Title: Can you understand native speakers? *Looking for students that want to chat. Student: “Why can’t I understand native speakers?” Me: “Sometimes it’s culture sometimes you have to blame grammar.” The business language of the world today is arguable English, it is perceived as being international. I have worked within the EU (European Union) for about three years. I can honestly say, ‘I can survive within many of the EU nations solely speaking English.’ I can order food in a restaurant, I can follow road signs, I can grocery shop, and I can find a room or apartment to rent. I do this all in English, but can I have a conversation about movies, sports, books, or most things that interest me in depth? No. Most people really only study the basics in school such as introductions and basic replies. The problem is speech comprehension. Native speakers don’t always follow the rules, say what you may expect, or have a very different accent from the one you may have studied. ¬¬ English has a large vocabulary, expressions, idioms, and the sentence structure can vary. If you say, ‘Hello, how are you’, what do you expect me to say in response? Most English learning books will tell you that I will say, “I’m fine”, “Doing well”, “Good, and you” or “Alright”. I could also say something that will hint that I am not good like, “Not good today” or “Had better days.” The truth is, that when I am around my friends the phrase “Hello, how are you?” or similar expressions are not treated like questions, even though it is a question. It’s treated as a conversation starter. If my friend Olivia where to say to me, “Hello, how are you.” I would probably respond with one word to her question, “good” or “bad” then start the conversation.