You need to live in an English-speaking country to become fluent in English.
You don't need to study grammar to become truly fluent.
You should speak English like a native speaker.
These are all myths, myths that have been propagated by online creators here on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, the so-called influencers.
And some myths about language learning, learners themselves have them.
For some reason, you might believe some things about how English is acquired and learned, and these beliefs might be holding you back.
So in today's episode, I want to address 20 plus common myths about English learning. why they are false and what you should focus on instead.
So let's get started. Hey there, how's it going?
Thiago here and welcome to another episode of the podcast.
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All right, so 20 plus myths about English learning.
Let's get started. With the big one, you need to live in an English-speaking country to become fluent.
Oh, yeah. You know... I see learners with that mentality, with that belief all the time.
And anytime I hear a learner Saying that to me, inside, I cringe.
I want to just get out of the room and leave because it's ridiculous.
Look, Immersion can be created anywhere with consistent exposure to English media, online communities, and speaking partners.
Many fluent speakers never leave their home country to become fluent in English. yours truly.
And I believe that nowadays with the internet and YouTube, this belief has already been busted.
This myth has already been busted. I'm sure that you have met other teachers here on the platform, other speakers of English who learn the language very well without leaving. in an English-speaking country.
So if you still have that belief, time to correct that.
The truth is that It's not so much about the environment, it's about your proactivity.
Because, you know, if I could create an immersion experience for myself 25 years ago, when technology and the Internet... were near as advanced as today, why can't you?
Why can't you design your routine, your days, your life, in such a way that allows you to have that daily constant exposure. to English.
The reason why people wrongly believe that you have to live in an English-speaking country to be fluent is because they say, oh, over there you get... immersed in the language.
But you can create the immersion for yourself in your home country by leveraging technology and the internet.
It was possible 25, 30 years ago. It's even more possible nowadays.
You don't do it because you don't want to.
And I have met so many people over the course of my career as a teacher who spent years in English-speaking countries, who lived years in English-speaking countries, in the U.S., in Canada, in England, and... when they went back to their home countries, their English was not that good. because probably what happened was they just learned enough English to survive there,
Just those useful phrases that you can use every day to shop for stuff, buy stuff, get food, and that's it.
They never really try to push themselves. and their linguistic abilities.
Or if you are a student and you go on an exchange program abroad, Some people, actually many people do that.
They meet other students there that come from their home country or that speak their first language, and they just hang out with those people speaking their native language.
This is the stupidest thing possible. a person can do.
Let me say that again. If you have had this experience, if you've said to yourself, look, I believe that I need to have an exchange program, go on an exchange program to be fully fluent in English.
So I'm going to save thousands, For that program, I'm going to invest in it.
I'm going to spend six months in Canada or one year in the US, whatever it may be.
And if you do that, when you are in the country, you meet, if you are Brazilian, if you meet other Brazilians there and you only speak Portuguese all the time, This is the stupidest thing you can do.
You are burning your money and your time. thinking that just by being in the country is enough to become fluent in the language.
What makes you fluent is your active interest. in the language is taking time to study it, sitting down, taking notes, being curious and proactive about the language, asking questions.
It's not just being in an environment where the language is spoken.
You might pick up... survival language or just enough language to survive to live in that country.
But that doesn't mean you're going to come back with a solid B2, C1, or even C2 level.
You're going to become A highly proficient, highly fluent speaker of the language.
Next myth, you need to speak like a native speaker.
I see so many videos on YouTube. usually by native speakers, go figure, saying, speak like a native.
20 phrases for you to speak like a native or how to speak like a native native.
Look, an accent is natural. The goal shouldn't be speaking like a native, but it should be to have clear, understandable pronunciation.
In other words, having intelligibility. People are able to understand you without any major hiccups. without having to strain to understand you.
Not necessarily to sound like a native speaker from any specific region.
Many proficient non-native speakers have accents.
Even celebrities have already covered Here on the podcast, people like Arnold Schwarzenegger, for example, Penelope Cruz.
These people are non-native speakers of English who clearly have foreign accents and communicate extremely well and clearly.
Right? Now, there is a choice that is important for you to make.
Some learners choose to have more of a neutral or native-like accent.
That was my case. That was something important to me back when I was learning English. by myself.
I didn't want to have a strong Brazilian Portuguese accent when I spoke English.
So I made a point of neutralizing my Brazilian accent as much as I could. and speak more in the vein of American English.
I don't think I sound necessarily American.
I still have my Brazilian accent in me because I am Brazilian. a Portuguese speaker, but my accent in English is not as strong as the typical Brazilian English speaker, because that was a conscious choice.
And if you are like that, that's great. It means that you care enough about the English language, about English culture.
Maybe you relate more with a pop culture from the US or from other countries that speak English. more than in your own country.
So because of that, you want to neutralize your accent some more.
That's great. But that is a choice. The point I'm trying to make here is that For you to be fluent in English, you don't have to do that.
You do that as a choice, all right? Third myth, you need to learn all the grammar rules before Speaking.
Look, over-focus on grammar upfront leads to hesitation.
Start speaking early, make mistakes, and learn grammar rules gradually as you encounter them in context.
I didn't do this myself. I've already shared my story here many times on the podcast.
I started by studying grammar and I spent... two or three years only studying grammar most of the time.
But part of that reason was because I didn't have speaking partners back then.
I didn't know anybody who spoke English enough to practice with me.
So it was more... because of a lack of resources, then that's the ideal scenario.
So nowadays, it's much easier for you to find speaking partners or people to speak English with, even online.
So you don't have to wait to study all the grammar first and then start speaking.
You can start speaking right away and then you learn the grammar gradually as you go.
Here's the next myth. You don't need to study grammar to be fluent.
I hear that so often. You know, when I'm surfing YouTube and, you know, the internet as a whole.
Like, oh, don't study grammar. You don't need to study grammar.
Look. More advanced levels require a certain level of accuracy that can only be achieved by studying grammar.
So yeah, maybe you don't have to pay so much attention to grammar early on, although I would argue that that gives you a strong foundation.
That's what happened to me. But eventually, inner journey, if you aspire to be... a solid B2, a solid C1 level learner.
You want to be an upper intermediate to advanced learner and speaker of English.
Those levels require you to be more precise with your word choice, with your sentence structures.
And as an adult, the way to fix those things or to get that precision is by studying grammar, doing some grammar practice and being deliberate about using the structures you have been practicing.
That's the only way you're going to reach that level of accuracy as an adult.
All right? So, yes, I think... What many creators on YouTube say or mean when they are telling you not to study grammar, to speak fluently, I would say that they view fluency as more that low B2 type of level.
Look, if your goal is to speak English in such a way that People can understand you, even though you might be making tons of mistakes, they understand you anyway, and you understand most of what people say.
Yes, I believe that you don't necessarily need to study grammar for that.
You're going to be communicating with mistakes anyway.
You know, I mean, just having exposure and Having some speaking practice here and there should suffice, all right?
But... To those of you who aspire to be solid B2 level learners or solid advanced users of the language, You're gonna have to pay attention to grammar.
You're gonna have to fix maybe some fossilized mistakes you might still be making.
You know? And you're gonna have to pay attention to grammar.
That's just the truth. Next myth. Learning English is about memorizing a huge vocabulary list.
Hmm. Vocabulary is best acquired through meaningful context, reading something, listening to something, and also active use of the word in speaking and writing, rather than just trying to memorize words. or trying to focus on them in an isolated way, all right?
The best way for you to acquire vocabulary, in my experience, is through context. reading a book, listening to something.
And when you come across a word that you like, you actively focus on using that word. next time you write an email, next time you speak to someone in English.
It's that constant. work of being exposed to the vocabulary and actively using it that over time builds your vocabulary.
You know, I see some videos online as well of people talking about learning the 1,000 most common words of the language.
Guys, I hate that idea. I just hate that advice.
Oh, if you want to become fluent in English quickly, just learn the...
1000 most common words of the language and you will be well on your way to fluency and reach fluency quickly.
I hate that. First of all, it adds a mathematical component to English learning that I just I think it's uncalled for.
You know, you're learning a language. You're not learning math, you know?
So, oh yeah, what are the 1,000 most common words?
Okay, I've already learned 50. Oh, I've already learned 175.
I mean, that way of thinking to me is just...
Super cringe. Focus on consuming content in English that you care about. topics that you care about, and actively studying the language, setting aside some time every week.
If you can get some speaking practice, Regularly, even better.
That's what you should be focusing on. And then over time, your vocabulary will build, all right?
And the truth is that If you have the habit of watching movies and English TV series, listening to podcasts, you will inevitably be exposed to the most common words. of spoken English without having to get the list of a thousand words and then going over that list.
Just have regular exposure to the language.
Next myth. You're too old to learn English effectively.
Oh, I'm too old to learn English. I should have started when I was a kid, when I was younger.
I didn't start as a kid. I started at 15.
I mean, I was still young, you could argue, but I wasn't a kid.
I was a teenager. Look, age is not a barrier.
Adults have cognitive advantages like discipline and metacognition that kids usually struggle with. many adults successfully learn new languages to a high level as a second language.
While children have an easier time with the phonological aspect of English, adults have other advantages.
For example, I think that For an adult, it's much easier to learn vocabulary, to learn new words, because the adult not only has more experience, more life experience as background to draw from when trying to understand new words and expressions.
But... Uh... An adult's cognitive abilities are more developed than that of a child's.
So it's easier for the adult learner to make associations when learning vocabulary remembering new words and expressions, and even understanding more abstract A child might be very good at listening and even speaking, pronunciation-wise, but they struggle with more abstract concepts.
You see, so adults do have advantages over children when learning languages.
Next myth, if you make mistakes... That means you're not learning English properly.
Who says that? Look, mistakes are essential for learning.
They show where you need to improve and provide opportunities for correction and growth.
So embrace your mistakes. That's why it's valuable for you to get feedback from an experienced teacher for example because The teacher can point out the mistake you're making, and then you can actively work on fixing that mistake by being conscious about it, and proactive about fixing it.
And the great thing is that it comes to a point where you start self correcting. you start noticing your mistakes yourself, and then you start fixing them.
Next myth, you need a special talent... for languages to learn English.
Language learning is a skill developed through consistent effort, effective strategies and perseverance.
Not an innate gift only some people possess.
Obviously, there are some people who have more aptitude to language learning.
There are people like that, and for those people, it's just easier or quicker for them to pick up languages.
Maybe they are good with sounds, they have a musical ear, and that allows them to pick up new languages really quickly.
If you don't have that, if you feel like you don't have that natural talent or aptitude for sounds and language learning, You can still learn English very well.
It might just take you a little bit more time than for another person.
But provided that you are committed, you are dedicated, you persevere, and you use effective strategies, Eventually, over time, you will get to a very good level of command of the English language.
It might just take a little bit longer than that. for another person.
Next myth, English is the hardest language to learn.
Look, difficulty is subjective and depends heavily on your native language.
For many, English is relatively accessible. due to its widespread use and common roots with other European languages.
I mean, I speak Portuguese as a first language.
For me, I find English Quite easy compared to my native language, Portuguese.
It's a much... more direct type of language.
English is much more straightforward. It's simpler.
It feels like the communication happens faster.
In English, in Portuguese, the words are longer and the conjugations of the verbs vary even more.
So that makes the language slightly more complex.
For you to have an idea, What are the possible ways to conjugate a verb in English?
Usually we have just three, right? Do you remember the irregular verbs list?
What do we have there? We have three different types of conjugations, right?
We have the base form, let's say go. We have the past simple form, went.
And we have the past participle form, gone.
That's it. I mean, you can conjugate a verb in three different ways in English.
Base form, past simple, past participle.
In Portuguese, for example, there are tons of variations.
I mean, there's a lot of different conjugations. not just three, you know?
Now, maybe if you speak a language such as Japanese or Chinese or Arabic, then yes, I imagine that for you, English might be significantly hard because, you know, the symbols are different, right?
But... If your native language has strong roots in Latin or even Anglo-Saxon origin, I find that English is relatively easy and simple as a language to be learned.
Next myth. You need to learn formal English first.
Not really. You can start with Communicative Conversational English for everyday interactions.
Formal English has its place but mastering conversational language first makes learning more practical and engaging.
So focus on learning casual expressions, everyday phrases from the get-go. from the beginning.
Later, especially when you start tapping into B2 and C1 levels more, then you can get more in touch with academic vocabulary, more formal language, but If the purpose is just everyday communication, focus on the casual expressions first.
Formal language is extremely important also for you to sound more sophisticated in your communication, so I like to call it grown-up language.
As a learner... It's okay for you to spend some time focusing on communicating in simple ways.
Simple words. But then eventually you want to graduate and you want to speak a little bit more like a grown-up and using... and understanding more advanced words.
But to start with, focus on the communicative casual aspect of the language.
Next myth, using a translation dictionary is cheating or it's bad for learning.
Look, if you use it strategically, translation can be a quick and efficient way to understand new words, especially for beginners.
The key is not to over-rely or over-depend on it and try to internalize the meaning.
All right? So I see some teachers, especially, who are 100% against any L1 use in class, for example, I think that most of the time, yes, you want to focus on English, interacting in English, but sometimes for specific words, I find that translating it is actually quicker, more efficient, and it just works.
For example, when I'm trying to explain to students about linking words, or conjunctions.
Let's say the conjunction nevertheless, or however. or such-as, you know?
I can explain. the use of those linkers to you in English.
And I can give you examples, but If I'm able to exactly translate what they mean, let's say in my case to Portuguese, the student... picks it up right away.
They understand what the exact meaning of the word is and how to use it in a sentence.
So I find that for specific cases in vocabulary, translation is actually useful.
The problem with translation is, like I just said, being too dependent on it, or always having to translate in your head first before speaking.
That's not ideal, but you know, translation does have its place.
Next myth, you must understand every single word to comprehend a text or conversation when you listen to it.
The reality is that even native speakers themselves don't understand every word.
Just focus on grasping the main ideas and context.
Inferring meaning is a crucial skill. I really like that word.
And you have to develop that if you want to become more advanced as an English user, being able to infer meaning.
What does it mean to infer meaning? It means that you are able to get the meaning from a text or from a conversation Even though that meaning was not given explicitly, you were able to read between the lines and infer the meaning and get that meaning.
All right, this is actually the definition of functional literacy. being able to infer meaning when it's not explicitly given.
Ah, this is a good one. You only need to practice speaking to improve speaking.
If I want to speak English better, I need to speak more.
Well, that is true. If you want to become a better speaker, you need to speak more.
That is absolutely true. I talk about that all the time.
But only speaking more is not enough. You also have to combine that speaking practice with constant listening.
You have to listen a lot as well. Extensive listening is crucial for improving speaking.
It helps internalize natural rhythm, intonation, and common phrases that inform your spoken output.
You know, it's beyond me It just goes beyond me.
When I see a learner who wants to speak English better, And the learner believes that just by having classes or speaking in a class or in real life, that will be enough for the learner to improve. their speaking skills.
But then I asked the learner, hey, I mean, do you watch movies in English?
Do you watch TV series in English? with the subtitles in English or sometimes without subtitles.
And then the response is usually, no really, I could do it more, not so often.
That's not how it goes, you know? Speaking and listening go hand in hand.
If you want to speak better, listen a lot.
But of course, just listening is not enough.
You also need opportunities to speak the language.
But don't neglect listening, all right? Next myth.
Watching movies with subtitles in your native language is effective for learning.
Look, this encourages reading the translation, not processing English.
Use English subtitles or even no subtitles to train your ear and comprehension.
I mean... Between watching a dubbed movie... in a native language or watching the movie with the audio in English and the subtitles in a native language, of course, the second option is still better.
It's like better than nothing and still you are listening to something.
But the problem is you are reading the subtitles and you are focusing on the translation.
If you really want to get that immersion experience, the audio should be in English and the subtitles should be in English as well.
And for extra challenge, sometimes... Turn off the subtitles and just focus on the audio in English.
Next myth. Short, intense bursts of study are better than regular consistent practice.
The reality is that while intensive periods can kick-start learning, consistent regular practice even fifteen to thirty minutes a day is far more effective for long-term retention and progress I talk about going to the gym all the time because I've been experiencing that myself lately, my personal life.
If you go three times a week, will you get results?
Of course you will get results. But if you go six times a week, Will you get results faster?
Of course you will get results faster. All right?
So the consistency... is incredibly important, even if it is for a short amount of time.
And I would even say just adding a little caveat here, Be consistent with breaks as well.
Yes, ideally you want to practice a little bit of English every single day, but you know, sometimes...
Give yourself a break as well. Maybe you are tired or overwhelmed or stressed.
It's okay from time to time to say, look, today I'm not going to study English.
I'm not going to do anything with English.
I need to relax a little bit. That's fine.
Yeah. So taking these occasional breaks, being consistent with these occasional breaks is also important.
All right. But overall, the strategy should be You try to do something every day.
Again, to bring back the gym analogy, Let's say that you have the habit of going six times a week, which is awesome.
But then after a few months going six times a week, maybe there is one day You're not really feeling it.
You go like, man, I'm really tired today.
I'm going to take a rest day. That's fine.
But then you come back to the routine the next day.
Next myth. Learning English through apps alone is enough to become fluent.
No, they're not. Apps are great tools for vocabulary and even basic grammar. but they rarely provide the real-world conversational practice, nuanced understanding, or extensive listening reading needed for true fluency.
I look at apps, you know, language learning apps, as great allies.
They are great allies, great complements to your study but you should be doing other things, not just relying solely on that English learning app that you use.
Okay. Use it, yes, it's great, as a compliment, but not... the ultimate solution for your language learning needs.
Next myth, you should stick to one learning method or textbook.
Effective learning often involves a variety of methods and resources. books, apps, movies, conversation partners, podcasts, to cater to different skills and keep things engaging.
Of course, you don't want to overload yourself with resources, but it's okay to vary resources.
Maybe you have... classes with a private teacher once a week.
And then you combine that class with a book that you are reading on the side or with a private community that you are part of and you join people there maybe once a week or once a month.
Or you work with a tax book. and then you change the textbook, it's not a problem to do that.
Just be careful not to overload yourself with resources because nowadays, just like information, is abundant, resources are also abundant.
Don't overload yourself, but it's totally okay for you to mix different resources and find methods and strategies that work for you.
Next myth. Thinking in your native language and translating in your head is a normal part of fluency.
It's not a normal part of fluency. It's a normal part of becoming fluent, of getting to true English fluency.
It's part of the process. And this is very common, especially for beginners.
It's okay for beginners to think more in their native language, to translate first and then speak, but true fluency involves thinking directly in English.
This transition takes time and practice, reducing the mental translation step.
There's no way to fix this aside from perseverance, patience and time.
Okay. Just keep studying, keep the exposure.
And as time passes, you will stop depending on translation.
And then you will realize that you are thinking in English right away.
You're not taking that extra step of translating in a native language first.
And usually this is very sneaky, okay? You don't really...
You might be able to do that for a long time, and then you realize, oh, yeah, I mean, I'm not translating anymore.
So it's not so obvious. It's usually in one of those moments when you least expect it, you have that realization that, oh, I'm not translating anymore.
I don't know exactly when that started when it happened but I'm not doing it That's how it usually happens.
Next myth. You must travel to an English-speaking country to find native speakers to practice with.
Well, It's kind of related to living in an English-speaking country, but the reality is that the Internet nowadays... offers countless opportunities for you to find speaking partners who are native speakers if you want to practice with a native speaker, all right?
But then that also connects with the next myth, and the last myth of the video, which is you should only practice speaking with native speakers.
Yes, I think it's absolutely valid for you to get speaking practice with other native speakers of English, but not just native speakers.
Make sure you also... speak with non-native speakers of English, especially considering that there are many more non-native speakers of English in the world And chances are, when you interact in English with people in real life, you're going to be speaking mostly with non-natives. you have to practice listening to other accents as well.
So, What does an Italian sound like when they speak English?
What does a Chinese sound like when they speak English?
A person from Poland? a French person. So expose yourself to a variety of accents, not just... a native accent.
I think it's absolutely okay for you to have a native accent as your guide and as a reference.
Let's say, I love American English. My basis, my base is American English.
But once you have that base, that foundation, you can expose yourself to...
Countless other accents. And that's going to be a very enriching experience for you.
And there you have it. These are 20 plus myths about English learning.
Now let's jump into the learner's corner before we close this episode.
And I have here a very nice comment from a viewer.
The viewer is Hassan Salik or Salik15. Listen, I'm a 28-year-old architect and I've been studying English on my own for some time.
Unfortunately, I don't have anyone around me to practice speaking with, so I have to learn everything by myself.
There were times when I had to take a break, but now I'm fully committed again and working hard to reach an advanced level.
Your videos have helped me not only improve my English, but also stay mentally strong You offer more than language lessons.
You share wisdom, real-life perspective, and encouragement that makes people feel understood and guided.
Thank you for being a true mentor and a source of motivation.
Thank you so much for the wonderful comment.
I really appreciate that. And good luck on solidifying your English level to an advanced level.
You mentioned here that most of her... studies have been done by yourself, which is great.
But eventually, you know, you want to have some speaking practice Somehow, either with a teacher, with a group, at work if you can, but make sure you interact with people to really get to that advanced level you so And I would also say maybe prepping for a proficiency exam. at C1 level could be your next goal.
You already write very well, as I can see here in the comment.
You make no mistakes, and your writing is very clear.
You have a good sense of punctuation and also capitalization of the letter, so...
Maybe it just, you know, formally preparing for, let's say, the Cambridge C1 exam. could be a good next step for you, for you to really become that advanced speaker, right?
Thank you so much for the comment. And if you want to do it just like this viewer, you can leave me a comment here under this video, letting me know what you thought about today's episode, of course, but you can also write me an email at hello.teachercheagle at gmail.com. or even you can send me an audio message by going to speakpipe.com slash English with Thiago.
I hope you enjoyed today's episode and thank you so much for hanging out with me.
Reflect on these funny myths and see if you hold any of these beliefs.
All right? I'm Chag, I'm signing off. Thank you so much.
And I'll be talking to you very soon in the upcoming episode.
Bye-bye.
