The most important thing for a non-native speaker to remember is that they're not going to be a native speaker, never ever. They can get pretty close through lots of practice and getting more confident about things. If you were to capture the best communication advice you've ever received as a five to seven word presentation slide title, what would that title be? It's what I said earlier. Language learning is about doing, not knowing.
Having to communicate in a language other than our native tongue can be quite a challenge, especially without a script or prepared speech.
In this "Best of" episode, we revisit Matt's conversation with Kenneth Romeo about specific tactics that non-native speakers can use to handle in-the-moment challenges. Romeo also discusses why letting go of perfection is a key step toward speaking with confidence.
Romeo has served as the associate director of the Stanford Language Center and a teacher of English to non-native speakers through Stanford Continuing Studies. Romeo is a professor at Waseda University in Japan.
Connect: