Practicing conversation in English is one of the most effective ways to become fluent. One of the main reasons is that it helps you turn your “passive vocabulary” into “active vocabulary.”
“Passive vocabulary” refers to the words and expressions you understand when you read or listen to English but might not be able to use when speaking or writing. In contrast, “active vocabulary” consists of the words and expressions you can recall and use easily in conversation.
For example, imagine that João, a Brazilian student, has learned the word “challenge” while reading articles and listening to podcasts in English. He understands what it means but never really uses it. During a conversation practice with his friend Sarah, he tries to explain how learning English is “a challenge” for him. At that moment, João successfully moves the word “challenge” from his passive vocabulary to his active vocabulary, making it a word he can confidently use in future conversations.
By engaging in regular conversations, you actively train your brain to recall words from your passive vocabulary and incorporate them into your active vocabulary. This process helps you remember words more easily and increases your confidence in using them. Moreover, practicing conversation improves your ability to think in English, making it easier to form sentences and respond naturally in different situations. Over time, this practice will make you more comfortable and fluent in English.
In addition to developing your vocabulary, practicing conversation helps you improve your pronunciation. Let’s say Clara, another Brazilian student, frequently mispronounces the word “comfortable.” In her first conversations, she says it as “com-for-ta-ble,” but after practicing with native speakers who pronounce it as “comf-tur-bul,” Clara gradually learns the correct pronunciation. This kind of adjustment happens naturally when practicing conversation.
Another important aspect is that it teaches you how to use grammar in real-life situations. For instance, imagine that Pedro always struggles with using the past tense. He often says, “Yesterday I go to the store,” instead of “Yesterday I went to the store.” By practicing with a language partner, he hears the correct structure, gets corrected, and eventually starts using the past tense correctly without even thinking about it.
Furthermore, engaging in conversations allows you to learn and use everyday expressions, slang, and idiomatic phrases that you might not find in textbooks. For example, Maria hears her conversation partner say, “I’m feeling under the weather,” meaning they’re not feeling well. Through context, Maria understands the meaning, and the next time she feels sick, she uses the same expression confidently, sounding more like a native speaker.
Lastly, practicing conversation improves your listening skills, as you need to understand what others are saying to respond. This will make it easier for you to follow conversations, understand different accents, and adapt to various speaking styles. All these benefits combined make conversation practice an essential part of acquiring English as a second language.
If you’re looking to improve your English skills and put all these tips into practice, there’s no better way than engaging in real conversations. A great platform to start is Polyglotpals, where you can connect with people from around the world, practice your English in a fun and interactive way, and gradually become more fluent. Don’t hesitate—take the first step toward becoming confident in English by joining Polyglotpals today!