04/03/2026
When Your English Starts Acting Like It's Been On Holiday
When Your English Starts Acting Like It's Been On Holiday
I speak three languages: Dutch, English, and Czech. And sometimes it feels like I’m not fully fluent in any of them.
Maybe you recognize this. You teach English all day, but you spend most of that time simplifying it. Slower, clearer, more repetition. Good teaching, obviously, but not your full English. When was the last time you argued a complex point, defended an opinion under pressure, or used your full vocabulary without adapting it for someone else?
I notice this in my own life. At home, I speak Dutch with my family. English with my husband over lunch. Czech only when I have to — shopping, neighbors, paperwork. Each language has its role and does its job, but it rarely gets pushed beyond that.
Over time, something shifts.
When you use a language every day but never at full capacity, it starts to dull. You maintain it, but you don’t stretch it. The knowledge is still there and the grammar hasn’t disappeared. What changes is how sharp the language feels when you need it quickly, without preparation, while you’re still thinking.
That’s where debating comes in for me. Not as a performance and not as a competition, but as a way of actively organizing thoughts while speaking. You’re forced to get into ideas more deeply, respond to other people’s thinking, and stay with a line of thought long enough to actually develop it. That kind of use keeps a language awake.
I’m starting a small online group where English teachers practice debate together, simply as a way to keep our English sharp. If that sounds interesting, you know where to find me.
If you know an English teacher who might recognize this feeling, please pass it on.
