The Fake Dialogue Method

The Problem


Someone begins speaking to you in your target language and you freeze up. You know, or once knew, the right words to say and you absolutely want to put your knowledge to use, but your mind comes to a screeching halt. You begin to panic, and you stare blankly at the person across from you.

The Solution


The Fake Dialogue Method is one of my favorite methods when it comes to gaining “flexibility” in a new language. When I first started learning Portuguese, this was something I often did to help solidify my mental ties with the language.

Get your notebook, a little motivation and a dictionary. It’s time to get started.

  • Think of different situations that you might find yourself in when speaking your target language, such as ordering a coffee, asking for directions or simply introducing yourself, and pick one. Let’s go with introducing yourself.
  • In your notebook, make a fake dialogue in your target language using the vocabulary and key knowledge that you want to recall when you meet someone new. It should look a little something like this. (Examples of key phrases will be marked in italics.)

Me: Hello, my name is ___ . What’s your name?

Stranger: My name is ___. Nice to meet you!

Me: It’s nice to meet you too. Where are you from?

Stranger: I am from_. What about you?

Me: I am from _. How old are you?

Things to Keep in Mind


  • Try to familiarize yourself with both the questions and the responses. If you know what to say but can’t understand what’s being said, the conversation won’t get very far! If you don’t know the phrases to ask to begin with, phrases like these are readily available throughout the internet, usually marked under the name making introductions.
  • Read these dialogues over and over aloud, and practice them with native speakers to help solidify the new knowledge.
  • At first, your dialogues may sound a bit robotic. This is completely okay. As you get more comfortable and flexible with the language, you can make the dialogues sound more organic and real.
Conversations are spontaneous and unscripted. This method will just help you feel comfortable in not-so-comfortable situations.

End Result


Now, when you find yourself making introductions with a native speaker, you’ll have the conversation scripted in your head and you won’t freeze up. You can predict what they will say and you’ll be ready for it!

Good luck,
Jeremy
April 25, 2017
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$25
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Jeremy Dickinson

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$25
USD/h
Flag
English
globe
United States
time
422
Speaks:
Spanish
C1
,
Portuguese
B2
,
Italian
A2
,
German
A1
,
French
A1
*PLEASE CONTACT BEFORE BOOKING* Hello everyone! I have a BA in Spanish with a minor in linguistics, as well as a 100-hour TEFL certification from Oxford Seminars. I have a huge passion for language learning and I understand the difficulties that once can face when learning a new language, and I can help you overcome them! I am a very patient and understanding person, so don't worry about making mistakes during the lessons! ______________________________________________________ CONVERSATIONAL CLASSES: My conversation classes are focused on INTERMEDIATE to ADVANCED conversation in English. We pick a topic that interests you, we talk about it, and we will cover the grammar and vocabulary about that topic. This helps you feel comfortable talking about ANY topic you want. At the end of the lesson, we will review what we learned during the lesson, and I will let you know about any mistakes you made, and how to correct them. This includes some grammar review and accent reduction/pronunci...
Flag
English
globe
United States
time
422
Speaks:
Spanish
C1
,
Portuguese
B2
,
Italian
A2
,
German
A1
,
French
A1
*PLEASE CONTACT BEFORE BOOKING* Hello everyone! I have a BA in Spanish with a minor in linguistics, as well as a 100-hour TEFL certification from Oxford Seminars. I have a huge passion for language learning and I understand the difficulties that once can face when learning a new language, and I can help you overcome them! I am a very patient and understanding person, so don't worry about making mistakes during the lessons! ______________________________________________________ CONVERSATIONAL CLASSES: My conversation classes are focused on INTERMEDIATE to ADVANCED conversation in English. We pick a topic that interests you, we talk about it, and we will cover the grammar and vocabulary about that topic. This helps you feel comfortable talking about ANY topic you want. At the end of the lesson, we will review what we learned during the lesson, and I will let you know about any mistakes you made, and how to correct them. This includes some grammar review and accent reduction/pronunci...
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