RealLife English: Learn and Speak Confident, Natural English #359 How I Became Fluent in English Without Talking to Natives, My Journey of Going From Student to Teacher, and Why You Should Join an Online Community
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Oct 16, 2023 Ksenia, fluency coach, shares her journey of becoming fluent in English without talking to natives. Topics include practicing with non-native speakers, the power of the Fluency Circle, and relieving stress and anxiety in language learning.
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Learning Mostly With Non-Natives
- Ksenia practiced English mainly with non-native teachers and classmates in Ukraine before university.
- She improved through private tutoring and university speaking exercises despite few native interactions.
Textbook English vs Real Listening
- School English was textbook-focused and didn't prepare students for real-life, fast connected speech.
- Authentic listening like movies exposes learners to natural pace and colloquial language missing from class recordings.
Music Sparked Early Interest
- Ksenia credits music in her childhood home for planting early interest in English.
- Parents played English pop songs like Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson, which she hummed despite not understanding lyrics.