Can You Be Spontaneous in a Second Language? (Part II)

Do Some Investigation

Ok, so the last point was a bit vague for you. What you need to do in this case is to investigate the culture involved in your new tongue. Do they like to joke about certain things, are they big drinkers or do they like to talk about food or the weather or sport? You will have more chance of being spontaneous if you know more or less what areas you are like to be talking about with locals. When they are taking German lessons Birmingham students should ask their teachers to tell them a bit about the culture and some popular topics of conversations. You could also go online and check out some forums for this sort of information.

Relax and Be Yourself

The situation changed for me when I met some new friends who were Spanish speakers and whom I felt an immediate affinity with. As soon as I started talking to them I relaxed and began to be myself again. I think that when you are comfortable talking to a native speaker you are more likely to find the right word more quickly and, therefore, be spontaneous. This is easier said than done but it shows the importance of speaking to the right people at the early stage of your learning process. For example, when they are taking Chinese courses London residents will have plenty of native speakers near them and it is simply a question of finding someone they feel relaxed when talking to.