Improvement stalled...

[Unomyname]

Hi,
English is not my first language (otherwise why would I be writing this post?).
I am currently living in Canada.
I speak English every day. I hear English every day. I have read over 19 thousand pages of English over the last two years. I think in English.
Before I came to Canada, my English was pretty good already but I kind of hoped that once I find myself in an English-speaking environment, it would become dramatically better.
I don't feel that it has.
I mean, I don't translate my thoughts into English, and I don't translate back from English.

BUT there are three critical areas in which I do not see any significant improvement.

1. Scanning printed text. In our first language, we can scan and skim a page of text and not only understand the structure and topic, but to actually understand what the text is all about. This is what all fast-reading techniques are based on. I found myself unable to use them with English. It is still a whole-sentence reading for me before. And I find myself having to "hear" the words I read inside my head before I understand them. So, first critical area of improvement is to learn to read with my eyes and then to learn to skim. Is it achievable?

2. Bar conversations. I understand 100% of what I hear during one-on-one conversations or during lectures when the speaker is making an attempt to make themselves heard/understood. But in bar situations, or in any type of situations when many people are talking at the same time, I find myself that I could as well be hearing Chinese. The whole river of words becomes a mixture of meaningless syllables. Not that I spend too much time in the bars, but I would really like to be able to teach myself to register speech that is not directed at me. How do you train that?

3. Style. I need to find an efficient way to enhance the style of my writing. I know it is not too bad. But again, I do not see much improvement since I moved to Canada. This site is very helpful in terms of finding the right way of conveying a particular thought. But what I need is some efficient strategy to be able to resort to this website less and less often (I know I just joined but the issue is really to find myself struggling with my style less and less often)...

Well, there you go.
I would really like to hear as many opinions on this as possible.

Thanks.

[Unomyname]

Did I post this in a wrong forum? I am sure some of you have ideas how to overcome these problems...

[Kitosdad]

Good morning, you are in the right place.

If you want my opinion, :- You are setting the bar far too high. Fast reading is a choice.

To a very few, it is a gift with which they were born. For others, it is something they choose to practice.

Depending upon your age and nationality, it is probable that your brain is incapable of performing these functions. After all, it is not your mother-tongue.

I would be more interested in hearing your spoken English, rather than your other achievements.

Most folk are here to learn to improve their English skills, and have no wish to see their name in the Guinness book of records. ( Only joking. )


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