Hello, everyone. Welcome back to Podcast and Chill on the Learn English Podcast channel.
I'm Leo, and with me is Gwen, as always.
Hi, everyone. We're so glad to have you with us again.
Gwen, I've been looking at the comments and many of our listeners say they understand English, but when they can't speak… Yes, that's really common.
Speaking can be hard when you're not used to it or when you worry too much.
Exactly. You know, sometimes you understand the words, but when it's your turn to talk, nothing comes out.
Yes, it happens to many learners.
They get stuck, even if they know what to say.
So today we'll talk about this, do I need to fully understand English to speak it?
No need to know every word, we'll show you how to focus on the message, not every small detail.
That's right. Speaking is about sharing ideas, not about being perfect.
So stay with us and we'll help you feel ready to speak English with confidence.
And don't forget, we've got a free PDF with today's key points.
Check the description below and make sure to download it.
You know, Gwen, I've been thinking what matters more when speaking English.
Being smooth or getting every word right.
That's something a lot of learners wonder about too.
Yeah, I see it all the time in comments.
People really want to speak, but they're worried about making mistakes.
I get it. But here's the thing, being able to communicate is way more important than perfect grammar.
Right. I mean, even native speakers make small mistakes, right?
They do. And research by Dr.
Paul Nation from Victoria University of Wellington shows that focusing too much on correct grammar can slow down learning to speak.
That's interesting.
So if you're always trying to get every word right, it might actually make speaking harder?
Yeah, Dr. Nation's research found that speaking smoothly comes from using English often, not from stopping to fix every mistake.
That makes sense. The more you talk, the more comfortable you get, right?
Yes. And there's also a study from Cambridge University Press that found learners who focus on speaking more often gain confidence faster.
That makes sense. The more you talk, the less you worry about making mistakes, right?
Yes. And the confidence you gain from speaking often helps you get better over time.
So to everyone listening, don't stress about getting everything perfect.
Just focus on sharing your ideas.
And remember, even if you don't know every word, you can still communicate with gestures and tone.
Yeah, it's not about perfection.
It's about being understood.
And, you know, Gwen, something else I've noticed is that people get really stuck on trying to understand every single word in a conversation.
That's so true, Leo.
But the reality is, you don't need to understand every little detail to keep the conversation going.
Right. Focusing on the key message is what really matters, right?
Yes. If you focus too much on small details, you might miss the bigger picture.
I've read studies from the British Council that suggest learners who focus on the main idea of conversations tend to speak more confidently.
That makes sense. It's like when I'm talking, I just try to get my point across, even if I don't use the perfect words.
And that helps build confidence over time.
Another thing that helps is learning through context.
Yes. Even if you don't understand every word, you can use context to figure out the meaning.
For example, look at gestures, listen to tone, and watch body language to understand the message.
I do that all the time.
It's amazing how much you can understand just by watching someone's movements or their tone.
And this is a skill you can practice.
For example, when someone's voice goes up, they might be asking a question.
Or when they use a lot of hand movements, they're probably explaining something important.
So even if you're not catching every word, you can still stay involved and understand the main idea.
Yes. And over time, this will help improve your speaking and listening skills.
All right, Gwen, let's share five useful words from our conversation to help our listeners.
Sure. That sounds great.
The first word is fluency.
Fluency means speaking smoothly without too many pauses.
For example, he spoke English with fluency.
The second word is confidence.
Confidence is when you feel sure of yourself.
For example, she spoke with confidence in the meeting.
The third word is gesture.
A gesture is a movement of your hands or body to help communicate.
For example, he made a gesture to show he was finished.
The fourth word is tone.
Tone is the way your voice sounds when you talk.
For example, her tone was friendly when she greeted me.
And the fifth word is context.
Context is the situation or background that helps you understand the meaning.
For example, the context of the conversation helped me understand the new word.
Now let's discuss a bit.
Gwen, do you think understanding context is more important than knowing every word?
I do. Understanding the situation gives you enough information to follow the conversation, even if you don't know all the words.
That makes sense. What about gestures?
How much do they help in communication?
Gestures help a lot.
They add meaning to your words and help the listener understand what you're saying.
Agree. So to our listeners, how do you use gestures and context in your own conversations?
Let us know. And remember, don't be afraid to make mistakes.
Practice makes you better.
Gwen, let's talk about something really important, how to listen better in conversations.
Yes, that's called active listening.
Active listening means you don't just hear the words, you really focus on understanding the message behind the words.
You're not just waiting for your turn to talk.
Instead, you're really trying to connect with what the other person is saying.
You don't have to understand every single word.
Focus on the main idea, the core message they're trying to share with you.
Here's a way our listeners can practice active listening.
When you're listening, try to pick out the key words or phrases.
For example, if someone is talking about their weekend, focus on the activities they did, like went hiking or watched a movie.
You don't need to understand every detail about the movie they watched or the hike they took.
Just focus on the big picture, what was the main event.
Then, if you don't understand something important, ask a question.
It's okay to ask questions like, what do you mean by that?
Or, can you explain it again?
Asking questions shows you're paying attention and it helps you understand more clearly.
That's right, Leo. There's research from the University of Michigan that found when people ask questions to clarify, they not only remember more from the conversation, but they also feel more connected to the person they're talking to.
So, asking questions is a great way to build understanding and keep the conversation going.
Now, Gwen, let's talk about another issue that many learners face, fear of making mistakes when speaking.
Yes, that's such a common fear.
Many learners think they need to speak perfectly.
But the truth is, mistakes are a natural part of learning any language.
If you're not making mistakes, it probably means you're not challenging yourself enough.
That's so true, Gwen.
If you're always waiting until you have the perfect sentence, you'll never get started.
And the more you practice, even if you make mistakes, the faster you'll improve.
There's a study from Stanford University that shows learners who accept their mistakes and keep speaking improve faster than those who focus too much on avoiding mistakes.
That's a great point.
Don't be afraid to make mistakes.
The most important thing is to communicate your ideas.
Focus on getting your message across, even if it's not perfect.
Speaking of communication, Gwen, some learners think they need to use big, complicated words to sound smart.
Yes, but actually using simple, clear language is often better.
Simple language helps more people understand you.
It's not about using the most difficult words.
It's about making sure your listener understands what you're saying.
There was a study by the British Council that found using clear, simple language makes conversations smoother and reduces misunderstandings.
So instead of trying to impress people with big words, focus on speaking clearly.
That's right, Gwen.
I always tell people to keep it simple and direct.
The clearer you are, the easier it is for others to understand you.
And finally, I want to remind everyone that learning a language, especially improving your English, takes time.
Yes, you're not going to understand everything right away, but that's perfectly okay.
Little by little, with regular practice, you'll see improvement.
There's a study by Cambridge University Press that found learners who practice regularly see significant improvements over time.
So be patient with yourself.
Your English will get better, and you'll start to notice the difference as you keep practicing.
All right, Gwen, let's share five useful words from our conversation today.
Sure. The first word is active listening.
Active listening means focusing on what someone is saying and not just hearing the words.
For example, she practiced active listening during the meeting.
The second word is mistake.
A mistake is something that you do wrong.
For example, it's okay to make mistakes when you are learning English.
The third word is clear.
Clear means easy to understand or see.
For example, it's important to speak clearly so others can understand you.
The fourth word is communicate.
Communicate means to share information or ideas with others.
For example, we use words to communicate our ideas.
And the last word is patience.
Patience means staying calm while you wait or while you learn something new.
For example, learning a language takes patience.
Now, Gwen, do you think active listening is something that everyone can improve with practice?
Yes, I do. The more you practice, the better you get at it.
What about making mistakes?
Do you think people should focus less on avoiding mistakes?
Absolutely. Mistakes are a part of learning, and it's okay to make them while improving your skills.
What do you think, listeners?
Do you find it hard to practice active listening, or are you worried about making mistakes when you speak?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
So today we talked about whether you need to fully understand English when speaking.
The answer is no. It's more important to focus on sharing your ideas, even if you don't understand every single word.
Remember, communication is about confidence, and it's okay if you don't know every word or make a mistake.
Well, that's all for today's episode.
We hope you enjoyed learning with us.
Don't forget to check out the free PDF file we've prepared for you.
You can find it in the description or in the comments section.
And if you have any questions or thoughts about today's episode, leave a comment below.
We'd love to hear from you.
Thank you for joining us today.
We'll see you again in the next episode.
Goodbye for now.
