349. How to Become an Expert in English (or Anything Else!) (English Vocabulary Lesson)

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ ⁠https://nordvpn.com/think85⁠ Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! What does it really take to become an expert English speaker? How do some people reach such a high level of fluency, while others seem to struggle for years without much progress? Is it talent? Luck? Or something else? Recently, I rewatched a fascinating video from one of my favourite YouTube channels, Veritasium, titled “The Four Things It Takes to Be an Expert.” The video looks at the science behind how people become truly skilled at something, whether it's music, sports, or academic subjects. As I watched, I realised that the ideas in the video are incredibly relevant to English learners. So, in this episode of Thinking in English, I want to take the four key principles from that Veritasium video and apply them directly to learning English. These principles can help guide your study, improve your skills, and ultimately help you become an expert speaker of the language. This episode was originally recorded as a Bonus Episode for my Patreon community a year ago... subscribe to Patreon for more great episodes. Let’s get started! Veritasium's Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eW6Eagr9XA Conversation Club - https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2025/08/18/349-how-to-become-an-expert-in-english-or-anything-else-english-vocabulary-lesson/⁠ AD Free Episode - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thinking in English Bonus Podcast -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/collection/869866⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube Channel -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Borough by Blue Dot Sessions Contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to advertise on Thinking in English. Thinking in English is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media podcast network.⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Om Podcasten

Thinking in English is a podcast for intermediate and advanced English learners who want to do more than just study grammar and vocabulary. I believe that thinking is one of the most important steps on the road to fluency. That’s why each episode explores fascinating topics, from politics, economics, and history to philosophy, science, and culture. Instead of simply learning English, this podcast helps you learn in English. You’ll expand your knowledge, discover new ideas, and improve your language skills, all at the same time. Bonus episodes and ad-free episodes, exclusive for Patreon subscribers: https://www.patreon.com/collection/869866 Join our Conversation Clubs and support the podcast: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠ Visit the website: ⁠https://thinkinginenglish.blog/⁠ Thinking in English is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to advertise on Thinking in English.