Have you noticed this? Many people spend thousands on oral English courses and memorize words for 3 months, but still can’t utter a complete sentence when they need to speak. We reviewed nearly 1,800 initial survey questionnaires from Campus Top students, and found that 92% of them fell into at least 2 useless pitfalls before starting formal learning.
01Chasing Native Speakers at the Beginning Is Totally Unnecessary
Many people’s first requirement when choosing courses is European and American foreign teachers, thinking their accents are pure. Frankly, for 80% of adults who only need English for daily communication and workplace communication, this is completely premium consumption.
Kai, who does cross-border e-commerce, said he previously took a 30,000-yuan course with European and American teachers, half of the time was spent listening to the teacher talk about local culture, and he still couldn’t introduce products to clients after half a year.
- Test your current level first, zero-basic learners can start with teachers who can speak basic Chinese for transition
- Prioritize teachers trained in the Karen Method, as long as their accent is standard, don’t纠结 about nationality
- Take 1-2 trial lessons before signing up, judging the teacher’s guiding ability is more important than accent
02For Spoken English Practice, Long Sessions Are Less Effective Than Frequent Short Lessons
Many people think they need to spend 1-2 hours a day on immersive learning, and simply stop when they are busy. To put it bluntly, oral English is a skill not knowledge, frequent exposure is more effective than long single sessions, and learning English in fragmented time is easier to stick to.
- Arrange 25-minute high-frequency short lessons in fixed fragmented time after commuting or before lunch break, no need to squeeze out large blocks of time specially
- Spend 5 minutes after each class reviewing 3 practical expressions you learned that day, and use them as soon as possible
- If you really don’t have time, record a 1-minute audio of your day’s experience on your phone to keep your oral muscle memory
If you don’t know how to arrange short lessons for maximum efficiency, you can refer to the practical steps in Proven Effective Spoken English Practice: How to Improve with 25 Minutes a Day.
03Calculate ROI Before Signing Up for **1-on-1 Online Foreign Teacher Courses**
Many people only look at the unit price when choosing courses, thinking that 9.9-yuan lessons are a bargain. Honestly, I don’t agree with this way of choosing. Low-priced courses either have high teacher turnover, or the class is so short that it ends as soon as you start speaking.
- Avoid low-priced courses with a validity period of only 1-2 months, you can easily give up due to anxiety about rushing through classes
- Prioritize platforms with physical campuses in Manila, Philippines and fixed teachers, which are much more reliable
- Before signing up, you can refer to Don’t Just Compare Unit Prices for Spoken English: Calculate These 3 Bills to Avoid Wasting Money to calculate the cost per effective class hour
A final reminder for all learners: Spoken English is essentially a tool for use, you don’t need to pursue perfection. Dare to speak is more important than speaking correctly. You can book a free trial lesson now, test your current level first before choosing a suitable course.
