Here’s What BTS’s Jungkook Truly Feels About His English Skills

BTS‘s Jungkook has definitely been working on his English skills over the years. While RM used to be the only member who could hold his own in American interviews…

…the other members are slowly catching up. As the group becomes a global phenomenon, the boys have been diligently studying the language to communicate better with fans.

Jungkook in particular has been taking English lessons. He showed off his fluent speaking skills during the 2021 American Music Awards.

In a recent interview with Weverse Magazine, Jungkook told fans what he truly felt about his English skills.

Enough is never enough, but I feel good during English lessons when the teacher asks me vocabulary words I have memorized and I can answer right away. It’s like, I really memorized it! For singing, there’s the occasional time that everything’s going good. And there’s times it’s easy, which is when I think, This is because of all that practicing I did, right? I wish it were like that every day. (laughs)

— Jungkook

He impressed the audience with his smooth English during BTS’s recent American tour, PERMISSION TO DANCE — ON STAGE. In the interview, Jungkook shared the other side of the story. While his fluent pronunciation and lack of mistakes made it seem as if he was almost a native speaker, he had some secret help from the teleprompter. Jungkook candidly talked about what the concert helped him learn about his English skills.

Jungkook in Las Vegas. | @spinorbinmusic/Twitter

I’m grateful when other people see that and tell me I really improved or I’m good, but I never think I’m good when I think about it myself. I think what I said in English sounded better to people than what they expected. Because I didn’t make any mistakes. But I really don’t think it’s anything to be proud of. If I were able to lead the whole concert in English like that without a teleprompter I’d say I improved a whole lot, but I’m not quite there yet. I still have a long way to go when I think about it, and I actually always want to be able to say everything I said easily and without any difficulty as soon as possible. When I say I did well, it’s just what I felt in the moment. But after that? I have to be better. Quickly. Quick, quick, quick. (laughs)

— Jungkook

Well, practice makes perfect, Jungkook! What we see today from him is a result of his consistent hard work in learning a new language. We’re sure that we’ll soon be able to hear him speak freely in English during interviews.