Now that we have trained in both the parts and the whole of speech, it’s time to apply our mimicry skills practically to learning.
For this final lesson, we will review some of the contexts where you do this. But first, I explain in the video below how you should think about language-learning through mimicry.
In the last week of level 1, we practiced watching youtube videos and “echoing” the rhythm and melody of random phrases.
In this exercise, we will do the same thing, but now try to echo the entire phrase exactly as it is, along with the facial expression and body language.
As I discuss in this video, you also want to think about the art of “selecting” the most personally relevant phrases to mimic. Watch to learn more, then attempt it yourself.
In the level 3 curriculum, you go through a process of learning how to learn through mimicry. We won’t cover the whole process here, but to bridge the connection, we are going to examine a concept from that program - “Magic Questions.
Because most people can’t mimic, most people don’t appreciate just how effectively one can improve their conversation skills by merely asking questions like “How do you say?” and “What does ____ mean?”
In the first question, the speaker gives you a sequence of sounds. If you are good at mimicking, you can capture those sounds in the moment, use them to express yourself, and retain them for later use.
In the second question - “What does ____ mean?” - you are selecting sounds you heard a native speaker say, and then clarifying the purpose they served in that context.
We call these questions “Magic Questions” - because when a person with mimicry skills uses it frequently, their conversation ability expands like magic.
You’re more likely to retain and recall words you learn through magic questions. This is because you are encountering the word in the context of you actually needing it for commmunication.
Contrast this with the typical vocabulary-study environment of flashcards, textbook and phone applications. These words might take temporary residence in your intellect, but they aren’t likely to be useful to you in the act of conversation, because that is not where you encountered them.
Another question you might ask at a more advanced level is “what’s a better way of saying ____”? Here, you are using your mimicry ability to improve the sophistication of your speech. Again, from within the context of communicative need.
In the video below, I demonstrate just how powerful the combination of mimicry and magic questions can be. Watch how I wield these tools, then go forth and mimic and question as much as you can.
VIDEO
After you’ve completed everything on this page, post your insights to
#completions. Then complete the assessment if you haven’t done so already. Otherwise, congratulations on finishing level 2!