No More Stutters! Improve Your Speaking Skills In Any Language

Do you remember your first sentences in another language? You'd come away beaming like a kid at Christmas after creating pearls like "I do not like pizza, I like eating salad".

As you learn more in your new language and increase your levels, you want to go deeper, talk about future, past, conditionals, things you've read and things you've thought.

It's like in this Bible verse (oh yeah! Quoting this big book is a Fluent first!):

When we were children, we thought and reasoned as children do. But when we grew up, we quit our childish ways. (1 Corinthians 13:11)

In language learning, it can feel just like that: You want to talk like a grown-up, your self-assured and intelligent self. And what's more frustrating than the reality, where we stutter and stumble over words, and leave....lo o o o o ng...um....gaps in sentences?

Listen to my speaking tips on the Fluent Show podcast:

Let's start by looking at what's causing you trouble.

Reasons Why Your Speaking Skills Aren't Improving

You Have Too Much Vocabulary

Through your reading practice, you are acquiring a lot of new vocab, storing it, but not using it quickly enough after it goes in. This can lead to the word getting very comfortable in your passive vocabulary store, but locking the door behind walking into there so it can't come out when you look for active vocabulary.

If you want to learn a flexible, agile approach to learning vocabulary, click here to discover my course Your Solid Vocab Memory.

You Need to Work On Your Learning Mindsest

As you are speaking, you may also be letting your mind freak you out with unhelpful thoughts. Maybe you slow down or pause, just to hear yourself slow down and pause, then to think "Oh no! I'm doing that thing again! I'm so much worse at this than I thought!"...which then affects your focus.

You're Trying To Talk About Everything

You're trying to speak about a wider range of topics than you expected before you start, so you're hitting unknown areas of vocabulary a lot quicker.

You Don't Have Good Structures

Your practice is lacking sentences and complex constructions, so you can understand a sentence with conjunction and three objects, but making one still grinds every single gear in your brain as if someone just dropped a bucket of sand in there. This is often where learners say they're "translating in their head".

What To Do So You Can Improve Your Speaking Skills

Strategy 1: Say Way More Sentences

Practice and activate a set number of words IN SENTENCES. Write sentences about them, for example defining their meaning or finding five different ways of using the items you have learnt about. In those sentences, focus on one new way of saying something and transform your sentence.

You can do this yourself, even make a prompt sheet:

• Sentence
• "I heard that.." + Sentence
• Last week I met my sister in the shop and she said that + "sentence"
• "Next weekend" + Sentence
• Question + Neg/Pos Sentence
• "Would you...?" + Neg/Pos Sentence

Strategy 2: Target Your Negative Thoughts

Your thoughts determine how you see the world and also how you perform, and so your mindset is what gets you through the uncomfortable gaps.

For example, consider whether a pause could be a great sign that you're about to remember a word, or a signal to try and approach the topic from another side.

Some learners find it helpful to practice filler phrases like Hang on, let me consider this..., It's on the tip of my tongue, or I want to summarize

You can make incredible mindset changes when you work with a language coach. Check out my Coaching page to learn more..

Strategy 3: Go Deep With One Topic

It's easy to get lost in a conversation if you're entering it without clarity about the topic. Luckily, most tutors and exchange partners are pretty obliging and will allow you to steer them towards what you want to talk about. So the key is: Prepare! Look up all relevant words relating to your topic, write them down in advance, practice what you might want to say.

You don't have to script a whole conversation, but even bullet points will make a huge difference.

Useful Links for Improving Speaking Skills

Language Coaching & The Fluent Language Mastermind

Join my Newsletter for more language learning tips, mindset shifts, and updates

#clearthelist April 2018: Now I Know My Welsh Language Level

Welcome to my latest language learning update through #clearthelist. Clear the List is a support and accountability blog group sharing monthly language learning goals. I have got LOTS OF GOALS this months, so let's get going.

What Happened in April 2018?

First of all: I went to Wales!

My big April goal was Book a day in Wales: SMASH SUCCESS PARTY, I went and attended a 2 day Easter Course in Wales in early April. You may have heard about it on the podcast I recorded there, which I was so happy with. The course I attended was awesome, so great to spend 2 days in the classroom with others who are also at my level in the language.

Talking of level, I have more good news. I chose to sign up for the course at intermediate level (“Canolradd” or roughly B1). I was not convinced, thinking I’m actually a little lower. But having taken a short self-assessment test, I figured I might as well be ambitious and downgrade if necessary. Turns out, I didn’t have to downgrade.

After 2.5 years of self-study I now know B1 level Welsh! This is so exciting, because I’ve never 100% self-studied a language to this level before. I still enjoy learning the Welsh language so much, and have a long way to go.

If you’re also a self-studier, see if there’s a top-up course like this available in your target language. They are great fun, and the tutor knew exactly which parts learners at our level are struggling with the most.

German Course Creation

I am currently working on a new German course. A lot of my working time was spent working with this story and creating resources for our students. German Uncovered in collaboration with Olly Richards from I Will Teach You a Language, and we're coming close to opening the course for the first time.

The Fluent Show

On the podcast, there were some great episodes during April, but the most exciting one has to be the episode Welsh is Not English.

I had never tried this “radio documentary” style of editing and was so proud of the result. Give the show a listen and subscribe for more episodes if you like it. The Fluent Show is now available on even more platforms including Spotify and TuneIn Radio.

Most “Fun Fact” of The Month

Welsh has 50 ways of saying yes or no. I can correctly use about 1.5 of them. Sigh.

How Did It Go With My April Goals?

In addition to the 2 day course, I also had some other goals:

Have 3 natural conversations with my tutor/exchange partner and listen carefully: Ohh gosh, oh my, I missed the one session I’d booked and never even rescheduled. So that’s 0 out of 3.

However, I had conversations in Welsh while travelling there. I actually tried to use Welsh in 3 or 4 shops and restaurants, and couldn’t find any server who actually knew the language. So my conversations were with enthusiasts, i.e. all the people you heard on the podcast. Thank you so much to Gavin and Steffan, Morfydd and Janet, for speaking Welsh to me.

Practice Welsh listening by playing with no-subtitle TV, and reviewing the Pigion podcast vocab before I listen: I didn’t watch any good TV, I need to stop even setting this goal as it’s just not what I get up to right now. But I listened to 2 Pigions and made good use of the vocab supplied with the show.

Write a longer Welsh poem and continue playing around with different poetry formats: I managed one longer poem, but it was supremely nonsensical. Well, better than nothing, right?

Finish my easy reader novel and read all of the latest Lingo Newydd magazine Yep! I finished Bywyd Blodwen Jones, my first ever book in Welsh! Also did well with the magazine, which continues to be such a joy in my house. Great to add a bit of Welsh over breakfast.

Daily Contact Goal

In April, I logged 19 days of contact with the Welsh language. My most used language apps were ApGeiriaduron, Duolingo, SmartCards+, and Clozemaster. Followed by Instagram and Twitter.

Goals For May 2018

Sometimes there’s nothing special or grand to be aiming for, and those are the hardest times to keep going. It feels like “another month of the same”, without that fizzy excitement of a fixed goal.

I find that my goals get more exciting when I share them with others, and when I join a group. So it’s time to search for accomplices.

They’re also more exciting when they are a challenge, so I made sure to include challenging things in the Speaking and Writing sections for May.

Listening

Complete at least 2 intensive listens to the Pigion podcast This podcast publishes a vocab list for each show, so intensive means I’ll read through the vocab, add some words to my lists, and then listen until I feel like I’ve understood 75%. This is natural, full speed, native content. No shame in not understanding it all.

Reading

Start reading Ffenestri or Sgwp I bought two books for learners when I was in Wales, and then I got stuck because I can’t decide which one to start with. Goal: Pick one and just bloody start.

Read poetry in Welsh! Great job writing wonky poems on Instagram, Kerstin. But it’s time that I expanded my education here and learnt to appreciate what the language is like when used by a true expert. I love poetry more and more each day, and will

Speaking

Have at least 6 (!) short conversations in Welsh only This month I’m aiming to increase the frequency, not the length of my exchanges. I’ll take any opportunity from tutor sessions, friends, exchanges, and group chats using the Say Something in Welsh Slack group. By short, I mean 15 minutes (but you may make your own definition of “short”).

Look for a book club I mentioned new books above, and I am going to hit the forums at Saysomethingin and social media to see if anyone would like to have a book club meeting to chat about what we’re reading.

Writing

Write 2 language poems, and more considered ones. I have proven that I can write wacky, slightly nonsensical poetry in the Welsh language.

Anything Else?

Note to self: I need to start getting organised and booking my accommodation for the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff nice and early. I'm planning to volunteer again this year, which means a chance to speak and hear lots of Welsh.

I don’t have any goals in a language other than Welsh, but I do have something special and linguistic. to work on. I am reading several books that will help me with my general understanding and appreciation of language, and the English language in particular.

The first one is Getting Through by Roger Kreuz and Richard Roberts, a sequel to their book Becoming Fluent, which I LOVED and reviewed here on the blog (read the review).

There are two poetry books, too: Lifesaving Poems by Anthony Wilson,Collected Poems by Carol Ann Duffy. I’m also interested in finding more great French, German, and Spanish poetry. Great way to discover new worlds in my existing languages!

How was your month?

Is there anything you’re curious about? What did you learn in April? Leave a comment below or join #clearthelist to share your own language learning journey.

If you want to join the linkup for the month, hop on to Clear The List, hosted by my friends and language inspirations Lindsay Williams and Shannon Kennedy.

In Language Learning, Are Apps All Amazing? Are All Apps Amazing?

Welcome to Fluent Show episode 79, where co-host Lindsay joins me to catch up, talk about language, and discuss the hot topic of language learning apps.

If you've ever downloaded and used a language learning app, and then wondered "Am I doing this well? Could I learn more from this?", then our discussion will help you swipe and tap your way to fluency.

The Language You Use When She's Giving Birth

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Source: British Medical Journal Blog

The British Medical Journal recently published a blog article sharing guidelines on how to speak respectfully to women during childbirth. Is this "political correctness gone mad", or does it matter how we refer to people in these settings? Would you expect that less dramatic and violent language can help mothers stay calm in labour?

Also, as ever: The important theme of "use her name", and how we'd expected to be addressed in different language environments.

If I got to the stage where I'm having a baby, I would expect to be called signora..not the equivalent of 'girl'

Tune in to our discussion to find out, and leave a comment below to share your own views.

How To Make Good Use of Language Apps

In this episode, we talked about language learning apps and how to use them.

Practical Tips

• Use different apps on different devices if you have them, for example you could make your iPad your reading resource while you use the phone to text language exchange partners
• Take most of the promises that come from language learning apps with a grain of salt - using an app without effort does not mean learning a language without effort
• Customize your experience: Apps are not all you need to learn a language, but it can help you create a language learning environment that is unique to you. We find that when an app is not the only way you're learning a language, your experience and results gets be better.
• Don't ever feel ashamed or embarrassed about your app choices and what works for you!

The Essential Language Apps To Try On Your Device

Apps can be roughly sorted into a few categories, and it's worth trying a few to find your personal preference

1. A good dictionary app like WordReference, LEO, or even Google Translate
2. A flashcard system like Memrise, Anki, or Smartcards+
3. A language course app (often gamified) like Speechling or Duolingo 4. Our sponsors Clozemaster of course!
4. A non-language related app that can help you stay productive like 30/30, Timeglass, Pomodoro, or Streaks

Which language learning apps do you use regularly? Can you manage without them?

Leave us a comment below or tweet @thefluentshow.

EPISODE SPONSORS

• CLOZEMASTER

  Visit our sponsor Clozemaster, the free addictive language app in over 50 languages

EPISODE LINKS

• Code-switching - Wikipedia
• italki - where people can find online language tutors
• Humanising birth: Does the language we use matter? – The BMJ
• 12 Ideas For Making the Perfect Language Learning App by Fluent Language
• After Duolingo? : Esperanto
• The Welsh-Dictionary App: Language Technologies Unit, Canolfan Bedwyr
• The Fluent Show: Gabriel Wyner is NOT a Robot (with Fluent Forever author Gabriel Wyner) — Interview with Gabe Wyner, the creator of the Fluent Forever app
• Gboard - the Google Keyboard - Android Apps on Google Play
• STREAKS. The to-do list that helps you form good habits. For iPhone.
• 30/30 | You have never experienced a task manager like this!
• Gretchen Rubin: The Four Tendencies — Cool personality quiz that can tell you more about your habits. See also Fluent Show 32
• clear the list Archives - Eurolinguiste
• Language Learning Goals: Clear The List - March 2018 - Lindsay Does Languages

How To Get Off The Intermediate Plateau in Language Learning

Welcome to Fluent Show episode 76, where I tackle the question:

"How Can I Get Off The Intermediate Plateau?"

If you're stuck somewhere in the language weeds, this podcast episode will help you untangle them and get those wheels turning again.

Just like any big goal that leads us to a happier life, language learning for the long haul works best as a habit. It’s possible to reach miraculous short-term results, but if we’re looking for mastery and SUSTAINABLE mastery then there’s no point putting your 6 week boot camp crash challenge attack plan into place.

Note On Progress and Your Sense Of Progress

• You’re in this for the long haul. After reaching a level that shows you’ve been studying this language for a long time, your motivation is likely more than fast progress. It doesn’t help to count the time you have spent learning.
• It doesn’t help to assume that going to A2 from zero is the same as going to C2 from B1 — it really isn’t like that.

Rewards

The problem with the plateau is how frustrating it feels. You don’t feel the rewards anymore. So let’s talk about rewards and how you can bring back the feeling that your work is paying off.

Strategy 1: Get Fresher Rewards

6 months ago, you got a real kick out of being able to watch the news in your target language without subtitles. 3 months ago, you were still watching the news but it started feeling like a chore. Today, you still understand everything but you’re frustrated in a new arena. Rewards are most rewarding when they come after some really hard work towards a desire, and right now your frustration is rooted in your shortfall.

Ask yourself honestly where you are most frustrated right now. What is missing? What do you feel scared to attempt? Whatever it is, it’s likely not something you can do on your current plateau.

(Example of reading a book in Welsh)

Strategy 2: Intrinsic Rewards

This is about your identity, who you are as a language learner, and what you love the most.

Strategy 3: Extrinsic Rewards

These incluce

• Validation from friends
• Passing exams
• Career advancement

Strategy 4: Change the conversation

Reward yourself for effort, not result. No point in burning yourself out.

So now I’ve convinced you to keep going, there is one question remaining. How do you actually get better? How do you study the right topics?

Do Difficult Things

Yes, I mean working hard. Your learning curve is slowing because you are not doing the difficult things anymore, so this is a good problem to have.

Getting to the C levels without the four core skills, without grammar, is not possible.You will not automatically get to the highest language learning levels by just keeping going. Things do need to develop, and if there’s a corner of grammar or a core skill that you have been neglecting, now is when it catches up with you.

Put That Yardstick In Place

If you feel like you’re not making progress, it’s likely because you have lost something that helps you measure your progress. It's time to get the yardstick back. Yardstick options:

• Set consistent path goals and share them with people, then check in every week. Join a learning club or mastermind.
• Write down your goals and be accountable to yourself — keep them in front of you
• Sign up for a language exam and get yourself tested
• Use a guiding resource, something you can really measure
• Work with rewards and treats - there is nothing wrong with celebrating where you are right now. You’ve come a long way

Become REALLY Clear On Your Aims

People often remark on the high quality of my English, and this level of English is impossible to reach without an incredible amount of exposure. But this level is NOT C2 - it is in fact higher.

Find a person who will mentor you.

This doesn’t have to be a paid tutor, but could be a patient and dedicated friend or group of friends. They might not even know they're your mentor. This is why people often report success when they travel - they put themselves in a world where language mentors are easily accessible. But just because something is not quite as straightforward, doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

In Conclusion

It’s easy to give up at this stage…but just because it’s difficult, doesn’t mean we give up. Right? Right!

You never have to finish the language. You never will. It will just speak to your soul in new ways.

EPISODE SPONSORS

SPEECHLING

Visit our sponsor Speechling, the outstanding speaking platform in over 6 languages, and use the promo code FLUENT for a 10% lifetime discount

CODE: FLUENT

EPISODE LINKS

• Mastery and Advanced Level Language Learning (Podcast Episode 46) by Fluent Language

• 3 Reasons why you're still an intermediate level language learner - The Polyglot Dream

• The Language Habit Toolkit

• How the IELTS English Test is Scored

• Common European Framework of Reference for Languages - Wikipedia

• How To Learn A New Language With Smart And Useful Goals by Fluent Language

• Kerstin Cable on Instagram: “Spotlight on Language Goals! This month, I printed off my worksheet from the #languagehabittoolkit and put up my goals on the wall where I…”

Progress Report after 13 Months of "Slow Welsh Language Study"

Waw, mae'r amser yn rhedeg...time flies (or runs, as my dodgy translation implies).

I have been learning this new language for about 13 months now...so let's have a look what the middle ground looks like!

Before you read the post, download your copy of the free "Teach Yourself Toolkit" in the Fluent Cool Kids Club. It's got links to all the resources I use.

I Spoke Lots of Welsh in Wales!

Back in August, I fulfilled one of this year's language goals and spoke Welsh at the Eisteddfod, the National Festival of Wales. The festival was one week long, with a big site located in Abergavenny, South Wales.

I pitched up my tent for 4 days at one of the official campsites. What a total delight! Immediately, I was hearing people of all ages speak Welsh around me and everyone addressed me in Welsh. In fact, I was surprised, because turns out..

Welsh is real, mae'r Gymraeg yn go iawn!

It's not a postcard language, and it's not even a dying language. Not when you hear and see it all around you, witnessing thousands of people as they celebrate their art, music and identity. Even though I had been learning the language for a year, this was my first experience of feeling how truly alive Welsh is in this world.

In terms of culture and enjoyment, the Welsh festival was amazing. Wales is such a small country that you can make friends with everyone in just a week. From meeting the bands I love (Plu, Candelas) to hanging out with the creators and learners of Say Something in Welsh, every conversation evolved naturally. I often found myself invited to film screenings and discussions (lots of gwin am ddim - free wine!), quickly forgetting I was attending the festival on my own.

Language Immersion is Easy

The Eisteddfod visit showed me that it doesn't take much to create an environment where you learn this new language. Simply go where people speak it. Hearing the language spoken around me was a boost even before I opened my mouth. Yet I also worked on creating speaking opportunities from the start by volunteering as a steward so I was forced to get involved and talk to people from the minute I arrived. It was the perfect Welsh immersion environment.

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Impressions from Eisteddfod week

I liked having English as a backup. It was very reassuring to know that I can stop or ask for a word when I need to... I would have never remembered the word for "self-employed" (hynan cyflogedig) if it hadn't been for so many reminders from my conversation partners.

The Fight For Welsh Language Rights

One of the groups I want to highlight is Cymdeithas yr Iaith, an advocacy group for Welsh language rights.

Cymdeithas is an activist group founded in 1962, promoting the right of Welsh citizens to live their lives in two languages. Without them, there would be no bilingual road signs. Old Welsh people may not understand official letters sent in English only. And there would be no education in Welsh. In other words, the language would be dying a lot faster.

Find out more about language rights in our podcast episode with Wikitongues.

If you want to join me at the next Eisteddfod, here's a helpful guide for English speakers.

Speaking and Understanding Welsh After 14 Months

The benefits of visiting Wales and speaking and hearing my target language took hold right away. I was myself having a 15 minute Welsh conversation with an old man in a tiny village, just one week after.

Since returning from Wales, it's been tough to maintain this immersion but I continued to practice. Back in October, I booked a tutoring session with Mererid and my range of conversation was HUGELY improved. It's really great to know that you're impressing your tutor!

I continue to work through the Say Something in Welsh lessons and switched from the old to the new course system back in September. Yes, so I started at the beginning again but that doesn't feel like a setback at all. I loved the opportunity to consolidate my language skills so far. In fact, I got through the first 8 lessons at 1.5 speed, and am now halfway through the course. Say Something in Welsh is intense at times, and it's making me feel like a very confident speaker. I'm also reading a lot of Welsh as I subscribed to the learner magazine Lingo Newydd.

Grammar and Vocab in Welsh

My system is to practice WLCR (Write, Look, Cover, Repeat) using my own notebook. I also maintain a personal Memrise course with the 30% of words that are the hardest to remember. So overall, my vocabulary in Welsh has now grown to about 500-700 solid words - maybe 1000? Who's counting! Studying vocabulary is never going to be a walk in the park when you don't have classes or conversations every day.

--> Learn more about WLCR techniques in my Vocab Cookbook

I'm very happy with my grammar progress, finding that I'm able to say and describe more patterns (he says mae o'n dweud...he said naeth o'n dweud...he was saying oedd o'n dweud ...and so on). Everything still seems to have lots of extra rules and dialects, but I've not had to study many tables at all.

Being an experienced language learner is a big advantage for me here. I find myself seeing patterns and recognising the rules a lot more quickly, and I am confident when I make new sentences out of these structures. I always loved how language can be so playful when you get a pattern.

My Welsh Language Level After 13 Months?

I'm not performing to a set standard, however I've recently downloaded the Mynediad (Beginners) exam guidelines. I'm planning to work through these materials with a tutor. I am pretty much there, meaning I've reached the end of level A1 by studying "little and often" for a little bit more than a year.

Is this impressive? No idea. I don't feel that I would be able to share this on YouTube as a major polyglot win, but at the same time this is something I know I've learnt for life.

The thing about studying for 13 months is this: My time is not wasted just because I've not learnt everything yet. It is time well spent, moving forward, step by step to conversation levels. When you think about how quickly you can learn a language, it's easy to consider any slow periods as "wasted time", but I believe that the long-term commitment is what counts when you want to progress and grow your mind.

What's Next?

In terms of listening, I wish that I had more opportunities to hear real people instead of TV or radio characters. I feel ready to graduate from TV subtitles, but the radio and TV are still too fast for me. What to do?

As a podcast junkie, I would love a slow Welsh news podcast like News in Slow French, or perhaps a learner's story show. I have heard that there's some useful stuff on YouTube, but it's not enough. Give me more Welsh!

My biggest goal is to speak and eavesdrop more. I want to be able to witness conversations in Welsh easily, so that means the following practical goals for December:

1. Book another tutoring session
2. Speak Welsh at Polyglot Pub on 6 December
3. Spend an hour every week listening to the language, ideally spoken by real people around me (failing that, BBC Cymru and S4C will do)

I'm also planning a social media project based on my friend Lindsay's new Social Media Course. More about that in the next blog update!

How Are You Getting On In Your Language?

Are you learning lots, or struggling to find time? Let me know in the comments below!