Stop 'Grinding' at English – Make Friends and Start Chatting!

Is this you?

You've flipped through vocabulary books countless times, working your way from 'abandon' to 'zoo' and back again, but when you really need to use a word, your mind goes blank. You've memorised grammar rules inside out – all those subjects, predicates, objects, modifiers – yet when you try to speak, you still stumble and stammer, unable to put together a single fluent sentence.

We often feel that learning a foreign language is an arduous battle, like having to conquer one peak after another. But the result is often that we're left half-dead with exhaustion, still standing at the foot of the mountain, sighing at the distant scenery.

Where's the problem?

Perhaps we got it wrong from the very beginning. Learning a language, in fact, is more like 'making friends' than 'solving a maths problem'.

Imagine you want to get to know a new friend. Would you memorise their CV, family background, and life story, or would you invite them out to watch a film, chat about shared interests, and share a meal?

The answer is obvious. The former would only make you feel dull and bored; it's the latter that would allow you to truly get to know and like the person.

The way we treat language is often like memorising that boring CV. We desperately try to memorise its 'rules' (grammar) and its 'vocabulary' (words), but we forget to feel its warmth and experience the joy of 'being with' it. We treat it as an 'object' to be conquered, rather than a 'friend' we want to deeply understand.

This is the root cause of our frustration and slow progress.

A Different Approach: Enjoying Time with Your 'Language Friend'

Once you switch your mindset from 'studying' to 'making friends', everything will fall into place. You'll no longer need to force yourself to 'attend classes'; instead, you'll start looking forward to every opportunity to 'meet up' with it.

So how do you 'meet up'? It's simple: turn the things you already love into a bridge between you and the language.

• If you're a foodie: Stop reading only Chinese recipes. Find an English-speaking food blogger you like on YouTube and cook a dish with them. You'll find that “fold in the cheese” is ten thousand times more vivid than memorising the word 'fold' from a book.
• If you're a gamer: Change the game's language to English. In a world full of quests, dialogue, and battles, you'll do everything you can to understand every word – just to win. This is more effective than any vocabulary app.
• If you're a music lover: Find an English song you have on repeat, look up the lyrics, and hum along. The melody will help you remember words and intonation, and the emotion will help you understand the story behind the words.
• If you're a film buff: Try turning off Chinese subtitles and only using English ones. It might feel unfamiliar at first, but slowly, you'll find yourself able to 'hear' and understand more and more.

The key is to integrate the language into your vibrant life, rather than keeping it confined to cold, hard books. When you're doing something you love, your brain is relaxed and happy, making it most efficient at absorbing information. You're not 'memorising' words; you're 'using' them. And as you use them, they become a part of you.

The Most Important Step to Making Friends: Starting the Conversation

Of course, the most crucial step to making friends is truly starting a conversation.

Many people get stuck at this point, either because they're afraid of making mistakes and embarrassing themselves, or because they simply don't have language partners to practise with.

This is like wanting to invite a new friend out but being too nervous and shy, ultimately giving up in silence.

Fortunately, technology has given us a perfect 'assist'. Now, chat apps like Intent allow you to take that first step without any pressure. It can connect you with real people around the world, and its built-in AI translation function acts like a super smart 'chat assistant'. When you don't know how to express yourself, it can help; when you don't understand what the other person means, it can also help. It's like having a brilliant 'magical translator' sitting beside you when chatting with a foreign friend, someone who understands both of you, enabling you to communicate smoothly and learn the most authentic expressions. Communication is no longer an exam; it's a relaxed and enjoyable adventure.

Click here to start your first international conversation

So, stop treating foreign language learning as a tedious chore.

Language isn't a wall you need to painstakingly push down; it's a bridge that can introduce you to new worlds and new friends.

From today, put down those heavy textbooks, close those boring apps, and go chat with the world you love. You'll find that when you stop 'studying' it, you actually learn faster.