Advanced ESL
English can be a rather tricky language to achieve fluency in. Natural speakers don’t really understand just how much thinking goes into English for the unnatural speaker; as natural speakers, they grow up with the wacky grammar, pronunciations, and bastardized Franco-Germanic influences and they become second nature. But for the person just learning to speak English, understanding all the rules and regulations is a huge achievement. Unfortunately, the learning doesn’t stop there. Next, you need to move on to advanced ESL.
So what exactly do I mean by “advanced ESL?” By advanced ESL, I refer of course to the naturalization of your English-speaking skills. You need to sound like a natural. Advancing beyond just knowing the grammatical rules and proper syntax to use in a given situation – no mean feat in and of itself, to be sure – means reducing your accent and adopting the conversational trends of the natural speaker. You want to sound like you grew up speaking English, or at least strive toward that level. Nobody expects you to truly become completely conversant and indistinguishable from a native speaker, but it’s certainly a good goal to work towards. Also, consider that as an ESL speaker, you’ll be given considerably more slack by most other Americans. They won’t expect you to lose the accent altogether, but they do want to be able to understand you.. You don’t have to be perfect – but try to be close to it!
Advanced ESL means being able to engage in normal, everyday conversations without a slip-up. Now, American conversation is comprised of little folksy sayings (“doggone it!”) and other idioms; it’s your job, as a true, committed student of American English, to learn them all well enough to be conversant and fluent in their usage. The grammar, syntax, pronunciation, accent – or lack thereof – and vocabulary are absolutely essential building blocks for any English student, but they are only the beginning. True, advanced ESL means being able to build your English aptitude upon those foundations to eventually speak English like a natural speaker. Doing so, I think you’ll find your business dealings, interpersonal relationships, and everyday encounters with Americans go much more smoothly.