Let's learn to speak

Imagine a child who wants a biscuit.

He looks at it, reaches out his hand and says:

“More!”

He knows nothing about adverbs. He cannot analyse a sentence. He has not prepared a presentation entitled “Strategies for Getting a Second Biscuit”.

Yet the message gets across.

Someone understands him, responds and, with a little luck, hands him the biscuit.

Before it became a subject to study, language was a way to connect with other people and get something important.

A biscuit, certainly. But also attention, comfort, an answer or an explanation.

After spending September exploring listening, this month Cassano Academy takes the floor. We begin with a question that concerns us all:

How did we learn to speak before we even knew what a grammar rule was?

Speaking: Much More Than Making Sounds

A parrot can repeat a word. A dog can communicate that it wants to go outside. Animals have communication systems that can be complex.

What makes human language distinctive is our ability to combine words and structures to express an extraordinary range of meanings: recount a memory, explain a plan, ask a question or invent a story. Comparisons with animal communication concern these abilities, rather than simply the presence or absence of sounds.

We can say:

“The biscuit is on the table.”

But also:

“Yesterday I thought the biscuit was on the table, but someone had already eaten it.”

The second sentence contains a little story. And probably an accusation.

Speaking allows us to share things another person cannot see directly: what we remember, imagine, want or think.

Language is not limited to the voice, either: it can also be expressed through sign languages. During our October journey, we will focus mainly on spoken communication.

First We Listen, Then We Begin to Respond

For many children, understanding some everyday words and requests comes before the ability to say sentences. Meanwhile, they are already communicating through looks, gestures, vocalisations and attempts to imitate sounds.

The NIDCD, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, describes a gradual development in which recognising voices, understanding, gestures and early language production are intertwined. It also highlights the importance of an environment rich in experiences and regular exposure to other people’s language.

These are therefore not two separate rooms:

“I’ve finished listening. Now I can start speaking.”

Listening and speaking continue to support each other.

This connection also accompanies us when we study a foreign language. We listen to a question, try to answer, observe the reaction and listen again.

Words Came Along with Life

When we were little, the word “shoe” did not appear only on a list.

There was a real shoe. Someone looked for it, pointed to it, put it on our foot or asked us where it had gone.

And language accompanied the action:

“Get your shoes.”
“Where’s the other shoe?”
“Let’s put our shoes on and go outside.”

The word had an object, a context and a purpose.

We can draw on this idea when learning a foreign language: connect what we hear with something we are doing.

For example, if we are studying English, we can practise while making breakfast:

“A cup.”
“My cup.”
“Where’s my cup?”

We do not need to turn the entire kitchen into a dictionary of sticky labels. We just need to choose a few expressions and use them in a familiar situation.

We Did Not Need to Know Everything

A child may manage to ask for water long before being able to describe an entire day.

Early attempts at speaking are limited, but they can already serve a purpose.

As adults, however, we sometimes set ourselves an impossible condition:

“I’ll speak when I have enough vocabulary, good pronunciation and all the grammar under control.”

Meanwhile, we keep preparing for a conversation that never begins.

We can change the question.

Instead of asking:

“How much more do I need to learn before I can speak well?”

Let us ask:

“What can I already communicate with what I know?”

Perhaps we can introduce ourselves. Order something. Ask a price. Say that we did not understand.

These are small actions, but they are already communication.

Listening and Repeating Are Not Enough: Someone Needs to Respond

Imagine learning this sentence:

“Can I have some water, please?”

We can listen to it and repeat it ten times.

But when we say it to someone, something different happens. The person might reply:

“Of course.”

Or:

“Still or sparkling?”

And suddenly the sentence we learnt becomes the beginning of an exchange.

Interaction is an important element in research on second language learning: it allows learners to address difficulties in understanding, receive responses and work on how they express meaning.

To practise, we can create short conversations with a teacher or a classmate. One person asks for something, the other responds, and then we change one detail.

We do not need to know every word that will be said in advance. We can also learn to ask:

“Could you repeat that, please?”

This sentence does not interrupt learning. It keeps it going.

Can We Learn a Foreign Language as We Did When We Were Little?

We can take inspiration from what made that learning meaningful: context, frequent exposure, interaction and opportunities to use language.

But an adult does not become a child again simply by starting an English course.

Adults already have a language, established habits, knowledge and study tools. They often also have less time available and far more worries about what other people will think.

Research encourages us not to divide children and adults rigidly into two categories, as though children learnt only implicitly and adults only through explanations. The environment and the type of teaching matter too.

For this reason, in our approach, “natural” means starting with concrete communication experiences, supported by useful explanations.

If a rule helps us understand why we say “I’m hungry” rather than “I have hungry”, we can use it.

But then we need an opportunity to say that we are hungry.

Grammar Can Help Us Take Another Step

Imagine a student saying:

“Yesterday I go to the supermarket.”

The message may be understandable, even though the verb is incorrect.

A helpful response can acknowledge what the student wants to tell us while offering the correct model:

“Oh, you went to the supermarket yesterday. What did you buy?”

At that point, we can briefly focus on:

go → went

And return to the conversation.

The aim is to find a balance: make room for the message and give students tools to express it increasingly well.

Not every mistake requires a long interruption. But neither should every mistake go unnoticed.

A Small Path to Get Started

For this first week, we suggest a simple practice activity.

1. Choose a Situation

An introduction, breakfast or a request in a shop.

Choose just one.

2. Listen to a Short Model

Use an audio recording suitable for your level, or ask your teacher for a short dialogue.

Make sure you understand its meaning.

3. Try a Few Expressions

Repeat them aloud, paying attention to the sounds and rhythm.

Then change one element:

“I’d like a coffee.”
“I’d like a tea.”
“I’d like some water.”

4. Use Them with Someone

Make a request and listen to the response.

If you do not understand, ask the person to repeat it. If you are missing a word, try to explain yourself using the words you know.

5. Improve One Detail

After the exchange, choose one thing to correct: a sound, a verb or a word.

Then try again.

The Cassano Academy Challenge

This week, choose one small action to carry out in the language you are studying.

You could:

• introduce yourself and ask the other person a question;

• ask for something and answer a follow-up question;

• say what you like and ask, “What about you?”

Prepare a few expressions, listen to a model and try the exchange with someone.

At the end, ask yourself:

“Did the other person understand what I wanted to communicate?”
“Did I understand their response?”
“What can I improve next time?”

You are not trying to prove that you know the entire language.

You are beginning to use it.

Before grammar rules came our first words.

And behind those words was someone we wanted to say something to.

FAQ