Your listening is strong — you can follow TV, podcasts, and videos without subtitles. Now it's time to make sure you can understand real people in real conversations, and to start preparing for speaking.
Conversation is different from media. People talk faster, use more filler words, interrupt each other, trail off mid-sentence, and use slang and expressions that rarely appear in scripted content.
On the other hand, conversation is often easier in some ways: the topics are simpler, you can see the person's face and gestures, and you can ask them to repeat something.
This sub-phase also introduces your first real speaking-adjacent activities, namely crosstalk. You won't be speaking much in the target language yet, but you'll be practicing the comprehension side of a conversation with a real person.
Crosstalk — A conversation where each person speaks their native language. You speak your native language; your partner speaks the target language. This lets you focus entirely on understanding what they're saying, without the added stress of having to produce the language yourself. It's an incredibly effective way to train conversational listening because you're engaging with a real person who speaks at a natural pace, directly to you. Crosstalk
Conversational content — Shift your freeflow listening toward more conversational material: casual vlogs, podcasts with multiple speakers, unscripted YouTube content, interview shows. This exposes you to the rhythms and patterns of natural conversation. Casual vs Scripted vs Careful Speech
Pronunciation practice — As a secondary activity, start working on your ability to produce the sounds of the language. You're not speaking (putting your thoughts into language), but beginning to prepare your mouth and brain for output. Chorusing is an excellent way to start this. Chorusing Learning Pronunciation
Freeflow becomes your biggest time block, with crosstalk sessions several times a week: The Pillars of Language Learning
Move to Phase 4 when you: