In an era when humans are making enormous strides in sectors like biotechnology, e-commerce, and nanoscience, we still appear to be relying on the same English study methods we’ve used since the beginning of the century. The majority of English teachers from all over the world still put a strong emphasis on refining grammar and vocabulary, which is an outdated and unproductive technique of education. There are still a lot of Spoken English programs that provide writing assignments as homework to students. Some of these classic English study methods have found their way onto the Internet as Online programs or Discord classes in some situations.
However, most non-native learners throughout the world have discovered that simply switching to an online classroom or attending English sessions via Discord would not make a difference if the teaching style is misguided and obsolete. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the popular myths about obsolete English study methods people still use these days.
Myth #1: When learning English, you must polish your grammar
This is arguably the most common misconception about learning English. Most English teachers still try to cram tens of thousands of grammar rules into their pupils’ heads, resulting in a massive mental barrier. Most students who attempt to grasp grammar before gaining an intuitive sense of how the language flows fail horribly or give up due to a lack of confidence, as evidenced by numerous studies done around the world and across multiple cultures.
Consider how you learned to speak your native tongue. Did you begin by knowing all of the world’s grammar rules, or did you simply speak? When you first begin your English studies, you should take the same strategy. When you get into the habit of having English conversations, you begin to talk more freely, and the grammar rules you’ve learned thus far begin to make more sense.
This is why English speaking practice is the best method that focuses on getting students to have English conversations rather than wasting time learning millions of grammar rules. Our sessions in the discord server are 100 percent real-life dialogues between students and native English speakers. Our English learning method is centered on practice rather than theory.
(By the way, Grammarly.com is a fantastic FREE resource for anything relating to English grammar.) Why pay for grammar classes when there are so many other wonderful free alternatives available?
Myth #2: Speaking English with non-native speakers is the same as speaking English with native speakers
Speaking English with anyone is beneficial, but for the best outcomes, you should have the majority of your talks with native English speakers. Speaking English is a very habitual activity, and if you spend the majority of your English discussions with non-native English speakers who aren’t proficient or don’t pronounce words correctly, you’re likely to develop the same erroneous language patterns.
That is why, in our online speaking sessions, people mostly pair with native English speakers. This, as we’ve discovered, is the most efficient technique for English language learners to improve. Of course, practicing English with non-native English speakers is preferable to having no English conversations at all, but there are disadvantages involved, such as the development of negative habits.
Myth #3: To be fluent in English, you must memorize a large number of words
A common misperception among ESL students is that learning a large number of new words is required to improve their English speaking skills. English is a language with millions of words, yet you only need around 20% of them in about 80% of the real-life conversations you’ll have in your lifetime.
Our Discord server puts a big focus on helping you activate your vocabulary. Most intermediate ESL students, in our experience, already know a large number of words, phrases and idioms. The difficulty students have is actually using those terms in real-life situations. Most of the time, they’d hesitate in the middle of a conversation, looking for the next word, only to discover that the following word was really one they already knew. So, rather than remembering a large number of new words, the idea is to practice with native English speakers to activate your existing vocabulary.
Myth #4: As an adult, you can’t enhance your spoken English
As an adult, it is entirely possible to improve your English skills. It is irrational to believe otherwise.
Consider your pals who have spent a few years working or studying in an English-speaking country. You’ll notice that their English has improved dramatically since you met them last time. You’ll notice that their pronunciation has improved, their speech has become cleaner, and their fluency has increased. When you ask them if they formalized their English skills while abroad, you will find that the majority of them did not.
The argument is that by living in an English-speaking country and having hundreds of real-life English interactions, their brains have begun to “think in English” rather than translating from their mother tongue.
There are thousands of non-native English speakers who have progressed from elementary to intermediate levels as adults. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to!