Language Learning: Sound (Almost) Like A Native Speaker

Posted on 01. Aug, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Relocation, Tools & Resources
5 comments

Expat fantasy: mastering the local language so well that people wonder if you were brought up bilingual. And that’s not just for the bragging rights – for many long-term expats, sounding like a native speaker is the ultimate in fitting in and being fully integrated.

I entertain this fantasy on a regular basis myself. I am not quite there yet. Although my English is completely fluent, someone recently described my accent as “continental” – as in, I get you’re from somewhere in Europe, but whether that’s France, Sweden or The Netherlands is anyone’s guess!

So I am still working on it – and here are some of the techniques I use to keep improving my language skills:

1.    Fine-tune your accent

Getting other people to correct you goes a long way here. My partner is very good at correcting me when I mispronounce a word and it’s been extremely helpful. So far his lovely South African accent doesn’t seem to have rubbed off on me too much!

2.    Broaden that vocabulary!

Unless you learned through immersion, what you have been studying is the standard, proper, “sanitised” version of the language. But slang, looser grammar and regional words all give a distinctive flavour to the language you actually hear spoken in the streets.

Don’t be afraid to inject some idioms into your conversations. Leave the hippest buzzwords and up-to-the-minute slang to the native speakers, though – you don’t want to sound cutesy or like you’re trying too hard either.

You may also want to add more specialised or technical vocabulary to your repertoire. Aim for accuracy and precision; explore the nuances of the language – they are a big part of what makes it fascinating to learn!

3.    Learn (and use) local cultural references

Each country has its own set of references that people often bring up in conversation. They may come from old sayings, famous books, historical events or popular TV shows.

No one can or will expect you as a non-native speaker to know all these cultural references. Don’t hesitate to ask questions (or do a search online) when you hear a passing reference or allusion you don’t quite get.

From legendary exploits to nursery rhymes and pop culture, you’ll be surprised at how much you can learn about your host country and the way it views the world.

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Emmanuelle

Images by Annie in Beziers (top) and baldheretic (bottom), both via Flickr Creative Commons