You Can Understand English, But You Can't speak? 3 Strategies To Fix This Problem!

"I can understand English, but I can't speak"

Does this sound like you?

If so, don't worry!

This is a super common problem that I hear all the time from students in my Club.

That's why today I'm going to give you 3 strategies you can use to overcome it... today! 

I've selected these 3 strategies because they all helped me personally feel more comfortable and confident when I was studying German, Italian, and French. 

So, here we go... ready? 

🔥Tip #1: Speak in Low-pressure Environments

When it comes to speaking, there are two types of environments you might find yourself in:

• Low-pressure environments (speaking with friends, family, or in a safe classroom environment)
• High-pressure environments (speaking with your boss/strangers, giving presentations, or attending job interviews)

If you feel nervous when you speak, you need to speak more. 

But you also need to speak in situations that won't make you frustrated or cause you to want to give up!

Practice speaking in low-pressure environments: with your friends, family, or in a class with a patient teacher.

Then, gradually work your way up to more high-pressure situations, like speaking with your boss or strangers, giving, presentations, or even attending a job interviews. 

When you start small and work your way up, you'll notice that you'll feel more comfortable and less nervous. 

🚀Tip #2: Talk to Yourself

One of the most common question I hear from students is my Club is "Michael, how do I practice speaking if I have nobody to speak with?"

I get it. Even when you're in an English-speaking country, it can be difficult to find people to practice speaking with.

But it can be even more difficult when nobody around you speaks English! 

The solution to this is right in front of you... 

Speak to yourself!

Spend 15-30 minutes a day in front of a mirror, and talk to yourself. 

You can do this in the morning while getting ready, or in the evening while preparing for bed. 

You can talk about...

• Your day
• Your interests
• Your emotions
• Your dreams & goals

Try it! It might feel strange at first, but you'll get used to it. And if you do this often enough, you'll notice an improvement in your confidence and speaking skills. 

That being said, it's obvious that, if you are able to, speaking with other people will help you improve even faster. 

That's why when I designed my Club, I made sure to give my students plenty of opportunities to practice speaking in low-pressure environments. 

Want to know how you can, too?

You can learn more about the Club here!

👂Tip #3: Listen and Repeat

Another great way of improving your speaking and pronunciation skills is by using a technique called "shadowing".

Shadowing is a technique where you listen to a native speaker and imitate their pronunciation and accent. 

So, how can you do this?

• Choose an English movie, podcast, or video.
• Listen to 2-3 minutes with (or without) subtitles.
• Imitate the speakers’ pronunciation, and repeat as many times until you get it perfect.

If done right (and often!), this technique alone will seriously help you improve your accent and pronunciation. 

💡TIP: Don't just listen to how the speaker pronounces the words. Pay extra attention to the way they move their lips, tongue, and facial muscles. These play a HUGE role in the formation of sounds and will help you sound more like a native speaker! 

Those were my top 3 strategies for you if you can understand English, but still feel like you can't speak. 

⚠️But there's one more important thing you need to remember. 

If you really care about improving your English, you need to TAKE ACTION NOW and start fixing the problem!

Look, I can give you 50 strategies, but if you don't actually implement them, you won't make any progress!

The best time to improve your English is NOW!

Why?

Because the sooner you take action, the sooner you will reach your goals. So, start today. Choose one of the strategies. You'll thank yourself later 😉

If you got this far, congratulations and thanks for reading! Don't forget to follow me on social media for lessons and tips on all things English.

Bye for now, 

Michael