SPEAKING LESSON ©

WHY DO YOU UNDERSTAND ENGLISH BUT CAN'T SPEAK IT?

This lesson will help you to break free from your current struggles with
spoken English and equip you with practical skills to strengthen your
confidence in speaking English fluently.

Why can't I speak English fluently?

This is mostly related to the fact that understanding a language requires the
use of receptive skills: listening and reading. Most English learners focus on
language input like watching films, YouTube videos and TV shows all in
English. They listen to English-speaking podcasts. They read books in English
to immerse themselves in the language as much as possible. This is fantastic.
Lots of us do it and don't stop doing it. It's a great way to build vocabulary
and gain a better overall understanding of how the language functions. But,
and there's always a but, this doesn't do so much to increase your fluency
when speaking because, in contrast, speaking requires the use of productive
skills. You need to take a more active role in your studying, and by that, I
mean practice.

You need to focus more on output: using the language rather than just taking
it in. We need to have a good balance between the two, but unfortunately,
language output can be much harder to practise than language input. It's not
so free and easy to go to an English-speaking country and find a personal
English tutor or find an English-speaking best friend.

This is why I meet so many students who are grammar geniuses. Students
whose knowledge of grammar is higher than most native speakers. However,
they just can't speak. They know all of the theory, but when it comes to the
practical, they struggle. Today I have six practical tips for you.

Talk to Yourself
The first one is completely free, and that is talk to yourself.

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This is something I actively did when I was learning Spanish. One of the
simplest things you can do to increase your output is to talk to yourself, and
you can start right now. It could feel a little bit strange, but it's truly magical
how well talking to yourself works to improve your fluency and fluidity; plus,
you do it all day long anyway, so why not do it in English?

Most of us have a little voice in our head when we think. Some people don't
have this, but most of us do. This little voice probably speaks in your native
language. See if you can come up with an English alter ego for your inner
voice. If you can't find that inner voice, you're going to have to speak out loud.

I am watching TV.
I am washing the dishes.
I am picking up the plate.
I am scrubbing it with a sponge.
I hope my husband brings home pizza for dinner.

Now I really recommend speaking out loud because you need to practice
creating new sounds and feeling how words are formed in the mouth. But
narrating in your head is a great way to start, and it's a good thing to do if
lots of people are around you; this slight adjustment can help you
significantly increase how much you use English during the day. It's especially
useful if you don't have anyone to practice speaking with and you can't afford
to hire someone.

I want to make a further addition to this point, and this is a way you can
supercharge your vocabulary. No joke. I used it myself. One of my first videos
on YouTube, actually, was 'How to Drastically Increase your Vocabulary'
because it works. As you are narrating in your head or out loud everything you
do in your day, watch out for when there is a specific word or phrase that you
just don't know in English.

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Keep a vocab diary. I think back in the day in my first video, like seven years
ago, eight years ago, I told people to write down in an actual notebook.

Nowadays, there are apps for that. You can use your notes app. You could
program your smartwatch to take in your voice. For example, what if I'm
walking down the street and I realise that I don't know the word for traffic
light in Italian—the language I'm learning? I would do something like this
because I love using my smartphone. First, I would ask Siri to write it in my
notes.

Hey Siri, set a reminder

Hey Siri, write at 6pm tonight to
'traffic light' in translate and review my
my notes. Notes new vocabulary.
Notes
1. traffic light 1. traffic light

Okay,
DOne! I've added it.

Done. Easy as that. Then I'll ask Beautiful. So tonight at 6pm,

it to set a reminder at 6pm for when I've got home, I'll get a
me to go through my new reminder to go through the new
vocabulary. vocabulary I've added today.

I haven't had to type a single thing. It's been so low effort, but I know that
every day I'll be expanding my vocabulary with the words around me that I'm
actively noticing that I do not know in Italian or whichever language you're
learning. After that, you need to practice using these in sentences out loud.
Okay, that's my free, super accessible way of increasing your English output.

Talk to a Tutor
Now let's move on to tip number two. Talk to a tutor. This one is incredibly
important. Why is talking to a tutor better than talking to yourself or talking to
another English speaker? You can say to a tutor how you would like the
conversation to go, and you can reenact situations in which you felt you

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failed in the past. Maybe someone at a networking event asked you what you
did for a living, and you stumbled over your words, got flustered and just
gave a really oversimplified version of what you do, a version that didn't do
you justice.

When you hire a one-on-one tutor, you can run through those exact situations
so you never have to struggle like that again.

The next two points are really important, too: corrections. You want someone
who fully understands the English language, and who can accurately correct
you when you make mistakes. That might be your grammar, vocabulary,
pronunciation, or, more importantly, whether you are speaking clearly and
naturally. I don't recommend aiming for absolute perfection. Instead, you
want everyone to understand what you're saying.

And number three, you're in a safe space with a tutor to request feedback and
to make mistakes. You're not going to be ridiculed. You're not going to feel
embarrassed. A personal tutor is someone who experiences mistakes with
English learners all the time. It's literally their job. And because of all of that
experience, they can give you targeted advice to make quick improvements.

Now let's think back to our school days. We all had a teacher that we didn't
like. We didn't like them; they didn't like us. We didn't get on. I had multiple
teachers like that. Some of them absolutely should not have been teaching
children when they so obviously hated children. So for many students, the
fear of finding the wrong tutor gets in the way of actually finding the right
one. Because, unlike school, this is something that you are personally paying
for. You're making an investment. So to spend an hour with a teacher that you
end up not liking is an expensive mistake. Now, here's where I think I've got a
really good solution for you in more ways than one. Two ways, actually. Have
you ever heard me mention LanguaTalk before? This is a company that I liked
so much I decided to become a part of it. So technically, I'm sponsoring
myself here.

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I truly think that LanguaTalk is the best online language tutor platform, and
this is how it relates to this lesson.

When you first start browsing through the English tutors on the platform,
firstly, you can rest assured that they are of incredible quality. LanguaTalk has
an incredibly strict screening process; well below 10% of applicants get
accepted onto the platform.

Then you can filter by their availability, the country they're based in for
timezone, the price per hour to make sure it fits with your budget and also
your motivation, whether you're learning for your career or because you're
moving to a country or because you want to pass a specific exam. Then you'll
see all of your suitable tutors appear, and every single one of them has a
video so you can go through your own filtration process and make sure that
it's someone that you will connect with.

Then you will see this button here,

and this is really important. Nearly all
of the tutors on LanguaTalk offer a
free trial session, so you can make
sure you're right for each other. That
completely eliminates the risk of
paying for a session with someone
that isn't right for you.

Then if you want to be extra sure, I'm giving you a $10

lesson credit for free. To claim that, all you have to do is
book your first paid class and then message their support
team with the code: TENLUCY.

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This code is valid for anyone signing up for their first class from today. To visit
LanguaTalk, view all of their tutors, claim your free trial session and get $10
Lesson credit for free; click on the link in the description box.

Write Before You Speak

Okay. Tip number three involves writing. One of the best ways to get yourself
prepared for speaking in any situation is to write down what it is you would
like to say before speaking. Take time to write out all of the sentences you
plan to say, and then practice saying them aloud.

Now, I don't expect you to carry a notebook around with you and write down
everything you want to say before speaking. That's just impractical. But this is
an exercise that can be added to your daily English practice. The best way to
approach this is to think about situations and potential conversation topics,
especially those that interest you because learning English should be fun.

Also, think about questions or opportunities you get frequently in English. We

use the term 'an elevator pitch'. So this refers to trying to sell something to
someone that you've met in an elevator. That's American English. It would be
a 'lift' in British English. You've only got a limited amount of time, so you've
got to get the message across quickly and efficiently.

The Elevator Pitch

1. Start with a strong hook that grabs the listener's attention.
2. Introduce yourself and your background briefly.
3. Explain what problem you are solving or what your idea is.
4. Describe the benefits and advantages of your idea or solution.
5. Provide evidence or examples that support your claims.
6. Address any potential concerns or objections the listener might have.
7. End with a clear call to action or next step.

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Try to think of elevator pitch versions of your most frequently received

questions. I'm thinking ones like:

Where are you from?

You might say something like:

Well, you can probably tell that I'm not from here. I was actually born in Italy,
but then I moved to France at the age of four. I went to college in the US,
which is why I speak with a slight American accent.

Write it down, practise it because you know you're going to get asked a lot.

Another one is:

What do you do for a living? or

How did you learn English?

You can begin with simple conversation questions and gradually increase the
difficulty level. This will help to build your confidence and improve your
fluency over time.

See, I'm not very good at giving strong opinions, so sometimes if I'm going to
an event where I know I'll be asked about a hot topic that's quite divisive, I do
prepare in advance. It helps me to feel more relaxed or less anxious. I'm not
somebody who can just give an eloquent opinion piece straight off the bat.
'Straight off the bat' means immediately with no preparation, hence why we
need preparation, written preparation.

It's also a great idea to prepare these written answers and then present them
in a tutor session to ask for their feedback. So many of my students have
come to me with things that they frequently have to defend, like why they are
fasting during Ramadan. That's one question that my students got a lot. Same
with why they wear a hijab, why they are vegan and choose not to

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consume animal products, why they chose to leave their country when they
love it so much. There are loads of really difficult questions that you might
want to take a step back and think about to be able to give a true answer that
you're really proud of and comfortable with.

The biggest one, the one I get most frequently, is, of course, self-introduction,
and I have an entire video about this that I will leave below in the description.
In that video, I explain all of the necessary steps for preparing notes to
introduce yourself confidently and fluently.

Focus on Fluency, Not Accuracy

Okay, number four. This is something I've said time and time again, and I
wholeheartedly believe that it is the correct way forward. Focus on fluency,
not perfection or not accuracy. Fluency over accuracy every single time. You
need to be understood, not applauded as a grammar genius.

To me, this means that you need to start to feel comfortable making mistakes.
If you avoid speaking with people out of fear of making mistakes, you're going
to have nothing to learn from. You're starving yourself of opportunities. No
one wants to make mistakes. It's embarrassing, and it can cause us to lose
confidence. Learning and speaking in another language is a very personal,
sensitive topic, but getting out of your comfort zone and making mistakes
while speaking is genuinely one of the best things you can do to improve your
fluency.

And if you can, not everyone can, but if you can, try to have a sense of humour
about it. See this as an opportunity to laugh with yourself, not at yourself,
with yourself. Some of my best anecdotes in Spanish come from the mistakes
I made whilst learning Spanish. I love those stories. They're so special to me.
They're great ones that I can get out at any dinner party when speaking in
Spanish, and I can have the entire room laughing. I chose not to be
embarrassed in the moments when I made those mistakes. I chose to take a
step back and laugh at the hilarity of the situation.

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Now I understand it's not that way for everyone. I learnt Spanish because I
wanted to learn Spanish. I liked Spanish. I like learning it. But lots of people
learn English because they feel they have to. They cannot progress in their life
until they have acquired the skill of speaking English. So I understand how it's
a bit harder to laugh at yourself when you don't even want to be learning the
language in the first place. So at the very least, see it as an excellent learning
opportunity.

And the good news is that most English speakers and other English learners
are usually pretty willing to help when you need it. You just have to ask. If I
talk to a non-native speaker and they make lots of mistakes, I will not correct
them unless they ask me to. So if you do want those corrections, you can say,

By the way, if I make a mistake, you can let me know.

And then, to go back to point one, I really suggest that you keep a notebook
or your smartphone ready to take notes whenever you receive a correction,
just after you receive the correction, so that you can review the information
later.

Shadowing
Number five is not for everyone, but it works really well for some students.
And I've seen it in action, and it's awesome. It's shadowing. Shadowing means
copying other English speakers. It's imitation.

When you are purposefully learning new words or just casually watching a
video, repeat what you hear. You don't need to be thinking about sentence
structure or verb tenses, or grammar in general. Just repeat the words and
sounds. By repeating the words and phrases, you:

are activating your mind so that you can obtain new information
understand the speaker more easily
improve muscle memory for forming words
practise natural word stress and pronunciation

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Vocabulary List
accessible adj /əkˈsesəbl/ - easy to approach, reach or understand
The teacher's explanations were accessible, making the complex topic easy to
understand.

anecdote n /ˈanɪkdəʊt/ - a short, interesting or amusing story about a real

incident or person
She entertained the guests with an anecdote from her recent holiday.

to applaud v /əˈplɔːd/ - to show approval or praise by clapping hands

The audience applauded the singer's incredible performance.

benchmark n /ˈbenʧmɑːk/ - a standard or point of reference used to compare

or evaluate something
Our company uses industry benchmarks to measure its success.

to browse v /braʊz/ - to look through something casually or without a

specific aim.
She spent the afternoon browsing through books at the library.

comfort zone phrase /ˈkʌmfət zəʊn/ - a situation or area where someone

feels relaxed, safe, and confident
Learning a new language requires stepping out of your comfort zone.

to cringe v /krɪndʒ/ - to feel embarrassment or discomfort

I cringed when I remembered my awkward speech at the party.

disassociation n /dɪsəsəʊsɪˈeɪʃən/ - the act of separating or detaching oneself

from something
The company announced its disassociation from the controversial sponsor

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divisive adj /dɪˈvaɪsɪv/ - causing disagreement or hostility between people

The politician's speech was divisive, creating heated debates in the
community.

to eliminate v /ɪˈlɪmɪneɪt/ - to remove or get rid of something

The government aims to eliminate poverty through various welfare programs.

eloquent adj /ˈeləkwənt/ - having the ability to express oneself clearly and
effectively, often with persuasive or impactful language
The speaker delivered an eloquent and moving speech on climate change.

get on (with) phr v /ɡet ɒn/ - have a good relationship with someone
They get on well with their neighbours and often have dinner together.

hilarity n /hɪˈlærɪti/ a state of great amusement, often accompanied by

laughter
The comedian's jokes had the audience in a state of hilarity.

impractical adj /ɪmˈpræktɪkəl/ - not sensible or realistic in terms of actions or

ideas
His plan to build a rocket in his backyard was deemed impractical.

input n /ˈɪnpʊt/ - the language that a learner is exposed to, whether it is

spoken or written
Input is an essential part of learning a language.

to narrate v /nəˈreɪt/ - to tell a story or give an account of something, often in

detail
The tour is normally narrated by the bus driver.

output n /ˈaʊtpʊt/ - the language produced by a language learner, whether it

is spoken or written; it is the opposite of input
My teacher gave me great techniques to increase my output in French.

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oversimplified adj /ˌəʊvəˈsɪmplɪfaɪd/ - describing something in a way that is

too simple and lacks important details or explanations
The oversimplified summary of the book failed to capture its true essence.

potential adj /pəˈtenʃəl/ - the possibility of something happening or of

someone developing certain abilities or qualities
The potential risks of doing business with them were not worth the money.

productive skills noun phrase - language abilities related to speaking and

writing, which involve creating and expressing messages
To improve your productive skills, practice speaking and writing in the target
language regularly.

receptive skills noun phrase - language abilities related to listening and

reading, which involve understanding and interpreting messages
Reading books and listening to podcasts can help develop your receptive
skills in a foreign language.

to reenact v /ˌriː ɪˈnækt/ - to perform or act out an event or situation again,

often for entertainment or educational purposes
The historical society reenacted a famous battle from the past.

to ridicule v /ˈrɪdɪkjuːl/ -to make fun of or mock someone or something in a

hurtful or unkind way
The children ridiculed him for his old-fashioned clothes.

self-introduction n /ˌselfˌɪntrəˈdʌkʃən/ - the act of presenting or explaining

who you are, often in a formal or social setting.
During the job interview, she gave a brief self-introduction, outlining her
background and experience.

to starve oneself idiom - to deprive oneself of something potentially

beneficial
You are always starving yourself of a good time; come out with us!

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strict adj /strɪkt/ - demanding that rules or standards are followed, often
with serious consequences if not adhered to
The teacher was very strict and did not tolerate any misbehaviour in the
classroom.

to stumble over one’s words idiom - to speak in a stuttering manner or speak

in an unclear way that is difficult to follow
I tend to stumble over my words when I speak quickly.

targeted adj /ˈtɑːɡɪtɪd/ - directed or aimed at a particular group or purpose

The advertising campaign was targeted at young adults interested in fitness.

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QUIZ!
Choose the correct answer for each question.

1) What is one of the best ways to get prepared for speaking in any situation?

a. memorising sentences
b. writing down what you want to say
c. practising reading out loud

2) How can you build your confidence and fluency in English?

a. by practising simple conversation questions

b. by listening to podcasts
c. by practising only reading and writing

3) What is the benefit of presenting your written answers in a tutor session?

a. to get feedback
b. to show off your writing skills
c. to make your tutor happy

4) What does the idiom "to go down the drain" mean?

a. to disappear
b. to flow smoothly
c. to become successful

5) Why do many students struggle with speaking English fluently?

a. they don't have a good vocabulary

b. because they don't understand English
c. they focus more on receptive skills than productive skills

6) What is the difference between receptive and productive skills in language learning?

a. receptive skills involve reading and writing, while productive skills involve speaking and listening
b. receptive skills involve listening and reading, while productive skills involve speaking and writing
c. receptive skills involve speaking and listening, while productive skills involve writing and reading

7) What is one of the best things you can do to improve your fluency in a new language?

a. avoid speaking with people

b. laugh at your mistakes
c. focus only on grammar

8) What is shadowing in language learning?

a. copying other English speakers

b. memorising grammar rules
c. writing down new vocabulary words

9) Which of the following best describes Lucy’s opinion toward making mistakes?

a. mistakes are embarrassing and should be avoided

b. mistakes are opportunities for learning and growth
c. mistakes are not important in language learning

The End!
1) b 2) a 3) a 4) a 5) c 6) b 7) b 8) a 9) b

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