Dark side of being a talkative person while learning/practicing a foreign language

Our take

Ah, the paradox of verbosity in the pursuit of language mastery! If you're talkative by nature, diving into the depths of a foreign language like German at a C1 level can feel exhilarating yet overwhelming. The thrill of articulating your thoughts often leads to lengthy, elaborate responses, fueled by excitement over new vocabulary and the mental gymnastics of synonyms. Yet, this exuberance can unintentionally transform conversations into monologues, raising the haunting specter of being perceived as boring or demanding. After all, the adage suggests that to improve, one must speak frequently — but does frequency equate to duration? This dilemma resonates with many language learners who grapple with the balance between self-expression and conversational engagement. Finding harmony in your verbal flow may just be the key to keeping dialogue dynamic and delightful for all involved.

I'm already a very talkative person, but I have noticed that when I practice my target language (German) at the level of C1 with natives, I'm very talkative. I tend to speak long, give long sentences and elaborated answers.

I think, the root issue could be because of a few factors beside me being very talkative in general: 1) I'm excited to be able to practice what I have learned (new words, phrases, etc.) 2) Use a lot of synonyms (kinda thinking out loud and a mental practice) 3) I'm an avid podcast listener and having listened to many long German podcasts has probably helped me with learning the language a bit, but the problem is the unconscious tendency of mine to copy such styles of talking

We have all probably heard someone saying "In order to improve in your target language, you need to talk a lot". Maybe there they don't mean how long a conversation lasts, but rather how often you speak.

I just have this fear and insecurity of coming across as boring/demanding/tiring as a speaker. Maybe it's better to bore people less and talk less (and therefore improve less), but still have at least people around that want to talk to you, rather than scaring everyone away.

Is this a relatable topic for other language learners as well?

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#creative language use#language evolution#philosophy of language#humor in language#placeholder words#talkative#foreign language#native speakers#practice#C1 level#language improvement#language learners#new words#synonyms#insecurity#elaborate answers#language anxiety#mental practice#podcast listener#fear of boredom