Fluency

FLUENCY....

A few years ago, I was in a meeting where a colleague spoke English so effortlessly that the whole room seemed to lean in.

Not because his grammar was perfect.

Not because he used fancy words.

But because he spoke with ease.

And I remember thinking, “How does he do that? Why can’t I sound like that?”

That question stayed with me for years… until I started noticing something about the thousands of learners I interacted with.

People who spoke confidently weren’t necessarily the ones with the best vocabulary.

They were the ones who were comfortable expressing themselves.

Slowly, it all started making sense.

One learner once told me, “Ma’am, I know the answer… I just can’t say it in English fast enough.”

He wasn’t struggling with knowledge.

He was struggling with translation.

Another student would mirror the way TED speakers talked — repeating lines softly under her breath. And one day, suddenly, her speech clicked.

I realised fluency doesn’t grow in a grammar book. It grows in small habits, layered quietly into our day:

1. When we start thinking in English instead of converting word by word.

2. When we shadow the people we admire, even if it feels silly at first.

3.When we learn phrases, not rules — the kind you can use anywhere.

4.When we slow down, giving ourselves permission to breathe.

5.When we stretch our answers from one-liners to tiny stories.

6. When we practice out loud, even if it’s while making our morning chai.

But the part no one talks about…

Fluency grows fastest when we stop judging ourselves for not being fluent yet.

It’s like learning to swim. You don’t become graceful by standing on the shore analysing technique. You learn by stepping into the water — awkward strokes, uneven breathing and all.

So if you’re on your own English journey, here’s my gentle reminder:

Speak. Pause. Try again. Repeat.

Because confident communication isn’t a talent some people are born with.

It’s a practice — built through small, brave, everyday moments when you choose expression over perfection