Many language learners dream of being mistaken for a local. For most, that means working tirelessly to sound like a native speaker. But, when it comes to blending in with a new country and culture, it’s not just about your accent. There are plenty of ways to act like a native speaker, even if you don’t quite sound like one yet.
2. It is the goal of many-a-language-
learner to sound “like a native speaker”.
3. That is a very respectable goal,
of course. But…
4. That is a very respectable goal,
of course. But…
5. 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.
6. “Perfect” pronunciation is not
the end-all-be-all of language
learning. Accented speech can
be perfectly intelligible.
7. 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.
10. Without learning these expressions,
you’ll have barely scratched the
surface of a language.
11. 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.
16. If you’re abroad, simply listening to
conversations around you is a great way
to pick up on the current slang.
17. 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.
18. Learner, beware! Slang terms come
and go, so be careful not to pick up
outdated expressions. That would be
way uncool, man.
22. You can only describe
something as “good” or
“nice” so many times.
23. 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!
24. Invest in a thesaurus (or find one
online) and get to memorizing!
27. Modifiers allow your language to
take on a more nuanced form,
letting you express yourself more
specifically and clearly.
28. Study both intensifiers (words that emphasize
adjectives like very or extremely) and
mitigators (words that dull down adjectives,
like somewhat or slightly).
29. Modifiers will take your language skills
from good to unbelievably good, and
native speakers will take notice.
30. Modifiers will take your language skills
from good to unbelievably good, and
native speakers will take notice.
35. Add variety to your sentence transitions with
linking words like…
additionally
nonetheless
although
while
on the other hand
consequently
thus
since
…and so on!
39. 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!
42. The ability to use and react to
visual cues will separate a serious
language learner from an amateur.
43. Pay careful attention to how people
interact with each other in different
situations, including their posture,
hand gestures, and facial expressions.