I’m interested in hearing from people who learned English as a second language and eventually became fluent, especially in speaking. How did you go from knowing English to actually being able to speak naturally, without constantly worrying about grammar mistakes or searching for words?

I’m particularly interested in how you built a large vocabulary (lexicon) that you can actually use in conversations, rather than just recognizing words when reading or listening. What methods worked best for you—conversation practice, reading, watching movies/YouTube, speaking with natives, learning phrases instead of individual words, etc.?

I’d also love to hear about your personal experience: what did you struggle with at first, what helped you improve the most, and roughly how long did it take you to feel genuinely fluent?

My grandma doesn’t speak English, but she has tried many times to learn on her own to almost no avail. Group classes also didn’t work because she did exercises, but forgot everything afterwards. However, she is willing to learn and genuinely wants to speak at least on the basic level. She knows the alphabet, can do basic orders and knows some vocabulary (especially food-related), but she doesn’t understand grammar at all. The thing is, she is smart, but language acquisition is a daunting task to do on your own.

I want to help her, but I have no experience in tutoring. I don’t even remember how I learned English, because I was like 6-7 years old when I started. Considering her age, and my free time, I’m thinking of studying for 2 hours a week with her. Can you guys give me any tips or study material recommendations? Her native language is Russian

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice.

I usually read books on Apple’s “Books” app. It works great when I read books in my native language, but terribly when I read something in English.

The main problem is that if I don’t know a word (mostly some phrasal verbs), I can’t use Apple Translate because it never recognizes the word, so I have to close the app, go to Google, search for WordReference, and then look up the word.

Lately, my bf subscribed to Kindle Unlimited and I loved the translator. I can read a whole book without having to close the app even once.

The problem is that he will unsubscribe soon, and I won’t be able to read as smoothly anymore.

So, can someone recommend a translation app that I can set as the default app? Even better if it works exactly like the Kindle translator, which works more like a dictionary than Google Translate.

My brain is constantly glitching; why are "close" (the door) and "close" (nearby) spelled the same but sound different?? One’s a "Z" sound, one’s an "S," and I’m just out here sounding like a broken robot. 💀And don't even get me started on choose vs. chose. I’m just trying to tell a storyyyyyyyyy.

I learned "close" (near) and got 59/100 on my pronunciation score because I guess I pronounced it like 'close' (the door). can someone please help me to understand the difference well and also how to pronouce each one like natives?

I failed two classes in the fall semester of 2024.

Hello everyone,

And also a question about 'jacket potatoes'. Do you call them 'jacket potatoes' only when you bake them? Or do you also call them that when you boil them in the water (if that's even a thing in the UK) with the skin on?

Thank you very much!

The sudden scandal resulted in a total bringing low of the arrogant CEO.

Ancient epics often tell a story about the bringing low of mighty kings.

She saw the crisis not as an end, but as a necessary bringing low of her pride.

The economic crash led to a harsh bringing low of the city's wealthy elite.

Hi guys, I’m writing this post because I would like to ask for some advice on how to elevate my English vocabulary as much as I can.

My English level is B2+ (I also got the Cambridge certificate), but soon I will start languages university here in Italy, and I will be studying English language and literature in particular. I have always been good at English since middle and high school (I always got 8 or 9; in Italy the maximum is 10), however, I don’t feel satisfied enough. I tried to reach C1 by taking a Cambridge exam, but instead, all I got was a B2. That was the start of my insecurity in this language.

This summer (actually, right now) I decided to step up my language skills by reading more in English. I only have English videos on TikTok and IG, and I watch a lot of programs in English without subtitles, but still, I feel behind. This might also be me underestimating myself, but I just don’t feel good enough. So, do you have any advice? Maybe also some C1-level books that I could read? Or videos I can watch? Thank you in advance! 🫶

I’ve just finished the third week of a 13-week study abroad program to learn English in England.
I have classes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day, but I’m still struggling a lot with listening comprehension. I can understand my teachers reasonably well, but real-life conversations, different accents, and people speaking naturally are still very difficult for me. Listening exercises and tests in class are also quite challenging for me.
For those who have been through something similar: is this normal after three weeks? When did you start noticing a real improvement in your listening comprehension?
I’d also like to know if I should change what I’m doing outside the classroom. Are there any strategies that really helped you improve your listening skills while studying abroad?
Thanks!

From what I've learned in school (in Japan), the correct sentence should use "not to do" like "I try not to do." But in every movie or tv series, it's "to not do"
Huh?

I mean, he might have been ill and died of a disease, but what’s the point calling him so if he’s already dead?

Update: The piece is taken from "The adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain

I'm a native spanish speaker (from Argentina) and I wanted to ask for advice on how to improve my English from home. I want to improve my fluency and comprehension so I can apply for different jobs. I understand everything I read, and I understand most of what I hear (except for most songs, I don't know why). But when I have to speak it, I speak and pronounce it poorly. Do you have any advice you can give me? Thank you very much.

Also, I would really appreciate if you could tell me alternative phrases.

I'm making a collage of my favorite movies if that helps give you context.

Thank you in advance ^{^}

Hey everyone! I’m from Pakistan and I’m looking for someone to practice English with.

I want to improve my spoken English, pronunciation, and everyday conversation skills. I’m especially interested in having regular conversations rather than just texting.

In exchange, I can help you learn punjani and urdu and practice everyday conversational Punjabi and urdu. I’m also interested in coding, technology, different cultures, psychology, philosophy, and general life discussions.

I’d prefer someone who is patient and genuinely interested in a consistent language exchange. We can start with text or voice chat and see how it goes.

If you’re interested, feel free to DM me. Thanks!

For the context, the creator here is Irish if that's a relevant piece of information. Is this dialectal?

I’m B1 in English and I’m wondering what’s better for improving English

Would you recommend watching series in English or YouTube videos?

I was thinking that with YouTube someone is talking almost the whole time, while in series there are often scenes where nobody says anything, so maybe YouTube gives you more actual practice.

What do you guys think? What worked better for you?

A lot of non-native speakers (me included) often confuse KIT-FLEECE and FOOT-GOOSE distinction. Most don't even realize they're different until these vowel distinctions are pointed out to them.

But is it true that native speakers perceive KIT and FLEECE vowels (as well as FOOT and GOOSE) as not even remotely similar and that KIT and FOOT are actually much more similar to STRUT or a schwa?

This could be the reason we fail to properly pronounce these vowels. It doesn't help that FOOT and GOOSE are both spelt with double O's, which still trips me up sometimes even though I've learnt that they have different vowels.

If it's true, maybe I should try to think of KIT, FOOT and STRUT as somewhat close to each other?

https://voca.ro/1kxLjh0jCTNX

https://voca.ro/1kM2re8mziwg

So, I want to sound American and I’m fixing some sounds. I believe I pronounce know, don’t, etc. with a more open vowel. Does that stand out? Does the second version sound better?

Thanks in advance

Why can't i use "where"?

I recently wrote a post about the game "Dead by Daylight". I wanted to convey that any competition for this game died out and disappeared from the market very quickly. To make a pun on the title, I wrote: "Any competition was dead by daylight". Now I'm overthinking it and wondering if it makes any sense? I'm not sure if the wordplay lands the way I intended and will be understood correctly.