Is it possible to measure your language fluency? The question is tricky and there are a few myths people believe in. We think it’s time to dispel them. 

Most of us think that language fluency can be achieved by living in the country where the language is spoken. You can improve your language skills by attending language courses. But are you still fluent if, for example, you decide to leave the country for a longer period of time? The fact is that languages tend to change – new words enter the vocabulary making the language different. Countries often borrow words from each other. And you might sound not very fluent to the locals if you decide to return to the country after 30 years of absence even if you were born there and consider yourself one of the natives. 

How fluent you are depends on what you mean by language fluency. There’re non-verbal things that may tell others that you are a foreigner. You need to understand contextual, physical and cultural differences. Gestures matter a lot. A simple nod might mean ‘no’ in Bulgaria while in your country a nod means ‘yes’. More than that, people can use body language to express their thought, emotions and ideas. The problem is that you will not understand what is said to you even after years of studying the language as long as you try to learn all aspects.