"BUT I CAN UNDERSTAND WRITTEN ENGLISH PERFECTLY."
I hear this a lot from students who don’t understand why they have great
comprehension of written English, but can’t speak it well. One reason is
because English conversation is quite different from English reading.
Conversation uses a different type of English, including different
vocabulary.
English conversational vocabulary is much more casual. In English, this
means we use more words of Saxon or Old English origin during
conversation. We also use more phrasal verbs (two- or three-word phrases
with either a verb and an adverb or a verb and a proposition, such as get
away, calm down or cheer someone up).
The difference between conversation and more formal English is one
reason that even “advanced” students have difficulty with everyday
conversations. The problem is that students learn more formal English in
school. Formal English tends to use more words of French and Latin
origin. This kind of English is, in fact, much easier for students who speak
Romance languages such as Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, or French. These
students often do quite well when reading English, but have a lot of trouble
understanding normal speech.
So, if you want to communicate with native speakers, it’s very
important to learn from English conversation and audios – not just
textbooks and reading.
Learn English Conversation
This is why listening is so important. Listening provides the foundation for
speaking. As your listening ability improves, it will pull your speaking
