The Truth: Why your English is NOT improving

Vanessa: I really  

want to improve my English-speaking skills,  but I just don't have anyone to speak with,  

and then when I do have an English conversation, I  totally forget the words that I want to say. Does  

this sound like you? If so, you are not alone.  Last month, I asked my English students what  

their biggest frustrations with learning English  were and there were five common frustrations that  

seemed the same, no matter the student's level,  no matter the student's country or background,  

and they might be the same for you too. Hi, I'm Vanessa from SpeakEnglishWithVanessa.com,  

and today I want to help you with the top  five English learning frustrations and how  

to fix them because you don't want to be stuck  in your frustrations for long. You'll lose your  

motivation. You'll stop learning English.  You might never get that promotion to an  

English-speaking job or travel easily around the  world. I want you to reach your English goals. So  

let's tackle these top five English frustrations  and fix them once and for all. And like always,  

I've created a free PDF worksheet for you to  download with all of today's top frustrations,  

how to fix them, and some important links  so that you can watch other videos and  

have other resources that will help you  to solve that frustration for yourself.  

You can click on the link in the description  to download that free PDF worksheet today. 

Let's get started with English frustration number  one. English frustration Number one is this,  

"I can't remember the words I want to  say when I speak." This is so frustrating  

because maybe you're watching vocabulary  lessons, you're trying to memorize lists,  

you're trying to build your vocabulary so that  when you have a conversation, you have the words  

that you want to say, but then they just seem to  go floating away in one ear and out the other. So  

what can you do to actually remember vocabulary?  I recommend using the four-step vocabulary method,  

which we'll practice in just a minute, but let's  take a look at the four steps. Let's imagine that  

there's a new word that you want to learn. Maybe  "ever since." You heard other people using this,  

you get the general idea, but you never  use it yourself in conversation. So how  

can you remember "ever since?" Step number one, you need to look  

it up in a dictionary. I highly  recommend the online dictionary  

YouGlish because it involves clips from around  the internet, and you can hear people using  

this in real sentences, not just textbook  sentences. After you write down the meaning,  

write down some sample sentences that you saw in  the dictionary, you can move on to number two,  

which is while you're watching English  movies and TV shows, listening to podcasts,  

watching my lessons, listen especially for the  key phrase "ever since" that, you want to learn,  

and write down those sentences that you hear  because that's how it's really used in real life. 

Number three is that you can look for it in  writing. As you're reading English news articles,  

as you're reading English emails, look for  the key phrase that you're trying to remember,  

"ever since." Do you see here that we're trying  to find out how to use this phrase in real life  

using a lot of different media so that it finally  soaks into your brain? Because step number four is  

to use it in conversation. You might need  to consciously decide to use it. It might  

not spontaneously come up yet. So you can think  about common conversation topics that you have.  

Maybe you commonly have small talk in the office.  Well, you can integrate the word "ever since" into  

a common phrase that you might say. When someone  asks, "Hey, how was your weekend?" You could say,  

"You know what? It was great. Ever since I started  going to bed earlier, I feel so much better."  

You used it in conversation, you. Great work. So now I'd like to take a look at a clip where  

we are actually practicing this technique  together. We're going to take a look at a clip  

from this video where we use the four-step  vocabulary method together. Let's watch. 

Let's imagine that you want to remember this  phrase, "ever since." Maybe you heard me use  

it in a video. "I found Vanessa's English lesson  six months ago, and I've been passionate about  

English ever since." Oh, this is a great phrase.  You want to be able to use it too, but when you  

have an English conversation, you know that you're  just going to forget it. So what can you do? Well,  

let's go through the four steps so that you  can remember this lovely phrase "ever since." 

Step number one is to look up the word in a  dictionary. You need to know the basic meaning.  

I recommend using an English dictionary. If this  is too tricky for you, maybe you are a pretty  

low beginner, it's okay to use a translated  dictionary, but if you are a little bit above  

a beginner, if you can understand this lesson in  English, I recommend using an English dictionary.  

This way, you are immersing yourself in English.  So look it up in the dictionary, in your notebook,  

write down the definition. Oh, ever since means  from that moment. Okay, but I need a little bit  

more than that. So you can use a pronunciation  dictionary or a dictionary in context, such as  

this website YouGlish. YouGlish is awesome because  you can type any phrase and it will find somewhere  

that uses this phrase in a video. Beautiful.  You've got context, you've got pronunciation,  

you've got some kind of interest because there's  a topic. So let's watch a clip from YouGlish where  

you'll see "ever since" used. Speaker 2: 

Ever since I was probably five years old,  I always wanted to work with animals. 

Ever since I was probably five years old,  I always wanted to work with animals. 

Vanessa: Excellent. Now  

that you have the definition, you've watched it  on YouGlish, you can make your own sentence in  

your notebook. So you might say, "Ever since I  found Vanessa's lessons, I have been passionate  

about English." Lovely. Let's go on to step number  two, which is to listen for that phrase in movies,  

TV shows or songs. These common phrases come up  all the time, so when you can hear them, you'll  

get more context for how to use them and you won't  forget them. Let's take a look at a quick clip  

from a movie called Ernest Saves Christmas, where  you'll hear the phrase "ever since." Let's watch. 

Speaker 3: Christmas is just about  

my favorite time. Ever since I was a little kid,  I always felt like it was my own personal holiday. 

Christmas is just about my favorite time. Ever  since I was a little kid, I always felt like it  

was my own personal holiday. Vanessa: 

You heard him say, "Ever since I was a little  kid, I felt like Christmas was my own personal  

holiday." Ever since I was a little kid.  So at that moment, from that moment,  

he has always felt like Christmas was his  own personal holiday, basically for his  

whole life. Let's take a look at this in a song.  Unfortunately, I can't play this song for you  

because YouTube will have some problems with my  video, but in this Harry Style's song, he says,  

"I've been praying ever since New York."  Okay, well, he went to New York City and  

something happened, and he has needed to pray.  From that moment, from that trip until now,  

"Ever since New York, I've been praying. I've been  praying ever since New York." Great. You've got  

more input by finding it, listening for it  in media. Let's go on to step number three. 

Step number three is to look for this phrase in  a book. Are you noticing a theme here? The more  

input you have, the easier it will be to remember  this phrase. So let's take a look at a quote from  

a book that uses ever since. I'm going to read  this phrase for you here, author Rupi Kaur says,  

"I felt like you threw me so far from myself.  I've been trying to find my way back ever since."  

So he was in a relationship that really made him  feel unsteady, and when that relationship ended,  

he's been trying to find himself again. So he  says, "I've been trying to find my way back  

to myself ever since." So since that person  threw him, so far it's a little poetic here,  

he's been trying to find his way back  ever since, from that moment. Beautiful. 

All right, and step number four is to use it in  a conversation. When you have been focusing on  

the phrase "ever since" in books, in movies, in TV  shows, in YouGlish, in a dictionary, writing those  

sentences down, it is in your mind, it is stuck  in your mind. So you can consciously, this means  

you make the decision to use this phrase the next  time you have a conversation. So you might say,  

"I started watching cartoons in English when I was  a child, and I've been excited about English ever  

since." If someone asks you, "Oh, your English  is pretty good, how did you get started learning  

English?" You could use this phrase, "Oh, well,  I've been watching cartoons since I was a kid,  

and I've been excited about English ever since.  From the moment I was a child until now," and it's  

continuing into the future. Ever since, success.  You have used this phrase in a conversation. 

All right, let's go on to common English  frustration number two, which is,  

"I want to speak, but I don't have anyone to  speak with." Well, good on you wanting to speak  

in English. You know that it's important, but how  can you really find someone to speak with? Well,  

the solution is you can learn English  and speak in English right now from home.  

Yep, it's true. In 2022, the YouTube English  lessons that you loved the most were part of  

a speaking series where you got the chance to  practice speaking with me. This is a great low  

stress way to practice speaking so that  when you get the chance to speak with  

someone in the real world, you will be ready. So what we're going to do, you're going to see  

a sample conversation with my husband, Dan  and I, where we're talking about a topic,  

and then you will get the chance to answer the  same questions and practice speaking with me.  

We'll do this for two different conversation  topics, and I challenge you to listen to the  

sample conversation and then to also practice  speaking out loud. The great thing about a video  

is that you can always pause and review and watch  it as many times as you need to. Let's watch. 

Hey, Dan, how's your week going? Dan: 

Oh, it's going great. I just got  back from a week at the beach. 

Vanessa: Oh, where'd you go? 

Dan: We went to Pawleys Island. My  

family's been going there for years. Vanessa: 

Oh, what do you like to do at the beach? Dan: 

Just hang out at the beach, mostly. We play in the  sand, build sandcastles, read books. I love it. 

Vanessa: Do you do that every year? 

Dan: Yeah, we try to go over there every summer,  

and sometimes for a holiday too. Vanessa: 

Oh, well, welcome back. Hey, how's your week going?  

Oh, great. Where'd you go?  

Oh, what do you like to do at the beach?  

That sounds like a great vacation.  Do you do that every year?  

Oh, cool. Well, welcome back. Hey, Dan, you doing anything fun this weekend? 

Dan: Yeah, I'm going to be hanging out  

with some friends from out of town. Vanessa: 

Oh, that sounds great. What are you going to do? Dan: 

Mostly just hang out, but we're going to go on  a hike and then go to my favorite restaurant. 

Vanessa: Oh, what's your favorite restaurant? 

Dan: It's an Asian fusion restaurant  

with great tacos and delicious kimchi. Vanessa: 

Sounds wonderful. What else are you going to do? Dan: 

Just walk around downtown and go to a few  shops, grab a few beers at the local breweries. 

Vanessa: I hope you have a great time. Enjoy your weekend. 

Hey, are you doing anything fun this weekend?  

That sounds fun. What are you going to do?  

Cool. Where's your favorite place to go?  

Well, that sounds fun. What  else are you going to do?  

Well, have a great weekend. I'll see you later. Great work practicing speaking with me. I hope  

this was a low stress way to start speaking  now. Let's go on to common English frustration  

number three, which is, "Ugh, I cannot  understand fast english conversations."  

Has this ever happened to you that you're  watching an English movie or TV show,  

and as people are speaking, you think, "Oh my  goodness, this is absolutely like a different  

language than the one I learned at school.  Is this even English?" Well, you know what,  

you learned classroom English at school and real  English is quite different than what you actually  

learned in the classroom. This means that in  the real world, people use real English with  

linking and reductions and different ways to speak  than you learned in the classroom in a textbook. 

It can be really frustrating when all of the words  just blurred together. You've been practicing so  

hard to improve your vocabulary and grammar and  pronunciation, and then you try to listen and  

nothing makes sense. So what's a solution? How  can you understand fast english conversations?  

I recommend using the conversation breakdown  method where you will analyze real English  

conversations and breakdown what makes them  so fast so that you can understand them and  

use that type of natural speaking yourself.  Let's take a look at a clip where my husband,  

Dan, and I try different desserts. You'll see a  short clip of us speaking, and then we'll use the  

conversation breakdown method to break down some  common, fast speaking points in our conversation  

so that you can understand it better and  also speak better yourself. Let's watch. 

All right. You want to try the peanut brittle? Dan: 

Sure. I'm going to take this huge piece. Vanessa: 

Okay. All right. You want to  

try the peanut brittle? Dan: 

Sure. I'm going to take this huge piece. Vanessa: 

Okay. You heard Dan say, "I'm going to take this  

huge piece," but did it sound like that? Nope.  He said, "I'm going to take this huge piece."  

Let's break this down. At the beginning of  the sentence, he uses a great contraction,  

"I'm. I'm." This is I plus am. That makes I'm.  And then, he makes a reduction within another  

reduction. He says, "Going to take," but he  doesn't say going to, he says, "Gonna," and then  

he reduces it even further. He cuts off the G and  says, "unna. I'm going to take this huge piece.  

I'm unna take this huge piece." Sometimes when  we're speaking really quickly, we reduce going to,  

to gonna. "I'm gonna to take this huge piece," but  we might reduce it even more. Cut off the G and  

just say, "I'm unna take this huge piece. I'm unna  take this huge piece." Do you want to practice a  

sample sentence with me? Yes. Let's do it. "I'm going to visit my friend," becomes,  

"I'm unna visit my friend." Can you say that with  me? Let's say it slowly first and then we'll speed  

it up, because if you're going to use "unna,"  it needs to be in fast English. You can't say,  

"I'm unna meet my friend." No. This needs to be  a reduction in a fast sentence, so let's say it  

slowly and then we'll speed it up, "I'm unna  visit my friend. I'm unna visit my friend."  

Let's say it fast, "I'm unna visit my friend. I'm  unna visit my friend. I'm unna visit my friend."  

Great work. All right, let's watch the  original clip one more time and I want to know,  

has your listening and pronunciation  skills improved with just this one clip?  

Imagine when we do all of the other clips  from this video. All right, let's watch. 

All right, you want to try the peanut brittle? Dan: 

Sure. I'm going to take this huge piece. Vanessa: 

Okay. All right. You want to  

try the peanut brittle? Dan: 

Sure. I'm going to take this huge piece. Vanessa: 

Okay. Great work. I hope  

you are able to understand this fast English  conversation sentence and that you are able  

to improve your listening skills. Let's go on to  common English learning frustration number four,  

and that's this, "I don't have time to study  English." You know what, our world now is a  

busy place. If you ask 10 people if they're busy,  I bet 10 people will say, "Yes." What about you?  

Are you a busy person? Probably so. So who really  has time to improve their English skills? Well,  

the answer is no one. No one has time. You have  to make time. Well, we're certainly not someone  

who has control of the universe and can stretch  out time, so how can we really make time? Well,  

I'd like to show you a clip where I give you four  useful and important suggestions to help you,  

yes, busy you, to make time to study English  during your hectic busy life. Let's take a look. 

Suggestion number one, schedule a  certain time each day for English.  

Make sure that this is realistic. You cannot  say, "I will study for four hours after I come  

home from work every day." Do you know what's  going to happen after one week, maybe less?  

We call this burnout. You will burn out.  That means you will become so exhausted  

and you will be annoyed at learning English.  You won't want to do it anymore, so make sure  

that you set a realistic time, 15 minutes, 30  minutes, set this time aside and make it the  

most important thing that you want to accomplish  that day. For that 15 or 30 minutes, you can play  

a podcast in English while you are commuting to  work. If you don't commute, you could listen to  

a podcast while you're cooking breakfast, while  you're folding the laundry, while you're taking  

a walk around your neighborhood. You can just  spend that time doing something with English. 

Or you could subscribe to my YouTube  channel. I have over 300 English lessons.  

Maybe you have not seen all of them, so you could  watch one lesson per day. That's about 30 minutes  

each day. Immerse yourself in English and learn  something new. Great, and I hope you'll enjoy it  

at the same time. My first tip was to set aside  a specific amount of time every day. My second  

tip is to surround yourself with English. Even  if you're not in an English-speaking country,  

you can still do this. You can find fun and  creative ways to immerse yourself. Here are some  

of my suggestions. You can change the language  settings on your phone or on your browser on the  

computer. That means that just as you are looking  at news articles or as you are reading a recipe,  

whatever you're doing on your phone, all of  the text is going to be in English. Simple,  

effective, and doesn't take any extra time. You could also take some sticky notes  

or little pieces of paper with tape and put them  around your house to label different items. Write  

a full sentence, and this will help you to be  able to see English and have your brain switch  

over to English for that moment. You could read  your favorite books in English. If you need any  

recommendations for good books in English, I  love reading, so I have made, I think, four  

videos about book recommendations. You can check  out this one up here, which is beginner books,  

or if you have never read a book in English  before, I recommend starting with those books.  

You can check out that link up here to get  some ideas, or you can check out the link in  

the description, which is my Amazon storefront. I have listed on there all of the books that  

I recommend, and you can just click on them and  purchase them. I think I get like 10 cents from  

each purchase, so it's not really that much for  me, but it's just a way to show you the books that  

you can read and give some recommendations and  where you can get them. And finally, of course,  

you can watch some TV shows or cartoons in  English. Sometimes children's cartoons are  

a great way to get started. They use simple  language for kids and they speak slowly. You  

can see the action developing. It's a good way  to start to immerse yourself more in English. 

Well, now that you have made time for  English, let's go on to our fifth and  

final biggest frustration when learning English,  and that's this, "I feel like I'm not making any  

progress." Has this ever happened to you? You  start the new year with lots of motivation,  

"Yeah, this is the year I'm going to improve  my English. I'm going to speak confidently. I'm  

going to do it," and then two weeks later, what  happens? Your motivation starts to go down and you  

start to lose sight of why you wanted to improve  your English in the first place. If this is you,  

don't feel bad. This has happened to almost all  of us, but we want to fix this. We want to grow  

our motivation and maintain it so that you can  see progress and you can actually improve. So  

how can you maintain your motivation so  that you can really see real progress? 

Well, my solution is to track your progress,  and this way you can see the real results that  

you're having. For some people, this might mean  taking an English test, but for a lot of people,  

it's not realistic to take an English exam  every six months to see your progress. So  

what could you do instead? I recommend giving  yourself a short term deadline. You don't  

know what your life is going to be like in  three months or eight months or four years,  

so instead, make a goal for this month. This  way you can see your progress over 30 days,  

and that will help you to  maintain your motivation. 

Well, congratulations. We have overcome the  top five frustrations that you as an English  

learner might be feeling. I'm here to help you.  I'm your teacher. Don't forget to download the  

free PDF worksheet for today's important lesson  with all of the frustrations, solutions, links,  

and ideas to help you overcome them step by step.  Well, thank you so much for learning English with  

me, and I'll see you again next Friday for a new  lesson here on my YouTube channel. Bye. But wait,  

do you want more? I recommend watching  this video next where you will learn how  

to become a fluent English speaker in 2023.  You'll learn my top 10 tips for finally  

achieving fluency and confidence in English.  I can't wait to help you. I'll see you there.