MSI Press Blog

  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, ...

  One of the biggest barriers to fluency isn’t vocabulary—it’s  translation thinking . Learners try to fit the foreign language into the mold of their native tongue, resulting in awkward syntax, unnatural phrasing, and constant hesitation. Breakaway  says:  Stop translating. Start living in the language. 🧨 Why Breakaway Matters This tool invites learners to: 🚫 Quit cross-language comparisons 🧠 Engage directly with native grammar structures 🗣️ Speak using patterns they've internalized, not constructed 🔄 Loop fluency and grammar acquisition together Translation is useful in early comprehension—but in speech, it’s a bottleneck. The faster you drop it, the sooner fluency flows. 📐 The Three Rules of Breakaway Only Use Target-Language Grammar Don’t mimic native-language phrasing Let the structure of the foreign language guide you Use Grammar You Know Automatically No guessing, no improvising Build speech from patterns you’ve mastered Know As Many Structures As Possib...

    Language learners often trip over their own brilliance. Fluent in nuance and abstraction in their native tongue, they try to replicate it in a new language—and get tangled in verbs, cases, and unclear phrasing. This tool invites learners to speak only what they know they can say  accurately , even if it’s plain or childlike. The goal? Build confidence, reduce errors, and let fluency grow from a sturdy base. 🔍 Why Simplicity Works Simplified speech supports: ✅  Accuracy first : Clean, correct language beats poetic misfires 🧠  Cognitive clarity : Less mental load means better processing 🎯  Focus : Prioritize essential ideas over elaborate phrasing 📈  Steady progress : Fluency builds from usable pieces 💡 How to Use the Tool 🎒 Use What's in Your Backpack Think of your known vocabulary and structures as your travel gear. Use only what you've packed: Stick to familiar verbs, tenses, and sentence patterns If a word or phrase isn’t 100% reliable, dro...

  When speaking a foreign language, there’s nothing more grounding than a place you can stand with confidence. That’s the magic of  speech islands —memorized monologues or well-rehearsed chunks of speech that learners can deliver fluidly, like a native. This tool, popularized by Boris Shekhtman in  How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately , invites learners to develop short verbal “islands” on topics they know well. Whether it’s your hometown, your favorite hobby, or your professional background, these rehearsed segments become linguistic safe zones. 🧭 Why Speech Islands Matter Speech islands give learners: A break from on-the-fly construction A chance to showcase fluency and pronunciation A moment to regroup and breathe A way to guide the conversation toward familiar ground They’re especially useful in spontaneous or high-stakes situations—think interviews, panel discussions, or networking events—where preparation meets performance. 🗣️ How to Create and Use Spe...