Yet we’ve all heard about or even met people who’ve lived in another country for years and still know only a few phrases in the local language. Part of what keeps some folks from getting the most language-wise from a stay abroad is a belief in a few widespread myths.

Myth #1: You’ll be Immersed

Traveling to a country where your target language is the official language gives you the opportunity for immersion, but nothing guarantees you’ll take that opportunity. If you’re spending all your time with same-language friends watching movies in a language you know well and avoid speaking because you’re “not ready,” you may as well have stayed home.

Solution: When you’re in a new environment, time goes fast and you can end up wasting a lot of it away from the local language before you know it. Instead of looking for ways to interact with the local language (those are everywhere), focus on avoiding any other language.

Myth #2: You’ll “Pick up” the Language

To some extent this is true, but only if you really pay attention to the language and use it on a regular basis. If you don’t make an effort to hold onto some of the language that surrounds you, it will just wash over you without your absorbing much.

Solution: Keep a notebook with you and jot down phrases you read or hear that contain new words or grammar structures you’re not yet adept at using. This includes phrases you don’t completely understand.

When you get the chance, look up the new words (or ask a native speaker about the meaning) and investigate any grammar that isn’t clear to you. Review them throughout the day.

Myth #3: You Won’t Learn Incorrect Grammar

First of all, we all know native speakers don’t always use correct grammar. That’s not really a big deal because as long as you’re learning from reasonably well educated people, a few “native-like errors” won’t hurt you.

The real problem is assuming that just hearing the language correctly spoken is enough for you to remember it that way and not use it any other way. Unfortunately, something known as linguistic interference (also called L1 interference or language transfer) throws a wrench into those works.

As babies we started with a “Zen mind” about language. We picked up our native languages based solely on what we heard because we had no prior assumptions. As adults, though, we make assumptions about how other languages should work based on what they already know about our own language. Those assumptions tend to override outside input.

Solution: If you have some good native speaking friends you talk to often, ask them to let you know when they hear you making a certain mistake repeatedly. Let them know important it is to you and how much you appreciate the help, so they don’t feel “rude” for correcting you. And when you’re not sure something you’ve just said is correct, ask.

Myth #4: You’ll have Lots of Chances to Speak

This depends a lot on the culture. In very sociable cultures, you may have more opportunities to speak the local language than you even want. If you find yourself in a more reserved culture where lots of people know other language, though, you’ll need to make a concerted effort to get in practice time.

Solution: seek out conversations. If you’re the reserved type yourself, check out these speaking practice tips for introverts.

Myth #5: Your Increase Your Knowledge by a Full Level

If your goal is to improve your speaking fluency or confidence, just getting out an using the language may be all you need. If, however, your goal is to move from beginner level to intermediate or intermediate to advanced, you may run into some trouble. As long as you use the language daily, without a doubt you’ll become more adept at using what you already know, but you may not actually learn anything new.

For instance, if you’re a beginner in German, you’ve probably studied plenty about the Simple Past and the Present Perfect tenses, but may not be able to use them correctly when you speak.
If you’ve never studied the subjunctive, though, you may not learn it just from “living” the language. So, stay alert for things you don’t understand and make an effort to investigate them further.

Solution: It’s really the same as for Myth #2 about “picking up” a language. Make a concerted effort to build your vocabulary and learn how to correctly use those grammar structures you only vaguely understand. When you notice something you don’t understand comes up frequently, take the initiative to learn more about it instead of waiting for it to “sink in.”

Related posts:

1. Foreign Language Learning for Introverts: Speaking Practice Tips for Immersion Situations
2. Fear of Speaking a Foreign Language? Consider This When You Travel
3. Overcoming Plateaus: A Return to the Beginner’s Mind

Don’t Let Yourself Get Stuck

Sometimes letting yourself get too comfortable in that silent period only makes it harder to get out. First of all, you slowly discover that it’s possible to get around without using the local language. You get so used to figuring out ways to manage without it that you forget how much harder it is to live that way than it is when you can talk to everyone everywhere. Needless to say, that alone can lower your motivation.

Another problem is that the people you interact with regularly get used to talking with you in a certain language. Switching languages seems unnecessary, and therefore socially awkward. How to you ask them to switch? What if they refuse because it’s too much trouble? What if they forget and switch back? Oh, the wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth! Better just stick with the language we’ve been speaking, eh?

Getting used to an intermediary language puts a psychological barrier between you and the local language that can be very hard to overcome, especially if you’re the type who doesn’t like to rock the boat. If you just go for it right when you arrive, sure it will be awkward sometimes, but you’ll never have to worry about working up the nerve to make a sudden switch.

Instead, you move forward a little at a time. Your first venture into the language doesn’t have to be much. It can be just asking for a kilo of apples from a fruit stand or exchanging a greeting with your neighbor. Grab any opportunity you can to jump in and then move on to more complex tasks as you progress.

Take Advantage of Your Second Childhood

Learning a language is one of the few times you get to be a kid again. Sure, no one’s going to clap and coo when you first utter “Mama,” but you might be surprised how genuinely delighted people will be to see you progressing “just like a little kid.”

It’s fun to watch someone accomplish something challenging like learning a whole new language and people want to contribute to that accomplishment. So they’ll feed you new words and “test” you with mini-conversations to give you a chance to impress them.

When you first move to a country, it’s understandable you won’t know the language. People who know you just got off the boat will cut you some slack as long as you’re putting in some real effort and making progress. So take advantage of that first three or even six months to learn voraciously. [Try this plan for getting conversant in a foreign language in eight weeks at Hubpages.] The praise and encouragement you get for “knowing so much already” will lower your affective filter (nervousness level, that is) more than a few awkward moments will raise it.

Once you’ve been in the country for a year or two, though, the fact that you’ve learned a little of the language is no longer impressive. If by that time you can hold a simple conversation, instead of “Wow, you’re learning fast!” you’re more likely to hear, “You mean, you’ve been here that long and that’s all you know?” Speaking less fluently than you feel you should becomes embarrassing, so you’re less likely to seek out opportunities to practice.

If you’re struggling to find ways to speak the local language where everyone seems to speak your language, check out these tips for talking with the locals in a bilingual culture.

Related posts:

1. How to Overcome Fear of Speaking a Foreign Language
2. Improve Your Speaking Skills by Surrounding Yourself with Opportunity
3. Learning a Language in a Bilingual Culture: Getting the Locals to Talk with 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