Hello there, Advanced English Explearners. Have you ever been in a conversation feeling great about your English skills and then suddenly a phrase so native it's like a language roadblock? You know English well, but sounding like a native speaker is the goal, isn't it? At least for a lot of you. You're in luck because today we're revealing real actionable strategies to help you master those tricky phrases and use them like a champ.

But remember, the perfect place to practice these strategies and practice makes progress, as I always say, is in our Explearning Academy. We host live workshops every week, perfect for boosting your English communication skills and decreasing your anxiety. So, that being said, let's dive right in.

Strategy number one is listening and imitation. It's about immersing yourself in the melody of English, picking up on the rhythm, stress, and intonation of L1 native English speakers. For example, L2 non native English speakers often pronounced interesting as Interesting, but natives usually say interesting, skipping a syllable.

Notice these nuances when watching podcasts, or participating in our Explearning Academy sessions.

Strategy number two. Next up we have shadowing. Pick a short clip of an L1 native English speaker. Listen and try to repeat or shadow their words immediately, keeping their rhythm and tone. An iconic example is Joey from Friends when he says, How you doin? How you doin? instead of the formal, How are you doing?

Or, How you doin? How are you doing? How you doing is shorter and casual perfect for friendly interactions. 

Strategy number three phrasal verbs these can trip up even advanced English learners. Native English speakers prefer get out or put off over exit or postpone. Compile a list of common phrasal verbs and start incorporating them into your conversations.

For example, use hang on instead of wait or catch up instead of meet and talk. 

Strategy number four. Our fourth strategy is about fillers. Now, these are often avoided in formal writing or in public speaking, but they can make great casual conversations sound more natural. Words like um, like, you know, so, actually, basically, and seriously.

So, instead of saying, I think it's going to rain, you could try, I think it's um, gonna rain. It adds a touch of realism to your conversation.

And last but not least, let's talk about colloquial language. English is filled with idioms, slang, and colloquial expressions just like any other language. Native English speakers often say, break a leg instead of good luck, or hit the sack instead of go to bed. Slang words like cool for good or awesome, buddy for friend, or hang out for meet are common.

So start adding these to your English vocabulary.

So there you have it, five solid strategies to sound more like an L1 native English speaker. Remember, practice makes progress, and sometimes practice makes perfect.

And there's no better place to practice than our Explearning Academy. So here you're going to get countless of opportunities to practice your English communication skills, helping you to sound more fluent and confident. And so what are you waiting for? Start sounding more like an L1 native English speaker. And even if you have an accent, that is great because the goal is intelligibility.

If your goal is to sound more fluent, sound more conversational, and perhaps even sound more like a native L1 English speaker, then you can definitely check our community out. I'll link it below or you can just go to academy. explearning co. I'll see you there. Bye for now.

About the Author and the Explearning Academy:

Mary Daphne is an expert in communication, executive skills and professional development. She is the founder of the Explearning Academy, a platform dedicated to helping individuals enhance their social fluency, boost their careers, and elevate their social game. Through immersive group coaching programs like the Executive Communication Lab and self-guided journeys, participants gain the social superpowers and career catapults they've been searching for. If you're ready to take your negotiation skills to the next level and connect with like-minded individuals, visit academy.explearning.co and explore the various plans available. Join the Explearning Academy community and unlock your full potential.

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