My language studies are ticking along nicely but my speaking ability has hit a bit of a plateau. I can manage daily interactions like ordering in a restaurant or buying tickets. I can have a conversation with a native speaker, but it is not easy. Some days I have a ‘good Russian’ day, but more often I have a ‘not very good Russian day’. I remember going through the same phase in Vietnamese. 
The problem: To be honest other than simple transactions like shopping and arranging appointments, I don’t actually speak Russian very often. At work, some colleagues speak to me in Russian but my work-related vocabulary is limited so I have the habit of replying in English. And due to my busy autumn, I’d been slacking on language exchanges.
This means that when I speak, I can’t always remember the words I want to use and I make lots of mistakes. I’m sure you know this feeling!
The goal: Improve my fluency by having conversations in Russian for 30-60 minutes, 4 times a week for the whole of December
The weekly plan to get there:
- 2 conversation lessons on italki.
- 1-2 one-on-one language exchanges.
- And/or 1 language exchange event.
Bonuses:
- Have more short 5-15 minute interactions in my daily life. Aim: 2 per week.
- Record myself speaking 1-2 times a week. Replay the audio and improve it.
Of course I’m also going to keep up my Anki flashcards, my weekly Russian lesson and try to fit in 1-2 podcasts to continue building my vocabulary.
Over to you: What are you doing this month to improve your Vietnamese (or other language you’re learning)?
You may be interested in: 12 tips to improve your speaking skills in Vietnamese