Introduction
This book is for English learners who want to reach native-level fluency. You are not a beginner. And you are not looking to pick up a few phrases for travel. That is not good enough for you, Dear Speaker.
Your life depends on mastering the English language. You need English to gain admission to Harvard Business School. If not, your dream of entrepreneurship in America dies. You need English to become a registered nurse in the state of Texas. If not, you can’t pay rent. You need English to flee your war-torn country. If not, your children’s future blackens.
This is serious business. And there is no magical AI tool coming to save you, only you can save you. Your future and your family’s future depend on whether or not you speak native-level English.
It is not fair, I know. You have been taking English classes for years and years and years. You have bought books, downloaded apps, paid private teachers and still you hear the same song – not good enough.
This book is for you. Even if you have read all the books and downloaded all the apps. Reaching native-level fluency is still within reach. All is not lost. I promise you that.
Your Present and Future
Your goal is native-level fluency. To reach it, avoid nebulous terms and strive for concrete figures. Do you remember in school when you were lumped into classes like Beginner English or Advanced English? I don’t know what Advanced English is, do you? Vague language chokes progress, so avoid it. Think like a CEO. Business leaders rely on data to measure success. Tracking cash, expenses, and customers is essential for growth. Exclaiming I want to be fluent in English is not good enough. Start by quantifying what your current level of English is and where you want to go.
Test scores are imperfect measuring devices. I doubt my best friend – born and raised in the USA – would crack a 100 on the TOEFL. Still, tests matter to schools, to institutions, to companies, and to immigration offices, so they matter to you. Use one of the following exams to measure your current level:
Duolingo English Test (DET)
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
Choose one test. I recommend the Duolingo English Test (DET). It’s affordable, easy to take from home, and accepted by over 4000 U.S. universities1. Reaching native-level fluency will be very, very hard. You will want to quit. Make your life easy when you have the chance. Take the DET and make it your measuring device.
You may have noticed that I have already fallen into the trap of foggy terminology. In the opening lines, I mentioned that this book is not for beginners. Let’s quantify what that means. Here are the recommended minimum score requirements for the Speaker Habit:
Duolingo English Test - 100
CEFR - B2
IELTS - 6.0
TOEFL iBT - 70
If you are at a CEFR B1 level or lower, this book isn’t for you – yet. And that’s nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, the beginning stages of language learning are exciting. Watch, read, and listen to what you love. Increase your exposure. Expand your vocabulary. Take your time and enjoy the process. The Speaker Habit will still be here when you’re ready.
Another nebulous term to quantify is native-level fluency. Notice I did not use the more common goal of I want to speak like a native speaker. Why? Because some native speakers sound like idiots. There are plenty of non-native speakers who are more eloquent, such as French President Emmanuel Macron. While native-level fluency is a more appropriate term, it lacks an explicit destination. Your goals should be as clear as an address on a map. For our purposes, native-level fluency means, at a minimum, reaching one of these test scores:
Duolingo English Test - 130
CEFR - C1
IELTS - 7.0
TOEFL iBT - 98
Choose one as your goal. The rest of the book will show you how to get there, step by step.
