Why You Feel You’re Stagnating in Your English Level (and What to Do About It)

Don’t worry! You’re not alone.

I personally had (and still have at times) the same problem with Portuguese, even though I speak every day and spend a good part of my time in Brazil. If I don’t make a conscious effort to improve, I use the same words all the time and stagnate. So, if you just want to communicate that’s ok. But we all want more than that don’t we? ➕

Every learner reaches a plateau at some point. Even advanced speakers.
But the good news? A plateau isn’t a dead end. It’s a sign that you’re ready for a different type of learning. 💡

👀Let’s look at why you might feel stuck and what you can do today to start progressing again.

🔍 1. You’re Not Challenging Yourself Anymore

At the beginning, everything feels new; grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation.
You improve quickly because the progress is visible.

But once you reach B1 or B2, routine takes over:

• Same podcasts

• Same series

• Same conversations

• Same type of exercises

🧠Your brain gets comfortable… and stops learning.

✔️ What to do:

• Change your listening sources

• Switch topics (technology, psychology, debates, etc.)

• Try speaking about subjects you never touch

📈Growth lives outside your comfort zone.

📚 2. You’re Consuming English but Not Using It

You watch Netflix.
You follow YouTubers.
You listen to podcasts.

That’s great, but passive learning has limits.

If you don’t speak or write, your English becomes receptive but not active.

✔️ What to do:

• 🗣️Record yourself speaking 2 minutes per day

• ✍️Write short paragraphs (emails, opinions, summaries)

• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑Join conversation groups

• Speak out loud when you’re alone🤪 (but make sure you’re alone, I used to do that in my car on the way home from work)

Production = progression.

🧩 3. You’re Repeating the Same Type of Practice

If you’ve been doing grammar exercises for 6 months…
Guess what?
You’ll get better at grammar exercises, not at English.

Skill-specific practice gives skill-specific results.

✔️ What to do:

Identify your weak skill:

• 👂Listening? Switch to harder material.

• 🗣️Speaking? Speak more often. (there are various applications where you can find people to speak with)

• ✍️Writing? Write and get corrections.

• 📚Vocabulary? Learn chunks, not isolated words.

Focus on the skill that blocks your global progress.

🎧 4. You Understand More Than You Can Say

This is the most common plateau.
Your passive vocabulary grows…
…but your active vocabulary stays small.

So, you feel stuck because speaking doesn’t match your comprehension.

✔️ What to do:

Transform passive vocabulary → active vocabulary using:

• Shadowing (listen to somebody speaking and copy them at the same time)

• Chunk repetition

• Speaking with structure prompts (e.g. What was a challenge you faced recently? Answer with a) what the challenge was, b) why it was difficult, c) what you did to solve it)

• Retelling what you heard in your own words

Output turns knowledge into ability.

🧱 5. You’re Afraid of Making Mistakes

Many learners stop improving simply because they stop taking risks.

They avoid:

• New vocabulary

• Complex sentences

• Fast conversations

• Native speakers

• Difficult topics

This is how stagnation happens.

✔️ What to do:

Set a challenge goal:
“I will make 20 mistakes per conversation today.”
Why? Because mistakes = progress markers.

💬 6. You Don’t Get Enough Feedback

🏋️Imagine going to the gym but never knowing if your form is correct.
You’d plateau quickly.

Same with English.

If no one tells you what to fix, you repeat the same errors forever.

✔️ What to do:

• 👩‍🏫Ask a teacher for targeted corrections

• 😺Use AI to evaluate your writing/speaking

• 😏Practice with people who will challenge you

• ❌Review your mistakes weekly

Feedback = acceleration.

🧠 7. You’ve Outgrown Your Current Method

Maybe the way you learned at A1, A2, B1 is no longer useful at B2 or C1.

Different levels require different methods. Take applications for example. Duolingo is great at A1 but after a while you can change to Busuu.

✔️ What to do:

• At A levels → build vocabulary + grammar basics

• At B levels → focus on fluency + listening

• At C levels → refine nuance + pronunciation + advanced structures

Your method must evolve as you do.

🎯 So… How Do You Break the Plateau ?

Here’s a simple 4-step plan:

1 Identify your weakest skill
2 Choose one targeted practice activity for 2 weeks
3 Increase difficulty slightly every few days
4 Track your progress (short recordings, journal, tests)

Consistent micro-improvements beat random long sessions.

💪 Final Thoughts

Feeling stuck doesn’t mean you’re not progressing.
It means you’ve reached the stage where progress becomes invisible… until it suddenly isn’t.

Keep going.
Adjust your method.
Challenge yourself in new ways.

Your next big jump in English is closer than you think. 🚀✨

👉 If you want personalised feedback or a study plan tailored to your goals, I can help.
Book a session with me here ➜https://wa.me/5512982941433