When it comes to language, you either Use It or you Lose It.
Here are some tips on how to keep your Hebrew sharp:
1. Speak it! Anytime, anywhere, with anyone!
And not just with your best friends. Get out of your comfort zone and haggle prices with the salesman at the shuk, or talk about the weather with the lady next to you on the bus. Anytime you have the opportunity to flex your Hebrew muscle, do it!
2. Your Israeli Partner is not Your Hebrew Teacher
Home is your comfort zone, don’t let mishaps cause frustration and discourage you from speaking. Make sure you bring your Hebrew to your relationship from a light and fun way when you are out in real life situations, showing them you know how to flirt, order or even argue!
3. Eavesdrop on People’s conversations
We know this sounds a little creepy, but it will do wonders for your conversational Hebrew. Make a habit of paying attention to people speaking Hebrew around you. Try to pick up words you recognize and see if you can figure out the topic of conversation from the context of what you can understand.
4. Toot Your Own Horn
Don’t sit down, and don’t be humble. At least not when you use a new word you learned, correctly. It’s a reason to celebrate! Each time you recognize a word you learned in class, or you successfully use it in a sentence, you’ve got permission to brag to anyone who will listen. Don’t have friends to tell? Tell your cat! Don’t have a cat? Tel Aviv has more than enough street cats willing to listen. Hey, you’ve earned it!
