[D] Speaking A Foreign Language

LET'S UNLOCK WORDS AND PHRASES 🔐

rely

[ ri-'lahy ]

verb

- to depend on or trust someone or something

Many working women rely on relatives for childcare.

adapt

[ uh-'dapt ]

verb

- to change, or to change something, to suit different conditions or uses

It is really hard for Jim to adapt to the new environment.

accomplishment

[ uh-'kom-plish-muhnt ]

noun

- something that is successful, or that is achieved after a lot of work or effort

We were all very proud of our accomplishment.

gesture

[ 'jes-cher ]

noun

- a movement of the hands, arms, or head, etc. to express an idea or feeling

They communicated entirely by gesture.

settle in

phrasal verb

- to become familiar with somewhere new, such as a new house, job, or school, and to feel comfortable and happy there

They'll soon settle in - kids are very good at adjusting.

LET'S UNDERSTAND! 📚

Direction: Read and understand the different collocations below.

A. make oneself understood

to be able to express basic information and ideas to people and that they understand it

make oneself understood

Dialogue

John_Happy Icon

Alex

When I first came here, I didn't know much Japanese, but I've been learning and now I can communicate what I want to say.

Icon_Alex

John

I had a similar experience. It was difficult to constantly rely on translation, but now I'm able to make myself understood.

B. be fluent in something

to be able to use a language easily, without making any mistakes

WELCOMING GUEST

Dialogue

Icon_Anna Happy

Anna

Have you met our new neighbors from Spain?

Melly_Happy Icon

Melly

Yes, Josh and I met Mr. Gomez this morning. Unfortunately, neither of us are fluent in Spanish, so we asked if he could speak English.

Icon_Anna Happy

Anna

I see. His wife, Mrs. Gomez is very fluent in English and she's very funny.

C. language barrier

used when there is difficulty communicating with someone who speaks another language

Language barrier

Dialogue

Icon_Keiko

Keiko

Hey! It's been a while since you called after moving to Taiwan. How are you settling in?

Icon_Anna Happy

Anna

It's better than I expected, but I'm still struggling to adjust to their language. The language barrier has been my biggest challenge. Sometimes, it gets really frustrating.

Icon_Keiko

Keiko

I'm sorry to hear that. It's tough dealing with a language barrier, but I'm sure you'll be able to adapt over time.

D. a bit rusty

a bit or a little not as fluent in a language as you used to be

TALKING OUTSIDE

Dialogue

Icon_Keiko

Keiko

I didn't know you could speak Japanese.

Icon_Cindy

Cindy

Yes, I can, but I have become a bit rusty. I actually lived in Tokyo a few years ago to teach English.

Icon_Keiko

Keiko

Oh, that's interesting. How long did you stay there?

Travel English Icon 5

Cindy

I stayed for about five years.

E. strong accent

a way in which people from a country or region pronounce a word strongly, thickly, heavy or hardly

IN A RESTUARANT

Dialogue

John_Happy Icon

John

I could hardly understand the waiter with his strong accent.

Icon_Cindy

Cindy

Same here. But he's polite and he got our orders right. Plus, he led us to a very nice spot in the restaurant.

John_Happy Icon

John

That's true. He deserves a tip.

LET'S PRACTICE!

PART I

Direction: Fill in the blanks with the correct useful expressions. Make sure to use the correct tenses.

strong accent	make oneself understood
language barrier	fluent in something
a bit rusty

Living in a foreign land, not being the language, yet still being able to communicate can be quite an accomplishment.
She used to be really good at speaking Mandarin, but now she's .
Indeed, the can be a big factor affecting understanding.
The person reading the instructions has a , but I can mostly hear what she says.

PART II

Direction: Direction: Listen as your mentor reads the statements twice. Then, repeat the sentences.

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