When it comes to language learning, two terms appear again and again: fluency and accuracy. Both are important goals, but what do they really mean—and how are they different? More importantly, once you’ve moved beyond the intermediate stage, what practical steps can you take to strengthen both? In this article, we’ll break it down and give you clear strategies to keep improving.
So, you’ve been living in a foreign country for a while and learning its language for about the same amount of time. You expected your level to be much higher by now—that communication would no longer be such a challenge after so much time immersed in the environment. Yet somehow, despite making considerable progress, you’re still struggling. In everyday situations, you often feel uncertain, unable to express yourself clearly or follow the natural flow of native speakers’ speech.
Let’s explore the potential blockers and dive into the psychology behind this experience. Along the way, you may gain new insights, find fresh inspiration, regain your confidence, and hopefully pick up some practical strategies to help you move forward.
Writing and posting articles tagged “my diary” still feels a little tricky for me. Not just because it’s something new and not typically done on this website, but primarily because it’s personal. And the reason I’d like to continue going this personal here on my blog, which is primarily devoted to English as a second language, is that I believe what I have to share relates to learning in a broad, meaningful sense. Learning a language is just part of the lifelong learning journey many of us are fortunate to be on.
So, the purpose of this blog entry is to encourage you, my reader, to think about how our priorities change over time and how beautiful that change can be. To put this into a more practical, language-learning perspective, I’ll focus on the importance of self-acceptance and giving ourselves some slack when undertaking a challenge as big as mastering a foreign language. If you find this aspect particularly interesting, please check my post “Finding Joy in Growth, Not Perfection.” Now, let’s dive into what I actually mean by a new beginning.
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