Talk, talk, talk

How to master speaking in a foreign language

"You learn to speak by speaking, 

to study by studying, 

to run by running, 

to work by working; 

in just the same way, 

you learn to love by loving". 

Anatole France

Speaking a foreign language is a wonder and a reality at the same time. It's a wonder being able to share your thoughts, feelings, doubts, fears and getting support and understanding in a language different from the one you were raised with. It's reality because in such a connected world the odds that you might talk to someone from another country are higher than those of talking to a person next door.

Speaking a foreign language is a challenge: you take a risk to learn, practice and master a different set of rules, structures, not to say of world perception and mentality.

Speaking a foreign language isn't easy and might be stressful at first. It is possible to master, though. This is how to start:

STEP 1. Arrange the time to talk (on the phone, face-to-face or with a videocall) with someone who talks the language you are learning. Don't worry about errors, just talk!

STEP 2. Prepare a list of topics to discuss with your language partner (My day, My hobbies, Cooking, Going out), discuss them one by one. For a start, it's OK if you say even a couple of phrases, be sure you'll improve step by step. Practice makes perfect.

STEP 3. Create a language ritual: an hour in a foreign language with your family, 10 minutes with your friends, 30 minutes with a language exchange partner. It's important to get used to practicing in certain situations, so you will eventually start talking more and more, in wider contexts and with more ease.

Once you feel not just the stress, but also the pleasure and excitement of speaking a foreign language, you'll see a real wonder happen: the limits will break, the fears will disappear, and the multicultural world will open up, full of opportunities and resources.