Discover 6 key mistakes holding back your English speaking progress—like avoiding practice, over-relying on translation, and letting fear silence you. This guide flips common advice to reveal what NOT to do, with practical insights and teacher tips for B2+ learners to break through plateaus faster. Here’s what NOT to do to improve your speaking skills.
Every time I talk to students and teachers, the unanimous point they make is to improve their speaking skills. Speaking feels hard for learners when they avoid practice, rely too much on translation, and let fear or self-doubt stop them from taking risks. A lot is mentioned about what to do but, however long the list is, have you ever thought about what NOT to do?
What if the reason you’re not making as much progress as you’d like isn’t so much about the good habits you’ve developed but the bad ones you’ve picked up along the way and not ironed out yet? Read on to discover if you’re doing any of these cardinal sins that are perhaps unconsciously getting in your way.
Key Insights on what not to do to improve your Speaking
1. Don’t avoid speaking practice
It’s natural for all human beings to avoid doing things we don’t feel confident or comfortable enough to do. That is one of the reasons why many of us are more reluctant, hesitant, or brief whenever we have to speak English.
Ships that never leave port never discover how far they can go.
Believe it or not, I’ve been there. When I was a teen, I always told my teacher that I hadn’t done anything special over the weekend, because I didn’t want to expose myself. But one day, I had to face it, otherwise I knew I’d never speak fluently. Alas,
The more you avoid speaking English, the more you rob yourself of progress.
There’s no magic whatsoever. You know, speaking only improves by speaking. It’s inevitable if you really want to progress. Take each and every opportunity you have – in class, online, at work, on a trip. Don’t postpone speaking until you ‘feel ready.’ It might never happen.
Remember: Every attempt counts. The more you speak, the less intimidating it becomes.
2. Don’t depend on translation
Translation is just one of the tools to learn, and it can be invaluable. However, beginners and many intermediates tend to overuse it, thus leading to dependence in the long run. It’s quick and it’s easy, even for advanced learners who might feel more comfortable using a word once they know its meaning in their mother tongue.
While bilingual dictionaries can offer more than just translation, there comes a point when transitioning to a monolingual learner dictionary reaps greater rewards; learning more meanings, subtle differences and nuances that you can use to express your ideas more precisely. And making the switch is much less painful and not as difficult as most people think.
Learner’s dictionaries are accessible, written with high-frequency words (e.g. Oxford 3000 and Oxford 5000), therefore you will understand them and have another chance of developing your English through reading.
Once you stop translating too much, you’ll notice your brain begins to think in English, and that’s when speaking starts to feel more natural.
Remember: Break the translation habit and move on to a monolingual dictionary.
3. Don’t stick to one routine
Another important point is that most people usually do things the same way again and again. Rinse and repeat. While it is good to establish positive routines, once they become comfortable, it is better to add variety to what you do or how you do it.
To vary the topics you discuss, use podcasts, films, and news articles, not only to expose yourself to different genres and forms of input, but also to use them as a source of practice for speaking on a wider range of themes.
By doing this, you will achieve different results, so find a way that works best for you and (eventually even learn to) enjoy the process. Being exposed to large quantities of varied, authentic input accelerates internalization of language, helping you reach your goals faster, boosting motivation.
Remember: Mix it up, build new habits, and let authentic English be your guide.
4. Don’t focus all your attention on grammar and vocabulary lists
If you don’t make mistakes, you’ll never learn. Yes, I know it’s clichéd, but it’s the plain truth. Besides, native speakers make mistakes, so why can’t you? They are part of the process – another cliché. But if you don’t make mistakes, you’ll never achieve the fluency you want. You’ll be locked inside the perfectionist trap forever.
Fluency develops through practice and mistakes. As you speak more and learn from those mistakes, your accuracy will improve over time, together with your ability to use more complex language.
Putting all your eggs in the grammar basket might increase your knowledge about language, but meanwhile, hinder you from speaking, as you might overthink what you want to say and end up not saying it due to self-doubt.
Nowadays, a lot more and more has been said about how important it is to learn vocabulary in context. In the past, vocabulary lists were a must-have for any learner. Today, we already know it is not the best way to help your brain remember it. Learn collocations (words that go together, e.g. make a decision), use them in your daily situations and relate them to personal experience context, then try to expand the context itself.
Remember: Every mistake is a step closer to confident, natural speaking.
5. Don’t expect your teacher or course to do the work for you
You can buy the best course and have the best teacher, but they are not a guarantee that you’ll speak English fluently. And there’s a simple reason – if you don’t put in your effort, they can’t stand alone.
Only you can do the learning. C’est la vie!
Good material will point you north. Experienced teachers will provide you guidance. What about you? Just coming to class isn’t enough, believe me. You’ll get stuck and suffer to get going again. So what’s your take on this process?
This situation goes hand in hand with learner autonomy. Learner autonomy is simply taking responsibility for your own learning. You set the goals. You choose how to practice. You reflect on what’s working. Your teacher? They can open the door to fluency, but you’re the one who has to walk through it.
Honestly, the students who progress fastest aren’t necessarily the ones with the best teachers; they’re the ones who treat their teacher as a guide and themselves as the driving force. They don’t wait to be told what to do next. They ask themselves: “What have I done today to move closer to my goal?” And they answer that question daily. That accountability is everything. So ask yourself right now: What have you done today?
Remember: Your learning journey is in your hands, and embracing responsibility will empower you to progress faster and more confidently.
6. Don’t let fear and self-doubt silence you
Who has never ever second-guessed their ability? Who has never ever had butterflies in their stomachs when speaking English? You are a normal human being. Relax! My two cents is a famous English saying:
Fake it till you make it.
Despite your fear or self-doubt, do it anyway. The more you do, the better you get. Most often, your limiting beliefs do more harm than good. Whenever you notice you saying to yourself: “I’m not good at speaking English”, break that thought by adding a “in the way that I want to yet” (The Power of yet).
The way you see and talk to yourself matters. Furthermore, these kinds of fixed mindset statements and thinking are the roots of all the obstacles we unintentionally put in front of ourselves. They hinder us from practicing, taking risks and consequently improving.
Avoid being your harshest critic. Don’t compare yourself to others; they may have started before you. And don’t always apologize for your English; explain that you’re learning and trying your best to communicate at that moment.
Confidence grows only when you speak despite the fear. Take a leap of faith but take calculated risks to grow steadily step by step, so that you avoid too many ‘failures’ and jeopardize your confidence.
Remember: Develop your growth-mindset. Every brave attempt builds your fluency and eases your fears.
Are You Committing the 6 Cardinal Sins of English Speaking?
The Speaking Habits Checkup
This quiz covers the fundamental shifts you need to move from a “student” mindset to a “fluent speaker” mindset.
Remember: every brave attempt is a step closer to your goal. Good luck!
What was your score? Whether you’re an ‘Autonomous Captain’ or a ‘Port-Bound Traveler,’ the journey doesn’t stop here.
Use this content to generate a discussion in class. Perhaps, engaging in what to do first, since it is the most common. Then, switch to what not to do, as it is far less common to be found.
Another way would be to break the text into parts and have students come up with the takeaways (remember sentences) or match the ones I provided to the pertinent text part.
It is also possible to try a “Confession Session” where students rank these 6 sins from “Most Guilty” to “Least Guilty” in their own lives. It sparks immediate, authentic conversation—the very thing we’re encouraging here!
Join the discussion in the comments below: Which of the 6 sins is your biggest struggle?