Understanding isn’t the same as speaking

You understood every word of the presentation. Then someone asked you a question.

The answer was completely clear in your head. Something else came out of your mouth, slower and smaller, and you spent the afternoon thinking your English had got worse.

Understanding English and speaking it are two different skills, and only one of them gets practised every day. You read, you listen, you follow. Almost nothing in your week asks you to produce English while someone waits.

That meeting showed you which of the two has had more practice. It didn’t show you anything about your English.

Quick win: Answer one question out loud today instead of in your head. Out loud is the part that’s out of practice.