This time I want to talk about “How to live your target language”. While learning a language through textbooks, grammar rules and vocab lists we often forget what a language actually is for: using it as a social tool to live!
Learning a language is like exploring the world a second time (or third, forth, fifth… I guess you know where this is going lol).
I know many people (mostly introverts) have a problem with actually speaking their target language (I know it’s embarrassing if you don’t know what’s going on and feel like an idiot, especially when you knew how to say things before starting the conversation, I feel the same!).
But it doesn’t matter if you make tiny mistakes (I mean if you learn the language because you want to use it for what a language is for and not because your school forces you to get through a stupid test) because a language has only one purpose: communication. And if you can communicate in your target language, who cares about switching up articles or stuff like that?
It’s time to live your language, that’s the best way to learn it. Usually I would make a list, but it’s nonsense if I do that now. Everyone lives a different life so you have to try this the most suitable way for you. I will just give you an example how a day COULD look like if you try to live your target language.
Ps: this does NOT require to live in the country your target language is spoken. This is all about pretending, to live in your target country.
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My example on how a day could look like (based on what I did when I was in school):
It’s Friday, 6 am and your alarm goes on. You hear music but have no idea what on earth they are singing, until you realize you set a radio in your target language as your alarm clock. You sit up and grab your phone. First you are irritated because everything seems to be in another language… oh right… you started your “live your language” journey yesterday and changed the language of your phone and PC to your target language. It’s time for breakfast so you eat while keep listening to the radio, where people are talking about a topic… but you only understand every third word. You’re late for the bus (like seriously that happened every day to me) and run. The bus ride is 35 minutes long, so you start listening to your favourite music in your target language.
At school you find out that the second lesson will be free because the teacher is sick. So you use this time to read a comic in your target language, because last time you tried a book, it was a little bit too hard to understand. In your last lesson you have to research a topic and give a short presentation but you are allowed to use your phone so you search for the things you want to know in your target language.
After school you walk to the bus station while a drunken person bumps into you and tells you to f*cking go out of the way. You think about all the insult you know in your target language while keep walking to get the bus. Sitting in the bus you tell your language exchange partner about this idiot (of course in your target language) and start listening to music (YES in your target language!). You’re feeling good.
Back at home you throw your bag into the corner and yourself on the bed. You think about what to do next. Homework? No, you do that before school because you’re always an hour too early thanks to the stupid bus plan. You grab your phone and watch your favourite [insert target language here] youtubers. After eating you use your PC to play Sims 4. You remember why you chose this game… an easy game about everyday life to learn simple words like “work, food, shower, table, etc.”. After playing you read some blogs about how life in your target country is like and what the most beautiful places are. In your target language. I know I probably don’t have to keep mentioning it but I just want to be clear. Everything IN YOUR TARGET LANGUAGE (I will stop mentioning it now but everything I talk about is in your target language). After playing Sims you watch the new episode of your favourite series. There was a really interesting plot twist so you go online and find a discussion about it and you join it. While exchanging about it you get a Skype call from your language exchange partner. You two talk about how your day was and try to get him to watch this new series. After the call you read about a new social media site, only available in your target language and sign up. Many native speakers message you, asking why you learn their target language and offering you help. You record your progress with a camera and upload it on youtube.
The day comes to an end and you write everything that happened into your diary. You get ready for bed, lay down and start listening to an audio book. You fall asleep while listening to it and the people in your dream are talking the things you still hear from the audio book. Good thing you are listening to a romantic story, so you meet a handsome guy in your dreams. Sleep tight. :)
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