“I have a problem.”
Petra walked into my apartment in Prague.
Today was her first lesson and she got right to the problem:
“I had a meeting with a big client from America and…”
She stopped speaking to search for the right word.
Her muscles were tight.
Her voice was weak.
She looked at the floor…
“And what happened?” I asked.
“My English was terrible! I feel like an idiot… My colleagues must think I’m an idiot… the client must think I’m an idiot…”
For millions of people around the world, English is a tool; they use English for work, travel, money, opportunities, etc.
For Petra, it was a nightmare.
(translation: a scary, frightening dream)
Petra’s English Nightmare Began In School
One day, when Petra was a teenager, her English teacher made her stand up and speak English in front of the class.
Petra made a mistake.
And everyone laughed.
Now, as an adult, that laughter follows her.
She worries about mistakes.
She worries about her pronunciation.
She worries about understanding the other person.
Sometimes her fear is so bad, she gets a headache when she hears English.
Sadly, Petra’s story is quite common.
Since 2004 I’ve heard many, many stories like Petra’s.
Hope
What I told Petra is the same thing I’ve told thousands of students since 2004
It’s not your fault: it’s your methods.
When you stop using the old school methods…
I’m talking about studying and translating and yes, stress.
And when you start using modern methods…
Your English will improve faster.
You’ll be surprised.
And best of all, you’ll enjoy it!
Reading the text I understand everything! but if I have to say it I can never pronounce it like this…. Even this comment I am writing with the help of a translator.
I’ll read the lessons many times, learn them like a poem, and then maybe the verbiage will come automatically.
Thanks Mr Vig
Румяна Велкова/Rumyana Velkova
My friend I don’t know what your first language is but be fair for a moment with your self and answer my following assumption.
what if our English teacher wants to learn yours. It must be difficult to speak Chinese or Farsi. isn’t it?
You are saying that you only have problems with pronunciation intonation cannotation I do swear that our teacher can’t read a sentence in Farsi like this: دوست دارم which means I do love you from bottom of my heart. Now listen if our teacher reads my comment he will find many mistakes including grammatical, and wrong words and many other issues.
So my advice: be kind, fair with your self and trust your teacher and work on your weaknesses to improve your English faster.
Long story short learning second language is difficult for everyone especially when we start learning at adulthood like myself.
Im the same like Petra my problem is pronunciation!
I understand Petra…but
Just believe on you 🤛💪you can learn and you can do it 😊
Hi Mr Vig
I’m Ngoné from Senegal (West African country witch capital is Dakar).
I read and understand easily the text.
Nightmare is a new word for me.
Thank you for the way you teach english.
Regards
thank you. it’s a real story . I have same problem
Well is not easy to learn English, but if you have interesting to learn you will do it one day .
I read it for many time. I similar problem like Petra, with my english teacher’s. I was telling : I sleep in bed with my wife. He doesn’t appreciated. He threw me out of the classroom. He don’t explain me why. I used the two power words he need in the sentence: sleep and bed. Until that day, he don’t accept me in her classroom. He needs my regrets, and I needed explications! I was maybe so young to tell this words in the classroom. That’s my actual reflection. But at that moment I was angry and I began to expect english. Today I need it, because I have so many friends in the world, who don’t understand french or wolof, or polish (I tell just a little polish language).
Sorry guy’s ! I am talking too much!
And I have no time to translating today.
Rectification: I had a similar problem….
Hallo, vieles verstehe ich, bei einigen Wörtern/Sätzen muss ich leider googlen. Mir fehlen dann Vokabeln, um übersetzen zu können. Wenn ich sprechen soll, kommt kaum ein Wort heraus, weil ich mich nicht traue. Was schade ist!
Very good example and also encouraging story, I do believe that method is key for success in many areas.
I can’t wait to keep learning your simple system.
Well, actually my problem about English language is not grammar or pronunciation, but vocabulary???!! Eeeww!!! That’s the hardest thing I’ve ever practiced and seen. Cuz one of my English teachers on my class had British English pronunciation. Therefore it was sort of difficult to get and catch some of her words, but many people can understand me, even my native American or Brit friends do. Look, British English accent vocabulary as I thought has worse words than American one, cuz flat means apartment. But in Spanish is more sort of ”apartamento”, so is had one similitude with Spanish, cuz I’m from Spain and actually what is difficult x me is getting Brit people including English language. They also said American English is easier than British. So I have more chances to learn American Ig
I reading this story for Petra an I 🤔 think, this is for me. I am Petra because all problems have I am.
I’m just like Petra. I’m afraid of making mistakes, too. I don’t understand whole sentences, only individual words.
I understand the text, all the text and I have a good prononciation like américain English but when I wan talk with english I can’t found words
Alaslam alikom I’m Aisha .I understand the story and I have same new words to learn thanks so much Mr vig
I’m the same like Petra
Except these two words “tight & weak”, I understand everything and I thank you ! I understand the global sens of this story.
I can read & understand most of the conversation but I’ll be terrible for answering my biggest fear 😨 to make mistakes and people laugh.
I hope all my fears are going away and speaking English as native language