Květen 2025

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Welcome to my head

Fighting the great vocabulary black hole

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Firstly, if you want to practise key vocabulary and read this article using the Duocards app (where you can tap on a word you don’t understand and it will show you the meaning), you need to join my email list. I will share these links there. Join here.

Vital words for understanding

go blank – when your mind suddenly forgets everything and you can’t remember the word or thought.

unpack – to explore and understand something in more detail.

bullshit – something untrue or useless, often said to pretend something works when it doesn’t.

remnant – a small part that’s left of something, like a word you half-remember.

rotten – bad or useless; in this context, not working well (like a rotten learning method).

forgettable – easy to forget; not memorable.

tend to – usually do something; have a habit or pattern.

memorise – to learn something so well that you can remember it exactly.

repetition – doing or saying something again and again to learn it.

speed – how fast you do something (like going through vocabulary too quickly).

depth – how well or deeply you understand something, not just at surface level.

aim – goal or purpose.

fewer – a smaller number of something (e.g. fewer words, but better remembered).

spaced repetition – a learning method where you review words over increasing time gaps to help you remember them long-term.

start from scratch – to begin again from the very beginning.

strengthen – to make something stronger, like your memory.

muscle – used metaphorically here; memory acts like a muscle that gets stronger with use.

avoid – try not to do something.

You’ve been studying English for a while. You watch videos, you read, you write down words, you even use flashcards, vocabulary apps – but when it comes to speaking or writing, your brain goes blank. You just don’t have any words. It feels like your vocabulary isn’t growing, you’re losing words, you can’t even remember the easy ones – or the ones you think you should. It’s frustrating, but let’s unpack it.

First of all, you need to get the ‘I should know this’ bullshit out of your head. There’s no such thing in language learning, it’s just a remnant of our rotten language education system.

Most learners believe that if they write new words and review them, vocabulary will magically stick. But the truth is that your brain doesn’t remember what it doesn’t use. If you only see or write the word, that’s passive memory. Passive memory is weak and fades quickly if it’s not activated by real use.

Why is it so difficult to grow vocabulary?

Firstly, words without context are forgettable. Our brains are designed to remember stories and connections, not isolated facts. The problem is also that you only have passive input – listening and reading alone won’t do the job. Without using the word, it remains hidden. Some learners also tend to avoid using difficult words. In conversation, we panic and choose the easiest option. The new words then never get out of storage. Finally, vocabulary doesn’t grow with repetition. Flashcards and word lists aren’t bad, but vocabulary grows with use.

What really works? Hard work.

  • Connect words to your life. Your brain remembers what feels real. Make emotional, personal or visual connections. Use pictures, drawings or make up your own stories. Instead of learning the word apple and its translations, think: I always buy apples on Fridays. My MacBook is Apple and I have an Apple mobile phone.
  • Don’t stop at one example, use the word in 3 different sentences. You can recycle new words in different contexts. This kind of repetition builds stronger memory pathways. Take the word challenge:
    • I like challenges.
    • This article is a big challenge for me.
    • Learning English is a challenge, but a fun one.
  • You have to speak, even if you’re alone. Say the words out loud. Record yourself. Teach it to someone. Talk to your pet. Saying a word activates different parts of your brain – especially the motor cortex and auditory feedback.
  • You can try shadowing real sentences. Shadowing helps words stay in context, not just as empty definitions. You can try this link to find words in different contexts. https://skell.sketchengine.eu/#not-found Choose a sentence from a podcast, song, video or article that uses your target word. Then:
    • Repeat it out loud several times.
    • Copy the rhythm, speed and pronunciation.
    • Pause and change the sentence with your own ideas.
  • Focus on depth, not speed. Master 3-5 words, don’t aim to learn 20 new words a day. Understand fewer, use them, revisit them over several days, mix them with others.
  • How often? Not every day. Use space repetition: review on day 1, day 3, day 6, day 10. You’re not a robot. Your brain remembers better if it has to work a little to remember.
  • Accept that you will forget some words. That’s normal. The key is not to give up, but to build up the words over time. You’re not starting from scratch each time (although it may feel that way) – you’re strengthening the neural pathway. Vocabulary is like a muscle: repetition, rest, reuse.

The bottom line is that your vocabulary is growing, even if you don’t feel it. If you want to speed things up, stop reviewing and start using them in context, out loud, with feeling.

  • speak them
  • personalise them
  • repeat with variation
  • make it fun

It’s not about memorising more – it’s about activating what you already know.

This week’s challenge:
Pick 3 words you think you “know” but never use.
➡️ create 3 different sentences for each
➡️ say them out loud
➡️ record one and send it to a friend (or me!)
Let’s make your vocabulary work for you.

And don’t forget to download my free ebook: VOCABULARY REVOLUTION.

Welcome to my head

What it means when your ears can’t keep up 

Aktualizováno na

Firstly, if you want to practise key vocabulary and read this article using the Duocards app (where you can tap on a word you don’t understand and it will show you the meaning), you need to join my email list. I will share these links there. Join here.

Vital words for understanding

climb – a difficult process of making progress (improving your speaking skills)

at the mere thought of – just thinking about something is enough to make you nervous or uncomfortable

a living nightmare – a very unpleasant or stressful experience (like trying to speak English in the beginning)

gather – to collect or gain (information or experience)

frightening – making you feel scared or anxious

bother – to take the time and effort to do something

keep up – to stay at the same level or progress as something else

hang on – to keep hold; hold onto something

improve – to get better at something

rate – the speed or level at which something happens (like learning)

to fall behind – to not progress as quickly as others or as expected

a living nightmare – a very unpleasant or stressful experience (like trying to speak English in the beginning)

fluency – the ability to speak a language easily and naturally

predict – to guess or expect what’s going to happen next

pathway – a connection in the brain that helps you use or understand language

awareness – noticing or realising something (like a weakness in listening)

limping – not working smoothly or strongly (listening skills that are weaker than speaking)

 

When you first start learning English, speaking can feel like climbing a mountain. It’s something that scares you, makes you sick at the mere thought of it. You’re afraid of making mistakes, your mind goes blank and it’s hard to say even the simplest thing. When it’s around other people, it’s a living nightmare.

But then something changes. You gather your strength and start practising. You speak more and more, and slowly it gets easier. Now you’re not so uncomfortable, suddenly a mistake doesn’t bother you. Suddenly you don’t get stuck on a word, you just find your way. And then – boom – you’re talking to someone and you can’t follow. You find yourself not understanding every word. What is it, you ask yourself. A new challenge: you realise that your listening isn’t keeping up.

Even though you’re speaking more confidently, you don’t understand every word when someone replies. You listen to podcasts and feel lost. What’s wrong?

It’s not a problem. It’s a sign of progress. The fact that you’re finding your listening skills are weaker is actually a good thing. It means that your awareness of language has improved, that you’re no longer concentrating on what you’re saying, but noticing how others are speaking. This is a natural way of learning. Speaking and listening develop at different rates and it’s common for one to fall behind at times.

What’s happening in your brain?

Speaking builds up procedural memory. That’s the part of the brain used for skills like riding a bike or playing the piano. If you practise speaking regularly, the language becomes more automatic. Mistakes are less frightening and real fluency grows.

Your brain is faster. To understand spoken English, you have to decode sounds quickly, recognise connected words (gonna, wanna), predict meaning in real time, and deal with different accents, speeds and even background noise. That’s a lot to do! If your brain hasn’t had enough listening practice, it simply hasn’t built strong enough pathways. And to produce speech, you have to consume it first.

There’s a complication – you’re probably trying to catch every word. A common mistake is to think that you have to understand 100% of what you hear. But even native speakers don’t catch everything. True listening is about getting the main idea, not every single word. Imagine talking to your friend, do you hang on every word?

What do you have to do to get through this stage without stress?

  • Let go of perfection. You don’t have to understand every word. Concentrate on the main message and ask yourself Who’s talking? What’s the topic? What do they want?
  • Use short audio and video clips. Listen once, write down what you understand. Then listen again, write down more details. Read the transcript and repeat the process.
  • You can try shadowing. Listen and speak at the same time. Sing. It’s like going to the gym for your brain.
  • Don’t just listen passively. Ask yourself: What are three words I heard? What does the speaker like?

Bottom line: if you feel like your hearing is limping, it’s a sign of growth. You’ve improved, and now your brain is ready for the next level. It takes time, but every podcast, every sentence, every attempt makes a difference.

 

Your listening challenge for the week: I will listen to a short podcast clip (under 2 minutes), write down 3 things I understand and shadow a sentence out loud.

Share your results in the comments or send them to me. You’ve got it!

Welcome to my head

Why do I understand but can’t speak?

Aktualizováno na

Firstly, if you want to practise key vocabulary and read this article using the Duocards app (where you can tap on a word you don’t understand and it will show you the meaning), you need to join my email list. I will share these links there. Join here.

Vital words for understanding

Passive knowledge – Understanding a language without being able to actively use it (e.g. in speaking or writing).

Active knowledge – The ability to use language skills in real time, like speaking or writing.

Input – Language you receive and understand (listening, reading).

Output – Language you produce (speaking, writing).

Neuroscience – The scientific study of the brain and nervous system.

Procedural memory – Memory system for skills and habits that work automatically (e.g. riding a bike, speaking fluently).

Prefrontal cortex – The part of the brain responsible for decision-making, attention, and recalling information.

Overloaded – When your brain has too much to process at once, causing mental blocks.

Mind map – A diagram used to visually organize ideas around a central topic.

Shadowing – A technique where you repeat what you hear in real time to improve fluency.

Muscle memory – The ability to perform tasks without thinking, because you’ve done them many times.

Fluency – The ability to speak a language easily, smoothly, and without hesitation.

Repetition – Doing or saying something over and over to help learning stick.

Awareness – Knowing and noticing what’s happening in your learning or language use.

 

I can understand you. I understand films, videos, even articles! But when it comes to speaking – I freeze.

Are you like that?

If so, you’re not alone. This is a common experience for English learners, even those who study regularly. You buy textbooks, take courses, study grammar rules and maybe even read novels in English. But when it’s time to speak, your brain goes blank. You struggle to find the right words and it feels like all your effort has been wasted.

But it isn’t. You’re just stuck in the passive knowledge trap.

What’s happening is simple: you’re taking in a huge amount of input – listening, reading, grammar explanations. This builds up passive knowledge, which means you understand the language. But if you don’t produce English on a regular basis – by speaking or writing – your active knowledge remains weak.

Imagine training for a marathon by watching only YouTube videos about running. You’d know the theory, but your legs wouldn’t carry you past the first mile.

What’s going on in the brain? Neuroscience gives us a clue.

  • Comprehension (passive skills) uses different neural pathways than production (active skills). Understanding a word doesn’t mean your brain has the connections to retrieve and use it in real time.
  • Speaking requires rapid access to vocabulary, grammar structures, pronunciation and social context – all at once. That’s procedural memory, built by doing, not studying.
  • Your brain prioritises what it practises. When you’re just typing, your brain becomes good at decoding, not expressing.
  • Under pressure (like speaking in real time), your prefrontal cortex (which handles decision-making and recall) can become overloaded – leading to a mental void.

But there’s good news: you can train your brain to speak more fluently.

Focus on topics, not grammar first
Instead of starting with rules, build mental islands of fluency around familiar topics like food, work, holidays. Create mind maps:

  • start simple: I like pasta.
  • build up: I like Italian pasta.
  • extend: I like eating pasta in Italy with my friends when I’m on holiday.

    Now, when the topic of food comes up, your brain has ready-made sentences to use.

👉 Use this site for phrase ideas: Ozdic Collocations Dictionary

Speak to yourself – aloud

Yes, really. Talk to yourself while cooking, walking, or cleaning. Say what you’re doing or describe objects. This strengthens the brain’s speaking circuits and lowers your fear of making mistakes. The key is repetition + low pressure.

Shadowing technique

Listen to native speakers and repeat what they say at the same time, without pausing. This activates both your listening and speaking centres, and builds muscle memory in your mouth and brain. It’s like language karaoke for your brain so you can totally use music. 

Combine and create sentences
Once you learn a phrase like go for a walk, experiment:

  • I go for a walk every day.
  • My sister doesn’t go for a walk.
  • Would you like to go for a walk later?

    This is how fluency grows: by using what you already know in new ways.

Record yourself speaking
Record yourself on your phone talking about your day or describing a photo. Then listen back and ask:

  • Did I hesitate?
  • Which words were missing?
  • Can I say that better next time?

This builds awareness and confidence. 

You’re not bad at English. Your brain just hasn’t had enough output practice. Understanding is a fantastic first step – now it’s time to unlock your ability to speak. And remember: you don’t need perfect grammar to speak. You need courage, consistency, and conversation.

Your tiny speaking challenge:

👉 I will talk to myself about food for 3 minutes tonight while doing the dishes.

Write your version and share it with me in the comments.