Many language learners dream of being mistaken for a local. For most, that means working tirelessly to sound like a native speaker. But, when it comes to blending in with a new country and culture, it’s not just about your accent. There are plenty of ways to act like a native speaker, even if you don’t quite sound like one yet.

1. Ways to Blend in with
Native Speakers
(Even If You Don’t Sound Like One Yet)
7
Image © Baynham Goredema | Flickr

2. It is the goal of many-a-language-
learner to sound “like a native speaker”.

3. That is a very respectable goal,
of course. But…

4. That is a very respectable goal,
of course. But…

5. That is a very respectable goal, of
course. But…
Sounding like a native speaker
means mastering pronunciation,
which takes a lot of
time and practice.

6. “Perfect” pronunciation is not
the end-all-be-all of language
learning. Accented speech can
be perfectly intelligible.

7. The good news is that there are plenty
of ways to improve your language skills
and blend in with native speakers, even
if you don’t quite sound like one.

8. 1Dig in to idioms

9. Next time you hit the books to
study a language, take some time
to learn commonly used idioms.
Image © snow0810 | flickr

10. Without learning these expressions,
you’ll have barely scratched the
surface of a language.

11. Idioms are ever-changing, and not
easily learned from a textbook.
Employing them in daily conversations is
sure-fire way to give your language skills
an edge.

12. If you properly use
idioms in the target
language, blending
in with native
speakers will be a
piece of cake.
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13. 2Get the hang of slang

14. Studying formal language use, such as
proper verb conjugations or case marking,
is important to reach an advanced level
of proficiency.

15. But, without a
working knowledge
of slang, your daily
interactions with
natives will often
leave you confused.
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16. If you’re abroad, simply listening to
conversations around you is a great way
to pick up on the current slang.

17. If you’re not in-country, take to social
media to find the current slang. Follow
native speakers on Twitter and observe
unfamiliar terms or expressions they use.

18. Learner, beware! Slang terms come
and go, so be careful not to pick up
outdated expressions. That would be
way uncool, man.

19. Slang is unavoidable, no
matter the language, so it’s
best to get with it.

20. 3Study synonyms

21. An easy way to beef
up your language
skills? Build your
vocabulary by
studying synonyms!
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22. You can only describe
something as “good” or
“nice” so many times.

23. Synonyms add color to what
you’re saying. Instead of “good”,
you could describe something as…
great
amazing
fantastic
breath-taking
unbelievable
wonderful
…and so on!

24. Invest in a thesaurus (or find one
online) and get to memorizing!

25. 4Use modifiers

26. So, you’re tired. But are you really tired,
sort of tired, wicked tired, or maybe just
a bit tired?
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27. Modifiers allow your language to
take on a more nuanced form,
letting you express yourself more
specifically and clearly.

28. Study both intensifiers (words that emphasize
adjectives like very or extremely) and
mitigators (words that dull down adjectives,
like somewhat or slightly).

29. Modifiers will take your language skills
from good to unbelievably good, and
native speakers will take notice.

30. Modifiers will take your language skills
from good to unbelievably good, and
native speakers will take notice.

31. 5Brush up on linking words

32. And then… and then…
and then… and then...

33. Tell a story like that and then
everyone will know you’re not a
native speaker.

34. Image © Ruby Gold | Flickr
Study linking words to help the flow
of your speech in the target language.

35. Add variety to your sentence transitions with
linking words like…
additionally
nonetheless
although
while
on the other hand
consequently
thus
since
…and so on!

36. 6Keep up with pop culture

37. Pop culture references dominate
casual speech.

38. No American can say
the phrase “I’ll be
back.” without at least
being tempted to bust
out their best Arnold
accent.
Image © Zero Emission Resource Organisation | Flickr

39. Keeping up with movies, music, TV
shows, and so on will not only help
you pick up on references, but also
give you something to talk about
with native speakers!

40. 7Observe body language

41. We can’t discuss ways to seem like a
native speaker without sounding like a
native speaker without mentioning
body language.
Image © andrej | Flickr

42. The ability to use and react to
visual cues will separate a serious
language learner from an amateur.

43. Pay careful attention to how people
interact with each other in different
situations, including their posture,
hand gestures, and facial expressions.

44. But beware! Gestures and signals are
NOT universal. A thumbs up in the
United States is a-okay, but abroad,
that may not be the case!
Image © Sarah Reid | Flickr

45. So there you have it. There are
other facets to mastering a
language beyond achieving
the coveted native-like accent.

46. Ready to sound more like a native speaker?
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