Hey there, podcast and chill（寒冷） listeners. Welcome back（在后） to another episode（插曲）. I'm your host（主人）, Leo（[天]狮子座）, the guy who can make（使） you laugh while teaching you a thing or two. And I'm Gwen, your informative（ 提供信息的） host（主人）, here to guide you through the ins and outs of today's theme（主题）. So, Leo, what's our topic today? I think this topic is very practical（实践的） because it plays an important role in finding（找到） the right and appropriate（适当的） method to learn English.

  Today, we will talk about five common mistakes people make when learning（学习） English and how to avoid them. Does that sound good, Gwen? Of course. Whether（ 是否） you are a beginner or have been learning（学习） English for a while, this episode will help you improve your skills. So, let's get started. Let's see what the first mistake is.

  It's not practicing English enough. Let's face（向） it, speaking a new language can be challenging. Maybe you worry about making mistakes, or perhaps you feel your pronunciation isn't perfect. But here's the secret, practicing speaking is key to mastering（控制） English. Why is speaking important? Speaking helps you use the words and grammar you learn.

  It also helps you become more comfortable with the language. When you speak, you practice your pronunciation and learn to listen better. The more you use your English voice, the stronger and more comfortable you'll become. If you don't practice speaking, it can be hard to talk to people in English. Do you still feel nervous or shy（羞怯的） when trying to speak English? Here are some tips to help you feel better about speaking.

  The first thing is to find a speaking partner. If you have friends or someone who wants to learn to speak English, they can help you improve and feel more comfortable. You can look for online communities or language exchange（交换） apps where you can connect with English learners to practice conversation. Don't worry if practicing like this seems boring and you don't know where to start. Let's role play together to talk about topics closest to you. Pretend（假装） you're in different situations like ordering food at a restaurant or asking for directions.

  Practice what you would say in these situations. Here is another thing. Have you ever thought about talking to yourself? If you can't find a partner to practice speaking, this is also a way for you to practice on your own. Practice speaking simple sentences in front of a mirror. It might feel silly（傻的） at first, but it's a great way to build confidence（信心） and get comfortable with the sound of your English voice.

  This helps you see your expressions and feel more confident（确信的）. The next thing is thinking in English. Instead of translating（ 翻译） everything from your native（本国的） language, try to think in English as much as possible. This will help you become more fluent and spontaneous（自发的）. And for this to be effective（有效的）, use your phone to record yourself speaking. Listen to the recording and see where you can improve.

  The second mistake is relying（依赖） too much on your native（本国的） language. It's easy to use your native language when learning English, but it can slow（ 放慢速度） you down. Why is this a problem? When you rely too much on your native language, you don't practice thinking in English. This makes it harder to remember and use English words and sentences. It also slows down your speaking and understanding skills.

  This is how to practice thinking in English. You should use an English-English dictionary. When you encounter（遭遇） an unknown（未知的） word, instead of using an English, your first language dictionary, use an English-English one. This helps you learn new words in English and understand their meanings better. Labeling（标注） things around you is also a good way to think in English. Write the names of things in English on sticky（粘的） notes and put them on objects around your home.

  This helps you think in English when you see these objects. Have you ever set（[数] 集合） your devices to English? If not, let's try. Change the language on your phone, computer, and other devices to English.