For a long time, I hated sounding "awkward" when I spoke Mandarin. I wanted to sound "normal", blend in, and avoid drawing attention.

But I’ve realized that this thinking is completely backward.

When you try your hardest to sound "normal", you box yourself in your comfort zone, and progress stalls.

You’re stuck, repeating the same patterns without growing.

Alternatively, sounding "awkward" means you’re stepping out of your comfort zone. You’re trying new words, testing sentence structures, making mistakes, and figuring out what works and what doesn’t.

You’re collecting valuable feedback from the people around you—feedback that helps you improve.

When you try new things, you're bound to overstep your boundaries. But here's the key: you know where the boundaries are.

You know what sounds "right" and "wrong" and "awkward" from the context and the feedback you get.

It's a lot easier to dial it back once you've overstepped the boundaries than to wonder where the boundaries are to start with.

Sounding "awkward" is a sign that you're on the right path.

Staying in your comfort zone feels safe, but it holds you back. You end up micromanaging your speech, afraid to try anything new, and that fear stifles your growth (this is what happened to me).

So, what’s the better option? Embrace the awkwardness. Take risks. Make mistakes. Speak up, even if you think you’ll sound clunky.

Sounding awkward is a prerequisite to sounding better.

加油，

Danyo

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PS

I'm helping 5 learners in November improve their spoken Mandarin with a proven system so they can talk about what they want with confidence.

If you want my help, reply and I'll get back to you.