Faster Foreign Language Learning

In some places, native speakers of the local language can be pretty insistent on “saving you the trouble” of struggling with their language. Even if you speak fairly well, any sign of hesitation or confusion and people switch to a language they feel would be less of a strain for both of you.

This is especially a problem in bilingual countries where the locals are just as comfortable with their second language as with their first.. It can be extremely frustrating when you’d love the chance to practice and no one seems to want to give it to you.

Benny at Fluentin3Months offers some good tips for encouraging locals to talk with you in their own language, but you do have to be fairly sociable to use them. I wanted to throw out a few more that have helped me get more practice even though I’m not particularly chatty.

All of these tips, however, are dependent on getting away from your “comfortable” languages and mixing with the locals. They won’t help much if you spend most of your time with non-native speakers.

Find a Language Mentor

If you don’t feel your language skills are up for talking with random locals or you need to build your confidence, find just one, relatively patient native-speaker who’s willing to talk with you.

Let them know them they don’t have to teach you, they don’t have to correct your grammar, they don’t have to translate anything; they just have to talk with you only in the language you’re learning.

A roommate is ideal, but it could be anyone you meet with on a daily basis. With roommates, one good method is to speak whatever you want at home (to avoid wearing on their patience), but agree to speak the local language when you’re out and about town or when local friends visit.

Dress like a Local

It might sound strange, but I’ve found this can make a significant difference even when you don’t physically look like a local (you’re a different race, etc.). Living in rural-ish Georgia, I noticed people tended to start conversations in Russian only when I was wearing clothes I’d bought in Central Europe. If I wore what I’d bought there or in neighboring Turkey, they spoke Georgian. And I don’t look Georgian.

If you stand out as an obvious foreigner, people are liable to speak to you in some international language they believe you’ll understand. It’s then all too tempting to reply in that language and miss an opportunity to practice.

But if you blend in just enough, they probably won’t even give a second thought to speaking the local language with you. You may think you’re dressed more or less the same, but go out and buy some clothes and a pair shoes locally and see what happens.

Let People Know You Understand

Even if you’re too shy to say much, show an interest in conversations and pay attention so you can react to whatever you do understand. I cannot overstate this. Pay attention!

Your chance to demonstrate your abilities could come via some minor incident like someone making you coffee and absentmindedly asking in the local language if you take sugar, giving you a chance to oh-so-naturally answer, “A little, thanks.” without missing a beat.

Suddenly everyone within earshot notices you understand at least a little and you’re willing to speak when given the chance. But if you’d been spacing out, thinking in your own language, you’d have had to ask them to repeat the question, “proving” you don’t understand even simple questions and giving everyone a reason to avoid using the local language with you.

Politely declining the assistance of volunteer interpreters also helps. If someone starts to translate something you understood, say thanks, but you got it. You may have to be a little insistent and even offer your own translation to prove you understood.

Do either of these things a few times and you may find the people you spend time with will go from assuming you can’t say much to pushing you to talk just to see how much you’ve been hiding.

They may start asking if you understood something they just said or tossing words at you to see exactly how much you know. If you’ve been reluctant to speak the language, this little extra push might get you started.

Be Polite, but Stubborn. Very Stubborn.

Even when you love the language, it takes consistent effort to get to the point where you can hold a conversation. You’ll have plenty of frustrating and awkward moments along the way. That’s par for the course. That’s why aiming to get “conversational” quickly is so beneficial. The faster you get through that awkward stage, the less likely you are to lose your motivation and give up.

In an immersion situation, you can’t take too much time off if you really want to get fluent soon. Keep pushing and make progress everyday so you can really feel like your getting somewhere. It’s that sense of accomplishment that will fuel your motivation.

Set a schedule for yourself and keep it, no matter how discouraged or sick of the language you feel. The longer you avoid using the language, the longer you’ll stay frustrated. Change up the way you interact with the language, but don’t avoid it. If you’re tired, skip the grammar study and intense conversations and just watch a movie or flip through a magazine. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, try these techniques for overcoming foreign language learning burnout.

Related posts:

1. Fear of Speaking a Foreign Language? Consider This When You Travel
2. Foreign Language Learning for Introverts: Speaking Practice Tips for Immersion Situations
3. Improve Your Speaking Skills by Surrounding Yourself with Opportunity
4. Five Myths about Immersion that Can Ruin Your Language Holiday
5. Authentic Material: Speed up Your Learning Speed and Boost Your Motivation

Tags: bilingual country, conversation with locals, immersion, learning in-country, native speakers, speaking practice