Today we're talking about a simple but powerful technique that really works, both for overcoming your fear of speaking and clearing a path toward fluency.

Before I talk about today's topic, I have a really special message that I get to share with you.

We just hit the 10 million downloads mark for the MosaLingua apps, so on behalf of the entire team: thank you!

It's an incredible milestone and we absolutely could not have done it without you.

We are so grateful to be able to help so many people around the world learn new languages quickly and efficiently, and seeing and hearing from so many passionate language learners really gives us hope for the future of this global community that we all live in.

If you're new to MosaLingua be sure to subscribe to our channel, like and follow us on social media, and of course download our apps. Thank you!

Speaking is one of the 5 crucial skills that any foreign language learner has to master.

And for 99% of us it's our ultimate goal when we choose to learn a new language, since most of the time speaking is how we communicate.

Yet it tends to be the skill that people struggle with the most.

For the vast majority of us, it's more challenging than reading, writing, listening, or memorizing vocabulary.

If you still haven't seen my video about the difficulties people face when it comes to speaking, here's a link.

I really recommend watching it.

So if you're a beginner, or if you're just uncomfortable speaking your target language, there's a way to make sure that your first conversations go much more smoothly.

How about if instead of talking to someone you've never met before you start by talking to someone you're extremely comfortable with.

Yep, yourself!

Self-talk or self-conversation is something that we all do already in our heads so the idea is just to get into the habit of doing it in your target language and out loud.

I know, it might feel a little weird at first, but it's a good first step in preparing to speak the foreign language you're learning.

It helps you take ownership of the language and start using it for what it's meant to be, which is a tool for expressing your thoughts, ideas, and feelings.

And practicing this technique often can really speed up your progress.

The first advantage of using this strategy is obvious.

When you're talking to yourself there's no judgement, no stress, and no reason to be shy.

The second is that you can practice the language you're learning almost anytime and anywhere.

So start using the self-talk technique to tackle the most common conversation topics.

As part of your preparation for making friends from all over the world with your newly improved speaking skills, practice introducing yourself, talking about your hobbies and passions, describing your daily routine, or telling a funny story.

And if you ever realize that you're lacking vocabulary, just reach into your pocket and open up your MosaLingua app or a good online dictionary.

The nice thing is that you won't keep anyone waiting if you have to look up a word.

Whenever possible, record yourself speaking and playing both parts of the dialogue.

Then listen back and try to identify and fix any of the mistakes you made.

Although it's a simple exercise it will really help you form complete sentences and also get used to hearing your voice saying them out loud.

And the result is that you'll have more confidence and also an awareness of any words that might require a bit more effort to pronounce correctly.

If you're no longer a beginner and your goal is to become more fluent, from my personal experience this technique works just fine if you do it in your head instead of out loud.

The possibilities are endless, so try to make the most of the time you spend in the shower, doing the dishes, or tidying up your house, and talk your own ear off.

Using your target language, practice giving your point of view on different issues in current events, just as if you were talking to a friend.

Like many of the hacks and techniques we share here on the MosaLingua channel, the self-talk technique is a really simple but effective language exercise, so grab a mirror and start chatting with your very personal, understanding, and helpful conversation buddy.

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Have a look around our channel for more hacks and tips, and if you're watching on another social media platform, like or follow our page.

See you next time!