How to Measure Your Progress in English
Do you feel “stuck” in English, like you’ve hit a plateau and you just don’t see progress anymore? That’s totally normal for an advanced speaker like yourself!
When you first learn English the grammar and vocabulary are all new so when you start using it the progress is visible and it’s exciting. But over time the progress is slower, the jumps aren’t as high and this could cause you to feel two things.
Feel unmotivated to improve since you can “get by”
Feel discouraged since you don’t “see” any improvement.
So, if you can understand most of the time and others understand you, what’s the problem?
I’m going to be BOLD!
It’s you… And how you measure progress. ( and TBH it’s often me, too, since I’m a recovering perfectionist ;p)
“I’ve been living in the US for a few years and I still can’t order a latte at Starbucks with oat milk clearly.”
“I’ve been watching pronunciation videos every day online and I still can’t understand how to speak faster.”
“I’ve been working with native speakers for 5 months now and I still can’t feel comfortable jumping into the conversation.”
“I’ve been ___ *insert your thought* for so long and I still can’t ___ *insert your thought*”
Let me introduce you to a mindset reframe:
“THE GAP and THE GAIN”.
You’ve been riding the English plateau and focusing on the gap. What does it look like to target the gain? Rather than the above phrases, please try these below:
“I’ve been living in the US for 3 years now and I can laugh with my colleagues at jokes.”
“I’ve been watching American sitcoms for years and now I can understand without subtitles”
“I’ve been listening to English podcasts for 2 months and now I can recognize the American flap T pronunciation.”
“I’ve been ___ for ___ and I can ____”
Comment below to share your sentence with me. It shows that you want to live in the GAIN, not the gap. Awesome!
P.S. Pronunciation coaching is not just about learning sounds and rules; you’ll also learn how to overcome mindset barriers so you can be a CLEAR and CONFIDENT speaker of English. And as a coach, I’m right next to you to help you stay motivated when you need the extra push. Let’s start working together- first step accent evaluation, second live 1:1 sessions, hybrid course, or group course.