How good is my English ?

We are not particularly good at critically evaluating ourselves.

Often, we are under the impression that we are more competent than we actually are. Alas! This misconception is present in language skills as well.

It has been my experience that English language skills in companies are in need of drastic improvement. Many engineers, managers, associates, executives, lawyers, accountants, and software programmers are unable to express themselves clearly, concisely, and politely.  At times, they find it challenging to communicate complex ideas. Their range of vocabulary does not permit them to express nuances–the same words/phrases get repeated in many different conversational settings.

And yet, when people are questioned about their English language abilities, after a few seconds of introspection, they reply that their English is quite good.

Why is this happening?

There may be a few reasons for this wide gap between perceived and actual language skills.

Lack of exposure

The first reason could be that people are just not exposed to good language.

They do not read books that are rich in idiomatic expressions and that have a variety of sentence structures. They do not have people around them who are proficient speakers of the language. They do not watch documentaries and movies which transport them out of their comfort zone and introduce them to words and grammatical structures that they would not usually encounter in their everyday lives.

And even when they are exposed to good language, they rarely pay attention. They are not active listeners and readers. They are not able to recognize and appreciate new grammar structures or new vocabulary. 

Hence, people are not aware of the richness of the language.

They don’t know that they don’t know. 

Fluency does not mean accuracy

Fluency is often confused with accuracy. There are speakers who speak with confidence and fluency.

When you hear them, they seem perfectly at ease with the language. They have a good rate of speech and pronounce words reasonably well. However, when you listen carefully, you start to notice things.

They make basic grammatical errors (such as I didn’t went there). And they use vocabulary incorrectly. For instance, using the word improvise when they mean improve. These errors may be fossilized, meaning that they are deeply embedded in the mind. 

In an environment where the overall language level is at the pre-intermediate or intermediate level, these fluent, but inaccurate speakers, can be mistaken to have strong language skills. This leads them to believe that everything is okay, language wise.

Feeling of possessing superior language skills

At office, most people have roughly similar language levels. In general, it’s a mix of pre-intermediate and intermediate level speakers.

A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. This is true when someone with an  intermediate level of English starts giving lessons to someone who is at the pre-intermediate level. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against one human being teaching another human being. But, this is not always the best way to learn. 

First, the person may be providing incorrect advice, leading to the spread of incorrect grammar and vocabulary. Poor grammar is especially contagious.

Second, the person doling out the advice may consider himself to be a language guru. He may consider himself to be somewhat of an authority on the English language. Now, that is a worrying thought. Will he ever question his own level of competence?

So, is it varying combinations of ignorance and arrogance that leads a good person to overestimate his language level? Possibly. In all fairness, I would say that it is more ignorance than arrogance.

Do you want to better understand your language level? 

1. Start by second guessing yourself.

How effective are your emails? Does your reader or listener understand your message? Are you using words that precisely convey what you want to say? Are you using the same words in email after email after email? If the answer is yes for the last question, then you need to widen the range of your vocabulary. 

2. Benchmark your communication skills with that of others.

What words and phrases does your CEO use when she makes a presentation? Is she using simple sentences or complex sentences? Is there anything you can learn from her? Watch Youtube videos of people you admire, especially on TEDx. How do you compare?

3. Test your English.

In my opinion, the best assessment happens face-to- face. Do visit a language school that provides credible assessment, such as the British Council.

If doing that is not possible for the time being, you could test yourself online.

Access these online tests to get an idea of your language level:

Cambridge English Language Assessment

BBC Learning English 

You may not be as good as you think you are.

When it comes to assessing your language level, approach it with humility. And be open to learning.

I repeat: you may not be as good as you think you are. 

A harsh statement, I admit. But, if you take it to heart, your future-self will thank you.