Fluency

Is Fluency Possible?
Is it possible to sound and feel like a native speaker?

It's a good question. In fact, it's the question.
We've all attempted to define the ever-ellusive goal of "being fluency."
Most people (my past self included) have concluded that you have to be immersed in the language from a very young age in order to be fluent, and thus it's an impossible moving target.

There has been only one person who has contacted me via this Blog that mentioned the goal of being fluent in a language. He's got the right idea.

Fluency is possible. It starts with changing our concept of what fluency means.

Fluency Redefined:

Being "perfect" at a language is misleading. Perfection implies there is no room for speech errors, and that you're basically a robot. Well, guess what, no one is perfect, and therefore perfection cannot be attained. I am not perfect at Korean, just as I am not perfect at even English. I make errors in both languages, but I consider them both fluent.

Being "native" in a language is equally misleading. Native speakers of a language are native to the language… duh… So being native is not the goal. Sounding native, on the other hand, IS the goal. 

Being  fluent is a reachable goal, and one worth striving for.

Here's why:

Ditionary.com defines fluency as, "able to speak or write smoothly, easily, or readily"

This is the best definition of fluency because it has no implication of perfection or nativeness. 

Based on our analysis, let's define fluency anew as: smoothly and easily being able to give the impression that you are a native speaker. 

Bottom line is: If you can fool someone into thinking that you're a native speaker, then you're considered fluent. Whenever I'm in Korea, I enjoy occasionally claiming to be half Korean to raise eyebrows and get free ice cream. If they believe me, then my job is well done. I went to middle school in Korea with about a billion and a half native Koreans, so I'm the master of deception. I do the same while in Japan. This practice is more for personal entertainment and not feeling like an outcast, than anything else.

How To Sound Fluent:

1. Find Filler Words:
There is nothing that sounds more fob-ish than saying things like "uuummmm" or "uuuhhh" when stuck for words! On the other hand, if you're at a loss for words while speaking Spanish and whip out fillers like "este" or "o sea", you're bound for fluent-sounding Spanish.

Go on an immediate search for the most common filler words in your target language (I recommend 2 or 3 default fillers), and learn to use them in speech whenever you find yourself pausing to think of what to say next.
Ask a native speaker for the best answers.

2. Meet New People In The Target Language:
I hate meeting new people just as much as you do, so this practice is just as uncomfortable for me.
But here's the clincher: fluency is IMPOSSIBLE without meeting new people. 

I studied Japanese for a year and couldn't speak it much at all until I went to Japan and started meeting new people. 

You might think, "well, I could just practice with one of my friends and a computer." To an extent, yes, that's true. But that's as realistic as saying, "I'm gonna learn to read sheet music, but don't want to ever touch an instrument." The fluency we're talking about cannot be attained in the comfort of a room and computer.

The benefits of meeting many new people in the target language are INVALUABLE. When we meet someone new, we naturally try to give them our BEST first impression. This human nature applies in language as well. In terms of language, we always try to make ourselves look and sound as fluent as possible in the language. Imagine that you've been studying Italian for 3-months and your friend suddenly brings an Italian over to your house for dinner. Your natural instinct will be to use your very best Italian skills to either impress your guest or make the guest feel more comfortable in your home. Compare this to speaking Italian with your Italian grandpa over and over, day after day. Eventually, you will stop trying hard to speak with fluency. When we get used to speaking to just a few people, we develop a very limited and comfortable vocabulary that we only use with that small group. Thus, the more people we meet in our target language, the more fluent we become. It’s the single fastest way to be fluent in any language. I experienced this first hand in Japan and Korea.  

3. Get Good At Self-Introductions:
To be fluent, being able to introduce yourself quickly and without thought is essential. 
Here are some absolutely essential no-brainer phrases that I have used OVER AND OVER when speaking foreign languages: 

Hello, nice to meet you.

My name is Benjy.

I'm from America, and I'm studying abroad at Kanda University .
(explain your current occupation)

My mom is from Wales and my dad is from Japan. 
(explain where your parents are from and what they do)

I have one older brother.
(explain how many siblings you have)

My wife is Japanese and she is studying Theology in Korea right now. 
(explain relationship status)

I'm going to get a government job in Japan next year.
(explain short-term future plans)

Do you speak German? 
(or your target language)

Do you know Michael Jordan? 
(or whoever)

(Make your own set of common phrases based on this question: "What phrases do I use frequently in my mother tongue?)

Repeat these phrases until they come out of your mouth at any moment, smoothly and with ease. Now that's a pretty good indication of fluency according to Dictionary.com's definition: "able to speak or write smoothly, easily, or readily"

Benjy Uyama
November 4, 2013 (UNC Chapel Hill)