7 Ways to Blend in with Native Speakers (Even if You Don't Sound Like One Yet)
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Transcript of 7 Ways to Blend in with Native Speakers (Even if You Don't Sound Like One Yet)
Ways to Blend in with Native Speakers
(Even If You Don’t Sound Like One Yet)
7
Image © Baynham Goredema | Flickr
It is the goal of many-a-language-learner to sound “like a native speaker”.
That is a very respectable goal, of course. But…
That is a very respectable goal, of course. But…
That is a very respectable goal, of course. But…
Sounding like a native speaker
means mastering pronunciation, which takes a lot of time and practice.
“Perfect” pronunciation is not the end-all-be-all of language learning. Accented speech can
be perfectly intelligible.
The good news is that there are plenty of ways to improve your language skills and blend in with native speakers, even
if you don’t quite sound like one.
1 Dig in to idioms
Next time you hit the books to study a language, take some time to learn commonly used idioms.
Image © snow0810 | flickr
Without learning these expressions, you’ll have barely scratched the
surface of a language.
Idioms are ever-changing, and not easily learned from a textbook.
Employing them in daily conversations is sure-fire way to give your language skills
an edge.
If you properly use idioms in the target language, blending
in with native speakers will be a
piece of cake.
Image © DoremiGirl | Flickr
2 Get the hang of slang
Studying formal language use, such as proper verb conjugations or case marking, is important to reach an advanced level
of proficiency.
But, without a working knowledge of slang, your daily interactions with natives will often leave you confused.
Image © Jonny Wilkins | Flickr
If you’re abroad, simply listening to conversations around you is a great way
to pick up on the current slang.
If you’re not in-country, take to social media to find the current slang. Follow native speakers on Twitter and observe unfamiliar terms or expressions they use.
Learner, beware! Slang terms come and go, so be careful not to pick up outdated expressions. That would be
way uncool, man.
Slang is unavoidable, no matter the language, so it’s
best to get with it.
3 Study synonyms
An easy way to beef up your language
skills? Build your vocabulary by
studying synonyms!
Image © Ian Britton | Flickr
You can only describe something as “good” or “nice” so many times.
Synonyms add color to what you’re saying. Instead of “good”,
you could describe something as… great
amazing fantastic
breath-taking unbelievable wonderful
…and so on!
Invest in a thesaurus (or find one online) and get to memorizing!
4 Use modifiers
So, you’re tired. But are you really tired, sort of tired, wicked tired, or maybe just
a bit tired?
Image © Jared Wong | Flickr
Modifiers allow your language to take on a more nuanced form, letting you express yourself more
specifically and clearly.
Study both intensifiers (words that emphasize adjectives like very or extremely) and
mitigators (words that dull down adjectives, like somewhat or slightly).
Modifiers will take your language skills from good to unbelievably good, and
native speakers will take notice.
Modifiers will take your language skills from good to unbelievably good, and
native speakers will take notice.
5 Brush up on linking words
And then… and then… and then… and then...
Tell a story like that and then everyone will know you’re not a
native speaker.
Image © Ruby Gold | Flickr
Study linking words to help the flow of your speech in the target language.
Add variety to your sentence transitions with linking words like…
additionally nonetheless although
while on the other hand
consequently thus since
…and so on!
6 Keep up with pop culture
Pop culture references dominate casual speech.
No American can say the phrase “I’ll be back.” without at least being tempted to bust out their best Arnold accent.
Image © Zero Emission Resource Organisation | Flickr
Keeping up with movies, music, TV shows, and so on will not only help you pick up on references, but also give you something to talk about
with native speakers!
7 Observe body language
We can’t discuss ways to seem like a native speaker without sounding like a
native speaker without mentioning body language.
Image © andrej | Flickr
The ability to use and react to visual cues will separate a serious
language learner from an amateur.
Pay careful attention to how people interact with each other in different
situations, including their posture, hand gestures, and facial expressions.
But beware! Gestures and signals are NOT universal. A thumbs up in the
United States is a-okay, but abroad, that may not be the case!
Image © Sarah Reid | Flickr
So there you have it. There are other facets to mastering a language beyond achieving
the coveted native-like accent.
Ready to sound more like a native speaker?
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