“Practice Makes Perfect” or “Fake It Until You Make It”?

a month ago

Learning a new language requires practice by memorization and repetition. Whether we enjoy it or not, we need to (in the words of a certain US president) “drill, baby, drill” to achieve the confident use of new grammar and vocabulary in accordance with linguistic rules. But there is another approach to practicing language through exploration, improvisation, and trial-and-error.

“Fake it until you make it” is about having the confidence to use the target language even when you’re not completely that sure you have the right words or structures. Think of learning two different types of music: “practice makes perfect” is the approach used by classical musicians. Students of this form practice intensively and regularly to achieve perfection in performance. “Fake it until you make it” is the sensibility of aspiring jazz musicians who must demonstrate spontaneity and originality in performance. They cannot simply memorize and repeat things over and over. Similarly – and whether you feel fully prepared or not – your level of fluency will quickly benefit from “faking it” once you’ve learned and practiced a new language sufficiently for basic communication.

Of course, most of us will be more comfortable with one approach or the other, but the truth is that both are necessary for fluency. One cannot rely on memorized formulaic phrases to communicate any more than one can improvise freely in a new language without reference to the rules.

So which approach suits your comfort zone? If you already know, then I encourage you to occasionally try the opposite approach to fully reap the benefits of your language practice! 

And good luck! Bonne chance! ¡Buena Suerta!