Ears Wide Open

How to understand a new language from a native speaker

Welcome, aspiring polyglot! One of the benefits of having an instructor is knowing that the problems you are experiencing are not unique to you. Of all these, feeling like you are a sitting duck after someone finishes their thought speaking to you is the most universal. Which makes sense, if you think about it. Most people are formulating responses while their interlocuter is speaking. Something that is simply not possible unless you speak the language fluently.

Using your ears proportionally

The first bad habit most people need to break when learning a new language is the habit of formulating responses while someone else is speaking. Irrespective of which language you are learning, this is a bad habit. One mark of a good listener is waiting until someone is finished before attempting to come up with a response. Making this one change will improve your relationships.

That said, sometimes understanding the full context is not the goal. When you are just getting started, focusing on the gist of the sentence is crucial. I tell my students that subjects and verbs come first, the rest is just fluff, for the time being. Of course, you want to get to a point where you are able to understand everything, but that is just not possible when you are getting started.

Aside from high relevance words, learning intonation can save you from a fair amount of embarrassment. Every bilingual I know has been asked a question by a native speaker only to realize five seconds too late that it was, in fact, a question; and I have agreed to many things I may not have agreed to had I been able to recognize the intonation inherent in a question.

Thoughtful silence

Once you develop the skill to differentiate between statements and questions, you challenge is to take both and respond thoughtfully. Take time to think through your whole sentence. In fact, depending on your level, thinking through everything in your native language before trying to express it in your target language may be the best option.

Far too often the impulse is to translate word by word, working through the sentence as though it were made up of independent words rather than pieces of language that depend on context. By taking the time to think all the way through the sentence, you give yourself the opportunity to think about the context requisite for proper formulation in your target language.

At first it will be an exercise in frustration as you are forced to say things how you can rather than how you would like. This is where repetition stops being useful. Once you reach a certain level, repetition stops being the most effective tool you have at your disposal. The next step is iteration. This, of course, requires you to be slightly more committed to your language acquisition.

Practicing iteration is difficult because it requires you to come back to conversations after they have concluded. That, and the best way to implement it is by writing things down. Fortunately, you do not have to do this for every conversation. Once you have a few written down, all you have to do is keep coming back to them to improve wherever possible.

Think before you speak

One of the things I make sure all of my students are practiced in is using filler words. That is to say, words that can be used to buy time for sentence formation while the internal translation takes place. These are crutches, so the ultimate goal is not to use them indefinitely, however if you do end up using them for months or years, no one is going to notice. Native speakers rely on them, too.

Buying yourself time to think is absolutely crucial for cortisol management when speaking a new language. The best, most natural way to do that is by adopting the mannerisms and linguistic quirks of native speakers. You can say a lot without saying anything and the more you do it the less you will have to do it. For more on crutches, read this article:

An incredibly common issue that language learners run into is that of being trepidations in their speech. Speaking quietly or overly fast is incredibly common and there is nothing to be ashamed of in that. However, you have to fight against that urge and slow yourself down, annunciate, and speak loudly and proudly. It will take time, but once you begin each subsequent time is easier.

Conclusion

Everyone wants to speak a new language and one of the most difficult aspects of learning a new language is coming to terms with the fact that speaking is not the most difficult part of becoming bilingual. Listening is far more difficult and one of the best ways to improve is by, well, becoming a good listener. This is one of those skills that pays off well beyond bilingualism.

You can make incredible, life long friends by mastering the ability to listen. Do this in foreign countries and bilingualism is all but guaranteed. You may even find that the people you meet are more interested in you as a result of your interest in them. It will be difficult, but you can do difficult things and be great. So get out and do difficult things and become great. I am rooting for you.

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