How I Improved My Speaking Skills with Native Speakers

Not just as a hobby. And each one taught me something important about how languages are actually learned, especially when it comes to speaking. So today I want to share my own language learning. journey with you because it explains why I always emphasize real communication and speaking with real people. Now let's go!

My first serious language was French. When I was at university, I had a very clear dream. I wanted to work at the United Nations. French is one of the required languages, so I decided to major in French and fully commit to it. During my first two years, I was extremely focused on grammar. Not just in class, I carried a grammar book with me everywhere. Whenever I had a free moment, I studied verb conjugations, sentence patterns, and grammatical rules. I also did a lot of dictation practice.

I will listen to French sentences, write down exactly what I heard, then write them out loud while recording myself. After that, I'd listen again to check my pronunciation. It was intense, but it gave me a very strong foundation. After that, I moved to France and spent about a year and a half there. All of my class were taught entirely in French and thanks to that grammar foundation I was able to communicate without major problems.

I still take a weekly French lesson on iTalkie, an online service that let you practice languages with native speaking teachers to maintain my speaking level. About 10 years ago, I started learning Chinese. Once again I began with grammar books, but this time I also added weekly language exchanges with friends who spoke Chinese. Over time, I built confidence by speaking with native speakers, watching Taiwanese talk shows, and listening to Chinese music.

Today I mainly use Aitoki to practice reading and speaking as I prepare for HSK level six. Around the same time, I also started learning Tagalog. I had joined a Filipino volleyball team and I really wanted to understand what my teammates were saying during practice and matches. I began with grammar books, but there weren't many learning materials available. So the fastest and honestly the only way to improve was by speaking with native speakers.

Now I use Aitoki purely for Tagalog speaking practice. Five years ago, I started learning Korean. My goal wasn't just to learn Korean. It was to better understand how Japanese learners feel when they study Japanese. Since Korean grammar is similar to Japanese, I thought it would be easy to relate. But honestly, it turned out to be much harder than I expected.

I studied at a Korean language school for three months, then switched to Tai Talki during COVID. Currently, I take weekly lessons focusing on grammar, listening, and speaking. Everyone has different reasons for learning languages. But for me, the main goal has always been the same: to be able to speak. As my lifestyle changed, it became harder to sit down and memorize vocabulary for hours. That's why, for the past seven years, I've relied heavily on iTalking.

I use it to maintain my French, prepare for Chinese exams, improve my Tagalog speaking, and practice Korean grammar, listening and conversation. I've even tried Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese from scratch for a few months each. It was a lot of fun. All of these experiences taught me one very important lesson. No matter how much grammar or vocabulary you study,

Speaking with real people is the fastest way to improve. That's why today I want to share with you why I talking has been such an essential part of my language learning journey.

Let me tell you why I truly recommend Italky. It's an online language learning platform offering personalized one-on-one lessons with native speaking teachers. That means every lesson is tailored to your level, your goals, and your interest. Everything personalized. You can practice Japanese or any of other 150 languages through real life conversations you can actually use. And this is key because speaking is the fastest way to build confidence.

On iTalky, you can find the perfect teacher for you, whether you want someone who speaks your native language or a teacher who matches your learning style and personality. What I love most is that teachers create a safe space to speak. You can ask questions, make mistakes, and learn without feeling judged. Something that's very rare in traditional classrooms. Another huge benefit is flexibility.

You pay per lesson so you can choose your own schedule, frequency, and budget. For me, that flexibility has been a lifesaver. It's what allows me to maintain French, prepare for Chinese exams, improve my techalogue speaking, and continue practicing Korean constantly.

2026 is here, and if one of your new year's resolutions is to learn Japanese or any other language, this is the perfect time to start. If you're ready to start improving your speaking skills, click the link in the description below to begin your language learning journey. And here's a special offer just for my listeners. Buy a$10 lesson and get$5 for free using my exclusive promo code MASA 2026. But be quick. This offer is limited to the first 50 uses.

Trust me, once you start practicing with real native speakers on iTalkie, your confidence and fluency will improve faster than you ever imagined. My advice to anyone learning a language is simple. Don't just study grammar or vocabulary. Make sure you actually speak. With iTalkie, my teachers understand my goal and adjust lessons accordingly. Some teachers provide their own materials while others let me bring my own topics or text.

This personalized approach keeps me motivated and ensures that I'm making real practical progress, not just memorizing rules. So whether you're learning Japanese, French, Chinese, or any other language, Itoki is a fantastic way to practice real life conversation. learn from supportive native speaking teachers and fit lessons into your lifestyle and budget.

Check out iTalkie today. Find your perfect teacher. Start speaking and take your language learning to the next level. So this is all for today. Thank you very much for listening and I will see you in the next episode.