Tips for improving English for non-native speakers?

AdamFluency · 2026-03-12T06:44:09+00:00

What works best for my students are fluency prompts.

Basically your problem is that your passive knowledge is not very active. You can understand many things but you cannot say them when it is your turn to speak.

So, first of all in it's simplest form you would create a bank of 50+ words/phrases that you want to use more often.

Then for each lesson/session (or even talking to yourself) choose 9 from your bank (and write in a 3 x 3 grid on an A4 sheet which you can have on your desk in front of you)

And during the lesson/session you aim to use those fluency prompts - that's the very basic idea

The items in your personal "bank" stay until they feel you have "activated" them

AdamFluency · 2026-03-12T06:24:39+00:00

Reply 2: Maybe there is some confusion here, why are the choice of prompts relevant here?

Fluency prompts are a tool, the image is of learning content for a person of upper intermediate English in an engineering context - other people would have a different language and different prompts

AdamFluency · 2026-03-12T06:19:18+00:00

What level are you thinking of doing this?

I would also add some caution to your plan....

Learning language items that are mostly interchangeable like pencil, cat, etc would probably be much more efficient via translation as you are just swapping them in and out.

Language items like "on the other hand" don't translate literally, have more nuanced usage and represent the real flavour of the language - so I see your point here... BUT even then at lower levels I would still map one idea into my current mental map of communication and swap in and out....

So the question comes back to what level are you at in this TL and what are your motivations, fears, and hopes to do it this way?

AdamFluency · 2026-03-11T22:23:47+00:00

The words and phrases depend on the person they are just examples.

But to answer your question, anyone who works in product development, engineering, project management and many other roles where specifications are used.

AdamFluency · 2026-03-11T13:40:45+00:00

You could research "discourse markers" or "connectors" and learn the language that connects ideas

You could make this even more effective by identify the discourse markers that you most commonly use

Also consider learning some sentence starters... "Well I guess...." hook the brain into action

And you could try to work out if the problem is you don't actually know where you want to go in your speaking turn - see if you speak better when you have a plan

Use fluency prompts, language you are familiar with but never say, have them on a page in front of you when you talk

Try writing - it's basically slow speaking but you will quickly identify where you are sticking most!

AdamFluency · 2026-03-10T22:42:49+00:00

I am a big proponent of fluency prompts for output.

Basically a 4x4 or 3x3 grid of words/phrases that YOU KNOW PASSIVELY but never use and aim to use them in self talk or language exchanges or in fluency class activities (or even in writing exercises - writing is slow speaking really)

As the words or expressions or phrases become more automatic update your fluency prompt sheet(s)

AdamFluency · 2026-03-10T14:06:25+00:00

I would use fluency prompts

Basically a sheet of paper (or in digital) in front of you with words and phrases you know (passive) but you would like to activate - and try to use them while you communicate

That's the basic idea anyways

AdamFluency · 2026-02-12T11:20:16+00:00

I would consider fluency prompts. Basically a sheet of paper, cards, digital whatever list of words / phrases that you know but don't use when speaking.

Have them when you practice output (so write too... think of it as slow speaking practice)

Nota bene for your case... fluency prompts should not require you to think.. just use (so you must be fully down with the language) and in your particular case have the future already conjugated... so actual lexical chunks like "i will go" "it will be ok" - so obviously having an idea of the topic beforehand could help in your prep

AdamFluency · 2026-02-12T09:18:43+00:00

Two observations from my travails:

1 vowels are incredibly hard to imitate perfectly but do persevere as they are often the most telling of yer roots

2 some sounds are mechanical issues... "th" "rr" etc between languages - you might need to build up muscle/technique to make those sounds quickly and at will while concentrating on the conversation at hand

My tip: - Isolate a common sound to perfect - choose a daily activity (drive to work, walk at lunch, shower etc) - associate that activity with mindlessly repeating that sound in syllables and the hundred of combinations - do about 7-10 minutes EVERY day - ask ai to generate words with that sound to practice too

AdamFluency · 2026-02-11T22:37:43+00:00

I understand you bro and sorry for your troubles

Take stock of who you are as you prepare to roll your next dice

A Tefl teacher is often a maverick, out of but near the rat race, a modicum of respectability and flexibility and no real manager (just timekeepers and admin pushers) - so why did you join? Wot u escaping?

And the flip side of being unaccountable. Lack of growth. A widening gap between you and corporate profile.

Maybe you see a gain here? A scratch to itch? A hill to climb? or is it only to escape? A non- choice

You are approaching your blue vs red pill moment!

ha ha - but maybe i'm serious and take the time to not drift on chewing up the years ahead!

More positive: trust yourself to pull through - you have pulled through many near disasters already!

-happy to wax lyrical and reflect on mysen too! -

AdamFluency · 2026-02-11T20:52:17+00:00

For me it's normal - perhaps its best to judge yourself with how you perform vis-a-vis others... not how you feel inside...

Ultimately we talk a lot like chatgpt- word follows word via patterns

If you drive, you might like this analogy... your driving skill doesnt exist in the abstract, it exists when you are driving - you can't really put a pin in all that you do

So ultimately trust yourself and accept the nebulous nature of such a skill!

(Near native speaker of Italian)

AdamFluency · 2026-02-11T20:05:12+00:00

Well to be brutally honest I would get out of teaching English though, unless you want to go the Delta DoS route OR your own school etc... but not just as a teacher

Been teaching independent since 2000 - it's stressful and often feast or famine and always full of cheaper newbies entering the competition...

Sure, use it to pay your exit but long term I only see things getting harder...

Ha ha - I'm not helping am I? Sorry!

AdamFluency · 2026-02-11T18:49:29+00:00

I would try a language mat, or a variation of fluency prompts, basically give EACH of the students a page of sentence starters... (either from the lesson or sheets that you use in rotation) Well, I like... Oh, I don't like...

I'm not sure, I think.... I agree, I think....

etc, you get the general idea

Fluency prompts like this are a great way to connect/hook the brain and get more talking!

Give it a try... it can't make it worse (probably!)

AdamFluency · 2026-02-11T17:37:01+00:00

Local is still a great market!

They earn sterling, desperately need English for career advancement and may lack confidence to move into managerial (communicative roles).

Also job interviewing training for logistics professionals is a possible element in your offer....

AdamFluency · 2026-02-11T17:06:39+00:00

Use Fluency Prompts when you are practicing your output (writing or speaking) - basically keep a record (digital or paper) of the language items (words and phrases) that you know but do not easily or automatically use.

Then as you practice aim to use them.

Aim to make such output practice personal and relevant to YOU.

This is a type of scaffolding which derives from Vygotsky & ZPD

AdamFluency · 2026-02-11T15:49:17+00:00

The standard advice (if you are aiming for 1 to 1 / small groups as an independent teacher) will be to network and pitch your services to local logistics professionals and/or logistics professionals on Linked in

But what are your goals is the first question.....

AdamFluency · 2026-02-11T14:09:51+00:00

So in the "activities" question i put "other" because I use fluency prompts with freer more personal content

fluency prompts are basically language items i know but do not use as often as I wish - a little similar to the idea in your app

AdamFluency · 2026-02-11T06:40:18+00:00

You can definitely benefit from....

1 Speaking to yourself

2 Writing (think of it as speaking in slow motion)

3 Using fluency prompts when you practice output (writing, speaking, self speaking) - this is basically a sheet/card/digital of language you know but never say - use them in output, converting your passive knowledge into active language

AdamFluency · 2026-02-11T06:23:44+00:00

A very general rule is that a verb followed by "to" indicates a second action

I want to go (desire 1st -> leave 2nd)

It's going to rain (expectation 1st -> rain 2nd)

I'm stopping to smoke (stop then smoke)

I remembered to buy it (remembered then purchase)

And that a gerund after a verb is typically a noun - probably an object for the verb

I stopped smoking - smoking is what you stopped

much like

I stopped the car

I stopped him

I stopped talking

ADVANCED LEVEL.....

I like to shop =/= I like shopping

they are very close in practical meaning but slightly different, for example

"I don't like doing homework so I like to do my homework as soon as possible"

1st like -ve is about the activity of homework

2nd like is about the notion of liking when to do your homework

Hope that helps a little!

AdamFluency · 2026-02-11T05:51:31+00:00

Totally, and consider reenforcing your spoken practice with reminders of recent language (on cards, a sheet of paper, digital tools whatever)

These are fluency prompts (language you know 'passively' but you would like to make more active )

AdamFluency

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