Learning a foreign language is a daunting, but rewarding challenge for those who want a new hobby. And when the time of speaking arrives, it can be stressful for some people, especially when we’re talking to a native speaker: ‘Did I say it wrong?, did they understand me?, am I saying something bad?, are they judging me?’
These are some thoughts that come to our mind when we’re not confident in speaking a foreign language. Even when I started talking to Jayden, I couldn’t look him in the eyes because I was so embarrassed of my English speaking skills. I was thinking: ‘Maybe this American is laughing at my accent’ or ‘I am saying everything wrong’.
We all pass through it! The first time it can be really stressful and overwhelming, but the best way to get rid of that fear is to practice, practice, practice. But don’t worry, I’ll give you some key tips so you improve your confidence when speaking a second language.
Don’t worry about mistakes
When we start speaking a foreign language, we often worry about the mistakes we make, but you need to understand they’re not a big deal. You’re learning a new language, of course you’re gonna make mistakes, but instead of stressing about them, learn from them! Pay attention to the mistakes that are common to you, identify and correct them. You need to be aware of your common mistakes, so you’re able to correct them.
Don’t worry about what other people think
People always talk, whether is good or bad – Ignore them! You’re doing great. I know it can be really overwhelming, especially when you talk to a native speaker, but don’t worry, they understand you’re learning their language. Learn from them, learn the most common idioms, pronunciation, etc.
Think in the foreign language
Thinking in your target language is really important, and it can be difficult at the beginning since there can be some words that you don’t know yet. Don’t worry, we have an article for improving your speaking skills with vocabulary. Once you have enough vocabulary, you need to force yourself to think in the foreign language. Maybe you’re at the mall, doing some work or exercising, our mind is always full of thoughts, so you need to try changing the main language of those thoughts to the target language.
Breathe
I noticed when I started speaking English, I tried to speak as fast as in my native language, then, I got nervous and was just saying nonsense. Take a break, BREATHE, and be tranquil – speak with pauses and say what you really want to say, taking care to use correct pronunciation.
Smile when you speak
Several researches have shown that smiling has a positive impact on our mood, helping us feel happier and calmer even when we’re facing hard times.
Read out loud
You can do it by yourself in a comfortable space, record your voice, or my favorite one, stand in front of a mirror, look at your eyes and speak. Try narrating your day or what you are gonna do the next day, don’t forget to focus on the pronunciation too. This is gonna help you to gain a lot of self confidence.
Find a friend
Find a friend that is learning the same foreign language as you, or better yet, find a native language speaker that is able to help you improve your skills. There are a lot of websites and apps for this, such as HelloTalk, where you can practice and lose that fear of speaking with other people.
Join a conversation club
This is the best way to improve your foreign speaking skills and your self confidence. Practicing with a friend can give you a lot of comfort, but the real challenge is to establish a conversation with a total stranger or a native speaker. On Your Language Host, we offer FREE Conversation Clubs during the weekends, where you can practice your speaking with us – Karla and Jayden – and people from all over the world! We also offer 20+ conversation clubs for a monthly subscription on our website! Try our Free clubs on the weekends and if you enjoy it, join the team!
I hope these tips that helped me a lot, help you too!
