How Long will it take to Become Fluent in English? 12 Ways to do it Faster!

In this article:

• Why English students learn at different speeds.
• The real answer to the question ‘How long will it take to become fluent?‘
• 12 Tips to learn English faster,?outside?of your English course.

Over the past few months, I've met many Software Engineers and one question that almost always comes up when I first meet a new student is:

How long will it take for me to become fluent?

The honest answer is that?there is no standard answer?because every student is different in their ability to learn, their starting point, their commitment, goal, interest, motivation, effort and so on...

Here’s the truth:?

The ‘Bad’ News:?How quickly you learn English is?mostly?down to you.

The Good News:?How quickly you learn English is?mostly?down to?YOU.

Of course, certain teaching methods and techniques will?definitely influence how effectively you learn English, but that only accounts for time in-class.

What about the time outside your classes?

Imagine for a moment that most students spend?1-2 hours?per week?learning English and then immediately revert to their native language for the?other?110 hours?of the week that we’re awake and active, on average.

We don’t need a calculator to see that there is?a huge imbalance?(it accounts for less than 2% of your time if you’re wondering).

That’s a bit like eating fast food for?98%?of your meals and healthy food for just?2%…

…and still expecting to improve your health quickly.

It’s probably why many people say it’s easier to learn English when you live in an English speaking country because you quite literally flip this percentage around, thinking and speaking in English for 98% of the time. It’s also why?English immersion courses?are so successful.

Of course, I know this isn’t possible for everyone to do, without having to move country… or stop working!

With this in mind, a useful question to ask yourself is:

What can I do, in addition to my English programme, to learn more & reach English fluency faster?

That’s a question we can do something with, isn’t it?

There are many differences between students who learn quickly and students who learn slowly, and often it?isn’t?about learning ability, but instead their learning commitment.

One thing quick learners tend to do is to?immerse themselves in English?as much as possible. For this reason, many of the tips in this article will help you to immerse yourself in English, with little or no effort.

Tips to Learn English Faster

1. Listen to English Radio or Podcasts online

While you work, relax, cook, read, shop, drive, exercise, wherever and whenever you can. Here are some good starting points:?BBC Radio 5 Live,?BBC Radio 2,?BBC Radio 1,?BBC Podcasts,?BBC Documentary Podcasts,?BBC Business Daily Podcast,?NY Times The Daily.

2. Watch English TV

Choose to watch documentaries, movies, and series?in English. It may be annoying at the start or detract a little bit from the emotion of the programme, but you’ll improve your English comprehension faster, and that’s the goal.

3. Watch TED Talks

Watch or Listen to?TED Talks?on subjects that you’re interested in or that are useful to you and?your career. Make notes and discuss these topics with your friends or colleagues, in English.

4.?Read Books in English

Read?aloud?to also practice your pronunciation and speaking pace. You can find a huge selection of great books in English, on?Amazon.

5. Listen to Audiobooks

Another great resource we can all easily use. I suggest using?Amazon Audible. Find and listen to your favourite books. Follow along with the speaker and pause occasionally to take in the vocabulary and emulate their pronunciation. Think about using that vocabulary in another conversation so you practice actually using it.

6. Learn What You NEED to Learn

English is a vast subject, so instead of learning everything, start with what you actually?NEED. If you need English for interviews, practice your answers to the typical questions. If you need English for your meetings, practice what you want to say, making sure it has a clear beginning, middle and end.

7. Record Yourself Speaking English

I know it can feel a little uncomfortable to record yourself and listen or watch it back, especially in another language, but it will benefit you. Record yourself speaking and then listen to the tape, or ask a native speaker for some advice and feedback. This is particularly useful if you have an important upcoming presentation or meeting.

8. Find your best way of Improving

There are different types of learners such as visual, audio and kinaesthetic. Do you know what type of learner you are? Try to learn your best learning method, as this will have a huge impact on the progress that you make.

9. Acknowledge the Positives

Recognise your strengths?and what you’re?GOOD?at. This is absolutely crucial to building confidence and developing a fluent mindset. Most students are too self-critical, only focusing on the mistakes and things they cannot yet do, however, putting yourself down or only focusing on your mistakes won’t help you reach fluency.

10. Define What Fluent Means to?YOU

This is, perhaps, one of the most important tips in this list! You can’t reach your idea of fluency if you don’t know what it looks, sounds, and feels like. Think about it, you wouldn’t turn on your car GPS and forget to put the address in, would you? The same applies here. Set your coordinates for English fluency. What are you trying to achieve,?specifically? Is your goal to expand your vocabulary (by how much?), is it perfect pronunciation or grammar, is it confidence, is it speaking quickly or slowly with poise, is it holding a professional conversation with a colleague, or mastering English interviews and getting the job of your dreams??How will you know when you’ve achieved fluency/your goal??Hint – it won’t be a certificate that tells you.

11. Do Your Homework

Most teachers set around?1-2 hours?of English homework per week, at most. That’s not a lot. There really is no excuse, we all have this time available, we just choose to fill it with something else. Hold yourself accountable, the homework isn’t for your teacher, it’s for?you. This is also how you extract the maximum value for your investment.

12. Experiment with English

Look for any opportunity to speak English. Can you introduce yourself to a new colleague at work? Perhaps you could try and strike up a conversation with a stranger. How about making small talk at a party? Remember, we can only learn from our mistakes, so try to be brave and experiment with your English.

When you dramatically improve your fluency in English, you begin to speak at greater length, with deeper expression and fewer hesitations.

Imagine if you could express yourself the way you would like, without the shame or fear of speaking up in English?

It just takes one decision..

Give yourself 2/3 months of your life with unbreakable dedication and determination and you will see unparalleled success in your spoken English.

Clients who take part in my English Accelerator Programme are able to advance their spoken fluency, so they feel more confident speaking up in meetings and interviews.

If you would like to learn more, reach out, I would be happy to explain how it all works and answer any of your questions.

Tom