Rachel, you can get fluent in a language but you don't actually have to become like a native speaker, just because you will never be a native speaker of that language and you already have your native tongue, it's part of you and who you are. Now, when it comes to English, it has become a truly international language, in which most conversations in the world are held by non-native speakers (between let's say, Germans and the Japanese, Brazilians and the Chinese) so what you should concentrate on is on the clearness and not worry too much about sounding like a native speaker. Going back to your question, how to gain fluency, keep practicing, keep speaking, debating, but also keep in mind, that you might first need more language input (that is more watching videos, movies, reading, following some inspiring people on social media in English and then actively engaging yourself in their accounts like regularly reading their posts, commenting on them). Afterall, we are all different, and some people learn faster and thus produce phrases more fluently, while others need more time to absorb the language, and it's okay. Good luck with your English learning!

Decades of interaction with native speakers. There are no shortcuts.

Hi Rachel! I recommend these 3 tips to help speak more naturally: Speaking: Try to use contractions more often. Also, during casual conversations, try to use informal contractions ("gonna" instead of "going to"). However, I would not recommend using informal contractions in formal or business settings. Grammar: Study phrasal verbs, collocations, and popular expressions. Learning: Pick the accent that you want to learn (American, British, etc.), and try to learn from teachers who also have that accent. Good luck!

Native - unfortunately not. Fluent - yes! You will have to practice very hard at learning English every single day. It is possible to become near fluent and normally full immersion within an English culture will definitely help! But do not worry if you cannot immerse yourself in a complete English speaking environment. My advice is to listen to English tv programs, series (or even movies) daily. Listen to English music and read as many English books as possible. Always keep a dictionary at your side in order to learn any new words you don’t understand. Practice speaking in English whenever the opportunity arrises. Pay attention to you accent and try to speak and pronounce words as clearly as possible. Never stop learning! It will not happen overnight, but trust me it can be done. I am South African and I have seen many people become fluent because they followed this technique.

I am also a learner ,My level is B2, my wechat id is wakingday, my skype is [email protected], maybe we can practice together .