I'm originally from central Europe, currently living second year in the UK. I work in an IT company surrounded only by native English speakers.
I can feel that the speed I learn English has rapidly decreased since I moved here. Yes, I can express myself, I can work here, but my ability to speak in English is around 20% of my mother tongue. Passive knowledge is not problem, but active is quite a pain.
Is there some way that can I speak, let’s say in 10 years, as well as a native speaker?
Yes, it sounds silly, but please try to think about that. I just don't believe there is no way and I should just wait until it fix itself.
I make really simple mistakes
- Not using a/an
- Using he instead of she
- Using sleepover instead of oversleep
- Wrong usage of have/has
- Wrong usage of (have/has/had) been
What I have tried so far
- English classes – It is quite hard to pay attention after work. Focusing on topics I don't need
- Textbooks – I just don't like it
- I read a and watch a lot of English videos, but does it really help?
Ideas I have
- f2f English class just for me, not in a classroom – I can focus on topics I really need
- Start blogging and have each post checked by someone before publishing – I can learn from my mistakes
- Socialising – I'm introvert in any language, but maybe I should try harder
Best Answer
It takes time to learn a new language and even more time to speak as a native speaker. You can speak like a native English speaker in 10 years if you truly devote yourself to learning the language correctly.
The things you are doing will help you, but you may always pronounce words a little differently and have an accent.
But there are things you can do to improve your accent. http://www.really-learn-english.com/word-pronunciation.html You can find some tips on this link to Really Learn English. There are some fantastic tips on the website that may help you in that way.
You also talked about saying words incorrectly and using the wrong words. This just takes time. Make sure when you learn new vocabulary, that you learn it correctly. Use a dictionary and practice any new vocabulary until you are fluent with the word. Ask your English speaking friends to correct you when they see/hear a mistake. And don't be afraid to make mistakes! That is the best way to learn.
If you are interested in purchasing some materials, I would recommend workbooks from this website. They are written specifically for English language learners. Here is another link to a workbook to help you practice. The workbook gives you twenty dialogues to help you practice speaking English. There are other storybooks and workbooks on the same website with wonderful stories written in English to help you with your grammar and vocabulary.
http://store.really-learn-english.com/products/practice-speaking-english-with-english-grammar-dialogues