You can understand so much.

You listen to podcasts and actually follow what's being said. You watch shows without subtitles. You read articles and get the nuance.

You've put in the work. You've consumed hours and hours of input.

But then someone asks you a question in your target language — and you freeze.

The words are in your head. You know them. But they won't come out. Or they come out so slowly and broken that you give up halfway through.

In this episode, we're talking about what to do when you understand everything but can't speak. Why this gap exists, why it's so frustrating, and most importantly — how to start closing it.

You'll learn why understanding and producing are two completely different skills. What makes speaking harder than listening — processing speed, vocabulary access, performance pressure, grammar in real time. Why the gap between receptive and productive skills is predictable, not a personal failure. And five low-stakes strategies to start practicing output without an audience.

Understanding and producing are two different muscles. If you've only been training one, the other is going to feel weak. But weak doesn't mean broken. It just means untrained.

You don't need to sound fluent to start speaking. You just need to start speaking to become fluent.

Want full transcripts, extended show notes, and bonus resources for every episode? Podcast Pro gives you the tools to bridge the gap between understanding and speaking — with strategies designed for real, sustainable progress.

Learn more and subscribe at theimmersionstudio.com.