Coucou les French learners,

This week, I want to highlight a thoughtful comment made by Sherezade in response to my recent video about reading aloud.

Sherezade suggests that reading aloud using the shadowing technique is beneficial because speaking is a physical activity.

She emphasizes the importance of physically training the tongue, lips, and jaw to produce new sounds. Speaking does not come naturally, it requires hard work and practice. Many people understand everything but struggle to speak because they haven’t practiced speaking from the beginning.

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Sure, I agree with Sherezade insights. However, I believe speaking comes naturally. I also believe that the silent period is a crucial phase in the language acquisition process.

The Importance of the Silent Period

The silent period refers to a phase when language learners focus on understanding and absorbing the language without speaking much.

This period allows you to internalize the language’s sounds, structures, and vocabulary, creating a solid foundation for speaking.

It varies in duration from person to person, depending on individual personality and prior language experience.

As an extrovert, you may feel more comfortable speaking earlier, as you enjoy social interactions. You may be more willing to take risks in conversation.

On the other hand, if you are an introvert, you might prefer a longer silent period, as you tend to be more reflective. You may want to feel thoroughly prepared before speaking.

During the silent period, you listen to conversations, watch comprehensible videos, and read extensively, all while refraining from speaking.

This phase is essential because it helps you develop a deep understanding of the language before you begin to use it actively.

Transitioning to Speaking

Once the silent period is over, you will feel more confident and prepared to start speaking.

For example, I have been acquiring Chinese for the past two months, and I still don’t feel ready to speak it. I need more time to hear and internalize the Chinese sounds and intonation before I can confidently start speaking.

When you feel ready, training your mouth and tongue muscles becomes fundamental. It helps you articulate words correctly and give you confidence to speak with fluency.

Free Pronunciation Video

Are you ready to start speaking? Watch one of our pronunciation videos for free. In this video, I guide you through expressing your opinions with fluidity. This practice helps you gain confidence to pronounce the phrases:

• Je pense que – I think that
• Je trouve que – I find that
• ça a l’air – it looks like

Click here to view the free pronunciation video!
Train your mouth and tongue muscles to speak French freely.

Enhance your French journey. By joining us, you have access to this video and many other comprehensible resources that help you make real progress.

Join us and gain

CLARITY: progress step by step through stages and make French become clear to you. Understand French with ease.

COMMUNITY: meet weekly and keep yourself accountable through the most caring and invested community. Think French naturally.

TRANSFORMATION: feel empowered. Be fluent in French. Transform yourself and get a new soul. Speak French freely.