MSI Press Blog

  Many language learners strive for brevity, believing short answers signal confidence and control. But when you’re speaking with native speakers, brevity can backfire—turning dynamic conversation into a rigid Q&A exchange. And once the learner starts playing ping-pong with questions and answers, the conversation loses flow, and fluency begins to fray. That’s where  Show Your Stuff  comes in—a powerful tool introduced by Boris Shekhtman in  How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately . It flips the script by encouraging learners to give expansive, intentional responses. Not rambling—but rich. Not performative—but personal. ⚙️ Why Verbose Responses Matter Imagine this: a native speaker asks, “Do you like Italian food?” A short answer—“Yes, very much”—shuts the door. The next question might follow, but the learner remains passive, reactive. A fuller answer opens the door wide: “Oh, absolutely. I first discovered real Italian food when I traveled to Milan durin...

  In the winding journey of foreign language acquisition, one deceptively simple skill can make the difference between a stalled conversation and a confident flow:  Shifting Gears . Originally outlined by Boris Shekhtman in  How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately , this tool allows learners to maintain fluency—even when they encounter unfamiliar vocabulary or complex topics—by artfully pivoting to terrain they know well. 🎯 What Is “Shifting Gears”? Imagine you’re driving through a foreign language conversation and hit a hill too steep: maybe it’s a political debate you’re not prepared for, or a scientific concept you don’t know the words for. Instead of grinding to a halt, you  downshift —you transition, smoothly and purposefully, to a topic you  can  discuss. And when done well, this move isn’t evasive—it’s strategic. It gives the impression (rightfully!) that you’re in control of the conversation, equipped with tools to communicate effectively ...

  When learners hit a word they don’t understand, they often freeze—or worse, ask “What does that mean?” and stall the exchange. But  Skillful Questioning , a technique from Boris Shekhtman’s  How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately , offers a smoother way forward. It works like this: instead of admitting you don’t know the word, ask  contextual  questions that treat the new term as part of a familiar story. You stay engaged, and the meaning often reveals itself naturally. 🧭 What Does Skillful Questioning Look Like? Take this sentence: “When I came into my room, I saw a corpse lying on the sofa.” You don’t know the word  corpse . Rather than saying “What’s a corpse?”—ask: “What corpse?” “Why was it on the sofa?” “Who brought it there?” These questions don’t spotlight your confusion. They pull out details that give the word meaning, all while keeping the dialogue going. 🛠️ How to Practice “Skillful Questioning” 🔍 Stick to the Situation Ask questi...

  Once learners master clarity and accuracy, it’s time to add  color . The  Embellish It  tool, outlined by Boris Shekhtman in  How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately , helps advanced speakers level up their discourse by adding complexity— with control . It’s not about sounding academic—it’s about painting fuller pictures and extending conversations. When done well, embellishment transforms speech from transactional to expressive. 🧵 What Does Embellishment Look Like? Take a simple sentence: “My brother John lives in Hollister.” Now, add relative clauses, descriptive phrases, comparisons, and additional details: “My brother John, with whom I’ve unfortunately lost touch over the years, lives in Hollister, which lies just south of San Jose and not far from San Francisco. Hollister, like its more famous neighbor, is cradled by mountain views, but unlike San Francisco, it sits inland, a short drive from the Pacific without touching it directly.” Suddenly, ...