Why talking to non-native speakers is good for your language learning
…And where to find people to talk to!
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I must admit I’ve never been a fan of talking to random strangers about general topics. I also don’t like repeating myself, re-living the reasons why I started learning a particular language, where I live and whether I visited this or that country. Also, after 13 years of living in London, UK, I realised I hated talking about the weather.
Don’t get me wrong — repetition has a very valid place in language learning but what you need to do is to use and re-use the same words and phrases but in different order and context. Also, ideally, you would use them in contexts that are relevant to you and your life and interests. That sounds like a pretty tall order when you are an intermediate speaker with fairly limited vocabulary and definitely limited self-confidence (hello, intermediate plateau! …It can’t be only me, right?). But bear with me on that.
There is another elephant in the room, as far as speaking practice is concerned — if we want to improve our command of the language, should we only talk to native or fluent speakers? Well, I’ll tell you straight away: no. And it’s a big “no” in my humble opinion.
Talking to people who are on a similar level as you helps you open up and chat without the shame of being “less than” (which many of us feel, although we know it’s unhelpful and untrue); talking to people who are a bit more advanced than you allows you to pick new phrases and ways of expression; and talking to people whose level is lower than yours puts you in a mentoring position which, frankly, is the best way to learn. (If you want to really internalise something, teach it to someone else.)
Also, making friends with folks who learn the same language as you is fun! And why are we learning foreign languages in the first place? Unless we need them for work, school or relocation, we probably do it for fun (and if you’re reading this blog, I bet you are a language geek who thinks learning languages is the best pastime ever, right?).
So where do we find people who share our interests and the languages we learn? Well, I can’t exactly tell you where to go if you are a Swahili-learning chess player (sorry!) but I can give you an example that will hopefully inspire you to look around. And if you are a TV series-loving learner of English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Polish, and a few other languages — then sit back and read as I’ve got a recommendation just for you.
What would you say to this? For a month, you commit a couple of hours a week to watching one or two episodes of a cool TV series on Netflix in the language you are learning (you can watch with subtitles if you want — in the target language or your fluent one), you prepare some thoughts with the help of a comprehensive show guide you receive in advance, and on weekend you meet online for 60–90 minutes with a group of fellow learners and binge-watchers led by a host (a native or fluent speaker) to chat about the episodes you all have watched this week.
Sounds fun to you? If so, head over to the Language TV Club* website to check out what’s on offer and how to join. (Pssst… depending on when you are reading this, there may be a Polish club coming up — check this out!)
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