English Listening - Act Like a Native Speaker

welcome to the listening time podcast. Hey English learners, this is Connor and you're listening to episode 233 of the listening time podcast. I hope you're doing great and that you're ready to practice your English listening comprehension with another episode. Today, I'm going to talk about acting like a native speaker. What do I mean by this? Well, for example, when I speak foreign languages, I adopt a slightly different personality and way of acting and speaking when I'm speaking those languages. I do this in order to act more like native speakers act in those languages. So this might sound a little strange to you or maybe you don't like this idea. But in this episode, I want to talk about how acting like a native speaker when you're speaking a foreign language can actually help you and be beneficial to you. So that's what I'm going to talk about today. And I want to remind you that for many of you, it's time to challenge yourself and move up to the next level in your listening comprehension. And in order to do so, you can use my advanced podcast episodes in which I speak fast. So you can become accustomed to real English, not slow English, like in these normal episodes. So if you want those advanced episodes, the link to sign up is down below. And also, check out my US Conversations podcast in which I talk to other native speakers from around the US. I talk to mostly English teachers. And so you can also use that resource to find teachers to take classes with. So that's a great resource for you. That link is also down below. All right, let's talk about acting like a native speaker when you're speaking a foreign language. In your case, you might just think about English if English is the only language that you're learning. But for me, I've learned and am learning some different languages. And when I speak each of those languages, I act a little bit differently. I have a slightly different personality and way of talking and way of acting. So I'm guessing that many of you probably haven't thought that much about this. And many language learners retain or keep their exact way of talking and acting when they speak another language. Or let's talk specifically about English learners here. Many people, when they learn English, they speak and act and seem the exact same way that they seem when they speak their native language. And a lot of people feel like they would be an imposter if they try to fully embrace a new style of communication. And they have a little bit of a different personality. Many people don't like that idea. And I understand that. And I'm not talking about having a completely different personality, like lying to people about who you are when you speak another language. I'm just referring to acting a little bit different and seeming a little bit more like native speakers of that language. But I understand that many language learners feel like they would be an imposter if they change their style of communication. I've talked to students who have told me that people in their country judge them if they try to pronounce English words like native English speakers, like they're actually trying to pronounce words better and reduce their accent. And when they do that, other people from their country might judge them and criticize them for that. So that's not a positive thing, obviously. And I know that many people feel embarrassed when they make certain sounds in languages that they're learning. And so they don't really want to sound exactly like native speakers of that language, because it feels embarrassing to use those same sounds. I think of Portuguese, for example, Brazilian Portuguese, in which there are certain nasal sounds where you use your nose in a way that we don't do so in English. And so for many people, if they learn Portuguese, they might feel embarrassed to make these sounds. Or I know that English learners sometimes feel like they're embarrassed to put their tongue between their teeth to make the TH sound in English. I've heard this, and I think this is a silly worry because no one notices other people sticking their tongue out to make the TH sound. That's not something that we notice. It's not like you have to stick your tongue way outside your mouth. But nevertheless, people feel like they can't make the TH sound because they feel silly, and that holds them back from sounding and speaking like a native speaker. And oftentimes, when you hear a non-native speaker who is learning a language, when they speak that language, it's almost like they're translating their personality and communication of their own language into this foreign language, if that makes sense. It's like they sound just like they sound in their own native language. They act and move and gesture and sound the same as if they were speaking their native language. And the only difference is they're saying words in that foreign language. And I think that there are some negatives to that. I'm not saying that you need to agree with everything that I'm going to say here, but I think you should recognize that there are some advantages to allowing yourself to act and sound more like a native speaker and to allow yourself to be influenced by the sounds and the way people speak in that language that you're learning. And I think that if you allow this and allow yourself to speak and move and sound a little bit differently, you're actually going to sound better in most cases. So let me talk about this. Let's talk about how to act like a native speaker, and then let's talk about why it can help you. So first of all, how do you act like a native speaker? Firstly, you need to pay attention to how people actually talk, right? When you're listening to people, notice things. Notice sounds they make. Notice the way they move. I know that might not seem super important, but people move and gesture, meaning they use their hands and their faces and their body in different ways. Notice this, because when you start to notice this and adopt this when you're speaking that other language, you can kind of get more into that language's personality, and it can feel like you're more natural. You're speaking that language the way that native speakers speak it with the gestures they use. Notice native speakers tone a voice. Notice how they say certain things, what tone they use. Obviously, notice the words they use, because oftentimes we learn certain words, we learn vocabulary, but those words aren't really natural words that people say nowadays. So the best way to know what is natural to say is to notice this when native speakers are talking, and adopt those words into your vocabulary. Also, notice the filler words that native speakers say. Filler words are those little words that don't mean anything when you say them, but they just help you connect your thoughts, connect your sentences while you're thinking when you don't know exactly what to say. So I use a lot of filler words. You can just open up the transcript of this episode, and you'll see them. By the way, the transcript for every episode is always down below in the description below each episode. So if you open up the transcript, you'll see these filler words all over the place. I use the word "so" all the time, even though it often doesn't mean anything when I say it. Another filler word is "like," or maybe people just say "uh" or I use the filler word "right," like at the end of a sentence. I use that a lot. So notice the filler words that native speakers use, and use those same filler words when you're speaking that language. This is something I do when I learn foreign languages, and it helps you feel more natural and seem more natural as well. You can also notice exclamations, meaning how native speakers show a brief emotion like "uh" or "oh" or different sounds like this might be different in different languages. All these little details can help you sound and seem more natural and get into that personality of that language better if you notice them and adopt them in your speech. So now let me talk about why you might want to do this. Let's talk about reasons why it can be good to adapt to this new communication style of the language that you're learning and adopt these things and allow yourself to communicate more like native speakers of that language. Firstly, it can really help your pronunciation. You are going to be more likely to change your voice and how you say things and use the proper parts of your mouth that are necessary to use to make certain sounds in that language, and you will be able to imitate native speakers' sounds more easily. If you allow yourself to just speak and sound different from your own language, you can start to adopt the proper sounds and the proper usage of your mouth and your mouth muscles and your throat and your nose to make the proper sounds. I talked before about how people might get judged in their country for trying to reduce their accent when they speak English. You shouldn't care about this. You should allow yourself to change your voice and how it sounds when you speak other languages. You're not forced to do this. I'm not saying you have to do it, but it will really help your pronunciation. For a lot of people, they just need to accept the fact that they need to make sounds that feel strange, that feel different, like the TH sound. Don't think about the fact that you look silly because you're sticking your tongue between your teeth. No native speaker would ever even notice your tongue when you're speaking. This is a ridiculous worry. I'll just say it very bluntly, meaning very harshly, directly. If you have that worry that you look ridiculous when you make the TH sound, that's a ridiculous worry. No one thinks you look ridiculous. It's a lot worse when you don't say the TH sound properly. You say more of a D sound or a T sound because you don't want to be like a native English speaker and use your teeth to make that sound. You should allow yourself to act like a native speaker. Use your tongue and your teeth like a native speaker. Use the proper parts of your mouth and then you'll be able to pronounce things the way we do. If you are willing to act like a native speaker in how you use your mouth and tongue and teeth, throat and nose, etc., you will improve your pronunciation because you won't hold yourself back or stop yourself from using the proper sounds, making the proper sounds that will help you. Another reason why it's beneficial to act like a native speaker is that it can help you say more native sounding words and phrases like I already mentioned before. When you're really in this personality of a speaker of the language that you're learning, when you're in this mode, you want to say what native speakers say. When I'm speaking French, for example, I try to act and sound like someone from France. When I'm doing that, I want to say things that sound French, that don't sound like an American translating words from English to French. You feel like you have to have this agreement between your personality and your words. This is something I've noticed throughout the years. When I speak another language like Spanish or French, I feel like when I'm speaking those languages, I'm trying to sound like a native speaker. I'm getting into that personality. My voice sounds different and my words sound more native. I use more native expressions. Sometimes I don't really know how to use a phrase like I've never used it before, but it sounds correct to use in that context because I'm in that world, in that personality, and it just kind of sounds like that's what I should say, and then I say that new phrase or new word, and then I ask my tutor or my wife if that sounded correct, and they say, "Yeah, of course," and that happens more when you adopt the personality of that language. That's something cool that can be a benefit for you, and it just helps you imitate native speakers better. You're acting like them, so it feels natural to do what they do. You want to say things like they say them and say expressions they say. It just feels correct to do so when you adopt that personality. If you're just translating your native personality to that foreign language, it might not feel natural to use these phrases. If you actually decide to adopt that language's personality, you're more likely to use these native-sounding words and phrases. Another benefit to adopting the personality and acting like the native speakers of that language is that your level can seem higher to native speakers, actually. When you act less like a foreigner, your words and your pronunciation might seem less like those of a foreigner, like I already mentioned, and so it makes you sound like your level is better, actually. I've seen this with students of mine when they just sound more like one of us in terms of their personality, how they're saying words, their tone, their gestures, their filler words—that's a big one—things like that. They just seem like their English is better than other people I've talked to who might have more knowledge of the language, but they sound a lot like a foreigner in how they talk, how they phrase their sentences, how they use filler words, what filler words they use. These subtle differences make a big difference in how native speakers perceive the level of the speaker. If you act less like a foreigner in different ways because you are adopting the personality and speaking style of native speakers of the language that you're learning, if you do that, you're going to sound like you have a higher level, so that's a big benefit, in my opinion. One other reason why it can be good to adapt to this new communication style and adopt the personality of native speakers of that language is that it can help you have more fun, to be honest. You will be deeper in the world of that language if you actually allow yourself to act more like a native speaker of that language. You can develop deeper connections, as well. In my experience, this is one of the best benefits of doing this. I remember living in Mexico for many years and being able to connect with people and talk to people—locals, I'm talking about—in a very natural, authentic way. They talked to me as if I were a local. That's not always the case even if you have a high level in the language that you're learning. When you talk to people from that country, they might still communicate a little bit different with you or view you a little bit differently than they might view a native speaker. They might not communicate the same exact way with you, but if you really adopt the communication style and personality of someone of that country, then, in my experience, locals will just talk to you as if you were a local. When that happens, you can develop deeper connections with people. They feel more comfortable with you. They don't have to modify the way that they act or speak around you. Another reason why it can help you have more fun when you adopt the communication style of the language that you're learning is that it's actually pretty fun to express yourself in different ways. I express myself in one way when I speak English, but I express myself differently when I speak Spanish, for example. This also helps you discover different elements of your own personality even. I know that sounds pretty deep, but I think it's true. You act a little bit differently, and so you discover that there are other sides to your personality. For example, when I speak Spanish, I feel like I'm a little more playful, I would say, and that side of my personality comes out more when I speak Spanish. When I speak English, I think I'm a little bit more serious. I'm not super serious, but I'm probably a little bit less playful. I sound a little bit more serious or authoritative even, but when I speak Spanish, I think that I sound playful and maybe even more approachable to people. My voice softens a little bit. That's just kind of a necessary thing when you try to speak Spanish with the correct sounds as an English speaker. It feels like you have to soften your voice a little bit, and when I do that, it kind of makes me sound a little bit nicer, maybe friendlier, and like I said, I'm a little more playful, and that side of my personality is more evident when I speak Spanish. I think that's pretty cool. I think that doing this is fun and there are benefits beyond just pronouncing things correctly and saying more native sounding words and seeming like you have a higher level. I think it's just fun to try to adopt the personality of speakers of that language. I hope that you enjoyed this episode and that maybe now you will try to allow yourself to be a little more influenced by the communication style of English or whatever other language that you learn, and I want to challenge you to use my advanced podcast episodes so you can get accustomed to real English spoken fast. That link is down below if you want to sign up for those, and also please check out my US Conversations podcast and practice listening to my conversations that I have with other English teachers from around the country. It's great practice for your listening and it's a great resource for you to find an English teacher that you can take classes with, so that link is also down below. All right, thank you all for listening to this episode and I'll talk to you on the next episode of Listening Time.