In Stage 3B, there are three separate areas of focus to prepare you for speaking:
- Activating acquired language through writing.
- Building the muscle memory for correct pronunciation.
- Mastering comprehension of casual conversation.
Language Activation
As described in 3B: Language Activation, you will hone your writing ability by tapping into your latent language ability.
We recommend having real-time written conversations. You can find exchange partners in the following places:
Apps
Websites
If the thought of talking to random strangers makes you anxious, you can instead hire a tutor and use the lessons to communicate with them over chat. The two most well-known sites for hiring tutors are iTalki and Verbling.
If you write alone rather than in a conversation, use the “notebooks” feature on iTalki to find someone willing to correct long-form writing.
Building Pronunciation Muscles
Dedicate time to shadowing and practicing tongue twisters in your language using the exercises described in 3B: Pronunciation Training.
Understanding Conversation
Nothing here changes from the 3A: Activity Guide. Continue immersing with your parent, text chats, and talk shows.
Example Daily Routine
- Anki in the AM
- Passive listening to parent throughout the day
- 30 minutes of output practice (writing or shadowing)
- 45 minutes immersing with parent
- 45 minutes reading or listening to talk shows
We recommend alternating output activities each day. Focus on writing one day and shadowing the next.
Level Up
Move on to Stage 3C: Speaking when you have level 6 comprehension of your parent and you are comfortable expressing yourself in writing.
Some people don’t like writing and prefer to speak instead. If you are one of these people, then feel free to do Stages 3B and 3C simultaneously.
