Effortless English: Learn To Speak English Like a native

For Practice
Do a ten minute timed writing exercise every day. During this time, write as quickly
as possible without stopping.
The next day, reread the previous day’s journal entry. Quickly identify problems
and mistakes. Rewrite your journal entry to make it clearer. Cut out anything that is
unnecessary.
On day three, you’ll go back to step one and do another timed writing. Continue
following this pattern, alternating timed writing with rewrites.

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CHAPTER 19
Why You Should Not Practice Speaking
During my first English teaching job in Korea, I worked with a staff member
named Seo. Seo worked in the sales office of the school. His job was to convince
parents to enroll their children. Seo was an energetic and friendly guy. He was also
determined to improve his English, which wasn’t great.
Since Seo worked at an English school which employed over twenty native
speakers, his strategy was to “practice” his English with us at every opportunity.
Each day Seo would look for one of the teachers. When he’d find one, he’d corner
them and talk as much as he could using broken English. He was especially
interested in idioms and made a great effort to use them during these chats.
During my year in Korea, I was cornered by Seo many times. Though he was a
likable person, I quickly began to dread my encounters with him. The other teachers
felt the same. Whenever we saw Seo, we walked the other way. No one wanted to
talk to him!
What was happening? Were we being mean? The truth is, we avoided Seo because
he was trying to use us as free English tutors. Rather than communicate with us as
friends, he “practiced” English on us. He asked us to correct his mistakes. He asked
us to confirm that he was using idioms correctly. He asked for pronunciation advice.
Chats with Seo soon felt like teaching an English class rather than communicating
with a friend.
By seeing us merely as practice opportunities, Seo killed the possibility for a true
friendship. We felt he was trying to use us. Conversations with him were unnatural
and annoying because his focus was solely on the English language rather than on
true communication.
Because of this approach, Seo never made friends with any of the teachers.
Ironically, had he just talked to us as people, without focusing on English, he would
have easily made a number of English-speaking friends. He would have had the
opportunity for many more real conversations.
Unfortunately, Seo is not unique. Many learners are obsessed with “practicing”
their English. Because their focus is on practice, these learners search desperately
for “conversation partners.” Yet, by insisting that others correct their mistakes or
offer English advice, these learners usually drive away native speakers who would

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otherwise be happy to chat with them.
This is why you must not try to “practice” English with native speakers. Instead of
practicing, simply focus on being a true friend. Communicate, without focusing on
the English language. Talk about your shared interests. Ask questions and listen to
their answers. Show your appreciation and understanding. In other words, treat them
just as you would a friend who speaks your own language.
One of the best ways to do this is to meet people who share a common passion.
For example, if you love movies, join online forums dedicated to movie lovers.
Join international fan clubs dedicated to your favorite movies or musicians. Connect
with others who share a hobby with you.
When you communicate with these people, talk about your shared passion. Never
ask them to correct your English. Don’t apologize for your English. Don’t ask for
any English advice at all. They are not your English teachers, they are your friends.
You’ll learn far more by just chatting with them than by trying to make them your
personal tutor.