follow English speaking accounts on social media Instagram, TikTok,
YouTube that you genuinely like, cooking, gaming, fashion, whatever your
interests are.

Speaker 3 (28:15):
Consume content you enjoy.

Speaker 1 (28:16):
But in English, the more English you just passively absorb, scrolling,
watching videos, pursuing hobbies, the more intuitive it becomes.

Speaker 3 (28:24):
Your brain starts picking.

Speaker 1 (28:25):
Up patterns, phrases, structures, accents without you consciously studying.

Speaker 3 (28:30):
It's like background processing.

Speaker 2 (28:32):
That passive consumption done right builds language intuition, that feel
for what sounds right, even if you can't explain the rule.
Constant exposure to real English helps your brain absorb natural patterns, idioms, rhythms.

Speaker 3 (28:47):
It just starts to sound normal exactly.

Speaker 2 (28:49):
It stops feeling like this external thing you have to analyze.
It becomes part of your mental landscape. It seeps into
your subconscious, building a strong foundation that supports all your
active speaking practice. Effortlessly learning that fuels performance, And.

Speaker 1 (29:01):
We definitely have to mention listen to English podcasts like
this one tip nineteen.

Speaker 3 (29:06):
Podcasts are amazing for.

Speaker 2 (29:07):
Fluency, Absolutely fantastic to me.

Speaker 3 (29:09):
Hey, train your ear like crazy.

Speaker 1 (29:11):
You hear natural vocap, different accents, how real sentences are
put together in unscripted talk.

Speaker 3 (29:16):
Make it a daily habit, commute, cooking chores.

Speaker 2 (29:20):
Jim, plug in and learn.

Speaker 1 (29:21):
Yeah, because it's audio only, your brain has to work
harder to understand, which is good. You absorb so much,
even unconsciously. It builds that auditory memory for rhythm and intonation.

Speaker 2 (29:31):
Auditory input is foundational. You need to hear it to
produce it naturally. Podcasts give you authentic, varied speech. Conveniently.
Listening develops that auditory memory, storing sounds, patterns, phrasing. Unlike
music maybe or video With visual aids, podcasts force pure
listening comprehension sharpens your ear definitely. It trains your brain

(29:52):
to process spoken English efficiently, bridging the gap between understanding
and speaking by internalizing how fluent speakers actually least sound,
connecting words, reducing sounds, expressing ideas conversationally.

Speaker 3 (30:04):
Okay, so we're immersed. But fluency is also about the
sound itself, right, the nuances.

Speaker 2 (30:09):
Yes, refining your speech to sound more natural, more engaging, so.

Speaker 3 (30:12):
A big one.

Speaker 1 (30:13):
Learn intonation and rhythm Tip thirteen. English isn't flat, right,
it's stress timed. Some words get stressed, others get squished.

Speaker 2 (30:20):
That up and down musicality.

Speaker 1 (30:22):
Exactly, and where you put the stress changes the meaning.
Like I didn't say he stole the money, implying you
didn't say it, but maybe someone else did, or you
hinted prices. I didn't say he stole the money, implying
someone else stole it. I didn't say he stole the money,
implying he stole something else. See same words, different stress,
totally different implications. You got to practice mimicking that native

(30:44):
rhythm and stress. It makes you sound way more fluent
and prevents confusion.

Speaker 2 (30:48):
Mastering prosity. Intonation, stress rhythm is huge. It's not just
about being understood. It's about conveying emotion, emphasis, intent. Without it,
even perfect grammar can sound flat, robotic, or accidentally convey
the wrong feeling. A lot of meaning is in the
music right.

Speaker 3 (31:06):
It helps people feel what.

Speaker 2 (31:07):
You mean exactly, makes your speech dynamic. Natural listeners get
the cues. It allows you to express subtleties beyond just
the words themselves. That's advanced communication.

Speaker 3 (31:16):
Okay, another crucial skill for sounding fluent and just for
keeping conversations going. Learn to paraphrase Tip fourteen.

Speaker 2 (31:22):
The art of talking around things.

Speaker 3 (31:24):
Yeah, we've all been there. You're talking flow is good.
Then bam, you forget a keyword. What do most learners do? Freeze, panic,
shut down, right, don't do that.

Speaker 1 (31:39):
Learn to describe the word you forgot. If you blank
on microwaves, say the thing that heats food fast or
that box for leftovers. Being able to navigate around a
missing word is a massive sign of fluency. It's not
about knowing every word, but being resourceful enough to keep talking.

Speaker 2 (31:55):
It absolutely is a hallmark of communicative confidence. It shows adaptability, resourcefulness.
You can get your message across even without the perfect word.
Perfect recall is impossible even for natives.

Speaker 3 (32:06):
Good point.

Speaker 2 (32:07):
Paraphrazing trains your brain to think flexibly, to use circumlocution,
talking around it. It proves you understand the concept, not
just the one word for it. That adaptability built huge
confidence because you know you can always find a way
to say what you mean. You stay in the conversation.

Speaker 3 (32:21):
Okay, we've covered a lot. Mindset, solo practice, interaction, immersion,
refining sound.

Speaker 1 (32:26):
Let's bring it together. What are the big principles for
keeping this going long.

Speaker 2 (32:29):
Term, sustaining progress and enthusiasm.

Speaker 1 (32:32):
Yeah, the biggest one, maybe for anything you'll learn, be consistent,
not perfect.

Speaker 3 (32:37):
Tip nine.

Speaker 1 (32:39):
Learning English is like going to the gym three hours
once a week, not nearly as good as fifteen thirty
minutes every single day.

Speaker 2 (32:45):
Consistency trumps intensity over the long haul.

Speaker 1 (32:48):
Totally set up a small daily routine, maybe ten minutes speaking, shadowing,
talking to yourself, ten minutes listening podcast, ten minutes reading aloud,
or doing a speaking diary.

Speaker 3 (32:59):
Do it every day.

Speaker 1 (33:00):
The results will compound like crazy. Small consistent steps leads
big changes, and.

Speaker 2 (33:05):
There's a strong neurological reason for that. Short frequent practice
is way better for memory consolidation and habit formation than
long infrequent sessions, space, repetition, regular engagement. That's how brains
learn best. Each session reinforces.

Speaker 3 (33:19):
Those neural pathways, keeps them active.

Speaker 2 (33:21):
Exactly, and consistency builds habits. Once it's a habit, it
takes less willpower, just becomes part of your day. Keeps
English active in your mind, prevents backsliding or errors becoming permanent,
and just keeps pushing you forward, steady drips. Fill the bucket.

Speaker 3 (33:34):
Love that.

Speaker 1 (33:35):
Okay, final tip and this one ties so much together.
Learn storytelling DIP seventeen. Think about really engaging speakers. They
don't just give facts, They tell stories, anecdotes, experiences.

Speaker 3 (33:47):
That's how people connect.

Speaker 2 (33:48):
It's fundamental human communication.

Speaker 1 (33:50):
So practice telling short stories from your life, simple stuff
got lost, finding that coffee shop, my dog did something funny,
recounting a work interaction. These stories force you to use vocab, grammar,
sequence things, make it flow all at once. It makes
practice meaningful and directly useful for real chats.

Speaker 2 (34:08):
Storytelling is incredibly holistic. It integrates everything vocabulary for description,
grammar for sequencing, narrative structure for flow. You have to
retrieve invo organize it, present it compellingly, and more importantly,
it makes practice purposeful. People connect through stories. Mastering storytelling
in English isn't just about linguistic skill. It's about developing
that fundamental ability to build rapport, express yourself, and truly

(34:31):
participate in conversations. It turns language from a subject into
a tool for connection.

Speaker 3 (34:36):
Wow, okay, we have covered so much ground.

Speaker 1 (34:39):
Mindset practice, immersion, refinement, consistency, storytelling.

Speaker 3 (34:44):
It's a lot, it is.

Speaker 1 (34:45):
But the main message I want to leave you with
is this English fluency. It's not a destination, not a
finish line you cross. It's a journey, an ongoing, dynamic process.
Some days you'll feel stuck, like you're going no nowhere,
maybe even backward. Other days you'll surprise yourself. Words will
just flow that up and down, totally normal. It's part
of learning anything complex, embrace it and.

Speaker 2 (35:07):
Connecting that to the bigger picture. That whole journey really
rests on three pillars working together. Yeah, consistency, connection and confidence.

Speaker 3 (35:16):
Consistency connection.

Speaker 2 (35:17):
Confidence consistency builds the pathways and habits. Connection. Talking to
people using AI gives you the real time practice and
feedback and confidence. Believing in yourself, embracing mistakes. That's the fuel.
It lets you take risks and perform. They all support
each other.

Speaker 1 (35:30):
That makes perfect sense. Consistency, connection, confidence. So with all that,
our final call to action for you listening is simple,
Just start exactly, take action. Start today. Don't wait for
the perfect time or the perfect anything. Pick just one
tip from this whole deep dive, Just one that resonated
with you, that feels doable and practice it. Speak, read, listen,

(35:52):
think you in English, immerse yourself, embrace the whole process,
and just keep going. Every small step done consistently is
a real step forward. Absolutely, the journey to fluency starts
with one sentence.

Speaker 3 (36:03):
So go out there and speak it well said.

Speaker 1 (36:06):
Thank you so much for joining us on this deep
drive into English fluency. We really hope this gave you
not just some useful insights, but real motivation and practical
steps you can take until next time.

Speaker 3 (36:16):
Stay curious, stay confident, and keep speaking