We are now in August, the quintessential month of vacations and travel, mental relaxation and doing nothing... but let's not relax too much, and think a little about the new goals for September. Targets such as expanding English language training to perhaps change your job or career, therefore improving an important aspect of life are impòrtant and popular. You can do this, believe it or not, by signing up for and studying, training and passing the CAMBRIDGE B2 FIRST CERTIFICATE.
TIPS TO LOSE THE FEAR OF SPEAKING ANOTHER LANGUAGE
It's time to put everything you have learned into practice with native speakers and you get stage fright. What’s happening? Why?
Don't worry, it's very common for this to happen. Lack of practice in real life, beginner's embarrassment, the fear of making mistakes, in short... everything!
Well, today we are going to impart some tips to prevent this from happening to you.
1. Put aside that feeling of making a fool of yourself!
When you get ready to have a conversation, start by taking a deep breath and putting yourself in the other person's shoes. They will not expect you to do it perfectly. On the contrary, they understand perfectly that it is not your native tongue and will appreciate your effort without fail. Just keep going and smile!
2. Set the pace! Speak very slowly, so that your conversational partner understands and copies the linguistic speed with which you are using. This is known as the ‘mirror effect’.
3. Invent words! By this we do not mean that you should create your own version of the language. We mean what when it comes to explaining yourself, if you forget a word such as ‘glove’ for example, use your creative skills by putting words together. For example, ‘ shoehand’, and your conversational partner will hopefully understand what you are trying to say and break the ice…
4. Sign up for language exchanges. There are several groups of people who meet in relaxed environments such as cafeterias and parks with the intention of improving their level of conversation. Try to watch your pronunciation as it will give you a feeling of security and make your linguistic encounters more successful. In the beginning, start a conversation with one person as a group of people can be quite overwhelming in the early days of learning a new language!
5. Listen to as much audio in English as possible. Radio shows, television shows, films, podcasts, conversations in public places… these all help to educate the ear. Try to understand and repeat. In addition, there are various materials to help make learning more enjoyable and fun. For example, the magazine "Speak up" is a magazine about the world of cinema and entertainment, where there are small articles of different levels with their respective audios. At Yumi we can help you choose the most suitable for you. We also have a small audio library and recommendations for your disposal.
Start as soon as possible, so you'll have everything under control quickly. If you can’t, don’t worry! Here at Yumi, we are able to give you a helping hand.
At Yumi, we are very proud of our unique exam practice and preparation classes for B2 and C1 levels in English. The classes are solely focused on developing revision and exam techniques, preparing students for exam day, and practising past paper exams with structure and expert guidance.
If you want to work and live in Germany, start studying German at Yumi Academy now.
Yumi Mini is an idea that we have had as an initiative for the little ones to enjoy learning English.