As long as I can remember, we have been forced to study English for 12 years in School. But when we met a foreigner, we just said “Hello”. Why was that? First, in my opinion, when we were young, we studied English with our Thai teacher. They taught us with our own accent. So, the best way to be fluent in English is to have real conversations with the native English speakers. Second, we are shy to speak English because we worry about grammar a lot. With our Thai teacher, they told us to remember grammar rules but never told us how to use them. But with the native English teacher, they will not correct us every time we make a mistake. In the other hand, they help us. They always tell us like “Do not be shy! Forget about grammar for awhile and speak it!” Finally, with the native English teacher, they will not let us listen and take notes. They will ask us a lot of question and lead a conversation in a way we speak 80% of the time.
In conclusion, it is all about “our courage” to be an open-minded person with English. Because neither the native English teacher nor our traditional English teacher can help us, if we do not help ourselves first.