I’m assuming you’re talking about English as a second language.

See, expressing yourself in English requires three things: language, knowledge, and culture.

Watch the video where I explain:

Obviously, language is essential. You need to know phrases, expressions, chunks, and blocks of English so you can express things that you want to express. This makes sense, right?

But aside from language, the second thing you need is knowledge. And what I mean by this is you have to know ideas, things to talk about or share with the person you’re talking to. Because if you only know phrases and expressions in English, it won’t make any sense if you don’t actually know what you’re talking about.

And the third and last one is the need to know about culture. And what I mean by culture is how people behave in conversation. If you know the person’s culture, you’ll then know how to tailor your message to them. Like for example, there is a difference in how people talk in the US and in the UK (where I’m from). Different cultures, different styles of communication.

And these three essential things to express yourself well in English is what I call the LKC Triangle. If you want to learn more about this, you can enrol in my MEFA class (but it’s not for everyone).

Hope that helps.

Best,
Dr Julian Northbrook