Is it possible to improve your English level in your late twenties?

[Javfly33]

I feel my English level can't get much better. When I go out and hang out with some people from outside and I speak its like I'm fucking dumb lmao, its like I know 1 million English words but my phrases just use 100 words over and over.

I want to orientate my career to get a remote job from some first-class European countries like UK, Germany, Netherlands..etc but pretty much all of them ask for a Proficient English level. I have intermediate level right now. It seems that to get to this Proficient level one must have certain high verbal fluency and I have doubts if that is possible to achieve at a late age. 

[MarkKol]

Actually speaking it is key so speak with yourself if you have to but preferably with others, it can be online

Living in an English country > Speaking In RL > Speaking online > Speaking with yourself.  
 

writing/reading is supplementary. But reading is superior to writing in my experience.

Edited January 25, 2023 by MarkKol

[Thought Art]

@Javfly33 Yeah you can improve it I think with intentional practice 

[Leo Gura]

Of course. All it takes is practice and training.

Blogging, public speaking, writing, and recording videos would all help you a lot. Also just contemplation in the language.

You can even practice thinking out loud to yourself, or use a voice recorder and narrate your thoughts to it. I've done that. It's powerful. Try talking into a voice recorder for 30 mins stright without stopping. You will feel its power. Don't judge your when you start.

Edited January 25, 2023 by Leo Gura

[TheAlchemist]

Film yourself holding a 5 minute speech on any topic every day. You can talk about a pen, your neigbours dog, solipsism or anything at all that comes to mind in the moment. Keep the videos and look back to them at times, I did this every day for a few months and I think it really helped me. This small habit also helps you develop your vocals, along with your thinking and presentation skills. To keep it fun and interesting you could also practice storytelling, humour, intonation and a ton of other things related to expressing yourself. 

Edited January 25, 2023 by TheAlchemist

[StarStruck]

You need a role model who can speak very well and copy his catch phrases. Once you integrated his language skills, you can choose another role model until you develop your own style.

[Leo Gura]

You can watch TikToks of Andrew Tate saying Bugatti and copy him.

[StarStruck]

4 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

You can watch TikToks of Andrew Tate saying Bugatti and copy him.

I copied Andrew Tate's vibe (without the toxic mindset) and girls adore it. ?

[Nilsi]

2 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

You can even practice thinking out loud to yourself, or use a voice recorder and narrate your thoughts to it. I've done that. It's powerful. Try talking into a voice recorder for 30 mins stright without stopping. You will feel its power. Don't judge your when you start.

This.

You can also record yourself reading a book out loud (ideally fiction), listen back to the recording and practice those phonemes and words that you struggle with.

This is also great practice for speaking in general - you can find your tone and free up a lot of emotional blockage by embodying the characters and their emotional state.

[Leo Gura]

25 minutes ago, StarStruck said:

I copied Andrew Tate's vibe (without the toxic mindset) and girls adore it. ?

Douchebag vibes

[Javfly33]

3 hours ago, StarStruck said:

You need a role model who can speak very well and copy his catch phrases. Once you integrated his language skills, you can choose another role model until you develop your own style.

I think that's a good idea, I have to find a good friend English speaker to hang out more regularly. 

5 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Of course. All it takes is practice and training.

Blogging, public speaking, writing, and recording videos would all help you a lot. Also just contemplation in the language.

You can even practice thinking out loud to yourself, or use a voice recorder and narrate your thoughts to it. I've done that. It's powerful. Try talking into a voice recorder for 30 mins stright without stopping. You will feel its power. Don't judge your when you start.

I see, like a solo-podcast, seems like a good idea, will try. 

4 hours ago, TheAlchemist said:

Film yourself holding a 5 minute speech on any topic every day. You can talk about a pen, your neigbours dog, solipsism or anything at all that comes to mind in the moment. Keep the videos and look back to them at times, I did this every day for a few months and I think it really helped me. This small habit also helps you develop your vocals, along with your thinking and presentation skills. To keep it fun and interesting you could also practice storytelling, humour, intonation and a ton of other things related to expressing yourself. 

That made me laugh lol

 

Ok guys I guess there's hope then thanks for the motivation

[flowboy]

@Javfly33  would it be an idea to join a book club?

Discussing literature would force you to use a lot of words that you don't need in the day-to-day.

 

Yes, I definitely think it's possible.

I also have a harder time learning languages (German needs improvement atm) than I used to as a kid, but I think it comes down to the fact that as an adult, we have less survival pressure to learn, and we spend way less time and effort.

Even practicing with Duolingo for 10mins a day is too much for me to take on at the moment, go figure.

As a child in school I'd have to spend hours a day in classes, practice speaking, read literature in that language, write down tables of conjugations and cases... and my survival depended on it (grades).

No doubt if I were to do that now, I'd be learning just as fast.

If that doesn't work, I'd look into getting more sleep and rejuvenating your brain with psilocybin ?

Edited February 22, 2023 by flowboy

[EugeneTheSage]

I think in this question you rely on the assumption that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". I think it is not a matter of age but a matter of neuroplasticity - how flexible your mind is. You could be very rigid when you are 20, and still very open-minded and a quick learner when you are 60

I notice when I consume a lot of extra bullshit content: news, or some random videos on YT, I become slow with delayed reaction and feel dumb.