Getting the feedback you want

How can you improve your English if no-one corrects you? This question recently came up in one of my group classes. (Of course, I do provide feedback but it's a large class so the student who asked the question wanted more.)

Ask for feedback

The main advice I would give is to emphasise the importance of asking for feedback. Friends and colleagues are generally reluctant to give feedback unless you ask for it. However, not everyone has English speaking friends or colleagues and if this is the case, you might have to get creative.

Other options

Here are some possible ideas to help you to get some feedback on your English.

• Work through a good grammar and vocabulary book paying attention to the questions that you get wrong.

• Consider joining a group with English speaking members - perhaps a theatre class, writing group or a walking club.

• Another option would be to set up a tandem group with an English speaker. You teach them your language and they teach you theirs.

• You could seek out common mistakes made by people learning English and then work with those – do some self-reflection on whether you make the same mistakes or not.

• AI is one possibility but this should be used with caution. Don’t automatically believe what it says but do some further research to establish if the feedback given is correct.

• Start writing more. The writing process takes time and requires editing. Mistakes that you make whilst speaking may be more transparent in writing, thus allowing you to self-correct (and this can be one of the best forms of correction).

• Set up a book club in your neighbourhood and hope that some English speakers join

Finally, if none of the above options work, you can sign up for English lessons either in a small group or on a 1:1 basis. I have many students who have excellent English (some of them have even studied English at university). They come to me because they appreciate getting feedback on their English and enjoy seeing it improve.