It's really miserable - to study English for 16 years and be on this level. Need help

[WonderMary]

Hello, I've been studying English for more than 16 years. I started studying when I was 6 and still not a fluent speaker. :-(

I spent 10 years at school studying English, 2-3 years at university (actually, I had not a brilliant teacher at that time) and approximately 2-3 years I'm studying English by my own. I attended summer language school from AIESEC (it was good for developing my speaking skills), did some stuff on Duolingo, LinguaLeo and similar websites, read books (from Shakespeare to Edgar Allan Po), watched so many sitcoms (Extra, Office, House M.D., last two seasons of Game of Thrones) and movies (Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and many new films), but my English is still poor. :-?

What are my thoughts on this? I think I need more practice with English native speaker, maybe private skype lessons.

Actually, I can write, read, understand many things. I can speak with a stranger about the weather and about religion, about music and about culture, about history and about animals' rights.

By I'm looking for good suggestions from experienced English learners and teachers. What could you advise me, guys?

P.S. Now I'm interested in learning American English, not British.

 

[emsr2d2]

Hello, I've been studying English for more than 16 years. I started studying when I was 6 and ​I'm still not [STRIKE]a [/STRIKE] fluent. [STRIKE]speaker.[/STRIKE] :-(

I spent 10 years at school studying English, 2-3 years at university (actually, I [STRIKE]had not[/STRIKE] didn't have a brilliant teacher at that time) and approximately 2-3 years [STRIKE]I'm[/STRIKE] studying English [STRIKE]by[/STRIKE] on my own. I attended a summer language school from AIESEC (it was good for developing my speaking skills), did some stuff on Duolingo, LinguaLeo and similar websites, read books (from Shakespeare to Edgar Allan Poe), watched [STRIKE]so[/STRIKE] many sitcoms (Extras, The Office, House M.D., the last two seasons of Game of Thrones) and movies (Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and many new films), but my English is still poor. :-?

What are my thoughts on this? I think I need more practice with English native speakers; maybe private Skype lessons.

Actually, I can write, read and understand many things. I can speak with a stranger about the weather, [STRIKE]and about[/STRIKE] religion, [STRIKE]about[/STRIKE] music and [STRIKE]about[/STRIKE] culture, [STRIKE]about[/STRIKE] history, and [STRIKE]about[/STRIKE] [STRIKE]animals'[/STRIKE] animal rights.

[STRIKE]By[/STRIKE] I'm looking for good suggestions from experienced English learners and teachers. What could you advise me, guys?

P.S. Now I'm interested in learning American English, not British.

First, please note my corrections above. Are these the kind of mistakes you make most of the time?

I note that your member profile shows your current location as the United States. You are, therefore, in the perfect place to practice your English every single day. I wouldn't pay out for private lessons, whether that's on Skype or not. In addition to the hours of English you should be speaking just undertaking everyday tasks, I'm sure you could find someone with whom to practice conversational English on a regular basis - perhaps you can find someone who wants to learn Russian and you could do a language exchange. You just need to be certain that they would correct all your mistakes.

Many American cities host a group called Toastmasters International where people can practice their public speaking, regardless of their native language.

Be aware that many people study for decades without becoming fluent. The best thing for language acquisition is complete immersion in that language. You are living in an English-speaking country so that should help immensely. When did you move to the USA?