Text 1

Source: https://www.usingenglish.com/articles/why-does-my-teacher-not-speak-
more-slowly.html

Why does my teacher not speak more slowly?

By: Alex Case

It is very difficult to say why your teacher speaks at the speed that they. Many new find
it difficult to slow their speech down to the right speed for their students, but many
teachers who could speak slowly have decided that it is best not to speak so slowly that
students would be able to understand every word. Below are some reasons why some
teachers decide to speed their speech up a little and some reasons not so good reasons
why others teachers do the same thing.

Good reasons for a teacher to speak English a little quickly in class

Natural rhythm

It is very hard to speak slowly with natural English rhythm. If your teacher slows down
his or her speech too much, you will not pick up the way that native speakers give
prominence to the important words in the sentence and squash up the less important
words.

Picking out important words

Related to getting used to natural English rhythm is the skill of concentrating on the
important words in the sentence, usually meaning stressed “content” words like verbs
and nouns. Just by concentrating on these important words, you should be able to
understand at least 60 or 70% of what is being said.

Keeping up

Another problem students have with listening comprehension is not listening to what is
being said now because they are too busy thinking about what was said before. As you
practice listening to your teacher speaking quickly, you will gradually learn to
concentrate on what is being said, forgetting about less important things that you just
heard or using things that people say later to help you understand what was said
earlier.

Coping skills

The three points above are examples of learning how to cope with the speed and
pronunciation changes of English at a faster and more natural speed. These are skills
that you will need if you want to take an English language exam, speak to native
speakers, attend conferences, study in an English speaking country, etc. Especially if you
have one of those needs, your teacher might have decided to take a “sink or swim”

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approach to comprehension in class, where most students will struggle at the beginning
but should quickly learn to at least cope.

Mixed levels

If a teacher speaks English too slowly, the students in the class with better listening
comprehension skills will get no useful practice at all. If the teacher speaks a little faster,
all the students will be able to learn something while listening, even if some of the
students are understanding less than others.

Classroom language/ Checking understanding

If your teacher suddenly starts speaking faster than usual, don’t be too shy to say “Can
you repeat that please?” or “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch the last part”. In fact, these
incredibly useful real life English phrases might be exactly the language that your
teacher wants you to practice.

Saving time

It is more efficient to speak twice as fast and explain yourself again almost every time
than it is to speak at half the speed all the time so that you never have to explain
yourself again.

Possibly good reasons for a teacher to speak English quickly in class

Speed isn’t the problem

It could be that your teacher isn’t actually speaking that quickly at all. Instead it could be
that you are having other problems such as the level of vocabulary used or not being
used to the teacher’s accent, and your brain is telling you that the teacher is speaking
quickly. If so, no need to worry about your brain, as this is a very common
misconception! Those other problems might also be good reasons for your teacher to
slow down enough that you can understand at least 60 or 70 percent, but it might be
better for them to reduce their accent or simplify their language instead. If you want to
speak to your teacher or another member of staff about your problems understanding
in class, make sure that it really is a problem with speed before saying so. If you are not
100% sure that is the problem, tell them more generally that you can’t follow what is
being said in class. If it is a problem with idiomatic vocabulary or accent, there are also
things you can do outside class such as learning idioms and listening to radio from the
country that your teacher comes from.

To show you that you have problems with your listening

Especially for students with real life needs such as understanding lectures in the UK
next year, the teacher may very occasionally decide to frighten students into improving
their listening outside class by showing them what listening to English at natural speed
is really like. However, that situation is fairly rare and the teacher should switch to a
more useful speed for learning in class once the point has been made.

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Bad reasons for a teacher to speak English quickly in class

Showing off

Some non-native speaker teachers of English who have worked very hard at improving
their English fluency don’t like to then have to speak slowly and carefully in class. They
may also perhaps want to prove to their students how good their English has become.
These are never good reasons for speaking fast in class, and if you have such a teacher
you shouldn’t be shy about asking them to slow down and repeat until you can at least
understand the general idea of what is being said.

Misunderstanding your level

Some teachers speak too quickly because they have the idea that you should be able to
understand much more than you do, perhaps because your general level is better than
your listening skills or because the whole class has been given a name (e.g. Upper
Intermediate) that doesn’t match most students’ real abilities. The teacher should
realise over the first few weeks that your listening comprehension is not as good as they
thought, but telling them that listening comprehension is your weakness could help.

Not being able to slow down

Learning to speak at exactly the right level for a particular class of students is something
that takes years of practice for non-native speaker and (especially) native speaker
teachers of English. There are ways of practising this, and if you think speaking speed is
the main weakness of your teacher, giving some feedback about this to the school
manager can help them concentrate on this aspect of their teaching (making sure that
you don’t mix up comments on speed with other negative feedback so that this point
stands out clearly). There is no substitute for many years of teaching experience,
though, so try to find out how many years the teachers in a school have been teaching
before you choose where to study.

Naturally quick speakers

People who speak faster in their own language or outside the classroom usually find it
more difficult to speak slowly when they are teaching, but if you make it clear to the
school or owner that this is the one particular problem you have with your class the
teacher should be able concentrate on that aspect of their teaching and eventually
overcome their problem.

Adrenalin/ nerves

As in normal life, one thing some teachers do when they are nervous is speak more
quickly. Unfortunately, telling a new teacher or anyone else who is nervous that they
are speaking too quickly is likely to make them more nervous and so maybe make the
problem worse. Usually the best thing to do is to give your teacher a few weeks to
become more comfortable in the classroom and with you and the other students before
saying anything. Again, paying a little extra to go to a school where all the teachers have
many years of teaching experience will make it easier to avoid this problem.

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Text 2
Source:https://www.quora.com/What-does-it-take-to-sound-like-a-native-in-a-
foreign-language/answer/Alexandre-Coutu (edited)

What does it take to sound like a native in a foreign language?

By: Alexandre Coutu

1)The ability to entertain conversations with native speakers about a variety of topics
while leaving them with the impression that you are a native speaker of the language.

2) The ability to pronounce a language in a way that replicates the pronunciation of

native speakers, but without having yet attained native-level knowledge of the language.

The first category is the result of a long learning process and can only be achieved once
a person has mastered both the language and its pronunciation. This is a level of
achievement that involves much more than pronunciation alone.

The second category is an intermediate step, and I think this is what your question is
about: after all, lots of people have a perfect command of a language without sounding
native, while others can sound like a native even without that complete knowledge.

My second language, English, probably falls in the first category. I am usually mistaken
for a native speaker. I have been mistaken for a native speaker in other languages as
well, during much shorter exchanges, though. For instance, I have been told that I can
sound like a native speaker in German (by Judith Meyer, inter alia) and Japanese (at
least for rehearsed sentences and certainly for short phrases). In this optic, I think I
might be able to help answer your question.

The short answer provides very little hope: I think it's a matter of innate ability and I
don't really know what I do as it's largely an instinctive process and I have no method
or technique I can share. Really, as much as I've toyed with this concept, I don't think
there is anything I can say that can immediately allow another person to unlock native-
like pronunciation.

Hopefully, the long answer can provide additional insight into what happens when a
person acquires native-like pronunciation, insight that might prove profitable to some.

Before I delve into the issue, I'd like to address the question of the validity of the quest
for better or perfect pronunciation. Despite the hordes of people who will eagerly tell
you that you are wasting your time, learning to produce better and clearer
pronunciation is definitely a worthy and valid endeavour. Of course, it's a choice and
you can choose to disregard it, but if you choose to work on it, it IS worth the time and
effort. In any case, I don't think anyone should be discouraged from trying to improve
their accent.

Why do people have accents?

When learning a second language, people tend to use the sound system of their own

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language and apply it to another. If you know that a language like Japanese has 5 vowels
while French has 16, you can imagine how this simply can't work. Yet, people do it.
Probably because they lack the skill to properly categorize sounds that they have never
heard, or because they are unable to hear them or produce them correctly, or because
they can't easily remap sounds onto a different paradigm. In any case, people do it, and
that's why they have an accent in their second language.

The Example of Tank in English, French and Japanese

To get an idea of how different speakers use strategies from their own language, let's
look at the word tank and how speakers of 3 different languages would pronounce it. I
will present a rather detailed play-by-play description of what happens so you can get a
clear picture of how each language resorts to distinct series of fine-tuned strategies to
produce sounds.

If you are a native speaker of English, you are, in quick succession, going to go from an
aspirated t, pronounced with the tip of the tongue moved away from the teeth touching
the top of the mouth, followed by a strong puff of air when the tongue leaves the top of
mouth, the air will continue to come out of your mouth and pass through your non-
vibrating vocal cords while the tongue moves into the proper position to pronounce a
low and front a, then your vocal chords will start vibrating as your nasal passage opens
up to produce a nasal a, after which your tongue will move back to produce an ng sound,
which, upon closure of the nasal passage, will yield a k that you will only softly and
barely release.

In French, the t would not be aspirated and the tongue would be further to the front,
against the teeth, the opening and closure of the nasal passage would perfectly match
the vowel (you would either go from a non nasal vowel to the nasal consonant with no
blending, or you'd have a nasal vowel and no nasal consonant after), but the vowel
would be different since the English front a doesn't exist in French, so it would be
mapped to another a vowel position, and finally, the k would be much more audible and
released at the end.

In Japanese, the t would be similar to the French t described above, there would also be
no aspiration, the vowel would be only slightly nasalized and it would also be different
from the English front a, the ng sound would be slightly different from the English one
because the placement of the previous vowel would still, at this point of the word, affect
the placement of the front of the tongue, making the ng sound slightly different, and the
final k would be released and followed by a more or less voiceless high vowel because
Japanese morphology dictates that only vowels and n can end a syllable. Moreover,
while the French and English speaker see this word as having a single syllable, the
Japanese speaker is forced to add contour to what he perceives as three morae (a type
of syllabic unit) ta/n/ku and he will assign a high or low pitch to each mora, most
probably yielding HLL or LHH.

Whoever has mastered the pronunciation of these languages does this acrobatic dance
instinctively, consistently, perfectly, all within a half-second or so.

A comment you often hear – from people who have no idea what else to suggest – is that

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you will just pick it up. Well, that doesn't happen. You don't just pick it up. People who
manage to pull it off do it because they pay close attention to detail, and are careful
about continually improving until they nail it.
------

Text 3
Source: https://www.lucalampariello.com/nativefluency/

How to reach native-like fluency In a foreign language

Speaking a foreign language like a native speaker is the dream for many language
learners. Unfortunately, not many learners have been able to achieve this goal. We know
it’s possible to reach such a level of fluency because there are learners out there who
have.

The two questions I’ll explore in today’s article are the following:

(1) What is native-like fluency?

(2) How do we achieve native-like fluency in a foreign language ?

What is native like fluency?

Before answering that question we have to ask another: how do we measure language
competence? We don’t have to think about it for too long to realize it’s complicated.

Nevertheless systems have been put together to help us measure language

competence. There are many different types which vary based on the language you’re
learning, which part of the world you live in, and the reason you need to take a test. I’ll
use theCommon European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) as my point
of reference because it’s the framework I’m familiar with. I’ve tested for and passed the
C2 exam (Mastery) in 4 languages, which are English, Spanish, German and French.

Language learners who dream of reaching native like fluency in a language often point
to C2 as their goal. There’s a common belief that reaching a level C2 is equivalent to
reaching native-like fluency. However, I’ve discovered on my journey as a language
learner that this way of thinking is flawed. To explain why I’ve come to this conclusion, I
first need to point to a description of what a level C2 actually entails:

• Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read.

• Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources,
reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation.

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 • Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely,
differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations.

(Taken from the Wikipedia page:Common European Framework of Reference for

Languages)

Think about it, a lot of native speakers don’t reach this level of competence in their
native language… therefore, comparing a level C2 to native-like fluency is misleading.

I mentioned earlier that I’ve managed to pass the C2 exam for 4 languages, HOWEVER,
despite reaching this level of competence I can say that I feel a lot closer to native-like
fluency in some languages than others. I’ll explain why that is shortly, but first I want to
introduce “the language core”, which is at the centre of my philosophy for language
learning:

When I start learning a new language my goal is to first develop a solid language core,
which is a combination of essential vocabulary and phrases and the ability to
assemble the different pieces of the language together.

In my up-coming book I explain in great detail how one can develop a solid language
core. But what I want you to pay attention to today is where native-like fluency is placed
in the diagram above. Native like fluency comes before literacy (C2).

I’m under the impression that most language learners have a warped perception of
what it means to be “native-like” because of the way language competence is measured.

Generally It doesn’t make much sense to compare a foreign language learner to a native
speaker, however to communicate my thoughts clearly I think it’s necessary:

The take away from the diagram above should be this: It’s not necessary to reach a
level C2 in order to reach native like fluency. Native-like fluency as a language
learner in fact is a lot closer to the level of competence an average native speaker of a
language, meaning the level a native reaches after completing compulsory education.

Native like fluency

The competence we develop in a language is a result of a number of different factors.

However, what all natives have in common is the fact that they are exposed to their
native languages as they grow up in a micro and macro environment. This is a way to
describe how they interact with languages.

The micro environment is personal and different for each person. This consists of
conversations with friends and family, the books that we read and the media we
consume. It’s often said that getting a boyfriend or girlfriend who’s a native of the
language you’re learning is the best way to learn. This is an effective approach because
it puts the foreign language in your micro environment, and you’ll be required to use it
regularly in your personal life. However, there are many things that you won’t learn
unless you interact with the language in a macro environment, which is how we interact
with a language in shared environments, such as parks, public transport, shops, banks,

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etc. There are many things we learn indirectly from being in these environments that
we can’t learn from only speaking to a boyfriend or girlfriend.

Many natives speak live under these conditions without the necessity to develop
literacy (C2) in the way it’s defined in the European framework for language
competence.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article I’ve achieved a level C2 in 4 languages,

however I don’t feel like I’ve reached native like fluency in all of them.

I’ll use my French and German as examples:

Despite having both German and French at a level C2, my French is A LOT closer to
native like fluency. And yet, I’ve read many, many more books and magazines in German
than I have in French, and I’ve written many more essays and letters in German than I
have in French.

What makes my French a lot closer to native-like fluency is the fact that I’ve LIVED the
language and spent more time INTERACTING with French natives than I have
with Germans. I’ve lived with and used French in both micro and macro environments,
and this combination makes all the difference.

You might jump to the conclusion that living in France is what lead me to achieve
native-like fluency in French, but that conclusion would be incorrect.

Native like fluency is achieved by LIVING THROUGH A LANGUAGE as much as possible.

For example, I’ve never lived IN an English speaking country however I’ve lived a big
chunk of my life THROUGH English with friends.

Ultimately, developing native like fluency is about about how you decide to live your
life: how often you use the target language and how many different situations you
create for its use.

I work as a language coach and I’ve trained hundreds of students all over the world, and
I can share that the level of success my students attain is always in direct correlation to
the way they live their lives through the languages they learn.

Text 4

Source: https://www.fluentin3months.com/language-learning-wall/ (edited)

5 Reasons You’re Hitting Language Learning Walls (& How to Break Through
Them to Finally Become Fluent)

It’s the feeling of stagnation, like sitting around and waiting for something to happen
because you know you’ve been putting in the work.

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It’s what happens when you feel a huge rush of demotivation because you’re really tired
of studying this language every single day and not seeing much of a return for it. Benny
Lewis has definitely hit them before and so have thousands of other language learners.

BRICK WALLS. At the end of the day, some get through them and some don’t.

So what makes the difference?

What separates the language learner who breaks through these walls and becomes
fluent in their target language from the person who just keeps plugging along, hoping to
make progress “someday soon”?

I had the same question as I was learning Italian and Chinese Mandarin, and all of my
questions were clearly answered the minute I finished reading the most incredible
study from Cambridge University. But not everyone wants to sift through a 27-page
academic paper, so I'll give you the short version of what Jack C. Richards lays down in
this piece, answering the question, what keeps intermediate learners from ever
becoming fluent? It turns out that there isn’t just one wall, but several.

This is something we feel instinctively, but often don’t realize because we’re always
hearing about that ONE proverbial wall that’s holding us back. How could we ever
become fluent if we expect ourselves to get through one wall and then reach
success…when there are really seven or more walls that separate us from our goal?

That, my friend, sets us up for serious expectation problems.

So here are the 9 ways that you are hitting walls in your language project (whether you
realize it or not), and more importantly, how you can break through each one of them to
become fluent.

1) My vocabulary is too basic to hold a conversation

The problem: Your vocabulary is made up of surface language.

What do I mean by “surface language?”

I mean that you're stocked up with basic language, like “That is a chair,” without being
able to make deeper distinctions, such as “That is a dining room table chair,” or “That is
a rocking chair,” or “That is a recliner.” You know the words for basic things, but you
can’t distinguish between finer shades of meaning.

An example that I remember learning in Italian was the difference between bells.
• La campanella – School bell
• La campana – Church bell
• Il campanello – Doorbell
• Il campanellino – Small bell you might find on a dog collar

Your Fix
Play a game in your everyday life where you get in the habit of describing what’s around
in your target language in exact detail.

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Don’t just say, “I’m looking at a park.”

Say, “I’m looking at a park, and I see weeping willow trees. There are six ornately
decorated, white benches that seem to be antique. There are red rose beds in a hexagon,
and a fountain that has a dolphin carved in marble.” Go into serious detail, and look up
words that you don’t know. Keep note of these new words as flashcards (in a good
system like Anki), in a notebook, or any way that you can continuously revisit them.

2) When I learn a new vocabulary word, I still don't understand it when a native
uses it

The problem: You can't distinguish between the multiple meanings of one word.

There’s a fancy word called polysemy, and that’s the difference between multiple
meanings of one word. In the Cambridge paper, Richards references the word “head”
and describes how in English it can mean many things–from the head of a person to the
head of a pin to the head of an organization.

Your Fix
Learn words in chunks so you have a better idea of how a vocabulary word is
functioning in context.
Going further, you may want to consider switching from a dictionary that translates
your native language to your target language to one entirely in your target language.
This will give you insight into how the natives themselves would describe the multiple
uses of the word.

You can find many of these online for free. For example, WordReference offers
definitions in Italian, Spanish and English. You can also simply search “{target language}
dictionary” in the foreign language you’re learning.

3) I can't speak fluently, even though I understand the language when I hear it

The problem: You might understand more complex grammar tenses, but you’re
not using them.

You might be conversational and able to hold your own, but you’re not fully aware of
how to use the more complex grammar tenses that are necessary for more in-depth
expression.

This doesn’t apply to all foreign languages, as there are languages like Chinese Mandarin
with a simple enough verb tense structure, but then there are languages like Italian,
which have and use their complicated subjunctive mood often.

The subjunctive mood is one that isn’t taught to students until they reach an
intermediate level, and by then the present indicative tense has been mainly used. This
makes it tough for students to restructure the knowledge they already have and make
space for this new complex and common grammar mood.

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Your Fix
Make mastering more complex grammar tenses your focus by being conscious of them
in your target language’s clips, movies, songs, and articles.

Write compositions for native speakers to correct, and post them on sites like Italki or
Lang-8.

Have “shower conversations” (a term coined by Sid Efromovich) with yourself with an
intention to use those tenses.

In these personal conversations, you can realize what you don’t know how to use and
then go to your teacher or to the drawing board to help remedy those problems. This is
all a part of the process of restructuring the way you to accommodate these new
tenses/moods. Let your neurons fire away, and make new connections.

4) I don't know how to stop making the same mistake over and over again

The problem: You are continuing to make errors that you learned as a beginner
but that were never corrected.

When you start learning a new language, especially as an autodidact, or someone who
learns on their own, there is SO MUCH new information to digest.

This marathon of learning that often happens at the start of a language journey can
result in many mistakes that become “fossilized” over time.

If you do work with a tutor or a teacher, it’s likely they’ll focus on your bigger mistakes
and let the small ones fall through the cracks. That’s great in the moment, but it's one of
the reasons you will hit a language wall and not know why automatically.

Your Fix
Start taking one-on-one or one-on-two lessons with a native teacher.

Be very clear with him/her that you would like to be corrected as soon as you make the
mistake or as soon as you finish a sentence. Then ask for time to write down your
mistake if you learn by writing.
If you learn best by listening and repetition, ask your teacher if it’s okay if you can
record the lesson. Then you can listen to it while you’re in your car, jogging, or cooking.

If you’re on a Mac, you can easily do this by opening up the free program Quicktime
Player and recording audio. If you’re on a PC, you can use a free program Sound
Recorder and recording audio.

As you take care of your bigger mistakes, you can ask the teacher to focus on the small
errors, too.
While this might sound expensive, it doesn’t have to be. Italki (which also offers free
exchanges) offer affordables, customized lessons. It’s also possible that you can use
Craigslist to find native teachers in your area if you like being in person. However, this
does tend to be a little pricier.

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5) I can understand the language, but I just can't speak it

The problem: You've spent your time practicing reading and listening to the
target language, but you’re not confident in speaking.

As Benny says, you gotta speak from day one.

If you avoid speaking, you’re avoiding the entire point of learning the language (unless
you’re learning Greek just to read the literature or something similar), but since you’re
here, I’m guessing that isn’t the case.

Your Fix
If you want to get your speaking skills up to par with how much you understand, you
can’t just be in the environment passively listening, but you must actively notice and
pay attention to what’s going on around you.

When you’re conscious of what you’re hearing and reading, then you can make real
progress.

So the first step is be more conscious of how specific vocabulary is used when you’re
listening and speaking and then actually reproducing that language in situations where
you’re forced to speak. This can be as extreme as moving to the country of your target
language or as relaxed as meeting with a language group once a week via Meetup.com
wherever you live.

If your target language is a little more obscure, you might have more luck finding online
forums for that specific language. Consider creating a weekly Meetup group on your
own via Google Hangouts or in person.

Text 5

Source: https://www.italki.com/article/1369/The-Four-Elements-Of-English
(edited)

Four elements of English

By LoicBellet

If you are trying to advance your ability to English communication skills, you need to
consider that there are really four aspects that you need to work on at the same time:

1. Reading (input)
2. Writing (output)
3. Listening (input)
4. Speaking (output)

Too many learners get too focused on advancing just one of these aspects, most often
reading, and they forget about the other elements. And yet, their goal is usually to speak
fluently. This means you may be able to read the most advanced English literature, but

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you will likely still face some difficulty when it comes to voicing your thoughts in
English, listening to an English speaker, or even writing English content.

It’s very important that your practice encompasses all four of the elements so that you
can work on them together, rather than thinking about first reading, then writing, then
listening, and then speaking. They all function in harmony to make you a fluent English
communicator, so you need to practise them all together as well.

How To Do It

Here is a practical example: reading is the first element to work on so you can advance
your English skills. It’s best to start with a book that has an audiobook accompaniment.
Go to www.audible.com, open an account and buy an audiobook. Then go to
www.amazon.com and buy the companion ebook. Amazon owns both brands and
frequently you can buy a written + audiobook bundle. This means you can read the book
and listen to the audiobook. The real advantage to your learning will be when you write
a summary report about the book and speak about your report aloud and discuss it with
a native English speaker.

This strategy would be perfectly implemented in a book club setting, but assuming that
you do not have access to one, don’t worry: there are many other ways that you can
implement these four elements into your practice.

Read English news, books, websites, literature, and wherever you find written content.
Listening can also come in the form of news and you can watch movies and English
entertainment to help you learn more about the language and advance your listening
skills.

Writing is challenging, it’s ideal to have someone give you feedback and correct you. If
you do not have someone fluent enough in English to do so, there are online forums you
can join devoted to helping language learners advance their skills. You can also find
websites where you can pair up and be a language learning buddy, my suggestion is that
you go to www.italki.com where you will help someone learn your native language and
they help you learn theirs.

Websites like this are also a good source for speaking English aloud with a native
speaker, with many users being able to pair up for Skype calls. However, if this is not an
option. You can start by speaking English aloud on your own. Try it! Record yourself,
listen to it later, compare your pronunciation and structure to that of a native English
speaker. It’s embarrassing at first but you’ll get over it.

Another way is to repeat native English speakers’ pronunciation and techniques.

Children learn by imitating. You should too. Go to www.youtube.com and watch short 1-
2 minute English videos. You will often find the transcripts on the page so can read
along and copy the pronunciation.

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These are just some of the methods through which you can make sure to implement all
four elements of the language into your practice. The important thing is that you realize
that there is absolutely no excuse to not be practising all four elements. Also, although
you may be wanting to improve your ability to speak English, realise that you will
achieve this faster if you integrate other inputs and outputs. If you choose not to focus
on one, you’re only slowing down your progress.

Before we delve into some specific techniques, here are some final learning tips that will
always apply:

Choose Diverse Materials

The number one tip you can follow with any technique you use is to choose a diverse
range of learning materials. This means that if you’re going to practise your reading, do
not limit yourself to reading textbooks or the local paper. Instead, read some famous
novels, some short stories, websites, and lots of different kinds of content. If you are
going to practise listening, watch a variety of TV shows, tune into the news, and watch
all sorts of documentaries and movies to broaden your understanding. When you find a
resource that you enjoy, return to it!

Remain Positive

Enthusiasm to learn is key to making progress. Listening, in particular, can prove very
difficult. Unless you believe that you can hear and understand what people are saying,
you are never going to make any progress. As humans we have the ability to shut out
noise using our thoughts. Be optimistic and believe in your abilities. Be conscious of
your listening ability, then listen. If you are having trouble with something, like
listening, focus on being present in the moment that you're trying to learn.

Predict Things

Stop mid-way through a session and ask yourself, "What is next?" Asking and answering
this question will help you check your understanding of what is going on. For example,
if you are reading a book, at the end of each chapter, stop to ponder what may happen in
the upcoming pages. This shows that you are actively reading and really beginning to
understand the story.

Focus On The Big Idea

Many times, language learners get caught up in trying to catch every little detail. This is
very difficult and it will leave you feeling lost and out-of-place. Rather than trying to
understand all the small things in a conversation, focus on the big idea. Maybe you
won’t understand every word being said to you, but you should be able to understand
the general topic of the conversation to keep things moving forward.

Imagine you are listening to a presentation by a famous speaker. If he announces: "I am

going to speak about three reasons supporting ..." you should be listening for phrases
like "first of all", "moving on to", and "in summary" so that you can better understand
which part of the lecture you're in and what big ideas (main points) the lecturer is

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trying to communicate. Communication is what the listener does. Until the listener (or
reader) has accepted your communication and understood it, it’s up to you to make the
improvements. Improve the way you understand, improve the way you write and the
way you speak.

Worry About The Details Later

After you have focused on the bigger picture, you can begin looking for specific details.
These will help you understand the material better. Ignore anything that does not seem
relevant to the big idea. This will allow you to zoom into the details you really need to
understand in order to comprehend the message.

For instance, if you are interested in knowing how old someone is, pay attention to
words like "old", "years", or "born" as they will help you figure out the answer. The
best way to learn how to listen for such small details is to simply decide what kind of
detailed information you'd like to listen for, then find materials for you to practice with.
For example, if you want to start understanding the weather better, you can begin
listening to the weather report where you'll wait for the names of cities and their
temperatures ("degrees").

You can also learn to focus on tones so that you can better understand the emotional
picture of a topic even if you do not know all the details. In tonal languages like Chinese,
the tone that is used creates a different meaning. In English and Latin languages, the
tone conveys a mood. This is the emotional picture that sets a context and helps you
understand better.

Text 6
Source: https://www.linguacore.com/blog/speak-foreign-language-confidently/

How to Speak a Foreign Language More Confidently

By: Kevin Morehouse

When you hear that a friend or acquaintance knows a foreign language, what’s the first
thing you ask them?

If you’re like most people, you probably ask “Can you speak it?”

There’s something about seeing someone speak a language you don’t know that’s a bit
like magic. It’s just so mysterious, and cool!

I’m sure you agree, at least to some extent. That’s why we’re here, right? We want to
speak foreign languages so we can be mysterious and cool too, among other things.

Jokes aside, most learners start the journey wanting to get to a point where they can
speak a language easily, and fluently. They want to communicate with confidence.

But confidence is not a thing that can be bought, like a course book, or the latest mobile
app. Instead, you need to earn it. And once you earn it, you need to work hard to keep it.

15
Today, I’m going to show you how to do that. If you want to learn how to speak a
language more confidently, buckle your seat belts, and read on:

Learn Every Single Day

Do you know how to play the piano? If you do, imagine you don’t, just for a moment. If
you don’t, you’ve got a head start.

What if, one day, I told you that you had to go up on stage and give a piano performance
in front of a crowd? How would you feel?

In that moment when you’re sitting up on that stage, looking out over the sea of
expectant faces, in front of a piano you legitimately do not know how to use, what
emotions and thoughts would be washing over you?

In that moment, do you think you would feel confident?

I doubt it. On that stage, you’d likely feel fear instead of confidence, and a lot of it.
The performance, as a whole, would likely not go well.

But why? Why wouldn’t you be confident in a situation like this? Why would you be
unlikely to perform well?

It’s not because you’re genetically predisposed to be bad at piano, or that you are just
generally an unconfident person?

No, not really. There’s just something missing.

To be confident and succeed in this example, you need something that you don’t have.
And that something is knowledge.

Think about it. If you were in the same situation, and I could magically download five
years of piano-playing experience into your brain, do you think you would be just as
confident as you were without any experience at all, or more confident.

Of course, you’d be more confident. Probably a lot more confident, at that.

If, instead of five years of experience, I could download ten, twenty, or even fifty years of
dedicated piano playing experience into your brain, you’d probably be a lot more
confident than you were in the original example.

You’d probably be so confident, in fact, that giving a piano performance in front of a

crowd wouldn’t be a big deal. In fact, you’d probably enjoy it!

What’s my point here?

My point is that confidence of any type generally only comes from two places: previous
knowledge (for facts) and previous experience (for skills). If you don’t have either or
both of those two things, you’re unlikely to be confident.

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This is just as true for language learning as it is for piano. If you don’t know anything
about the language you’re trying to speak, you won’t speak it confidently. Full stop.

So, if you want to be a confident speaker of a foreign language, the first step is to put in
the work and regularly spend time learning that language.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you to have a C-level, academic knowledge of Brazilian
Portuguese before you have a five-minute chat with your friendly next door neighbor
from Rio—all it means is that the more experience and knowledge you have of the
language, the more confident you will be, and the better you will speak as a result.

Work on Your Listening Skills

My next piece of advice is perhaps the most counter-intuitive:

If you want to gain confidence when speaking a foreign language, you need to improve
your listening skills.

“Why is that necessary?” you might ask. “Aren’t speaking and listening two different
skills?”

Though yes, speaking and listening are two very different language skills, they are skills
that are often used at the exact same time.

For example, unless you’re talking to yourself, your cat, or your pet goldfish, most of the
daily time you spend speaking is probably spent in conversation with another person.

Conversations generally imply an exchange of information, a back and forth flow of

words. People in conversation don’t just talk over one another until they’ve said what
they need to say; instead, while the other person talks, you listen, and while you talk,
the other person listens—most of the time, anyway.

If every conversation can be considered a chain of spoken statements, one after the
other, it is the skill of listening that gives structure, order, and direction to that chain.

Think about it. If you’re chatting with a friend, and he asks you a question, how can you
be confident you’ll give the right answer, or the most appropriate answer you can give
at that point in time?

Simple. By understanding what has been said to you. And that understanding, first and
foremost, comes from listening. If you didn’t listen, or for some reason couldn’t
understand what was being said to you, the chance of you giving a confident reply to the
question would drop significantly.

So, as a language learner, if you want to speak confidently, you need to continually
work on your ability to listen and understand what native speakers say to you. If
you practice listening early and often, you’ll be less likely to thing your conversation
partner said one thing when, in reality, they said something completely different. The
occasional miscommunication will happen from time to time, of course, but they’ll occur

17
less frequently the better your listening skills are, and you’ll be much more comfortable
in conversation as a result.

Practice Your Pronunciation

Good listening skills are important in successful conversations because they help you to
be sure of what is being said to you.

But what about the other side of the coin?

Can a conversation be considered successful if the person you’re talking to has no idea
what you’re saying?

Certainly not. Just as you need to be able to understand what’s going on, the other
person does, too. And if your speaking partner can’t determine whether you’re asking
them about their mother or their horse (a common occurrence among learners of
Chinese languages), the entire conversation will fall apart, and I can guarantee that you
won’t feel very good about it.

Confidence in speaking, then, also comes from the knowledge that your conversation
partner can understand most or all of what you say.

If you pronounce poorly, or intone words or sentences incorrectly, native

speakers will struggle to interact with you. They’ll slow down, mishear things, and
accidentally misinterpret the information you’re giving them. In extreme cases, they
might even stop interacting with you at all simply because they can’t follow—or find—
the thread of the conversation.

To prevent these breakdowns in communication and build your confidence when

speaking, you need to prioritize pronunciation as early as you can.

When you hear words or phrases spoken aloud, try to repeat them back to yourself.
Does your pronunciation or intonation sound exactly like the native speakers? If it
doesn’t, how does it differ? Are there any sounds or sound combinations you’re
struggling to imitate?

If you do find that your target language has some sounds or sound combinations that
are hard for you to pronounce (most languages do), make it a priority to learn how to
make those sounds properly. The quickest way to do this is to work with a native.
Practice the sounds (or words with the sounds) in front of them, and have them give
you feedback until you get them right, or as close to right as you can manage. You can
also talk to other language learners who have learned to make those unfamiliar sounds,
and ask them how they did it.

It may take a lot of time and effort to improve your pronunciation. If it does, don’t
worry! If a sound exists in a human language, you (yes, you!) can learn it. You just need
the right knowledge and practice to help you build the proper physical habits that will
help you pronounce the sounds correctly, every time.

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As your pronunciation improves, you will find that conversation with natives is easier
and easier, as instead of asking you “What did you say?,” they’ll spend much more time
asking you “What do you think?”.

Do these things, and the confidence will come. Do these things every day, and the
confidence will stay!

Text 7
Source: https://www.italki.com/article/1362/Like-Or-Dislike:-Using-Social-
Media-To-Learn-A-Language

Like or Dislike: Using Social Media to Learn a Language

By: Mark Jones

Social media is the best and worst thing that ever happened to us. It is able to both
connect and isolate us, and can make us feel either important or totally irrelevant. It is
the Joker in the deck and how we play it is up to us.

In terms of learning a language, is social media able to help us or distract us completely

from the learning process? Perhaps the answer lies in considering social media's place
within the internet landscape.

In terms of connecting people, the internet has done that since its inception. By putting
a computer on the internet people were able to find like minded individuals with whom
they could discuss art, engineering and even popular television shows.

Social media really only affected the connection process of the internet. Now we could
see what the other person looked like, where they went on holiday and even if they
were single. You could argue that a lot of this information was both useless and not
needed.

The Internet's Golden Age

Now we have the kind of internet power that science fiction authors dreamed of in the
1950s. We have high quality sound and video so smooth that face to face calling is now
seamless. In terms of learning a language, technology is now ready and more than able
to help us. But where is social media's place in this?

Human Error?

Let's take a look at some of social media's popular tools and try to decide if they can
help us become fluent in a second language.

The 'Like' Button: Clicking 'like' on someone's photograph or status is very popular and
quick to do. But what purpose does it actually serve? It is good to show encouragement,
perhaps the other person passed a language exam and you want to congratulate them?
This is a good intention yet it also promotes laziness. One of my own pet hates is
receiving a birthday card pre-printed by an internet company. Rather than thoughtfully
buy a card, write in it, and go to the post office the other person has essentially sent me

19
an email. It seems a little lazy and not very thoughtful. I may be grumpy but I feel the
same way about digital Christmas cards too. The like button is similar to this in that it
requires no time and shows you have made little effort.

It would be better to write a personal message, and even better if it is in the target
language the other person is studying. The like button has also been accused of altering
chemicals in the brain. A like on a photograph stimulates the human brain and the user
quickly becomes addicted to the process. If you put a picture on Facebook and then
check every ten minutes for likes you may well be addicted and damaging your brain at
the same time.

Comments: Adding comments to photographs or status updates is another important

and popular device of social media. Twitter has become the go to place for engaging in
conversation which is often political. Although this is more thoughtful than clicking a
like button it can often be misconstrued and considered offensive as it is viewed by
everyone. It could be a great thing if you are practising English or Kanji. But again, there
is always the chance of miscommunication so it may be better to make your comments
private and send them in a message.

If you are going to use comments to criticise someone's work or a letter they have
written, always use caution. If the person is trying to practice written English, ask
yourself if your comments will be helpful and productive to the other person. Also
consider if you are the right person to be making the comments. I would not post
comments on J.K. Rowling's Twitter feed telling her how to write children's books. At
least not until I have sold four hundred million copies which is not happening anytime
soon.

Think about your motivation for making comments, is it to genuinely help someone or
to feed your need to be seen as an intellectual?

Adding Friends: If you are looking to find others to practice a language with then
adding friends is an excellent idea. Once you add a friend you can quickly exchange
messages and also practice a language together using technology like Skype. However,
before adding a friend always consider if the connection will be a helpful one. If you are
looking to practice Arabic then there may be little point in adding friends who do not
speak that language.

Also, try not to rack up a large number of friends just to try and impress people by
appearing popular. Also consider how much time you have. Do you really have enough
time to write messages in Korean to over two hundred people? Think quality rather
than quantity and you will be able to both practice your language and make
friendships that are deeper than a quick chat about the weather.

I usually receive friend requests every time I publish an article. I have been genuinely
happy to receive messages from people who liked or disliked an article for a genuine
reason. I always reply to a message as I appreciate feedback which is helpful and
instructive. Personally, I do not respond to comments any more as they are public. I find
some people will use this to talk down to you and receive admiration from others for
doing so. For this reason, I take personal messages more seriously and will respond.

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Social Media Sites

At what point does a website become a social media site? If I open a website about
tractor parts and then add a like button does this make it a social media site? As a term
'social media' is quite hard to pin down.

In terms of learning a language I would consider italki to be a very good social

media website. I assume you feel this way also if you are reading this article. It does
contain comments and the 'like' button, but the backbone of the site is about learning
another language. I understand that Facebook has made similar inroads but with so
many subjects, for me personally, Facebook is not properly structured or focused to be
of benefit.

I prefer websites that began as serious learning platforms and then incorporated
elements borrowed from social media to improve the learning process. After leaving a
job last year, I had some free time to consider how beneficial the internet had been to
my personal aims over the last ten years. Worryingly, I found the internet had not been
either a great help to my career or relationships.

I decided to change all that by closing all my social media accounts and even most online
store accounts. Does this work and is it a little extreme? I agree it sounds over the top
but the result for me has been astounding. I have far better and smoother relationships
in the real world. My only social media account is now italki which I do feel is of benefit
to me. I also successfully changed career, passed a driving test, got work with a radio
station and wrote a book I have been planning for five years.

My free time has also increased and I now either borrow books from the library or buy
them from Waterstones. I like the idea of going out to buy my books and looking at them
in the comfort of a coffee shop.

Distraction Vs Determination

Before signing up for any social media site, take time to consider if the site is going to
help you learn a language. Does it have professional foreign language teachers you can
contact? Does it have articles which are valuable to the learning process and also make
you think? Look at the design of the website and check it is not going to lure you in with
time sapping games and collecting trophies which are useless in the real world.

You should also take a look at yourself and your habits. Are you easily distracted? Do
you find it difficult to study a Japanese textbook without checking your phone every
fifteen minutes? If you have previously got stuck in the addictive nature of social media
then only you can break that bad habit. One way to do that is to speak to people more
often, particularly language teachers.

How do some people solve their personal issues and worries? They often visit a
professional who will talk to them in an office where there is nothing to disturb the
conversation. Treat your language learning in the same way, and social media can be a
fuel for study and not a form of rust.

21
Text 8
Source:
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/health/views/07mind.html?_r=1&page
wanted=1&ref=homepage&src=me (edited)

Forget What You Know About Good Study Habits

By: Benedict Carey

Every September, millions of parents try a kind of psychological witchcraft, to transform

their summer-glazed campers into fall students, their video-bugs into bookworms.
Advice is cheap and all too familiar: Clear a quiet work space. Stick to a homework
schedule. Set goals. Set boundaries. Do not bribe (except in emergencies).

And check out the classroom. Does Junior’s learning style match the new teacher’s
approach? Or the school’s philosophy? Maybe the child isn’t “a good fit” for the school.

Such theories have developed in part because of sketchy education research that
doesn’t offer clear guidance. Student traits and teaching styles surely interact; so do
personalities and at-home rules. The trouble is, no one can predict how.

Yet there are effective approaches to learning, at least for those who are motivated. In
recent years, cognitive scientists have shown that a few simple techniques can reliably
improve what matters most: how much a student learns from studying.

The findings can help anyone, from a fourth grader doing long division to a retiree
taking on a new language. But they directly contradict much of the common wisdom
about good study habits, and they have not caught on.

For instance, instead of sticking to one study location, simply alternating the room
where a person studies improves retention. So does studying distinct but related skills
or concepts in one sitting, rather than focusing intensely on a single thing.

“We have known these principles for some time, and it’s intriguing that schools don’t
pick them up, or that people don’t learn them by trial and error,” said Robert A. Bjork, a
psychologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. “Instead, we walk around with
all sorts of unexamined beliefs about what works that are mistaken.”

Take the notion that children have specific learning styles, that some are “visual
learners” and others are auditory; some are “left-brain” students, others “right-brain.”
In a recent review of the relevant research, published in the journal Psychological
Science in the Public Interest, a team of psychologists found almost zero support for
such ideas. “The contrast between the enormous popularity of the learning-styles
approach within education and the lack of credible evidence for its utility is, in our
opinion, striking and disturbing,” the researchers concluded.

22
Ditto for teaching styles, researchers say. Some excellent instructors caper in front of
the blackboard like summer-theater Falstaffs; others are reserved to the point of
shyness. “We have yet to identify the common threads between teachers who create a
constructive learning atmosphere,” said Daniel T. Willingham, a psychologist at the
University of Virginia and author of the book “Why Don’t Students Like School?”

But individual learning is another matter, and psychologists have discovered that some
of the most hallowed advice on study habits is flat wrong. For instance, many study
skills courses insist that students find a specific place, a study room or a quiet corner of
the library, to take their work. The research finds just the opposite. In one classic 1978
experiment, psychologists found that college students who studied a list of 40
vocabulary words in two different rooms — one windowless and cluttered, the other
modern, with a view on a courtyard — did far better on a test than students who
studied the words twice, in the same room. Later studies have confirmed the finding, for
a variety of topics.

The brain makes subtle associations between what it is studying and the background
sensations it has at the time, the authors say, regardless of whether those perceptions
are conscious. It colors the terms of the Versailles Treaty with the wasted fluorescent
glow of the dorm study room, say; or the elements of the Marshall Plan with the jade-
curtain shade of the willow tree in the backyard. Forcing the brain to make multiple
associations with the same material may, in effect, give that information more neural
scaffolding.

“What we think is happening here is that, when the outside context is varied, the
information is enriched, and this slows down forgetting,” said Dr. Bjork, the senior
author of the two-room experiment.

Varying the type of material studied in a single sitting — alternating, for example,
among vocabulary, reading and speaking in a new language — seems to leave a deeper
impression on the brain than does concentrating on just one skill at a time. Musicians
have known this for years, and their practice sessions often include a mix of scales,
musical pieces and rhythmic work. Many athletes, too, routinely mix their workouts
with strength, speed and skill drills.

The advantages of this approach to studying can be striking, in some topic areas. In a
study recently posted online by the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology, Doug Rohrer
and Kelli Taylor of the University of South Florida taught a group of fourth graders four
equations, each to calculate a different dimension of a prism. Half of the children
learned by studying repeated examples of one equation, say, calculating the number of
prism faces when given the number of sides at the base, then moving on to the next type
of calculation, studying repeated examples of that. The other half studied mixed
problem sets, which included examples of all four types of calculations grouped
together. Both groups solved sample problems along the way, as they studied.

A day later, the researchers gave all of the students a test on the material, presenting
new problems of the same type. The children who had studied mixed sets did twice as
well as the others, outscoring them 77 percent to 38 percent. The researchers have
found the same in experiments involving adults and younger children.

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“When students see a list of problems, all of the same kind, they know the strategy to
use before they even read the problem,” said Dr. Rohrer. “That’s like riding a bike with
training wheels.” With mixed practice, he added, “each problem is different from the last
one, which means kids must learn how to choose the appropriate procedure — just like
they had to do on the test.”

These findings extend well beyond math, even to aesthetic intuitive learning. In an
experiment published last month in the journal Psychology and Aging, researchers
found that college students and adults of retirement age were better able to distinguish
the painting styles of 12 unfamiliar artists after viewing mixed collections (assortments,
including works from all 12) than after viewing a dozen works from one artist, all
together, then moving on to the next painter.

The finding undermines the common assumption that intensive immersion is the best
way to really master a particular genre, or type of creative work, said Nate Kornell, a
psychologist at Williams College and the lead author of the study. “What seems to be
happening in this case is that the brain is picking up deeper patterns when seeing
assortments of paintings; it’s picking up what’s similar and what’s different about
them,” often subconsciously.

Cognitive scientists do not deny that honest-to-goodness cramming can lead to a better
grade on a given exam. But hurriedly jam-packing a brain is akin to speed-packing a
cheap suitcase, as most students quickly learn — it holds its new load for a while, then
most everything falls out.

“With many students, it’s not like they can’t remember the material” when they move to
a more advanced class, said Henry L. Roediger III, a psychologist at Washington
University in St. Louis. “It’s like they’ve never seen it before.”

When the neural suitcase is packed carefully and gradually, it holds its contents for far,
far longer. An hour of study tonight, an hour on the weekend, another session a week
from now: such so-called spacing improves later recall, without requiring students to
put in more overall study effort or pay more attention, dozens of studies have found.

No one knows for sure why. It may be that the brain, when it revisits material at a later
time, has to relearn some of what it has absorbed before adding new stuff — and that
that process is itself self-reinforcing.

“The idea is that forgetting is the friend of learning,” said Dr. Kornell. “When you forget
something, it allows you to relearn, and do so effectively, the next time you see it.”

That’s one reason cognitive scientists see testing itself — or practice tests and quizzes
— as a powerful tool of learning, rather than merely assessment. The process of
retrieving an idea is not like pulling a book from a shelf; it seems to fundamentally alter
the way the information is subsequently stored, making it far more accessible in the
future.

Dr. Roediger uses the analogy of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle in physics, which
holds that the act of measuring a property of a particle (position, for example) reduces

24
the accuracy with which you can know another property (momentum, for example):
“Testing not only measures knowledge but changes it,” he says — and, happily, in the
direction of more certainty, not less.

But at the very least, the cognitive techniques give parents and students, young and old,
something many did not have before: a study plan based on evidence, not schoolyard
folk wisdom, or empty theorizing.

Text 9
Source: https://www.lucalampariello.com/learn-a-new-language-embrace-
mistakes/

The Only Way to Learn a New Language: Embrace Your Mistakes

By: Luca Lampariello

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall” - Confucius

It is every language learner’s dream: to speak a foreign language perfectly, without

making any mistakes.

Imagine achieving that without having to go through all those unpleasant and/or
unwanted corrections you get from teachers, friends, language tandems, not to mention
internet trolls.

Unfortunately, that will remain a dream, because the reality, whether you want it or not,
is quite different.

In fact, in the world we live in, no real growth is possible without discomfort and effort,
without sweat and tears.

And that’s true for language learning too, of course.

If I had a penny for every language mistake I have made over the years, I would be rich.
Filthy rich, at that!

And you know what? I am glad I have messed up so many times, because without those
mistakes, I would be neither the language learner nor the person I am today.

This is my story, the language lessons I have learned along the way, and how these
lessons can help you, dear learner, to fulfill your language dreams, too.

Wanted and Unwanted Corrections

Luca, when you want to say in Polish that you are doing something “through the Internet”,
such “as talking to someone on the Internet”, you don’t say “na internecie”, but “przez

25
internet” - said Gosia, a good friend of mine, while we were conversing in Polish and
walking through the railway station of Lodz, in the heart of Poland.

I was frustrated by the sudden and unwanted correction. She had uttered it with a tone
of disbelief, as if to say, “you don’t know this?” — or that is at least how I perceived it.

Making that mistake and receiving that kind of correction left me with a stinging feeling
that lingered all the way back to Warsaw.

All of a sudden, dozens, hundreds of mistakes resurfaced in my mind. Mistakes in Polish,

English, French, Spanish, literally every language I’ve learned.

I then realized something extraordinary. For each mistake that I remembered making, I
also remembered who had corrected me, when, where, and how they did it.

It is as if my brain got particularly good at recording unexpected corrections in situations

where I was using the language to communicate.

When I was telling an interesting story that had happened to me.

When I was walking and talking with someone, just as I was doing with my Polish
friend.

And of course, after publishing a YouTube video.

All of a sudden, everything was clear.

Those mistakes were not enemies, or something to fret about. They were my friends.
Indeed, they helped me improve my skills.

What I’ve Learned About Making Mistakes

1. If You Don’t Try, You’ll Never Know

On that train back to Warsaw, the first thing that came to my mind was that yes, being
corrected didn’t feel good. In fact, it stung badly.

But then, I told myself that at least, I had tried. If I had resorted to English instead of
speaking Polish, I would probably still be making the same mistake.

In other words, when someone corrects you, you have to pat yourself on your back and
tell yourself “at least I tried”.

That mere realization can extinguish the frustration and anger you might feel for being
corrected.

And the great thing is that the more you try, the more you learn, and the more you learn,
the more you try.

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However, many language learners—myself included, sometimes—prefer keeping their
mouth shut instead of talking and actively making tons of mistakes.

They get into this terrible trap called perfectionism.

They think that if they wait and study long enough, then they will be able to handle
everything perfectly, without errors.

But that’s thinking backwards.

Things simply don’t work that way.

Human interaction is the realm of improvisation and unexpectedness.

Not speaking a foreign language for fear of making mistakes: that is the biggest mistake
you can make!

Every time you try, especially when the situation is not favorable, makes you stronger
and more confident in your skills.

You feed and nurture that confidence and strength by acting, by living experiences, and
by sharing your opinion, all with a wide range of people and in a wide range of
situations.

2. Embrace Your Mistakes

Getting used to trying, experimenting, and venturing into unknown ground is great, but
unfortunately, it is not enough.

You have to learn to accept the consequences of taking action.

Every time you meet someone new, discuss a new topic, or try to approach a certain
subject in an unusual way, the higher the chance of making mistakes.

At this stage, it is where you put your attention that makes a world of difference.

Going back to that episode with Gosia, I realized that there was no reason for me to be
angry or frustrated.

She had done me a huge favor. She showed me how to use an expression correctly.

My frustration, ultimately, gave way to gratitude.

I have learned to be grateful every time someone corrects me, no matter who that is,
where, when, or how.

Even a nasty comment on the Internet can contain something valuable.

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If you learn to be grateful, if you learn to see criticism as beneficial—even when it
comes from so-called Internet trolls— you can become invincible.

Remember: you were not born with a positive or negative attitude towards making
mistakes. You developed it with time, training and perseverance.

If you have a positive attitude towards mistakes, great! If you don’t, then all you need to
do is unlearn the negative attitude and replace it with a positive one.

3. Develop Self-Awareness

Mistakes are also great because they help you become more aware of how a given
language works, and what kind of mistakes you tend to make.

This also helps you to self-correct.

I’m sure that you have sometimes caught yourself saying something wrong, either just
before or just after you say it out loud. Once you notice the error, you correct yourself
immediately.

That is self-awareness.

The more you become self-aware, the more you can reflect on how you could formulate
certain sentences better, you tend to notice patterns more, both when you speak as well
as others do.

Your mind creates a mental space that you can use to observe yourself, instead of
getting into automatic and unconscious patterns.

When you create this mental space, you are able to keep improving across the entire
language learning journey.

Self-awareness comes from a combination of training, attention, interest and attitude.

Again, it is not something you were born with, but something you can develop over
time.

Anybody can.

And if you develop it with one language, that will transfer to another language. And
another.

Time For Practice

Speaking languages well and minimizing mistakes is a long process, and more often
than not, it is the result of a steady, slow improvement over a long period of time.

You can’t eliminate mistakes altogether; they are part of human nature, and they are a
necessary part of the process.

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They are actually your best friends in the journey to fluency.

You can’t avoid them, but you can learn to deal with them in a different way.

You can do this by developing courage, gratitude and self-awareness.

By fostering courage, you will act and speak even when you are not sure about what you
will say, how you will say it, and if it will be correct.

By nurturing gratitude, you will learn to get the best out every situation, even coming
from those who, for their own reasons, want to hurt you.

By feeding self-awareness, you create that mental space necessary to keep improving
through all the phases of language learning, and overcoming the inevitable roadblocks
along the way.

I have been training hundreds of students through my language coaching lessons, and I
feel proud and privileged to have witnessed people change and become great language
learners and better people.

They have taken the courage to listen, think outside the box, take action, and ultimately,
become a better version of themselves.

You can do that, too.

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