4 ms·
In my experience, the best method for finding out if you're fluent or not is the speed test: if native speakers slow down (or suddenly start to pronounce waaay
by danh 17y ago
In my experience, the best method for finding out if you're fluent or not is the speed test: if native speakers slow down (or suddenly start to pronounce waaay to well) when speaking to you, you're not fluent.
Second best is to try to overhear a conversation between native speakers in a really noisy bar. If you understand every detail of it, you can consider yourself fluent (and a little creepy).
- unconed 17y agoThe noisy bar test is a great indicator. I moved to English-speaking Vancouver two years ago from Belgium (native Dutch speaker), and even though I was already proficient/fluent in English, I could not follow noisy bar conversations, even when native speakers around me had no problem hearing them. I used to think that maybe something was wrong with my ears. Eventually though, it got better. Constant, daily use of spoken English around me has given me the pattern recognition skills to turn drunken, barely audible slurs into clear words, even over pumping club music ;).