Here is an example of the Fake-It-Til-You-Make-It approach to practicing a tribal language.
We had some out-of-town visitors in our village and I walked up to one older couple and said hi. After a bit, the conversation went like this:
Me: (painfully) They said that you might want to borrow some blankets from me.
Cute Old Man: Wow, you already speak tons of Nahuatl, don’t you?
Me: A little, only.
COM: (at warp speed) Something, something, something, blah, blah cold.
Me: It is really cold tonight, isn’t it?
COM: Yes, it is. Something and then something else mumble, mumble rain daily?
Me: A little bit ago it didn’t want to rain, but now it’s raining daily.
COM: (with his hand over his mouth) Blah, blah, blah blah, bibbity, blah, blah cold. Something, something night. Mumble, mumble blankets when it’s cold.
Me: We have blankets to lend. If you want one, come with confidence to the house later and I’ll give you one. That way you won’t be cold and it will be more pleasant.
COM: (smiling happily) Something, something house later on. And so on and so forth, blah, blah, blah. Something it’s good when you teach yourself Nahuatl, because of course the blah, blah, blah, and mumble something else.
Me: Yes, it is good to learn. We are attempting to learn. Well, I’m going in now. I have to arrive.
COM: Go, then. Go ahead.