I was wondering if anyone has any advice for me at getting better at speaking as it’s not getting any easier. I know the replies will just be speak more often, but I need a way to trick my mind or something. Recently I got a tutor on italki and shes great. She’s patient and helps correct my mistakes. Trouble is that I’m simply just not improving. Not even in the slightest. I also have a Japanese lady I talk to once a week for an hour as well. It’s both English and Japanese we speak, but again, I’m not finding myself improving even a little bit.
When it comes to reading and writing I am around n4-n3 level. But my speaking is not even a comfortable n5 level. Closer to lower end of n5. I find that when I talk it takes me a loooong time to even just think of the sentence I want to say, and it’s usually the most basic sentences such as I like x, I do X or tomorrow I will go there. Despite that, I can read and write considerably more complex sentences and at much faster speeds. When I write things I also speak it aloud. I have no problem with this. I can read sentences out loud no problem. It’s the thinking the sentences part.
I’m on the border of wanting to give up because my motivation is being crushed daily.