Speak a Foreign Language Fluently, or at Least Pretend You Can
Picture taken by R in Shinsaibashi, Osaka
So you know how to read the foreign language and can pick up key phrases and words when listening to natives speak it. The next step is speaking it. No, I’m not talking about the stuttered talking, filled with “ehms” and “urrs,” among other indicators that you are mentally piecing together the massive jigsaw puzzle that is a sentence.
I’m talking about speaking. Your accent is spot on, you don’t hesitate to answer questions, and when you don’t know something, you know how to saw “whatdoyoucallit…” Your grammar still might be jumbled, but your confidence takes you the rest of the way where things get messy.
Here are some pointers on how to speak fluently, or at least get really good at pretending you are:
Memorize with your mouth
It doesn’t matter if people think you are crazy. Read, read, read. As much as you can and as often as possible, and always read out loud to yourself so you know what the words sound like. Sure, you can hear it in your head, but you need to train yourself to physically say the words. Doing so helps words come out faster. Soon you’ll notice yourself being able to throw out a word that you otherwise would have to pause and think about. Then you’ll be able to spit out phrases, and soon enough after that commonly said sentences. It’s not enough to know practice the language mentally, you have to physically memorize it with your mouth.
Imitate and mimick everybody
You officially have permission to act like a five year old. Feel free to imitate, mock, and mimick your way to fluency (or at least fluent sounding). Whenever you hear a new phrase or word come out of the mouth of native speaker, mimick them to sound as close to the way they just said it as possible. Say things along with movies and TV shows. Sing along to songs in the foreign language. Watch a movie in your foreign language, with subtitles in the same language so you can read along.
Lose your inhibitions
We’re afraid of speaking to someone in the language we’re learning because we don’t want to say the wrong thing or make mistakes. But thinking like that will prevent you from improving. In most cases, native speakers of a foreign language are more than willing to help you out if they see you floundering. Don’t worry about sounding like an idiot. If it helps, you can always remind yourself that there is an opposite “you” out there, trying to learn Engilsh from the language that you’re studying.
Socialize
It’s hard to practice speaking with natives of your foreign language if you don’t know anybody. Stick your neck out there and make friends (don’t worry–not everybody in the world is as cynical and jaded as Americans. You will find somebody!) Use social networks online if you have to. I just got a message today from someone on Japanese social network Mixi, asking if we could help each other out in Japanese and English. There is always going to be someone out there who will help you learn, and who wants to learn in exchange. Once you’ve established a good social network, take advantage of the free online telephone program, Skype, and chat away.
Spit it out
Don’t worry about grammar rules and syntax. Say it as you think it, as you would in English. Say the first word or phrase that pops into your head and go from there. It’s a little scary, but it’s better than sitting there and thinking about what to say, and then miss the opportunity to say it altogether. Your speaking will improve really quickly this way because you will notice what you need to work on almost immediately after you say it.
Speak confidently
Making grammatical mistakes and having your voice waver is a surefire way to confuse whoever you are talking to. Speak confidently in whatever you say, regardless of there is a chance that what you’re saying is “I am a jelly doughnut.” Small grammatical mistakes will be overlooked as long as you get your point across. If you miss the mark entirely in what you say, apologize and start over. And you will have once again come closer to speaking fluently, or at least pretending you can.
More of my Language Articles:
- How I Skipped An Entire Semester of Japanese in One Month
- Tips in Building Up Vocabulary in a Foreign Language
- Improve Your Foreign Language Skills By Being Consistent
- Why You Should Learn a Foreign Language
- Improve Your Listening Skills in a Foreign Language
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