after　waking　up　than　speak　a　language　he　doesn’t　speak　well。　Most　people　in　the　world
  are　shy；　embarrassed；　even　paralysed　when　it　comes　to　letting　themselves　be　heard　in
  languages　they　speak　less　than　fluently。　An　American　may　master　a　foreign　language　to
  the　point　where　he　considers　himself　fluent。　A　European；　however；　who　speaks　a
  language　equally　well　and　no　better　will　often　deny　he　speaks　it　at　all！
  Give　an　American　a　word　in　another　language　and　he’s　in　action。　Give　him　a　phrase
  and　he’s　in　deeper　action。　Give　him　five　phrases　and　he’s　dangerous。　Take　that　American
  trait　and　exemplify　it。
  Talk。　Go　ahead　and　talk！
  Head　into　your　target　language　like　a　moth　to　the　flame；　like　a　politician　to　the　vote。
  Is　the　gentleman　you’ve　just　been　introduced　to　from　France？　And　is　French　the　language
  you　happen　to　be　studying？　Then　attack。
  Don’t　you　dare　offer　a　lame　chuckle　as　you　explain　in　English　that　you’re　trying　to
  learn　French　but　you’re　sorry；　you’re　not　very　good　at　it　yet。　That’s　like　giggling　and
  telling　the　mugger　who　ambushes　you　in　an　alley　that　you’re　learning　karate　but　sorry；
  you’re　not　very　good　at　it　yet。
  It’s　okay　to　tell　him　you’re　just　a　beginner；　but　tell　him　in　French。　Learn　enough
  utility　phrases　in　whatever　language　you’re　studying　to　profit　from　every　encounter。
  Comb　through　your　phrase　book　（the　Berlitz　For　Travellers　series　is　excellent）　and　make
  it　your　priority　to　learn　phrases　such　as　“I　don’t　speak　your　language　well；”　“Do　you
  understand　me？”；　“Please　speak　more　slowly；”　“Please　repeat；”　“How　do　you　say　that　in
  your　language？”；　“Sorry；　I　don’t　understand；”　and　others　that　together　can　serve　as　your
  cornerstone　and　launching　pad。
  Most　phrase　books　offer　too　few　of　these　“crutch”　phrases。　When　you　meet　your
  first　encounter；　pull　out　pen　and　pad　and　fatten　your　crutch　collection。　Learn　how　to　say
  things　such　as；　“I’m　only　a　beginner　in　your　language　but　I’m　determined　to　become
  fluent；”　“Do　you　have　enough　patience　to　talk　with　a　foreigner　who’s　trying　to　learn　your
  language？”　“I　wonder　if　I’ll　ever　be　as　fluent　in　your　language　as　you　are　in　English；”　“I
  wish　your　language　were　as　easy　as　your　people　are　polite；”　and　“Where　in　your　country
  do　you　think　your　language　is　spoken　the　best？”　Roll　your　own　alternatives。　You’ll　soon
  find　yourself　developing　what　comedians　call　a　“routine；”　a　pattern　of　conversation　that
  actually　gives　you　a　feeling　of　fluency　along　with　the　inspiration　to　nurture　that　feeling
  into　fruition。
  Hauling　off　and　speaking　the　language　you’re　studying　versus　merely　sitting　there
  knowing　it　makes　the　difference　between　being　a　business　administration　professor　and　a
  multimillionaire　entrepreneur。
  It’s　time　to　apply　the　parable　of　the　Parrot。
  A　man　looking　for　an　anniversary　present　for　his　wife　after　fourteen　years　of
  marriage　found　himself　in　front　of　a　pet　shop。　In　the　window　was　a　parrot；　not
  particularly　distinguished　in　size　or　plumage；　but　the　price　tag　on　that　parrot　was　a
  whopping　seven　thousand　dollars　because　that　parrot　spoke；　unbelieveably；　fourteen
  different　languages。
  That　was　more　than　the　man　intended　to　spend　but　he　figured；　“Fourteen　years；
  fourteen　languages！”　So　he　bought　it。
  He　went　home；　mounted　the　parrot’s　perch　in　the　kitchen；　and　then　realised　he’d
  forgotten　the　birdseed。　He　ran　back　to　the　pet　shop；　bought　the　birdseed；　and　then　ran
  back　home；　hoping　to　have　everything　in　readiness　before　his　wife　got　home。
  Alas；　she’d　already　returned；　and　when　he　appeared　she　flung　herself　upon　him　in
  sizzling　affection；　shouting；　“Darling！　What　a　marvellous　anniversary　present！　You
  remembered　how　much　I　love　pheasant。　I’ve　got　him　plucked。　I’ve　got　him　slit。　I’ve　got
  him　stuffed。　He’s　in　the　oven　and　he’ll　be　ready　in　about　fifty　minutes。”
  “You’ve　got　him　what？”　cried　he。　“You’ve　got　him　where？　That　was　no　pheasant；”
  stormed　the　husband。　“That　was　a　parrot；　and　that　parrot　cost　seven　thousand　dollars
  because　that　parrot　spoke　fourteen　languages！”
  “So；”　replied　his　wife；　“why　didn’t　he　say　something？”
  And　indeed；　why　don’t　you？
  Put　it　in　Writing
  We　don’t　know　if　a　peacock　is　impressed　when　he　sees　himself　in　full　display　in　a　mirror。
  We　do　know　that　you　and　I　are　impressed　with　ourselves　when　we　behold　something
  we’ve　written　in　a　foreign　language。
  Try　it。　If　you　do　nothing　more　than　copy　an　exercise　from　your　grammar　book　onto
  a　piece　of　paper　in　your　own　handwriting；　you’ll　enjoy　looking　at　it。　You　become　like　a
  kindergarten　child　so　enraptured　with　his　paint　smearings　that　he　can’t　wait　to　take　them
  home　to　Mommy　and　Daddy。
  That’s　strange；　childish；　egotistic　–　and　supremely　helpful　when　you’re　learning
  another　language。　Go　ahead　and　write。　If　you　can　write　letters　and　cards　to　someone　who
  speaks　that　language；　so　much　the　better。　If　you　can　write　your　dinner　preferences　for　the
  waiter　in　an　ethnic　restaurant；　do　so。　As　soon　as　you　feel　sufficiently　advanced；　write　a
  note　to　the　editor　of　the　foreign　publication　you’re　learning　to　read　and　tell　him　how
  helpful　it　is。　Write　a　letter　to　the　ambassador　of　a　country　that　speaks　your　target
  language　and　congratulate　him　on　representing　a　culture　sufficiently　appealing　to　make
  you　want　to　learn　his　language。
  Carry　a　special　little　notebook　with　you　at　all　times　so　you　can　jot　down　your　new
  verbal　acquisitions　if　you　happen　to　meet　native　speakers　of　your　target　language。
  As　a　student　of　Chinese　I　used　to　experience　a　high　energy　lift　by　writing　the
  Chinese　characters　I’d　learned　on　a　blank　piece　of　paper；　preferably　in　red　ink。　I　still　get　a
  kick　doodling　Chinese　characters；　randomly　or　in　coherent　sentences；　on　the　margins　of
  the　newspaper　I’m　carrying　or　in　the　blank　spaces　on　the　display　ads。
  Write！　Conquer　and　consolidate　by　writing。　The　ability　to　understand　a　word　when
  it’s　spoken　or　written；　to　use　that　word　correctly　with　good　pronunciation；　and　to　write　it
  correctly　makes　you　the　battlefield　commander　of　that　word。
  Knowing
  Jack　Benny　was　one　comic　who　remained　beloved；　even　by　his　peers；　despite　his　well
  known　inability　to　come　up　with　original　material。
  Once　at　a　Hollywood　roast　when　another　comic　laced　into　him　with　a　devastating
  salvo　that　demanded　a　retort　in　kind；　Benny　won　the　moment　by　pausing　and　then　saying；
  “You’d　never　get　away　with　that　if　my　writers　were　here。”
  Cute　for　Jack　Benny　at　a　roast；　but　not　really　anything　we　can　borrow。　When　you’re
  in　language　action　and　you　stumble　and　lapse　into　uhs　and　ahs　while　the　native　speaker　is
  patiently　hoping　you’ll　come　through；　it　doesn’t　do　to　say；　“I’d　never　be　in　this　fix　if　I
  had　my　dictionary　and　phrase　book　with　me。”
  Everybody　who’s　ever　tried　to　master　a　foreign　language　knows　the　frustration　of
  needing　the　right　word　or　phrase；　knowing　that　you　know　it；　but　being　utterly　unable　to
  come　up　with　it　at　the　moment。　Just　as　golfers　sometimes　break　their　clubs　in　frustration；
  at　some　point　you’ll　want　to　smash　your　cassette　player　and　throw　your　books　into　a
  shredder。　You’ve　mastered　a　neat　set　of　phrases；　they　flow　glibly　off　your　tongue；　you
  sing　them　in　the　shower；　repeat　them　as　you　dress；　review　them　as　you　put　on　your　coat　–
  and　suddenly　all　recollection　vanishes　in　a　poof　when　you　run　into　a　friend　five　minutes
  later　who　happens　to　be　with　a　native　speaker　of　the　language　you’re　learning　and　you　try
  to　remember　how　to　say　“Pleased　to　meet　you。”
  Having　the　revolver　is　one　thing。　Drawing　it　quickly　is　quite　another。　To　take　set
  piece　knowledge　you’ve　acquired　and　have　it　pop　up　automatically　as　instinct　under　real
  game　conditions　calls　for　a　whole　separate　discipline。
  Coaches　stage　scrimmages　that　simulate　real　game　conditions　as　closely　as　possible。
  Pilots　can　now　train　in　complex　simulators　that　use　some　elements　of　computer　games　to
  achieve　the　effect　of　genuine　flight。　You；　the　language　learner；　can　play　little　discipline
  games　that　will　make　your　knowledge　more　readily　retrievable　in　live　language　action。
  First　of　all；　why　wait　for　the　real　life　foreign　language　encounter　to　spring　into
  retrieval　practice？　As　you　go　through　the　motions　of　daily　life；　ask　yourself；　“What
  would　I　be　saying　here　in　the　language　I’m　studying？”　How　would　you　greet　the　person
  headed　toward　you？　What　would　you　say　to　the　friend　she　introduces　you　to？　How　would
  you　thank　her？　How　would　you　tell　her　“You’re　welcome”　or　not　to　bother　or　would　she
  please　hand　you　the　fork？　It’s　fun　and　helpful　to　dub　everyday　situations　in　the　language
  you’re　learning。
  If　you　come　up　short　in　your　practice　with　words　and　phrases　you’ve　already
  learned；　jot　them　down　on　a　pad　and　look　them　up　when　you　get　back　to　your　books。
  As　you　review　your　cassettes；　try　to　come　up　with　the　foreign　word　during　the
  pause　before　the　next　piece　of　English。　Put　artificia