Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

Abstract

n 90. By the time I reached high school, I had a pretty good grasp of grammar rules and learned a lot of vocabulary from my love of reading.</p><h2 id="ac65">The 2nd phase: Making English-speaking friends</h2><p id="8b88">Just understanding the grammar of English wasn’t enough for me. My desire to understand the culture including slang words, jokes, banters, and ways to flirt drove me to make more friends who were native-English speakers. When I hung out with them, I tried to mimic their way of talking and their accent.</p><p id="924b">I also watched a lot of English-speaking YouTubers, commented on their videos, and even sent heartfelt messages to some of my favorite ones through Instagram.</p><p id="bac2">Some time after, my English improved drastically just from imitation and loads of practice. At the time, I was so proud that I was able to banter with my friend in English.</p><h2 id="84cf">The 3rd phase: Conscious learning</h2><p id="82e4">Around age 15, I started writing short stories and poetry just for myself. I had a passion for writing in English, but I felt that my vocabulary wasn’t enough.</p><p id="d6c3">Then I created a <b>100-day challenge</b> for myself: memorize 5 new words each day. I wrote down these vocabularies in a small notebook that I brought around everywhere with me. In order to memorize those words, I made sentences and short stories using them. By the end of the challenge, I had expanded my vocabulary greatly.</p><h2 id="61d3">The final phase: Total immersion</h2><p id="2955">To fully immerse myself in the language and the culture, I decided to study at a boarding school in the UK at age 16. Needless to say, I experienced culture shock. I had to learn their way of greeting people, their slang words, and even their British humor. While enjoying my time there and making a lot of friends, I also developed valuable life and language

Options

skills to survive in a different culture.</p><h2 id="302f">How can you achieve near-native proficiency?</h2><p id="ba16">First, get your motives right. That way it will be much easier to generate enough motivation to keep learning a language. If your sole purpose is to impress others, you won’t have the long-term motivation to keep learning.</p><p id="0ccc">Find an <i>intrinsic reason</i> that truly inspires you to learn the language.</p><h2 id="50bc">Which language-learning method is the best?</h2><p id="b6ad">I say nothing beats complete immersion. Living in an English-speaking country is the fastest way to learn a language because once you actually live there, you will be in survival mode. You need to speak the language daily to order at restaurants, to ask for directions, or to communicate with your host family. There is no escaping from using the language. Those daily interactions push you to improve incredibly quickly.</p><p id="1a75">However, I also understand that not many people have the privilege to study abroad or apply for any exchange programs.</p><h2 id="a8bf">Here are other fun ideas to keep language-learning interesting:</h2><ul><li>Write a diary</li><li>Write poems and short stories</li><li>Send heartwarming messages to your favorite celebrity or public figure on Instagram</li><li>Get a penfriend</li><li>Find a language exchange partner online</li></ul><h1 id="a298">Final Thoughts</h1><p id="6512">Make no mistake, mastering a language isn’t easy. The truth is you can’t become a near-native speaker in a short period of time. But the reward is definitely worth it. Think about how proud you will be with all the new vocabulary and jokes you could make!</p><p id="0c37">Don’t be afraid to embark on a language-learning journey. Dare to speak. Write more. Dare to fail. Dare to get embarrassed. Then eventually, you’ll get there.</p></article></body>

How I Achieved a Near-native Level in English

How a girl from Hong Kong learned English

Why did I start learning English?

To be honest, it wasn’t a personal choice at first.

Hong Kong is the city I grew up in and it is well-known for being an international city. It began when we were heavily influenced by British colonization from 1841 to 1997. Through years under British rule, the English language has attained an important status in Hong Kong’s political and education system. English is now recognized as one of Hong Kong’s official languages by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

So naturally, if you want to become a top student or get a high-paying job in Hong Kong, you have to be fluent in English. Living in Hong Kong, English classes are compulsory at school. Hence I had no choice but to learn English growing up.

The 1st milestone: Mastering the basics

Aside from all the compulsory English classes at school, I took a lot of private classes. As a child, I was obsessed with mastering all the grammar rules in English. I dived into grammar books and completed all the supplementary exercises.

The tuition center I went to held grammar quizzes every single week, and I never got a score lower than 90. By the time I reached high school, I had a pretty good grasp of grammar rules and learned a lot of vocabulary from my love of reading.

The 2nd phase: Making English-speaking friends

Just understanding the grammar of English wasn’t enough for me. My desire to understand the culture including slang words, jokes, banters, and ways to flirt drove me to make more friends who were native-English speakers. When I hung out with them, I tried to mimic their way of talking and their accent.

I also watched a lot of English-speaking YouTubers, commented on their videos, and even sent heartfelt messages to some of my favorite ones through Instagram.

Some time after, my English improved drastically just from imitation and loads of practice. At the time, I was so proud that I was able to banter with my friend in English.

The 3rd phase: Conscious learning

Around age 15, I started writing short stories and poetry just for myself. I had a passion for writing in English, but I felt that my vocabulary wasn’t enough.

Then I created a 100-day challenge for myself: memorize 5 new words each day. I wrote down these vocabularies in a small notebook that I brought around everywhere with me. In order to memorize those words, I made sentences and short stories using them. By the end of the challenge, I had expanded my vocabulary greatly.

The final phase: Total immersion

To fully immerse myself in the language and the culture, I decided to study at a boarding school in the UK at age 16. Needless to say, I experienced culture shock. I had to learn their way of greeting people, their slang words, and even their British humor. While enjoying my time there and making a lot of friends, I also developed valuable life and language skills to survive in a different culture.

How can you achieve near-native proficiency?

First, get your motives right. That way it will be much easier to generate enough motivation to keep learning a language. If your sole purpose is to impress others, you won’t have the long-term motivation to keep learning.

Find an intrinsic reason that truly inspires you to learn the language.

Which language-learning method is the best?

I say nothing beats complete immersion. Living in an English-speaking country is the fastest way to learn a language because once you actually live there, you will be in survival mode. You need to speak the language daily to order at restaurants, to ask for directions, or to communicate with your host family. There is no escaping from using the language. Those daily interactions push you to improve incredibly quickly.

However, I also understand that not many people have the privilege to study abroad or apply for any exchange programs.

Here are other fun ideas to keep language-learning interesting:

Write a diary
Write poems and short stories
Send heartwarming messages to your favorite celebrity or public figure on Instagram
Get a penfriend
Find a language exchange partner online

Final Thoughts

Make no mistake, mastering a language isn’t easy. The truth is you can’t become a near-native speaker in a short period of time. But the reward is definitely worth it. Think about how proud you will be with all the new vocabulary and jokes you could make!

Don’t be afraid to embark on a language-learning journey. Dare to speak. Write more. Dare to fail. Dare to get embarrassed. Then eventually, you’ll get there.