(And no, it’s not because you’re bad at English) Let’s clear one thing first. If you are Punjabi and you understand English but struggle to speak it, there is nothing wrong with your intelligence, background, or effort. The problem is not you. The problem is how English was forced on you. And most people never explain this honestly. The uncomfortable truth no one talks about Most Punjabis were taught English in a way that kills speaking ability. Think back to school. You were rewarded for - Writing correct answers, Memorising grammar, and Scoring marks on paper. You were punished for - Speaking wrong English, Making pronunciation mistakes and Trying in front of othersSo your brain learned something very clearly: “Understanding is safe. Speaking is dangerous.” That belief stays for years. You don’t “lack confidence” — your brain is overloaded People love saying: “You just need confidence.” That’s lazy advice. Here’s what actually happens in your mind when you try to speak: You think in Punjabi You translate it to English You check grammar You worry how it sounds You imagine judgment You stop That is not a lack of confidence. That is a mental traffic jam. No human brain can speak smoothly like this. This is why you speak well alone — but not in public Ever noticed this? You speak better alone. You speak better with close people. You freeze in interviews, offices, official calls Why? Because fear switches on your “self-check mode”. And the moment you start monitoring every word, fluency dies. Fluency needs flow — not monitoring. Grammar didn’t fail you. The method did. Punjabis don’t fail at English because they don’t know grammar. They fail because: They never heard real spoken English daily They never practiced thinking in English They were trained to be correct, not comfortable Speaking is a skill, not a rulebook. And skills are built through exposure, not exams. The missing piece: listening before speaking Every fluent speaker — knowingly or unknowingly — did this: They listened a lot before they spoke confidently. Not once, not occasionally but daily. Listening does something grammar never can: It trains sentence flow It fixes pronunciation naturally It removes translation habit It builds confidence quietly That’s how children learn. That’s how adults re-learn. If this sounds like you, read this carefully If you: Understand English but hesitate to speak Feel embarrassed after speaking Think “I know this, but I can’t say it” Avoid English conversations Then stop blaming yourself. You don’t need more rules. You need more natural input. One final reality check You don’t need to speak perfect English. You need to speak clear, calm, understandable English. Confidence comes after exposure — not before it. And anyone who tells you otherwise has never taught real learners. Understanding English but not speaking it is not a failure. It’s proof that your foundation exists — it was just never activated. And activation happens when learning feels natural, not stressful. If your brain learns better through listening than reading, that’s not a weakness. That’s simply your learning style. And when learning matches your style, speaking starts to feel normal — not forced.
