Regardless of how good your English is, when non-native speakers arrive in an English-speaking country they usually find the local accent difficult to understand. This can be frustrating and very disheartening. After years of study and practice to achieve greater skill in the language, you expect to be able to understand what is going on around you. You expect to be able to understand someone when you ask them a simple question. You expect to be able to have a conversation where you can keep up.
When non-native speakers come to Ireland (my home country), they are keen to practise their English language skills. They make an honest effort to integrate with the people. What happens many people, however, is that they start to lose confidence bit by bit. Being continuously unable to understand the locals and being continuously misunderstood can lead them to feel insecure. Click here to read more.
David McGrath - English For Better Living © 2016
Comments
I mean that you can pick a famous native English speaker. Use them as your mentor. Watch and listen to them talk. Watch ten in interviews, acting, on youtube wherever... Mimic them. Copy them. Practise speaking the sentences you hear them say. Spend 10-15 minutes doing this everyday. It will help you to become more confident, build your vocabulary and speak with better intonation. Naturally it will help your grammar too. As a consequence of all this practice your listening skills will improve too.
Dear David, you mean if we can understand people in movies or other programs like talk shows, we won't be able to understand native people in real?