Malls are wonderful
opportunities to practice your language skills because it brings people from
all walks of life to one place for various reasons. People are there not just
to shop, but to hang out, have fun, play, exercise, go for dates, eat, see exhibits, people watch and so much more!
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Arizona Mills Mall Food Court, Tempe,
AZ
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Now I am an introvert. So sticking my neck out and speaking to strangers is VERY challenging for me. I just don't feel comfortable doing it. Many people learning a language tend to feel the exact same way when speaking in their new language. However speaking that language is vital to improving and learning it.
It did make it easier for me to strike up a conversation with complete strangers due to the fact I was there on behalf of my work. The important thing to remember is that you don't have to have an excuse to speak to people in a public place. You just need to do it. Introverts, take your deep breaths slowly. Start going over in your head what you could say in that language to at least get you through the first sentence.
Then spend a few hours at your local mall and observe where people who speak that language tend to gather. Are they in the food court? How about on a bench near a particular store? Now, of course, this will depend greatly on your local population and whether or not you have a population who speak that language as their native language, but if you live in such an area, head to your mall regularly. Notice where people are when you hear them speaking that language. This is very important.
Once you have isolated one or two spots, find a moment when you can go up and speak to them. Greet them with your sincere, pleasant smile using their language. Maybe throw in what a great day it is so far. Then stop talking. Wait for their response. Most people hate silence and once you have engaged them, they feel obligated to say a few words back.
If they return the greeting, ask them right away if they would mind practicing their language with you just for a few moments. You might want to make sure you have this first part memorized enough so that you can deliver it with a bit of ease. Make sure your greeting and follow up expression is appropriate to the location in the mall. You might be surprised, depending on the moment, that people can spare some time to practice their language with you. Once you get past this initial approach and question, it is a little less scary because you have broken that ice.
Now it is up to you to find topics to talk about such as yourself, shopping, sports, family, etc. Keep it simple and try not to dwell on yourself. Also try to stay away from explosive topics such as religion and politics. Your goal is to increase the number of positive encounters as much as possible.
Once they have left, stay a while longer and see if anybody else shows up and try it again. Keep going back to the mall and keep trying. You may strike out, but it is very important to keep trying. I feel it's very important that introverts do exercises like this because they have the added obstacle of overcoming their shyness. It won't one day make them extroverts, but it will become easier for you to do this with the more practice you have.
You want to be genuine, honest, sincere and kind. Act how you would like others to treat you. Don't stalk or creep people out. Let these encounters be casual and inviting. Remember, they are doing you the favor of practicing your language skills. If people are not able to speak with you, be humble and gracious about it. Practice a good closing phrase. If you leave on good terms, they might spend some time with you another time.
You may find that you have better luck with people who are by themselves or with children rather than groups of people. Groups tend to be chatty with each other and less interested in strangers speaking to them. You can do this! Just plan that trip to the mall right now. Best of luck!
¡Hasta luego!
~Keith
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