How to Learn English to Communicate for Real

Most people start studying English with a very clear goal: to communicate. But how do you actually learn English in order to communicate?

To communicate means to converse, interact, understand, and be understood in real-life, everyday situations. It means being able to take part in a conversation, ask for information, talk about yourself, and understand films, TV series, and music, not necessarily everything, but enough to follow the meaning.

So the question is inevitable:

How do you start learning English to truly communicate?

Before answering that, it’s important to understand what usually gets in the way of this process.

The Two Biggest Mistakes of People Who Want to Learn English to Communicate

These mistakes are extremely common. I’ll be honest: I made both of them at the beginning of my own learning journey. And it was through these mistakes that I realized I was doing things the wrong way.

Mistake 1: Memorizing Lists of Isolated Words

Vocabulary is important, but memorizing isolated word lists does not develop communication.

Many people start like this:

• lists of fruits
• lists of colors
• lists of household objects
• lists of kitchen utensils
• lists of office objects
• lists of parts of the house
• lists of verbs
• later, lists of phrasal verbs, idioms, slang…

Over time, the learner may even feel that they “know a lot.”
But when it’s time to speak, they freeze.

The problem is not a lack of words.
It’s a lack of words in use.

Communication doesn’t happen with isolated words, but with natural combinations of the language, that is, chunks of language.

Mistake 2: Focusing on Prescriptive Grammar from the Start

Another classic mistake is believing that mastering grammatical rules is the key to speaking English.

You study:

• verb tenses
• prepositions
• conditional sentences
• exceptions
• lists of irregular verbs

You do well on grammar exercises. But when it’s time to speak, your brain collapses.

This happens because communication is not built rule by rule, but through patterns of use that are activated automatically.

At the beginning, prescriptive grammar tends to get in the way more than it helps.

How These Mistakes Show Up in Practice

You’ve probably caught yourself doing things like:

• watching a movie and writing down random words
• listening to a song while trying to “find” a verb tense
• reading texts while hunting for vocabulary and grammar rules
• making huge lists of adjectives
• speaking while thinking whether a verb is regular or irregular
• trying to understand every single word someone says

All of this is a sign that the focus is in the wrong place.

So, How Do You Start Learning English to Communicate?

If your goal is to truly learn English in order to communicate, your focus needs to change:

👉 language in use, in context, in real situations

This is where the Lexical Approach and the Communicative Approach come in.

You learn:

• chunks of language
• frequent patterns
• ready-made structures that the language naturally uses
• always within real communication situations

Let’s see how this works at different levels.

Basic Level (A1 and A2): Simple and Functional Communication

At the beginning, the focus should be on simple everyday situations.

For example:

• talking about yourself
• talking about your routine
• talking about your family
• talking about your job
• talking about your weekend
• shopping
• asking for basic information

Instead of isolated words, you learn blocks of language, such as:

Hello, my name is…
I’m from…
I work as…
I’m looking for…

These chunks can be practiced through:

• short sentences
• mini-dialogues
• short texts
• brief presentations

Practical example: a clothing store

Instead of studying colors and clothes separately, you learn the dialogue:

– Good afternoon! Can I help you?
– Yes, please! I’m looking for a red T-shirt.
– What size?
– Large.

This is language in use. This is real communication.

Grammar rules and isolated words may appear, but they are not the main focus at this stage.

The dialogue doesn’t need to be long. Start with something short and practice it. Over time, you can expand it. The key is to start slowly.

Intermediate Level (B1 and B2): More Context, More World

At the intermediate level, you:

• expand familiar situations
• enter new ones (hotel, airport, work, travel)

Phrasal verbs, expressions, and vocabulary emerge naturally, in context — not in random lists.

At B2, you begin to:

• express opinions
• talk about social issues
• discuss ideas
• better understand films and TV series

Grammar should be grammar in use, not memorized rules.

Advanced Level (C1 and C2): Refinement and Linguistic Awareness

At this stage, learning becomes more conscious and refined.

You already have:

• a solid repertoire of chunks
• functional fluency
• confidence to communicate

Now it makes sense to:

• study grammar in greater depth
• learn isolated words and more complex idiomatic expressions
• adapt your English to academic and professional contexts

Learning becomes more natural and continuous.

Final Thoughts

When the focus is on communication, progress happens in a lighter, more natural, and more efficient way.

When the focus is on lists and rules, frustration appears.

Learning English requires:

• patience
• consistency
• the right method

Start small. Focus on real communication. Learn chunks of language.

If you study the right way, in one year your English will be much better than you imagine.

Learning English is not about memorizing more. It’s about learning better.