How NOT to get tired when speaking a foreign language

Do you ever find yourself getting tired when you speak a foreign language for a period of time? Maybe your jaw aches, or you get a headache? Here's why.

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[embee]

I’ve definitely found this to be true. I remember watching this video a couple of years ago and it changed the way I thought of language fatigue. After spending hours speaking and taking in Spanish every day for months, I rarely find myself getting tired, however recently I’ve found that I’ve had a different kind of fatigue: long term. I’ve ended up with the majority of my friends being Spanish speakers and have found myself in a relationship with someone who only speaks Spanish. I’ve been completely immersed in the language with the larger part of my communication being in Spanish every day. I speak confidently and well, but after months of this I’ve suddenly hit a point where I’m deeply drained, more than just mentally, feeling like I’m missing out on the connection that comes with speaking to people in my own language. I hope the curve is the same and I will get over this larger hump and I’m wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience.

[hannahw]

Exactly this.
In the first week that I moved in with my friend and her family in Japan, everyday I would be completely exhausted from speaking 5 - 8+ hours of Japanese. But after having pushed myself to that extend, it totally helps a ton. After the 2nd week I totally adapted, and I don't get tired from speaking the language for long periods of time anymore.

[高橋ケビン-ld]

Thanks for the tip! I have been experiencing headaches when speaking Japanese for 50 ish minutes a day. I’m glad to know it’s part of the normal learning process. Wonderful video!

[lorenzovonmatta]

Day 63: I like that. Perseverance. Exactly what I need to hear with my own language learning haha.

[arturisraelian]

I spoke some 30 minutes and my brain was already tired and what you say, exhausted.
It feels like you don’t want to think anymore in English.I will keep it everyday and i will get the results immediately in the future.
For now im gonna take a rest because my brain doesn’t work right know😂

[flavio]

I had this fealing too, and it gets easier and easier to speak and understand

[Mindboggler]

I just spent the last 7 hours with 7 japanese foreign exchange students at my university going out to eat and playing monopoly and my brain feels you I have been only speaking japanese for 1 year, but it has increased my japanese skills dramatically doing these kind of things! All I can say is practice makes perfect, after your recall becomes good you shouldn't have as much difficulty

[joaniert]

Great advice. Here is another tip: get curious about what you are gonna learn. Like right now, I barely could open my eyes after 30-minute nonstop reading of an English book. I have to stop and feeled nothing could enter my mind. However, suddenly I am curious about why this happened and what should I do about it. And boom, I am here, watching this great video, in English yet not tired at all. tks a lot.

[nendoakuma]

That's a great feeling after a long night like that of speaking at a party or a bar.

[eulucaspedroabreu]

Hello, Olly. Thanks for the video!

I Was seaching something similiar, but this was really helpful as well.

What I was wondering is: "Does anyone has the same speak muscles fatigue as I do?"

What happens is that when I'm interested in a topic and I speak non-stop, after a while my lips, jaw, and tongue feels fatigued and heavy altogether slowing my speaking ability, until a point that it feels a little bit sore and it annoys me to the point that I start speaking less even when I want to contribute. By the way, this doesn't happen in my mother language portuguese, neither seems to happen with my cousin language spanish (despite being worse in spanish, than in english).

I should add that when speaking english I always try to minimize my brazilian accent but probably the lack of a listening pater makes it really hard.

Do you know anything about that?

Thanks again,
Best wishes,
Lucas.

[KrazehDz]

I can sort of relate to you here, but a little differently, when Im with my Brazillian;Portuguese friends I sometimes speak about three quarters of a sentence and then start getting quieter or mumble. I believe its a problem of my face muscles getting tired of pronouncing different words, who know, keep it up Olly!

[Terrorstar-gbp]

As one who swtich between 3 languages at work my head really gets hurt

[YeshuaIsTheTruth]

Have you ever tried thinking in more than two languages? Yesterday at work I got incredibly fatigued from learning Spanish from coworkers and thinking in Spanish, German, and English. I haven't practiced German in a while, but I've been giving it a bit more focus lately, so I think that's why I had German (2nd language), Spanish (language I'm learning), and English (native language) floating around so readily instead of just German and English or Spanish and English. Ouch man. Headaches.

[seriekekomo]

Yesterday, I spent 4 hours talking with a friend in a mix of English, Chinese and Spanish. I was dead tired afterwards haha.

I just get tired after really long periods of time though, I guess it's something normal. Sometimes, I get so tired I cannot even speak properly haha. The more you use a language the easier it gets, It just a matter of practice.

¡¡¡Un saludo desde las afortunadas!!

[RaginmundII]

I'm Brazilian, sometimes I'm tired, tired. I can't read, I can't understand, I don't know to listen, I can't pronunciate nothing... My mind is simply blocked, blocked for studying English,
I can study everything but English
That's what I'm feeling right now, so I came here looking for a psychological tip to put me back to my study

[l.binjam]

That squirrel made a nice appearance. xD

[tomaskuli]

I Googled why does sign language make my brain tired and came upon this.

[beardan]

Last time i did language exchange with someone in HK we had 30 mins Cantonese, 30 mins English. Swap partner and do it again. After 30 minutes of Canto i was ready to go back to English as it was tiring concentrating that long! But i think long term this pain is just part of the journey and is necessary in order to get better.