Grammar ♥︎ Practice auf Deutsch: 3 Twists That Trip Up German Learners (And How to Overcome Them Easily)
Before I dive deeper into German grammar for this week's useful blog post, I want to take a minute to say "I know!" to all of you who think that German is a hard language to learn. Today's article is about to prove that you guys are not entirely wrong. Yes, the German language has some Tücken (twists).
But read on to discover how to get over each of these twists without ever worrying about them again.
Just like I did in our French Grammar Practice, I've selected 2 topics for German beginners and 1 twist for advanced learners. So there's something here for everyone.
Twist #1: sie is not Sie is not sie
The little words that can take the place of a noun or a name in language are called pronouns. They are placeholders that make it easier for us to communicate - just imagine how that previous sentence would work if I didn't have the words "they" and "us" for example! When you learn a foreign language, you start picking up its pronouns very early.
In German, this is particularly true as the verb doesn't do all that much by itself. The way pronouns are used is pretty similar to English, but here's the sting: 3 German pronouns look similar when they are not similar at all. I'm talking about the word sie, which you'll spot 3 times in the German pronoun table.
Many German learners are aware that Sie is the polite "you" in the German language, addressing a person from a point of distance or respect. It's corresponding to the French vous in this way. But if you think that's all you need to understand sie, it is time to take a look at the full verb table:
Sie pops up three times, but each time this word stands for a different person. There is more to it than just the polite "you".
There are three different kinds of sie
- It stands for the female 3rd person singular pronoun - that's "she" in English
Examples:
Sie heißt Melanie. - Her name is Melanie.
Das ist meine Schwester. Sie kann auch Spanisch. - This is my sister. She speaks Spanish too.
- It stands for the 3rd person plural pronoun - that's "they" in English
Examples:
Sie kommen aus Deutschland. - They are from Germany.
Das sind meine Geschwister. Sie können auch Spanisch. - Those are my siblings. They speak Spanish too.
- It stands for the polite "you" (grammatically that's also the 3rd person plural, kinda like addressing a royal "we")
Sie kommen aus Deutschland, Frau Krämer. - You are from Germany, Ms Krämer.
Wie heißen Sie? - What is your name?
How To Know The Difference
The first distinction is so easy to spot that I wouldn't even call it a "language hack". When you see Sie and the first letter is a capital letter, it's the polite you. Make sure you use it this way in your writing too.
If you're in a conversation (and you can't hear the capital letter), check out what the verb is doing.
When the verb ends in -t, you're looking at a "she".
When the verb ends in -en, it's most likely "they" or "you"...and then you have to figure out what the sentence is about and take other clues.
Twist #2: Prefixes are Everything
If you're going to learn one thing about German at an early stage, it's that the little things make all the difference. For example, take the concept of the separable verb. At the heart of it, you've got a verb like machen (to make, to do) or kommen (to come). Add a little prefix (usually 2-4 letters) to the verb, and suddenly you've twisted the meaning.
The good news here is that learning prefixes pays off a billion times over, as you'll be able to add them to pretty much any verb going to make yourself understood in spoken German. Prefixes split off when a verb is used in the sentence, so make sure you look out for them at the end of the sentence. So in other words, the final word in a sentence is very important in German. Sometimes it can twist the whole meaning.
Check out the following video from my German Grammar video Course for a detailed explanation.
Here are a few example sentences:
Wir kommen am Freitag. - We're coming on Friday.
Wir kommen am Freitag an. - We're arriving on Friday.
Ich komme heute. Er kommt am Freitag nach. - I'm coming today. He'll follow on Friday.
Wir fahren nach Berlin. Kommst du mit? - We're going to Berlin. Are you coming?
Test Yourself
How many words can you spot that carry the prefix auf? When you think of it's generic meaning "up", how many meanings can you guess from the following list?
- aufmachen
- aufgehen
- aufstehen
- auflegen
Let me know what your guesses are in the comments.
Twist 3: For Advanced Learners, werden becomes complex
The dictionary meaning of the German verb werden is "to become", plain and simple.
But watch out for two other ways that the verb is used. It teams up with another verb to build two advanced structures.
When werden works with another verb, the sentence structure is always:
Subject + werden + (any adverbs) + (any object) + the other verb
The other verb is what's really happening. If it stands in the infinitiv (that means it's not changed at all from how you find it in the dictionary), the sentence is in the future tense. For example, Ich werde etwas essen means "I will eat something". If it stands in the participle (this is that past tense form with ge-), then you're looking at the passive voice! For example, Etwas wird gegessen is not future tense at all
Examples:
Ich werde nach Berlin fahren. - I will drive to Berlin.
Ich werde nach Berlin gefahren. - I'm being driven to Berlin.
Ich werde den Käse kaufen. - I will buy the cheese.
Der Käse wird gekauft. - The cheese is being bought.
Der Käse wird gekauft werden - (combining future and passiv) The cheese will be bought.
So whenever your form of werden pops up, pay attention and make sure that you don't end up confusing future and passive. They're pretty different.
How to Escape The Werden Trap
One easy tip to speak German without the pains of werden is to avoid using the future tense altogether. That's what native speakers do all the time, simply using the present tense together with words like morgen (tomorrow) or gleich (in a minute). It's so simple, it's practically Chinese grammar! (Someone once told me Chinese doesn't have conjugation. I was like "whoah"!)
Where To Look For More German Grammar Explanations
If you're studying German grammar in your first year, you will find answers to every grammar question in my video course Easy German Grammar for Beginners. It contains dozens of simple videos, quizzes and workbooks to help you become a confident speaker.
5 Creative Ideas for Boosting Results and Adding Fun in Your Online Language Lessons
Language tutors are a favourite resource in any successful learner’s arsenal. But it’s not always easy to stay excited about your language lessons, and to turn up regularly…If there’s no creativity in online lessons, no one gets to have the results or the fun that they should have.
No problem! Check out the following 5 ideas for lessons in any language, and you’ll be on to a winner!
One-to-one language lessons are a favourite resource in any successful learner’s arsenal, and most smart learners have long discovered that they can easily meet tutors online (check out italki if you haven't tried it yet).
But for many learners and tutors, it’s not always easy to stay excited about lessons...
…if all you ever do is talk about last week, language lessons quickly get boring
…if you don’t feel like you’re spending your money on a good tutor, you might give up
And teachers, beware: If there’s no creativity in online lessons, no one gets to have the results or the fun that they should have.
Be sure to check out my blog post on 13 essential online language teaching tools that will help elevate your lessons and make them more fun and engaging!
So what can you do to make sure you’re on to a winner?
In today’s blog post, we will talk about 5 online language lesson ideas that you can use no matter if you’re a learner or a teacher. As long as you are hanging out with someone to practice your target language, these ideas will really kick you into gear.
Ready? Then let’s discover how to improve your language lessons right now.
1) Create a Study Plan Together
If you are in the market and looking for a new tutor right now, chances are you’ll want to know what you’re getting for your money. And if you’re a tutor taking on a new student, you’re keen to reassure them that they’ve made an awesome choice.
You simply get together and talk about where you want to be and what your language goals are for the next weeks and months (Create Vision and Path Goals from the Language Habit System® ), and it’s the tutor’s job to help break down these goals and outline which resources you will be using.
Lesson planning takes 30-60 minutes, and I definitely recommend doing this activity together as a solid start to your student-tutor partnership.
2) Boost Your Listening Skills on Togethertube
One of the biggest risks of relying on a single person to be your regular language practice partner is over-reliance on their accent and voice. You may find that weekly conversations get easier, but it takes a multitude of voices for you to understand language at native speed.
I recommend watching online videos together using Togethertube. You can easily control the player, stop the video and discuss what’s going to happen next.
I was super excited about this tip because I had no idea Togethertube existed, and especially because it plays Dailymotion videos…and Dailymotion is the home of Deutsch Plus, my favourite cheesy 90s German learner soap.
3) Let the Student Correct the Language Tutor
You’re probably used to being corrected all the time by your tutor, so how cool would it be to turn that around? The next online language lesson idea is for teachers to finally allow learners to correct them! The tutor prepares a text containing mistakes like wrong words, grammar errors, or a punctuation mistake. The student’s job is finding and correcting each mistake.
I’ve used this idea in my own lessons. It works with groups and individuals, and the challenge always helps to create a productive and focused lesson. After all, who can resist showing off their knowledge?
If you want more fun ways to engage students, check out my blog post on language learning games that you can easily incorporate into your lessons.
4) Tired of Talking About Your Day in Language Lessons?
Nothing can kill a good language lesson quicker than running out of things to talk about. You’re likely working with a tutor to improve your speaking skill, and if you’re nervous about starting to talk the following tip is guaranteed to help you loosen up.
Select a range of pictures that inspire conversation (you can find great pictures on Unsplash or Pixabay). You can ask your tutor to select them with you, or to surprise you with something really weird. It’s the student’s job to describe what’s happening, what might be shown in the photo, and what the people in the picture might be saying.
Take it to the next level with AI
In AI Language Club, we have created a library of easy ideas for spicing up your studies with AI tools. One of our most popular ideas is creating an image with AI. You can do this in tools like ChatGPT, Dall-E, and Copilot, and in a language lesson it’s fun to come up with multilingual descriptions and ideas.
5) Write a TripAdvisor Review
Everyone loves creating reviews, and especially getting to share their travel experiences, so this is perfect. In Lindsay’s book, she gives 3 great scenarios and ideas that tutors can use to write those ideas with you right now. For example, why not go all out and describe your dream trip, somewhere you’ve always wanted to stay, and write about the hotel from heaven?
This activity is awesome because it encourages writing, but it’s so easy to combine it with reading real trip reviews online and even watching hotel promo clips. I love this so much, and I know my students are into travel and have a lot to share…can’t wait to read their holiday experiences!
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Teach Languages Online?
To explore my full guide to becoming a language tutor working from anywhere, check out this course: Live Lessons Strategies for Online Teachers and Tutors for practical tips and resources.
When it comes to online language teaching, setting yourself up for success starts with a few key principles:
Understand Your Audience: Identify who your students are and what their goals are. Tailoring your lessons to their needs will make your teaching more effective.
Set Clear Objectives: Define what you want your students to achieve by the end of each lesson. Clear goals help keep both you and your students focused.
Choose the Right Platform: There are many platforms available for online teaching, such as Zoom, Google Meet, or specialized language teaching platforms like Languatalk and italki. Choose one that suits your teaching style and technical needs.
Can You Teach Yourself a Language Online?
To successfully teach yourself a language online, start by setting clear goals and defining what you want to achieve with realistic milestones. Another crucial part of learning a language by yourself is expanding your vocabulary. You can incorporate effective techniques for memorizing and using new words to boost your fluency by checking our blog post on the best vocabulary learning techniques.
Consistency is key, so aim to practice regularly even if it’s just for a few minutes each day!
Need Support On Your Language Learning Journey?
Don’t miss out on the Fluent Language newsletter! Sign up today and get weekly language learning advice from me.
How Much Will You Pay for a Helpful Language Tutor?
A language tutor can teach you the ins and outs of your target language, and help you achieve your learning goals faster and easier. But the pricing confuses many students. Some tutors cost $50+ per hour, others are available for less money? What’s the difference? Read on to learn more about different backgrounds, levels, and prices.
A language tutor can teach you the ins and outs of your target language, and help you achieve your learning goals faster and easier. But how much should you pay for a language tutor? There are different online teaching platforms where you can choose from a wide range of tutors with different backgrounds, levels, and prices.
For example, on italki*, one of the most popular online language learning platforms, you can find tutors who charge as low as $5 per hour or as high as $50 per hour. You can even find great language exchanges for free!.
So what’s the difference? Read this article to discover which options will be right for you.
Do I need a language tutor?
Experienced language learners agree on one thing: Learning a language with a tutor is a true game changer.
Need Support On Your Language Learning Journey?
Don’t miss out on the Fluent Language newsletter! Sign up today and get weekly language learning advice from me.
It’s impossible to progress as much if you don’t start speaking your language at some point. And for an early stage learner, picking a tutor means working with someone who can help you bridge the gaps with ease.
Language tutor or language exchange?
I would recommend all learners to try at least one tutor, and to be clear about what you’d like from your lessons. A great tutor will ask you about your goals and tailor their service to you.
I wouldn’t recommend tackling a language exchange before you have learnt at least the essential structures and phrases of your target language (use this checklist to help you work out what to study).
Starting an exchange too early might leave you feeling frustrated, and there is a risk that you and your partner rely on the stronger language exclusively.
You do not get top quality at bottom prices
For the purpose of this article, I want to assume that you have made up your mind and you are looking for a tutor.
Now here is the part I want to talk to you about. I disagree with many other articles are telling you. Let's talk about price. Most other articles include a sentence that goes a little like this:
"Language lessons online are very cheap, you can get them for just $5 an hour."
US$5 an hour? That’s less than you pay for a drink at Starbucks. Now I know that wages and currencies vary around the world and I’m not stupid, so please don’t come commenting with the “$5 is lots of money in xyz!” argument. Your online teacher's costs are not just measured in time-per-hour. They also have a family to support, an internet connection and webcam to buy, personal development to cover. These are all part of the job, and that’s the case even if they live in the cheapest country in the world.
Self-employed language teachers will price themselves as low as they can because they really love working with you. But when they are taking on 50 students a week because the price per lesson is very low, they become mediocre teachers. If you are able to approach the exchange with a mindset that considers both payment and benefits, you will not be ripped off.
Read on to find out how to find exactly the right partner for your needs and your budget.
How To Find A Price That Works For You
In order to help you select the right language learning partnership, it is helpful to approach sites like italki* with a clear image of what you are truly looking for.
It's a good idea look beyond italki, because many of the greatest and most experienced teachers I know have their own blogs and websites. You can also try other platforms such as LanguaTalk.*
Option Number 1: The Freebie
Look for a language exchange partner and simply swap time helping them practice your native language for time practicing your target language.
Pros:
- You don’t even have to look online because many foreign students or residents in your town might be looking for language exchanges too.
- Sharing the language learning experience is very motivating and you’ll see the partner’s success just as much as yours.
Cons:
- There is a learning curve and this exchange may be frustrating at first. You have to be comfortable setting boundaries and working with rules, otherwise you become someone else’s free teacher.
- Your partner will speak the language but may not be able to explain it
- You give as much as you get, so prepare to work hard
Got a partner whose language you want to learn? Get our tips about learning a language from your partner.
And if you’re the one who wants to help your partner learn your language, here’s what I’ve learnt from having an English speaker partner (spoiler: I didn’t become his tutor!).
Option Number 2: The Super Bargain
Look for lessons under $10/hour and take advantage of the low living costs in other countries. Bear in mind these types of prices are below minimum wage in most countries, and probably this includes yours.
Pros:
- Maybe you will find a great tutor for peanuts
Cons:
- This is a trial and error technique, it often takes longer to find someone you click with, whose expectations match yours, and who is familiar with students from your cultural background
- The cheaper language teachers tend to be those supporting themselves temporarily, so you don’t get ongoing support as most cheap teachers decide to move on to another job within a few months
- This isn’t really a con from my perspective, but hopefully the tutor will soon raise their rates!
My personal verdict on this option? It’s better than nothing, but the worst of both worlds.
Option Number 3: The Professional
Hire an experienced language tutor for a minimum of $20/hour. Look for someone who is showing their expertise and commitment by having their own website, blogging about their work and knowledge and giving you a clear idea of what lessons will be like.
I’m biased, and here are my Pros:
- You’ll get a free consultation from most experienced language teachers and they will clearly tell you which goals you are working towards, and keep you committed
- The lessons tend to be tailored, long-term and built for you
- You’re doing a great thing because this is the way to support an experienced professional
- Professional teachers strive towards working full-time for you, so they can offer a flexible schedule and will fit the lesson times around you
For more details on how you can find that tutor that's worth your time, here is a list of questions you should ask them.
Cons? Well, we'd all love to get more free things in life.
A Tip for Ethical Teachers
For language teachers who are reading this article and excited about stepping up their business, here’s some important advice:
- Be serious and trustworthy: I would not charge a student until I know for sure that I connect with them. I don't take on each one, only students that understand my style. I don't want people to spend money on me unless I feel like I really understand what they need.
- Commit to your business: If you don’t want to be seen as some kind of fly-by-night operation, you have to show your worth to your potential student. Be worth their investment, be around and be reliable. You can’t do this without a brand and website, but it’s not as difficult as you may think.
For more information, have a look at the “Teach Languages” section here on Fluent, and in particular you should investigate the Live Lessons Course. This step-by-step course is written for language teachers who are excited to start standing out as one of the best out there.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Sessions With My Tutor Should I Have per Month?
There is no right or wrong answer to this question. The more sessions you have with your tutor, the more you can benefit from your tutor’s expertise and feedback.
Deciding on the number of tutoring sessions will depend on your personal situation and preferences. Here are some questions to help with your decision:
• What is your language learning goal?
• How many hours do you dedicate to learning your target language?
• How frequently do you have difficulties and need your language tutor's help?
For more detailed questions. Check my blog post 9 questions to ask your language tutor. And if you want deeper guidance to help you answer the questions above and find the right language strategy for yourself, I recommend checking out the Language Habit System or talking to a language learning coach.
Should I Hire A Native Speaker As My Language Tutor?
You don't actually need a native speaker to practice with. This is so important to understand. You just need someone who's good enough or a little better than you. Sometimes it even helps not to have the native speaker, because a non-native speaker has learnt your target language too and can explain grammar and other problems more easily.
You can check my blog post where I dive into why having a native speaker as your tutor might not be necessary.
Are Tutor Lessons A Good Way To Learn A Language?
Yes, they should be part of your system along with helpful resources and input, self-motivation is important so you don't become too reliant on one thing, learn how to build your routine here.
Make a Living Online With These 13 Online Language Teaching Tools
Have you thought about teaching languages online before?
f you’re ready to set up your own online language teaching business, here are the tools that we think you absolutely need to start your business.
If the start of the 2020s has taught the world anything besides the importance of vaccinations, it has to be how fantastic it is to learn online.
But have you thought about teaching languages online before?
There are lots of great reasons to teach languages online:
🛋 It’s super convenient to teach from your home or office..
🚙 …and adventure is open to you because you can teach languages online when you’re on the road
💰 You can save money on class materials like outdated books and CDs.
⚖️ And it’s a super flexible job, which puts you in control of your time!
All this becomes much easier when you have the right tools, so today we’re rounding up the tools that we think you absolutely need to start your business.
Best Video Conferencing Tools for Teachers
As an online language teacher, you need fast internet and a stable connection, so the first important thing is to check your speed using something like Speedtest so you can be sure your internet is reliable.
Next, you need a video conferencing app. Here are 3 to try:
Zoom, one of the most popular video conferencing tools for online teachers that want to have meetings with high security, a cool whiteboard, and great video quality. The app is not entirely free, but if you go for it you can get group meetings included.
Google Meet has one big advantage: No need to download an app! You can easily screen share and chat in your browser or on your phone, and it works super well with Google Calendar. This is great when you want your students to make sure they show up for lessons. SMS invitations are easy now!
Whereby is a newer video platform. You can bring colour to your teaching life with its many custom options, and it never requires any software downloads. The free plan allows unlimited 1:1 meetings, though you only get one meeting room URL to share.
Best Online Tools to Teach Vocabulary
When you are teaching your students online, you will often want to share new words and expressions that come up in conversation.
The majority of online teachers use the in-built chat function in Zoom for this, and many will also type words into Google Docs as they go.
Here’s how to make it more fun:
As an online language teacher I provide many touch points so the student benefits from natural review and repetition. The following tools can make teaching vocabulary into a game:
Memrise is a vocabulary learning app with in-built courses and options to make your own vocabulary sets for students to use. The courses are built around CEFR levels (A1-C2). Memrise is easy to use and its feature of “mems” helps students make words sticky.
Quizlet is very popular with teachers, especially if you base your lessons on resources that you use many times. It’s a simple flashcard app, allowing students to review on the go. You can create a custom set of vocabulary phrases and words for them, or use pre-created sets from other users.
Kahoot is an amazing tool for creating super fun quiz games. Best for when you are teaching groups of students, because they can compete to get the right answers just like on a quiz show!
For more ideas to use as an online language teacher, click here and discover 6 vocabulary learning techniques.
The Best Online Tools to Teach Grammar
Let’s face it, teaching grammar is an art in itself. I do not advise teaching grammar by reading out rules to students, instead I use a curiosity-based method that is perfect for adult learners.
Online whiteboards like Limnu can help you and your student understand grammar through visual explanations.
Whimsical is a great place for more visual explanations, for example through flow charts and mind maps.
If you want to encourage speaking, why not ask your students to answer questions or record sentences where they practice new grammar structures! Tools like Speakpipe are fantastic for this, and personally I’d consider using Voxer or Whatsapp (it’s where I do my coaching sessions!).
Finally don’t underestimate the power of playing games with your language learners. Gamified apps are nice, but they will love it so much more when you can engage them in a game so they don’t even know you’re teaching grammar! Here are 5 games that will help you teach a language in lessons, online and offline.
The Best Platforms to Find Students as an Online Language Teacher
Languatalk’s listing page where you can find students
There is a BIG market of platforms for online language lessons, but beware because they are not all the same. Some platforms are MUCH more fair to teachers. My advice is that you should not feel pressured to price yourself cheaply.
If you’re a quality, creative language teacher (here are a few great ideas!), your students will benefit from your lessons and you can earn good money through your work.
So let’s see..here are a few platforms that make finding online students easy.
Languatalk are a new language learning platform who have been a big hit with teachers. The teachers on Languatalk love how easy it is to set up and adjust your profile and how there are no hidden fees. The team is also very available for supporting new tutors. Recommended for any online teacher with experience or qualifications.
italki are one of the big names in language learning, and they stand out for their HUGE range of languages. You will find students here no matter which language you want to teach, but be aware that the market is very busy. Italki don’t always accept new teachers for every language. Recommended if you teach a rare language.
Apart from those two platforms, I don’t recommend that you rely on the big marketplaces too much. Use them to get started and only continue if you find you’re getting great students at great rates. In my experience, the best way to get great work as an online is to build lasting relationships with great students.
Here’s The Full List of Tools for Online Language Teaching
I hope this list was helpful for you and that you found the tool you were looking for! Here’s a quick reference list of what they were:
For Online Video Conferencing: Zoom, Google Meet, Whereby
For Teaching Vocabulary Online: Memrise, Quizlet, Kahoot
For Teaching Grammar Online: Limnu, Whimsical, Speakpipe, Voxer, Games
For Finding Online Language Students: Languatalk, italki
If you would like to bookmark this article, here is the address:
https://www.fluentlanguage.co.uk/blog/online-teaching-tools
Frequently Asked Language Teacher Questions
How do I become a language tutor?
Anyone can start tutoring languages,
Advertise yourself locally with flyers in local venues like cafés and libraries.
Contact local schools and let them know that you offer tutoring services.
Find students online! In this article, you will learn about my top recommended platforms where you can make a profile and start teaching online.
Find a good location to teach, for example your home or a café.
Set yourself up for taking payments. This can be cash, by card, or via online platforms.
What qualifications do I need to teach languages?
This varies depending on the learner and the platform. Sometimes they will look for someone to practice conversations, and you can be that partner even without qualifications. At other times, you will need specific qualifications such as
Teaching diplomas like CELTA
Language degrees like Masters or Bachelor
Experience working in schools or tutoring environments
If you want to tutor young people in person, you might also need a criminal records check.
How do I become a freelance language teacher?
You will usually need to set yourself up as a self-employed person in your country, so that you are legally allowed to earn money. Please check this with your local government so you’re above board when it comes to tax.
To teach online, you need good internet, a microphone, and video conferencing software like you can read in this article.
Finally, if you want more experience you can offer to participate in free language exchanges. Here are some great tips for making language exchanges work for you.
Got More Questions About Teaching Online?
I have over a decade of online teaching experience, from 1:1 language lessons all the way to creating a hit language course.
If you want to learn more from me about how to make money online, make sure you join my newsletter here - you’ll automatically be registered for all emails about online teaching!
How to Speak More Fluently by Building Good Conversation Habits
Ever hit a wall in conversation when trying to speak another language? Discover the different ways that you can handle that wall. Knowing how to handle a conversation breaker means knowing how to keep things flowing, and it’s the only way for you to approach fluency.
No matter if you are new to language learning or you're a certified multilingualist, I bet you know the conversational wall. It's that feeling where you just don’t know how to say something. It could be a missing word, and sometimes you can’t find words for what you’re even trying to say.
The wall creates that awkward moment with your conversation partner, where you just stall the whole thing. You’re running on empty, grasping around for words, and in fact you’re feeling like an idiot. How frustrating it is for an articulate adult to fail when it comes to saying stupid basic things like “I don’t like boiled potatoes” or whatever. How far you have to go!
In today’s blog article, I want to introduce you to the different ways that you can handle that wall. Knowing how to handle a conversation breaker means knowing how to keep things flowing, and it’s the only way for you to approach fluency.
What You Have Tried Before to Get Fluent in a Language
The following three options might all feel pretty familiar and perhaps even helpful to you if you run into one of those walls. But are they really the best way of dealing with the problem?
You’ve Hit More Language Books
Many people who are new to language learning feel like their only way of dealing with the wall is to give up trying to have the conversation and return to the books. The logic is that if you don’t know how to say everything, you obviously haven’t studied enough yet. But in reality, this is a sign that your learning mindset needs a breath of fresh air.
A student once told me “I’ve always been used to excelling at the things I put my mind to. Law exams, university grades, that all didn’t feel so hard to me. So why can’t I ace this language!?”. As his language coach, it’s my duty to remind him of several trap doors that he’s opening up with that kind of thinking.
Firstly, believing that first time mastery is the only way to be a good language learner is a way of closing a door to true growth in your own mind. And moreover, it’s important to recognise that language learning is not only graded by what you remember and express correctly. Creativity, flexibility and conversational confidence play a huge part in fluency and form part of the learning experience.
The key is to understand that you’re not failing when you run into a wall. You are actually succeeding at discovering your skills. Keep on exploring.
You’ve Tried to Change the Topic
Changing the topic may help you save face, hide that panic and manoeuvre your conversation back onto safer ground. Overall, it’s a pretty solid option and one you can try if you are feeling particularly embarrassed. Remember that everyone loves to talk about themselves, so your sneaky way back from the conversation wall is to put the focus back on the person you are talking to. With a little bit of luck, they may even say exactly what you were thinking - and they’ll show you how to express it in your target language.
If this is a good option, why isn’t it the best one? The answer is simple. How many times are you going to change topic before you realize you still haven’t said what you need to say?
You’ve Tried to Look Up Words in Google Translate
The part of you that considers herself a solid and obedient learner will want to do this. The part of you that wants to demonstrate that you are truly accomplished will want to do this. The easy way out of not knowing something is to look it up. Of course! And yet I urge you to consider the negative effects of looking up words every single time.
First of all, your smartphone battery isn’t going to last forever. Secondly, it’s not actually all that polite to keep your conversation partner waiting while you whip out a phone and start googling for an answer. They’re right there! They might just be dying to help you. And thirdly, you’re training your brain to know where to look, but not to remember anything that you are learning. Neither your brain nor your mind will thank you for relying on a lazier way of thinking.
So with all those kind-of-okay options ruled out, what could be the way a truly fluent learner approaches the conversation wall? From my observations in lessons and in my own language learning experiences, it comes down to a few significant shifts in attitude. Remember that Growth Mindset I’m so very fond of? Here is where you use it. Here is where you show your head who’s boss!
Here's How to Be More Fluent in Conversation
Step 1: Walk through the Awkwardness
If you’re a perfectionist or someone who holds themselves to high standards you’re not going to like this option at all. A way through? You mean I’m telling you that you should admit when you don’t know something and sit there all awkwardly looking like an idiot? Yes. That is exactly what I am telling you to do. There are so many learning benefits from finding your way through that awkwardness. First of all, you’ll quickly realise that missing a word in foreign language conversation is a pretty common thing.
My friend Lindsay recently told me about British nursery rhyme We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. In the story, the brave bear hunters encounter all kinds of obstacles. Mud, snowstorms, rivers, everything is in the way. There’s no way under it. There’s no way over it. So they decide to go the only way that they can: through it!
When you are facing your own linguistic obstacles, remember that you can’t go over or under. You’ve got to get through it. That awkward moment when you feel restricted and stupid because you don’t know how to say what’s on your mind? That’s normal. Just notice it’s happening, take a breath and continue to Step 2.
Ideal Step 2: Accept the Challenge
The idea of accepting a challenge sounds like this is a big thing, but I assure you that this is an attitude shift that will become your best new habit within a matter of hours. So you don’t know a word. So someone’s looking at you and waiting for you to say something and you don’t know how. So WHAT! What can you do next? How are you going to go from awkward to outspoken?
Ideal Step 3: Describe What You Want to Say
Okay, here is where you flex your real fluency muscles. A confident foreign language speaker is not intimidated by gaps in her vocabulary. Instead, she will embrace the learning opportunity and look for a way around the gap. The first step to take is to prepare a set of useful fillers in your target language. These filler lines should become as comfortable to you as hello and thank you. You will need them for ever and ever - trust me, I’m so fluent in English and words still fail me on a regular basis.
Good filler expressions include the following:
“I don’t know how to say, but I mean a thing that…"
“Help me out here…how do you say…?"
“You know, it is a little like…"
The key component in a good filler line is that they all allow you to describe the thing you are trying to express. No matter if it’s a noun, verb or expression you are searching for, the key to fluency is in opening yourself up to learning the word from your conversation partner.
It’s absolutely essential to remember that these moments of hitting the wall are where you really show your skills in language learning. Not because you are measured by how many times you encounter the wall, but by how many times you get through it, over it or under it. This is the way that you will have confident conversations in weeks, not years.
So are you ready to start having truly fluent conversations?
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