Have you ever felt lost in an English conversation because what you hear doesn’t match what you learned in class? You’re not alone!
Sometimes people don’t use perfect grammar when they speak, which can confuse listeners. It’s difficult to understand everything when what you hear does not agree with what your teacher has explained.
What to do in class?
Get ready for informal English with practice and help from your tutor:
🎯 Ask for “real English” lessons. Teachers tend to use grammatically correct language when talking to students, so ask them to show you how people actually speak. This will help you with informal English.
🎯 Practise, practise, practise. Expose yourself to authentic English. Listen to podcasts, watch movies, and gradually start conversations with native speakers outside the classroom.
What to do while you listen?
If you are talking to someone who does not speak correctly try these strategies:
🎯 Focus on key phrases, not on sentences. Instead of trying to understand everything, only pay attention to what makes sense to you.
🎯 Focus on the general message. You don’t need to get every detail. It’s better to understand more or less than to panic and understand nothing.
🎯 Focus on non-verbal language. Watch gestures, facial expressions and general body language. If they laugh they’ve probably told a joke. If they look worried, it might mean problems…
Check out Andrew Miles’ books on Business English for more insights! www.andymiles.com
