Thanks, but I am not very representative of English proficiency among the Dutch. I've spent waayy more time reading, writing and speaking in English than most people I know. That said I am not too surprised by Devac's request. My conversational English was also always behind on my written English, simply because it is much harder to get good practice. Knowing how to write in a second language doesn't translate that well into spoken proficiency as you might expect. The skills needed for spoken English are different from written because you need to do it on the spot without the dictionaries and deliberation that you can use while writing. What helped me improve most was finding an online gaming community with active voice chats, mostly filled with Americans and Brits. I do hope he does well; spending half a year abroad in Canada got me up to native level (American) English. Practice really does make perfect.
Exactly this. Plus talking in general is not something that's easy for me, language be damned.That said I am not too surprised by Devac's request. My conversational English was also always behind on my written English, simply because it is much harder to get good practice. Knowing how to write in a second language doesn't translate that well into spoken proficiency as you might expect. The skills needed for spoken English are different from written because you need to do it on the spot without the dictionaries and deliberation that you can use while writing.