AN OPEN LETTER TO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE

I hear you. You have been learning English since forever. You watch tons of TV shows. You speak English on a daily basis at work. Your colleagues and clients seem really impressed with your grasp of English. Everyone you talk to tells you your English is just fine.

Well, "just fine" doesn't cut it.

Just fine means just fine. Just fine is "I am working in this firm really long time. I am convinced I still getting better step by step. But I am thinking if I should really do this for rest of my life. Maybe no. Maybe I should quit last year when I was offering some other job. But to make so big decisions was always big problem for me. So I don't know."

That's what "just fine" really stands for.

Now, don't get me wrong. You speak really really fast. Admirably so. You rattle off those business terms like your life depended on it. And I do know exactly what you are saying. Points taken, all of them.

Problem is, if you put it all down on paper and read it, you would not be pleased. And if, God forbid, you had someone like me check for errors (which, trust me, you do not want to do), those business terms would be the only uncrossed-out parts. If that.

Just because your English is getting faster doesn't mean it's getting better. Now, am I saying you should forget all that you have learned so far, toss it in the river,, cut your losses, and start over? You can bet your sweet ass that's what I'm saying.

Don't get faster, get better.