Many people live in the UK for a decade, hold down jobs, and still only manage “good morning,” “how are you,” “how much,” “pay please.” Even more surprising: plenty of students spend 3–4 years abroad and come home with shaky English.
It’s entirely possible to spend days—or an entire month—in London without uttering any English. Tap your card on the Tube, self-checkout at the supermarket, FaceTime friends back in Việt Nam, rent from a Vietnamese landlord. Problem solved.
Students aren’t exempt. In giant lecture halls, the professor monologues and everyone goes home. Classmates have their own schedules, so conversations never stretch beyond “Where are you from? Nice!”
So how do you actually improve if “living in England” isn’t enough?
Some people pick up a part-time job with international staff. Great—you’ll master phrases like “That’s £6.50,” “What would you like today?” or “Can you take the trash out?” But the English you need to present, collaborate, or work in a professional setting still stagnates.
The truth: English fluency depends more on your attitude and habits than your postcode. Someone in Hà Nội or Sài Gòn who works eight hours a day in English will outpace a Londoner who spends every evening with Vietnamese friends and works for a Vietnamese-owned business.
Wherever you are, progress still hinges on two simple actions: study and practice.
Study: keep collecting vocabulary, grammar, expressions, and pronunciation patterns. Use textbooks, courses, or self-study materials—just like you did when preparing for IELTS back home. Want to pick things up from locals? You have to observe and note them yourself; nobody stops mid-conversation to explain grammar. (You’ve spoken Vietnamese for decades—can you explain every rule on the spot?)
Practice: English-speaking countries give you more opportunities, but you must grab them. In the “old days” without technology, survival forced people to use English constantly. Now, the digital shortcuts described earlier make it easy to avoid it altogether. Set a weekly target—choose a few new words, grammar points, or sounds, and intentionally use them with English speakers. They don’t have to be native; long-term locals often know the idioms better than native tourists. Be brave. Two new items a day is enough to see real change within a month.