How Learners can check their level of English fluency

But people don't always have the ability to do this.

So here's a fun, simple way to test our knowledge and skills by ourself...

Have you ever heard someone speaking your native language and known the next thing they were going to say?

I don't mean correctly guessing what someone is thinking about.

I'm talking about anticipating words or phrases because you recognize natural speech patterns.

There are words and phrases used in business situations, during speeches, at restaurants, on the phone and everywhere else in life that only natives use. And the more you correctly anticipate these patterns, the more knowledgeable and fluent you likely are!

Many of these patterns can be difficult for non-natives, so a great way to test your understanding is with the easier language patterns used in professional sports.

Recently, I've been watching the NBA (American professional basketball) playoffs, and during the post-game interviews, I've been able to correctly guess player responses to many interview questions.

Jayson Tatum, a player for the Boston Celtics, was recently asked what he thought about playing with many other young players on his team.

And before he could answer, Drew instantly thought his response would be, "It's been a lot of fun."

And sure enough, it was!

Now, this might seem like magic to a non-native, but all I'm doing is using my understanding of the situation to guess what his most likely response would be.

I knew it would be something simple and positive.

Many NBA coaches also wear microphones so fans can hear what coaches say to players during games.

And as a native speaker would expect, a LOT of the same words and phrases get used again and again:

"Keep your eye on the ball." (Focus on the play/goal.)

"We need to make some adjustments." (We must change our style of play.)

"Play one minute/possession/game at a time." (Think about what's happening right now.)

Check out YouTube, other video sites, or even blogs and newspapers for quotes like these from players and coaches.

Begin by reviewing a few interviews, noting what people say, and looking up any phrases/idioms you don't know.

Over time, you'll notice these words and phrases appearing again and again...

And you'll feel a LOT more excited because you'll really SEE your progress!

Great, right?

If your goal is fluency, your job is to learn the patterns natives use so you can use them yourself.

This is the difference between learning through translations and understanding the meaning of something through its context.

Natives speak automatically because they learn English directly, and so should you if you want to communicate without hesitation!

This method of building fluency

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