You will NOT learn to speak English well in an English speaking country if …

Hey, hello

So, many people believe that living in an English-speaking country

can have a massive effect on their English development

and over the long term allow them to use English at a high level.

You might think the same, and if you do, I don't blame you.

It seems to make sense because you will be exposed to English every day.

You will listen to friends or teachers talk in English.

You will do your shopping and many other things in English.

Naturally, this should lead to improvements in your English.

And of course, the longer you live in that country,

the better your English should get.

But in reality, it's not that simple.

And I will explain why in a moment.

But before I do,

Hey just a quick side note

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So, please give it a try.

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Now, back to the video.

Okay, so I'm here to tell you

that living in an English-speaking country does not guarantee proficiency in English.

And there are several reasons for this.

So let's go over each and every one of them.

Reason number one

Limited interaction with native speakers

This might sound surprising,

but it is quite a common issue.

When students go abroad,

they often tend to spend time with people

who share the same language and cultural background.

They are in a new place,

and they have to deal with a new culture and way of life.

It's quite an overwhelming experience.

And having a support network

that speaks your language

and understands your culture

can make things a whole lot easier.

But here is the problem

social interactions are crucial for learning a language.

And if you are mostly sticking to your own community,

you're not getting the English practice you need.

Having a support network is essential,

and it's great to have one.

But if you rely on it too much

because you're afraid of making mistakes or not being understood,

it can hold you back.

It will stop you from pushing yourself

to use English in everyday situations.

Which is something you need to do

in order to improve your English.

Reason number two

The range of conversations you have in English is quite limited.

Even if you are actively using English in your everyday life,

the types of conversations you have are usually quite basic and repetitive.

Most of these interactions involve ordering food, buying tickets, booking transport,

or asking for directions.

These are all useful,

but they don't push your language skills beyond a basic level.

You are mostly using a limited set of vocabulary and simple sentence structures

that don't really challenge you to improve your English proficiency.

For real progress,

you need to engage in more complex and meaningful conversations.

By that I mean discussions

where you have to express your opinions, have debates,

explain your thoughts, or even tell stories.

These kinds of interactions require a wider range of vocabulary,

more advanced grammar, and the ability to convey complex ideas.

Everyday conversations just don't provide such a level of challenge.

Remember, if you really want to develop your English to a higher level,

you need to move beyond basic conversations

and find opportunities to have deeper conversations.

Situations where you need to think critically and use more complex language.

Reason number three

Reliance on AI and translation apps

Okay, we can all agree that at university

we use English to express complex ideas.

We participate in discussions, give presentations, and write essays.

Ideally, these activities should help us improve our English skills.

But in reality, things are a little bit different.

Life abroad and the workload at university can be overwhelming.

And it leaves students with little time to focus on improving their English.

Most students

they're just thinking about completing their assignments and tasks.

And to deal with that, many of them, if not all, rely heavily on AI tools

like grammar checkers, translation apps, and even large language models like ChatGPT.

They use these models and these AI tools to polish their presentations and papers.

These tools are the future and very useful to make sure your work is error-free.

But they also can prevent you from actively engaging with the language.

The problem is that instead of working on vocabulary and grammar yourself

you are leaving all that to AI.

To really improve your English, it's essential to put in the effort yourself.

You can still use AI and translation tools,

but it shouldn't be the first thing you refer to.

It is much better if you try

to write and speak as much as possible without assistance.

And then use these tools only to check your work.

This way, you're challenging yourself to think and communicate in English,

which is where the real learning happens.

Reason number four

Lack of feedback on your English

Whether you're having day-to-day conversations or are presenting in class,

people usually won't correct your grammar or offer feedback on your English.

Their focus is on meaning, not on accurate grammar or vocabulary use,

basically, on understanding you.

And as long as that happens,

they are unlikely to point out your mistakes or ask for clarification.

But the problem with that is that

you need feedback in order to improve your English.

Reason number five

Human nature

Choosing what's easy over what's best

Most of us naturally tend to choose the path of least resistance.

We tend to do what's easier rather than what's best for us.

We choose to try quick fixes like weight loss drugs

instead of committing to a consistent diet and exercise routine.

We believe in get-rich-quick schemes

because we want to avoid putting in the hard work.

This tendency is also evident when learning a new language.

That's why when moving abroad we usually rely on our community

and AI tools to navigate challenges.

We do that to solve our immediate problems,

and because we're managing to get by in life,

we start to believe or maybe even convince ourselves

that achieving high proficiency in English is not necessary

or worth the time and effort.

And as a result, we stop focusing on improving our English skills.

So these are the reasons

why living in an English speaking country doesn't necessarily guarantee

that you will learn to speak English well.

There are so many people who live for years and years in an English speaking country

and are only able to speak the language at an intermediate level.

The environment you are in is important.

It provides exposure to English and opportunities to use it.

However, that alone is not enough to significantly improve your language skills.

What really makes the difference is the intention and effort

you put into learning and improving.

Without actively seeking out feedback, studying grammar, and expanding your vocabulary

you will plateau at a certain level of English and will struggle to move beyond that.

Remember, the key to high English proficiency is not

just being in an English speaking environment

but it's actively using and improving your skills within that environment.

It's the combination of exposure and deliberate practice

that will help you achieve higher proficiency.

It will take time.

It won't be easy.

But it will be worth it.

Think of the successful people you know.

Most of them are effective communicators.

They can influence people, get their support and motivate them.

They can express their thoughts clearly.

And they can change the way they communicate based on the situation

and person they are interacting with.

Being able to speak English well in an English speaking country

will help you to do all of that

and will most likely be a significant factor in your academic and personal success.

That's all.

Thank you. Thank you for watching this video.

And if you found it useful

please like, subscribe and share it with your friends.

Also, leave a comment if you like.

I will see you in the next video

and until then

keep studying, keep improving

and stay motivated.

Bye