To communicate with others in a foreign language doesn't
really require perfection. Even if you speak Spanish, for example, with a
heavy North American accent, can only use the simple present form of the
verbs, and mix up the word order in practically every sentence, many people
will still be able to understand you. But be honest: if you go to all the
trouble of learning Spanish, do you really want to end up speaking it
horribly? Of course not!
Back in the '80's, I was co-owner of a music school in
Germany. We usually hired young Americans who had studied piano in the U.S.,
had had at least a couple of years of college German, and who wanted to
spend a year or two in Germany teaching music. When a new group of teachers
arrived at the beginning of each summer, they knew a lot of German grammar,
and a fair amount of vocabulary, but were practically unable to speak German
at all. No matter. I gave them intensive classes during June, July and
August, and by September all were prepared to start teaching in their new
language.
During those years, I had the chance to make careful
observation of the differences in the way people learn another language. Two
of the teachers who began one year were a married couple, whose
personalities were quite different (opposites attract, as they say). He was
quiet, reserved, and intellectually inclined; she was extraverted, lively,
and intelligent, without being especially analytical. After only a month or
two, she was talking to everybody she met in German. She had learned
quickly, since she had few inhibitions, and didn't care if the sentences she
uttered were totally correct or not; the main thing was, for her,
communication. He, on the other hand, took considerably longer to be able to
speak as much as she could. But months later, when he finally could, his
German was much better than hers. For he, being a perfectionaist, first
wanted to learn everything with great precision before using it extensively.
As a result, his grammar was, in the end, correct, and his pronunciation
very good. Although she had no trouble whatsoever communicating, her grammar
remained faulty, and her pronunciation wasn't as good as it could have been.
This shows the value of taking the time to learn the basics well from the
very beginning. When you don't learn the elementary elements of a
language well from the start, it is extremely difficult to perfect
your skills later.
If, however, you make
sure to speak as perfectly as possible from the beginning (even if this
means speaking very slowly), you will be building a much more solid
foundation.
That's why I advise my pupils to strive for EXCELLENCE.
Don't settle for merely being able to form the simplest of sentences. Try
instead to refine the thoughts you wish to express, and form
your sentences accordingly. When speaking, attempt to say each word the way
a native speaker would. Naturally, this won't be possible in every
situation. If you are trying to explain something to somebody, perhaps time
won't permit you to take twice as long to say it, simply for the sake of an
improved pronunciation. But whenever possible, do try to achieve precise
pronunciation, at least when talking to friends (assuming that you have
friends willing to be patient with you!)
Of course, this will be frustrating for you occasionally.
When you want to say something in your target language, it is hard enough to
come up with the right words, forming them into correct sentences, without
having to concentrate on saying them perfecly as well. But believe me, this
is worth the effort. The first few weeks may be exasperating, but after
that, you will be used to using good pronunciation, and not long thereafter,
it will have become second nature: you will be doing it automatically. As is
so often the case, patience, disciplne and perseverance will be your
staunchest allies where pronunciation is concerned, as well.
Even if you have achieved a decent pronunciation, I
recommened that you make frequent use of a recording device to monitor your
progress. Record yourself reading a text in your new language,
for example, a page from a book. Read slowly, enunciating well. Then, when
you listen to the recording, ask yourself if what you're hearing sounds like
a native speaker. If not, ask yourself why not. Are there certain
words that you didn't pronounce well enough? Or could it be that each word
was pronounced well, yet the sentence didn't "flow" well enough? Or perhaps
you stressed words that a native speaker would not have accented in such a
way.
If your teacher is a native speaker, request that he/she read
the page while you record. Then listen to this recording a few times until
you get the "hang" of the way the sentences should be read. Next, record
yourself reading the page again, imitating the way your teacher read it.
This method is one of the best there is to ensure that your speaking skills
will improve rapidly. Strive for excellence, using efficient methods
such as this one, and it won't be long before you will be speaking your new
language with confidence. And don't be surprised if, in the not-too-distant
future, native speakers of that tongue occasionally ask you how you managed
to learn their language so well!
Next:
8)
Anihilate your ego - learn a new language!
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