American English Language School

You can read academic papers and write strong essays — but when a classmate asks you a casual question after class, the words disappear. If that is your experience, you are far from alone. At AELS Los Angeles , we work with international students every day who understand far more English than they can comfortably speak. The gap is real, and it is fixable. Why speaking is the hardest skill Reading and writing give you time to pause and revise. Conversation gives you none of it — it is live, unpredictable, and full of slang. Add the fear of being judged, and anxiety blocks recall even when you know the words. Four things that actually help Lower the stakes first. One partner or a small class beats a big group every time. Rehearse your first thirty seconds. Where you are from, what you study — make it automatic. Stay in the conversation. "Sorry, could you repeat that?" is what fluent speakers say too. Track effort, not perfection. Count conversations started, ...