5. Make your own opportunities.

In everyday life, people are not going to go out of their way to speak to you in English if they don’t have to. You have to make your own opportunities. Talk to an English-speaking colleague, ask people on the street a question, order your coffee in your best English. The learning starts with you. You have to be the one to make it happen by starting a conversation where there may not be one. This can be a daunting task for some, so start small. Give yourself a goal such as to ask 3 questions to people in English. This can be as easy as, “Excuse me, what time is it?”, “Do you know where the metro is?”, or “Do you know where the closest Starbucks is?” The biggest thing holding most people back is the feeling that they are incapable of speaking well enough. Well, either that’s not true, and you are just holding yourself back. Or it is true, and you need the practice. Either way, don’t be afraid to use your English. What is the point of learning a language if you are not going to communicate in it? Get out there and use that English!