Babbel 30-Day Challenge Week 4: Speaking

You’re almost to the finish line!

September 22, 2019

speaking a new language graphic for week 4 of 30 day challenge

Welcome to the fourth and final week of the Babbel 30-Day Language Challenge! Every week, we’re publishing an article to help you get in the habit of learning every day. If you missed previous weeks, catch up on your reading, writing and listening skills here.

This Week’s Language Challenge

Congratulations! You’ve reached the final week of the Babbel Challenge. Up to this point, you’ve managed to hone your skills in reading, writing and listening in your new language. Now it’s time to warm up those vocal cords and round out your language learning with perhaps the most challenging skill of all: speaking in a new language.

Speaking is an aspect of learning that might require a little creativity to practice, especially if you don’t have someone around and available to listen. And we know that it can seem scary. Speaking is spontaneous and more active than, say, listening, and it’s often one of the biggest elements contributing to the foreign language anxiety that might make you feel stuck when it’s your turn in a dialogue.

But have no fear! We’ve rounded up plenty of ways to put your learning into practice with our daily challenges below. Maybe you’re trying to perfect your pronunciation or just get better at not clamming up when you’re in a conversation. Whatever it is, we’ve got you covered.

Choose what works best for your schedule; all you need is a little chunk of time each day, whether you’ve got one minute or one hour of free time. Ready to chatter, patter and babble away? Read on to get speaking in a new language!

1 Minute Challenges

Sing the alphabet in the language you’re learning. Now try it backwards.
Create a profile or account for an online language exchange group (that you then have to plan on attending!).
Change the default language for Siri, Alexa or another intelligent assistant and ask a question like “What’s the weather?” or “What time is it?” in your new language (and see if you get a response!).

5 Minute Challenges

Try to sing along to the lyrics of your favorite foreign-language song.
Write and perform a piece of slam poetry to your roommates, coworkers, or anyone who will listen.
Stop by a store or restaurant where the employees speak your target language and order or purchase something.
Create a playlist of songs in your target language whose lyrics you want to memorize and be able to recite.

10 Minute Challenges

Call or Skype a friend who speaks your target language natively and tell them about your day (and respond to their questions!).
If you don’t have a native speaker to ramble to, record yourself talking about your day on your phone or computer and listen back, trying to identify your errors.
Read your roommate a bedtime story in your target language (children’s books are a great place to start!).

15 Minute (Or More) Challenges

Go to that language exchange or meetup group you signed up for.
Call and chat with a foreign-language pen pal or language exchange partner.
Put on that playlist you made of songs in your target language and sing along with the lyrics while you make dinner, walk your dog or suffer through your commute.