Interview with an English Learner

Today I spoke with my girlfriend Molly, who is from China, about her experience learning English in the UK.

Molly teaches Mandarin Chinese in an English grammar school here in the UK, and she’s been learning English for most of her life.

She’s a very hard worker and we cover some of the areas that she’s working on now and her mistakes.

We talk about:

  • how she stays motivated when English gets hard

  • the differences between Chinese and English education

  • whether having an English boyfriend/girlfriend will help you learn English.

Does Molly actually recommend an English boyfriend!? Listen to find out.

Important Takeaways

  • People are not born passionate about anything. To create a love for learning English you have to work hard to make it enjoyable and relate it to your future goals.

  • Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. It’s better to make mistakes now and learn from them, rather than make them later.

  • Textbooks often teach very formal English, so in addition to them, it’s important to get speaking practice with native speakers too.

  • Having an English boyfriend might not be as good as you think…

  • For reading practice, non-fiction can sometimes be the better choice,

  • But if you chose fiction to read, consider watching the movie version first.

Resources Mentioned

Memrise – Language learning app

Duolingo – Language learning app

BBC Learning English website

The English We Speak – Intermediate BBC lessons

BBC 6 Minute English

Gone Girl – English fiction book

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3 thoughts on “#11 Interview with an English Learner”

  1. Your Broadcast started to be my new addiction. You have a good voice that comforts the listeners and makes them focus on what you are saying.
    I’ve started your broadcast from EP 1, and I hope I’ll reach to EP 150.
    Thank you very much for you’re hardworking.

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