IWTYAL 175: I just smile and pretend I can understand

Gabrielle asks: "When I don't understand, I often just smile, nod, and pretend I do. How can I stop this?" Episode Summary: Is it normal to pretend you understand? Every language learning journey starts like this Persistence is the name of the game In terms of stages, here's how I see it: Lower level: You still have a lot to learn, so don't be surprised if you don't understand. Keep studying. Have conversations with sympathetic listeners. Higher level: This is the stage where you need to get used to the vocabulary of everyday life, especially if you've been in "study mode" for a long time. Speak as much as possible, and focus on the situation/conversation, not the language. Record your conversations and analyse them later. Remember: You don't need to understand everything Keeping the conversation going is key Make general points Tell stories Ask questions Resources Mentioned In Today's Episode: Core Study Sequences: Listening Comprehension Start speaking today: I’d like to thank iTalki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: http://iwillteachyoualanguage.com/italkishownotes  Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!