| A | B |
|---|
| carry on... | conversations |
| halting... | ability to speak a language |
| to be immersed... | in a culture |
| to retain... | words |
| to be... | proficient in a language |
| to master... | a foreign language |
| to speak... | passable English |
| to brush up... | on the language |
| carry on a conversation | listen to and respond to another person |
| speak in halting way | speak slowly with many mistakes |
| be immersed in a language | be in contact with it all day |
| retain new words | not to forget new words |
| be proficient in a language | to speak a language very well |
| to master a language | to LEARN to speak a language very well |
| to speak passable English | to speak English not so well |
| to brush up on a language | to practice it AFTER not using it for a long time |
