Can't Speak English After 10 Years of Learning? It's Because You're Still Learning to Swim on Dry Land

Have you ever had those utterly frustrating moments where you've thumbed through countless vocab books, memorised grammar rules back to front, and watched hundreds of episodes of your favourite shows, but the moment you need to open your mouth and speak English, your mind just goes completely blank?

We often assume that people who speak English well are either naturally gifted or just outgoing. But what if I told you it has little to do with talent or personality?

The truth is: Learning English is just like learning to swim.

You can master all the swimming theory there is, from water buoyancy to the perfect angle for arm strokes – you might know it all back to front. But until you actually jump in the water, you'll forever be a 'swimming theorist', not someone who can swim.

Most of us approach learning English this way – practising swimming on dry land. You put in a lot of effort, work hard, but never actually get into the water.

Stop Being a 'Swimming Theorist', Get in the Water!

Think about the English speakers around you who are fluent. They're not 'smarter'; they've simply been 'immersed in the water' longer and earlier than you have:

• They work and live in environments where they have to speak English.
• They have international friends and communicate 'in the water' every single day.
• They're not afraid of swallowing water and dare to flail around in their mistakes.

See, the key isn't 'personality'; it's 'environment'. Changing your personality is tough, but creating an environment where you can 'get in the water' is something we can do right now.

Step One: Find Your 'Other Side' (Clear Goals)

Why are you learning to swim? Is it just for fun, or to swim to the 'other side' to meet someone important?

If it's just for fun, you might splash around a bit and then get out. But if there's a compelling reason on the 'other side' – say, a dream job opportunity, a culture you want to deeply understand, or a friend you want to connect with – you'll throw caution to the wind and swim with all your might.

That 'must-go' reason is your strongest motivator. It'll make you actively analyse: How far am I from the 'other side'? What kind of 'stroke' do I need? How should I pace myself?

Action: Stop saying, 'I want to learn English well.' Turn it into a concrete goal: 'I want to be able to have a 10-minute casual conversation with a foreign client in three months,' or 'I want to be able to order food and ask for directions on my own when I travel overseas.'

Step Two: The Goal is 'Not Drowning', Not an Olympic Gold Medal (Treat English as a Tool)

What's the goal for someone first learning to swim? Is it to nail the perfect butterfly stroke? No, it's to first ensure you don't sink, that you can breathe, and that you can move forward.

It's the same with English. It's primarily a communication tool, not a science you need to score 100% on. You don't need to understand every single grammar detail – just like when we speak Chinese, we might not be able to explain the precise usage of 'de, di, de' (的、地、得), but it doesn't stop us from communicating.

Stop agonising over 'Is my pronunciation standard?' or 'Is the grammar of this sentence perfect?'. As long as the other person understands what you mean, you've succeeded. You've 'swum' across!

Remember: If there's a topic you can't even hold a conversation about in Chinese, don't expect to be able to chat away confidently about it in English. Communication skills are more important than perfect grammar.

Step Three: Don't Be Afraid of Swallowing Water – It's Part of the Journey (Embrace Mistakes)

No one is born knowing how to swim. Everyone starts by getting their first mouthful of water.

Making mistakes in front of others can certainly be embarrassing, but these are the moments when you learn and improve the fastest. Every time you swallow water, you'll instinctively adjust your breathing and posture. Every mistake you make is an opportunity to remember the correct usage.

Those who are fluent in English don't not make mistakes; it's just that they've made more mistakes than you've had practice attempts. They're long used to the feeling of 'swallowing water' and know that as long as they keep splashing about, they'll always resurface.

How to 'Get in the Water'? Start by Building Your Own 'Pool'

Alright, you understand the logic, but how do you actually 'get in the water'?

1. Switch Your Life to 'English Mode'

This isn't about 'squeezing in time to learn English'; it's about 'living in English'.

• Change your phone and computer system language to English.
• Listen to your favourite English songs, but this time, try looking up what the lyrics mean.
• Watch your beloved English-language TV shows, but try switching to English subtitles, or even turning them off completely.
• Follow international creators in your areas of interest, whether it's fitness, beauty, or gaming.

The key is to do things you already enjoy, but in English. Let English be a 'part of life', not just a 'study task'.

2. Start Splashing Around in the 'Shallow End'

No one expects you to tackle the deep end on day one. Start small, and build your confidence.

• This week's goal: Order a coffee in English.
• Next week's goal: Comment in English on your favourite creator's social media post.
• The week after: Find a language partner and have a simple 5-minute conversation.

Speaking of finding a language partner, this might be the most effective yet most daunting step. What if you're worried about not speaking well, feeling embarrassed, or that the other person might lose patience?

That's where a tool like Intent can be a game-changer. It's like your personal 'swimming coach' and 'lifesaver'. You can find language partners from all over the world who want to learn Chinese; everyone is a learner, so the mindset is much more understanding. The best part is, it has built-in AI real-time translation. When you get tongue-tied and can't find the words, the translation feature acts like a lifesaver, immediately helping you out. This lets you confidently 'swim' on, instead of retreating to dry land after one embarrassing moment.

On Intent, you can confidently start in the 'shallow end', slowly building your confidence until one day, you realise you can effortlessly swim into the 'deep end'.

Stop standing on the sidelines, envying those who are swimming freely in the water.

The best time to learn English is always now. Forget those dry rules and the demand for perfection; just like a kid learning to swim, jump in, have a go, and splash around.

You'll quickly discover that 'speaking English' really isn't that hard after all.