She Speaks Like an AMERICAN! And She Shares How YOU CAN TOO!

Hello everyone.

Today I'm talking to Minahil.

She's only 14 years old, almost 14.

She's from Pakistan and she speaks  English just like any American.

14 year old I know.

So she is going to share her story today.

Welcome Mina Hill.

First tell us, how did you  learn English so fluently?

Do you think you have a natural talent  for it, or was it a result of hard work?

Or perhaps a combination of both?

I'd say it was probably  like a combination of both.

I would say maybe I had a  bit of like a natural talent.

I think for me how it started was, I'll be honest,  

I have no idea when I actually started  learning because you know how a child  

would pick up things in like any language, like  in their native language usually as they grow.

That was me.

I usually I grew up with like  English movies or like shows.

I loved reading fairy tales as a kid music.

So it was kind of like, that was my environment  for like, at least me when I was alone.

It would be how I grew up.

So I won't say I never  actually like, studied for it.

Like, I definitely did work on it as I grew up.

But it definitely started  as more of a natural talent,  

you could say I guess or  just like as my environment.

But as I grew, I did like, I wouldn't say try to  

formally like attend classes or  anything like that, but I did.

I continued with like movies  and my shows in English.

I love to read.

I've read a lot of books to the  point I cannot count how many.

So if that counts as learning, I definitely did.

I tried.

I try focusing on my vocabulary, my pronunciation,  

because there's still a lot of  stuff I would say I'm not good at.

I'm not going to say I'm perfect  because I definitely am not.

So you can see it's like a combination of both.

It sounds like you did a great job of surrounding  

yourself with English and making  English part of your environment.

So you live in Pakistan.

Obviously it's not a native  English speaking country.

So do your parents speak English?

Were they part of helping you  create this English environment?

I would say they definitely did support me.

Like they never really forced me to not do it.

Or I will say really had to cut off  like a bunch of social interactions.

Mostly because I'm not trying to be in any way  negative, but it's kind of like people will  

maybe assume you're trying to be a little bit  of a show off if you really continue that way.

So I definitely tried cutting  off social interactions with it.

They did too, but they did.

They definitely supported me.

But I think the person who mostly like,  

helped me out with, like speaking that  way with me were me and my brothers.

We usually grew up like  speaking that way to each other.

But apart from that, it was  my aunt and my late uncle.

So they definitely, like, helped out with that.

And what language do you speak  at home with your family?

It's either Urdu or English.

I prefer English.

I just.

I feel like it's a little easier for  me, like I I would most of the time.

I won't realize that I'm just gonna be  start speaking Urdu and I'll suddenly  

like just the go on into English and then  I'm gonna realize away what am I doing?

And then I'm not have to stop myself.

So it's like a bit of both.

And what about in school?

Do you go to school in English?

Most of our subjects we study are in English.

Yes, there's only two subjects we have  that are in Urdu, but apart from that,  

we do usually like have our course in English.

But me personally, I just like  to communicate in English.

I always feel like it makes  me feel a little more like  

me than I do when I'm speaking my native language.

So personally for me, yeah.

That's interesting.

And why do you think you relate more to  English than you do your own native language?

That's a very interesting question.

That's something I often wonder  myself because like, you wouldn't  

expect most people to feel a little more  confident speaking the native language.

But for me it's the opposite.

I like my friends often ask me to try to,  like, speak in my native language because  

I have never like from to most of my friends, I  have never actually spoken in my native language,  

so they're often asked me and I  go, I can't it it makes me nervous.

So I think it was just the way I grew up,  

like around everything in English,  like my books and my shows.

I'll be honest, I think like books.

I'm a very extroverted person,  but books are kind of like books,  

and fictional characters are my best friends.

So you can see I kind of grew up  surrounding myself in the environment,  

so it just makes me feel  a little more comfortable.

And how about your friends?

You mentioned they want to speak  in Urdu, your native language.

So are they more confident in their  native language compared to English?

Or do they communicate as fluently  as naturally as you do in English?

How would you compare that?

I will say like, I personally feel  like they're a little more confident.

I'm not trying to judge anyone  like it's up to them how they feel.

I do feel like they're a little more  confident in the native language.

I won't say they're like as fluent,  

but I also feel like they have the  potential to be if they tried to.

But for the most part, they're definitely maybe  a little more confident in my native language.

If any of you are watching, please  do not take this offensively.

I'm just trying to be honest.

Absolutely and for sure for  all the friends watching,  

just know language learning is a journey.

I'm sure if you probably have skills that are  

higher than Minah Hill in  certain areas as well, so.

Definitely.

We all have our own unique skills and talents.

So tell me, how do you feel about  the English you learn in a classroom?

Do you have English classes where you sit down and  learn the English language in a classroom setting?

And how do you feel about that compared to  the English that you hear on TV in your books,  

that you like to read English in the real world?

Yeah, we do have an English class.

Like we've got English like  almost every day of the week.

So I will say the English and textbooks and  in classrooms is certainly very different  

from like IRL English just because I think  most of the things you learn in a classroom.

I often ask myself when am I ever going to  read all this in like a normal day setting.

I feel like movies and like other  books you would read like maybe  

a little more like non fiction or even fiction.

Just like textbook English and  like novel English is are like  

two different things from the way I see it.

So I feel like movie English and movies or books,  

it's definitely a little more relatable to  your daily life than it could be to textbooks.

So that that's just my opinion.

I just feel like it is.

Well, it's certainly done wonders for  you because you speak as I said in the  

introduction, you speak like any 1314 year old  American girl including how fast you speak.

For the audience watching, just know that  how fast she's speaking, this is often.

How fast younger kids speak.

I know I used to speak very, very  quickly when I was 13 as well.

So but your vocabulary, the  expressions that you use,  

your pronunciation, it sounds just  like a North American 14 year old girl.

So.

Thank you.

Did you?

Learn all of these expressions  and pronunciation in school.

Or was that just from being absorbed to  the content, the movies, the TV shows?

The books.

How do you think you did it?

Yeah, yeah, I definitely think a  little more from, like, textbooks.

It was definitely more from, like the content I  used to watch as a kid or like I used to read.

I just used to, like, indulge  myself in 'cause I feel like accent.

It's definitely something you can build,  

but at the same time it's also like  something that comes in natural.

Like, I feel like if somebody like a non-native  speaker was to try to learn my native language,  

their pronunciation would definitely  be a lot different from like the way  

I say it or the way my family or just  like people living in Pakistan say it.

So I definitely feel like that's  where my accent came from.

I didn't necessarily have to try to learn it.

It just like came from the way I always saw it,  

heard it being pronounced in my shows or  books or like the way I read it in books.

So that's I definitely think  mine just came in naturally.

It's amazing that you say that.

And for all the students watching, if you learn  pronunciation from a native speaker like MENA MENA  

Hill did, then you will be able to pronounce the  sound so that imitation is so important and you're  

living proof of the results that you get because  it is just absolutely amazing hearing you speak.

Now let's talk about your speaking skills,  because you may know that a lot of people  

learning English as a second language,  they struggle with their speaking skills.

They get quite confident with  grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing.

But then when it comes to speaking they  they don't have the same level of skill.

But clearly your speaking  skills are absolutely excellent.

So how did you personally  improve your speaking skills?

I feel like I'm sure you said this in your  videos once, but you know how when you're  

writing it down or like you're reading, it's  like no one's actually listening to you say it.

So you're a little more confident  in, like, doing it right.

But when you try to see it in front of  someone, especially the native speaker,  

you suddenly just feel anxious and you start and  your mind just goes, what if I make mistakes?

Or like, what if I mess this up?

That's something like that.

I'll be honest.

That happened to me like it  used to when I was younger.

But now growing up like I'm, I've  been a lot more confident with this.

I feel like that that's I'm more  nervous if I speak my native language.

Those are the thoughts that  run through my mind speaking  

my native language than they do speaking English.

So I think one thing is just don't let  yourself become anxious or like don't  

fear making mistakes because everyone  makes mistakes for all human beings.

That happens.

Just don't be worried about like if I  mess this up is someone going to judge me.

If they do, I say let them.

That's that's what people are going to do.

So don't worry about people's opinions.

If you're doing it, you're  doing great for yourself.

You should be doing it for yourself so  like you don't have to worry about that.

If like I think a tip to  improve your speaking skills,  

something that definitely works  for me is speak to yourself.

It doesn't even have to be like formally you  don't have to be sitting in front of a mirrors.

What think I do this is more of  a habit of mine at this point.

But I'm I'd be like reading a book.

I'll be watching a movie or like ATV show  and something's going to happen and I'm  

going to stick there for 5 minutes rambling to  myself on and on and on about the situation.

I could be alone in the room or in  the house and I'll still keep going.

So it's for me, it's become more of a habit.

I can't stop myself from it.

So I do definitely think, don't  be nervous about doing that.

It's like normal.

I definitely help me.

So just like try speaking to yourself first.

Don't just don't be afraid of making mistakes.

It happens.

Just like feel.

Relax yourself.

Just speak.

It doesn't matter if you miss, make mistakes.

It's completely fine.

If you want to like you can  always, like I said, you can.

If you're like preparing for something,  like you're preparing for a speech or like  

an interview, you can always stand in front of  the mirror, try to practice it, or like you can.

It can eventually build into  a habit like it did for me.

But as you're reading, as you're listening,  

you just you should just let yourself express  your opinions and ideas, even if it's just you.

You don't have to have someone  there with you to speak to.

You can always speak to yourself.

I'm so glad you said that,  and that's definitely advice  

I share with all my students,  and that is what I do as well.

I speak to myself all the time.

It's a great way to prepare,  it's a great way to practice.

And when I was learning foreign languages,  I always spoke to myself in that foreign  

language because I didn't have access to other  people, but I always had access to myself.

So it's just an easy, easy thing to do.

And I'm glad you do that.

And I'm glad you recommend it as well.

Now because your English is so  amazing and you're only almost 14.

For those of you watching, she's  going to be 14 in just one week.

She let me know.

So almost 14.

Happy early birthday, because  your English is so amazing.

Are you done learning?

Do you still sit down and  formally learn the language,  

or do you feel you've achieved the result  that you want with your English skills?

No, I don't think I'm not  gonna say I'm done learning.

I don't ever want to be like done  with it because I think this,  

I will definitely say there's a difference  between when you have to learn something like  

you don't want to and there's something you want  to learn, something you want to do for yourself.

So that's definitely like me and English.

Like if I I'd say if it was like  something like if it was a school subject,  

maybe a subject I didn't necessarily  like, I definitely would be like,  

OK, I'm done learning this,  that this is all I ever need.

I'm done.

But I feel like this is something  I'm not going to be done with.

I'm definitely going to continue.

I still I like I said I never  actually formally try to learn it.

I just a more off you know I went with it.

So I definitely I when I say  I'm I'm not done learning.

It's in a sense that I still like to read.

I still like to watch movies or shows in it.

Sometimes I like open up a  dictionary and look for words.

Sometimes I like to like to search up  synonyms of words I feel like I use a lot.

So I'll try to like, search up synonyms,  

try to replace the words with  something a little different.

It always help, like with  vocabulary and pronunciation too.

And right in speaking, I feel  like it just helps a lot.

So yeah, I don't think I'm done.

Good answer.

Because we are all lifelong learners,  we should never stop learning.

So I'm glad you're committed to  keep improving, keep learning.

And I ask you that just because a lot of  students, they, they really want to know,  

OK, when is that timeline in the future that I  will be fluent and therefore done with English.

That's seems to be what they have.

There's going to be some date in  the future, maybe three months,  

six months, one year where they're  done with English, they're fluent,  

they've achieved the result,  they can move on with their life.

But I still learn new words, new ways to  communicate, better ways to share my ideas.

And I'm a native speaker, so I'm glad you're  committed to that lifelong learning as well.

Excellent.

There's just like you're never  you can never be done with it.

If you if you think you're done well,  you're actually done for, like that's it.

You're gonna forget what you learn.

Like six months later, that's just over for you.

All that work just goes to waste.

What a clever thing to say.

If you think you're done, you're done for.

You're done for.

In English, to be done for means  like you're finished, you're.

For.

Longer.

You're not successful anymore, You're  out of the game, you're done for.

So that's a very clever phrasing.

I love that.

So thank you.

You're only 14.

You have this high level of English.

Do you think this will help you in your future?

What?

What do you see yourself doing  in the future and what role do  

you feel that English is going to play in that?

And why is it important for you  to improve your English skills?

I definitely think it's going to help me a lot.

Like I said, I'm a very extroverted person,  

so I feel like some of my goals  for the future are the career wise.

I want to be an interior designer when I grow  up, so I feel like that's something you're  

definitely going to have to communicate  with people from all over the world.

You might not speak their native language.

So I think if you, especially if you want to,  

if you're like career path is something  that you feel like you're going to have  

to interact with a bunch of people from like a  different country, different parts of the world.

It's definitely something that  can help you because like,  

you can't always learn everyone's  native language in the same way.

I really want to travel the entire world,  

like every single place I can  possibly go to, I want to go.

So again, I cannot learn all those languages.

So English will definitely like  help communicate with people.

Apart from that, I really just think  it's like something I have fun with,  

Like they just love to read.

I mean, extra words and bookworms  are two things, two different things,  

but I'm just like merged into  one, so that definitely helps.

I love to, just like books always help  enhance my vocabulary and all that.

And I I hope this is an  off track, but I love Kpop,  

so I hope I can meet some of  my favorite idols one day.

And I I don't know if I like managed to learn  Korean till then, so maybe that will help.

So there's a lot of things I definitely  think English can help me with in the future.

Well, you never know where English can take you.

And if you do meet one of them, most likely  you'll speak in English more than Korean.

So there you go.

Now English will be your  doorway into meeting them.

I hope that.

Happens me too.

Now, interestingly, we're having this  interview because your mom sends me  

an e-mail because your mom is  a regular viewer of my video.

Yeah, hi.

Yeah, hi mom.

So, and she said that I should interview  you because you have a great worry to share.

But then from that I learned that your  mom is also learning English, of course.

So how would you compare your mom's  experience learning English and trying  

to become confident with English compared to  your experience with the English language?

There's definitely a big difference  between my mom learning it and me,  

because she definitely is like trying to  formally learn it, something I didn't do.

So that already is like a big difference.

And me and my mom are like 4 decades apart.

She was 40 when I was born.

So I feel like the resources I have learning  and like the resources she might have had if  

she was trying to learn at the age I  was, would have been a lot different.

So like that generation gap already is  like a big you could tell the difference.

So now that she's much older,  

I feel like she might just have a  little less of an opportunity to speak.

Now she's also like, she's not  the most extroverted person,  

so she might just not have a lot of  opportunities to use her English.

She just has to, like formally  learn it because she just, like,  

didn't try to when I when  she was like maybe younger.

She just maybe she never, She wouldn't have  

had the resources she has now or the  resources I had when I was learning.

So it definitely there's a big difference.

She still might maybe, like struggles with a few  things she like, often needs to search them up.

I definitely think she's improving a lot, but  there's a big difference between her and me.

So, like, she might still be a little  more hesitant speaking than I am.

So yeah.

And what advice would you give to  your mom and all the other viewers  

in the same situation where they're they're older?

They started learning English at a time when  the resources weren't available, the style  

was very different, more formal studying from  textbooks, and they're still struggling today.

What advice would you give to  that person just like your mom?

Well, one thing.

Don't just, like, stop.

Because I don't want anyone to think,  OK, when am I like at this age,  

at this point in life, When am  I ever going to need it again?

So like, don't just stop learning.

And it's definitely like there's  a lot of different ways to learn.

Some people definitely try to learn from textbook.

I I remember reading this book  called Effortless English.

It's definitely had like a few things I  agree with, so I will I will say like you  

can always like try to study grammar  or read textbooks, but like don't try  

to just completely indulge yourself in like  textbook English and grammar you should like.

Like I said, I I learned from like  just reading and like listening.

So I will say also sometimes textbook  English just might not be exactly what  

you want to learn from try to  do things that interest you.

Like there's a topic that is a  specific topic that interests you.

Like you're into music or you're into  news, you're into a specific genre.

You can always continue that.

But in the language you're  trying to learn and also like I,  

I definitely know the world we live in.

People are often like, they're going  to be judgmental of a lot of things.

They're going to be like, OK, like, why do  you need this and why do you need to do that?

And that's something that really annoys me.

So just don't listen to them.

Just try to just do what you want.

They're you're never too old to, like,  learn something new or to try something new.

You're never too old to, like, do something.

I know something like this might seem a little off  

topic but you know how people say,  OK, Barbies are for little girls?

That I I'm 14.

I I still, I rewatch.

I watch Barbie movies.

I I will still godly have a  whole collection of Barbies.

So like, you're never too old for anything.

Do what you want.

Let people say what they want.

It doesn't matter.

You can like listen to them and  then forget they ever said anything.

It's not their business.

It's your life.

You do what you want.

Such a wise perspective to have  at such a young, young age.

I'm so glad you said that.

And it's so true.

And also like you said, it's finding a way of  learning that is unique to you and that you enjoy.

Because we all have different learning  styles, We all have different interests.

The way you learn, yeah, is not  going to work for someone else.

So fine.

For everyone else.

That works for you.

Mm hmm, well thank you so much for being  here and sharing all your tips and advice.