The Dark Side of WANTING to Sound Like a Native Speaker

Hey everyone! Today, I want to open up about something many of us language learners experience—the desire to sound like a native speaker. I’m sharing my personal journey with Spanish, what I’ve learned along the way, and why embracing your own unique voice can be so powerful. Have you ever faced similar challenges? Let’s talk about it! Drop your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear your experiences and continue the conversation. 💬🌟 P.S. Here is the video I mentioned about the dark side of being good at foreign languages https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9swRfzfA-KI 0:00 - Introduction 0:50 - The Desire to Sound Native 1:20 - Different Perceptions of "Native" 2:42 - Copying vs. Authenticity 5:03 - Boxing Yourself In with Language Rules 9:25 - The Role of Anxiety in Language Learning 10:10 - Faking Competency and Missed Learning Opportunities 12:12 - A Personal Turning Point 14:55 - The Freedom of Self-Expression in Language 15:23 - Summary of Lessons Learned 17:50 - Practical Advice for Finding Your Voice 21:20 - Closing Thoughts and Resources 📚 FREE RESOURCES Start learning English with me TODAY (100% FREE!) https://englishfulltime.com/start-learning 🏆 COURSES Want to know when we open the next course for enrollment? Join our email list to get all the details! ✨ Sign up here: https://englishfulltime.com 🚀 OUR STUDENTS See some of our English Full:Time students here: https://www.instagram.com/englishfulltime_students/ ARE YOU NEW HERE? 👋🏼 If you are new here, welcome to my channel! I make content for dedicated English learners and non-native English speakers. If you want to improve your English, enjoy a level of confidence you've never experienced before, and live your BEST LIFE with English, then you are in the right place! Hit subscribe and turn on the notifications so you never miss a class with me! 10 THINGS ABOUT ME 1. I was born in California, USA 2. I went to study abroad in Argentina in 2013 3. I met my husband Renzo in Argentina 4. We got married 5 months after we met! 5. We lived about 5 years in Argentina then started traveling 6. I started English Full:Time in 2016 7. Ren & I now live in California and have two amazing kids 8. We travel as much as we can (especially to Argentina!) 9. I speak Spanish fluently 10. I drink "mate" 🧉 every day! CONNECT WITH ME 🙋🏼‍♀️ → Newsletter: https://www.englishfulltime.com/ → Instagram: http://instagram.com/theenglishcoach → Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stefanietheenglishcoach/ → Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theenglishcoach → X: https://x.com/englishfulltime → Business Inquiries: [email protected]