You’ve reached an advanced level in English—but something still feels off. Maybe you sound too formal, a bit unnatural, or not quite like a fluent speaker. In today’s episode, we’ll explore why that happens and how you can sound more effortless and natural.
Voice message from Marta from Poland
How can advanced learners sound more effortless and not so advanced and awkward?
In what ways do advanced learners give away weaknesses in fluency?
Advanced learners often know too much, but don’t always sound natural. The issue isn’t lack of ability; it’s miscalibration. Their language is technically correct but pragmatically off. The goal isn’t to simplify their English, it’s to naturalise it.
Why advanced learners sometimes sound ‘not quite natural’
Overusing textbook or academic vocabulary
“I concur with your assessment” instead of “Yeah, I agree”
“I would like to elucidate my point…” instead of “Let me explain…”
Being too formal in casual contexts
“I would appreciate it if you could possibly pass the salt”
Being too informal for formal contexts
“Get a move on” instead of “Could you please hurry up, sir.”
Speaking in full, perfectly structured sentences that may be too long
“Considering the circumstances which have been previously mentioned…”
Avoiding contractions
“I do not know” instead of “I don’t know”
“If I’d known you were coming, I’d have baked a cake.”
Avoiding phrasal verbs
“Let’s postpone that drink till tomorrow” instead of “Let’s put that drink off till tomorrow”
“I’ll try to find the information in a dictionary” instead of “I’ll look it up”
Slightly unnatural collocations
“make a party” instead of “have/throw a party”
“strong rain” instead of “heavy rain”
Pausing to search for the perfect word
Fluency is about flow, not perfection.
Speaking as you would in your first language (tone, directness, politeness strategies, turn-taking)
How can you sound more effortless and natural?
Embrace everyday English. Ask yourself, “What would a native speaker say here, in this situation, with this person?” Fluency is social. It’s about fitting the moment. Use:
Contractions
Fillers (“you know”, “like”, “I mean”, “actually”, “kind of”, “well”). These filler words may seem low-level but they’re extremely common in natural English. Just be careful not to overuse them. Use them strategically.
Natural linking (“wanna”, “gonna”, “sorta”)
Common collocations (“grab a coffee”, “run late”, “feel off”)
Copy spoken English, not written English and use podcasts, interviews and casual YouTube conversations as a reference, not just articles and books.
Learn to change register and move between:
casual
neutral
professional
academic
Learn short chunks, not words. Instead of vocabulary lists, focus on phrases:
“at the end of the day” or “all in all”
•“it turns out”
•“You’re right”
•“fair enough”
Stop overthinking vocabulary. Prioritise clarity over complexity. If a simpler word works, use it:
“help” instead of “assist”
“fix” instead of “rectify”
“get better” instead of “improve significantly”
Practice ‘messy’ speaking. Try to speak faster than you think and allow mistakes. Keep talking even if the grammar isn’t perfect.
Interrupt yourself and reformulate mid-sentence
Use vague language in informal situations (“stuff”, “things”, “kind of”)
Listen for rhythm, not just words. English has a distinctive:
stress pattern
intonation curve
reduction of unstressed syllables
Record yourself speaking and compare your speech with that of a native speaker. Notice rhythm, pauses, and word choice. Better still, record a 90-second audio and send it to us. We’ll give you feedback on your fluency.
Send us a voice message. https://www.speakpipe.com/inglespodcast
Send us an email with a comment or question to [email protected] or [email protected]
If you’re a Spanish speaker and you want to improve your English with free and paid resources, visit the mansioningles website at mansioningles.com and for paid products you can browse the online store at https://store.mansioningles.net/
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Pablo Albert
In next week’s episode:The diffeence between ‘come’ and ‘go’
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The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called ‘See You Later’