Are you learning English and feeling shy or anxious about speaking it? You’re not alone. Many people feel self-conscious when speaking a second language. But the good news is that there are things you can do to feel more confident speaking English. In this article, we’ll give you five tips to help you feel confident speaking English. We’ll help you build your confidence by giving you some practical tips on how to prepare for speaking situations, how to relax and be yourself, and how to make mistakes without feeling embarrassed.
Prepare for speaking situations
When you feel you’re ready to practice speaking, choose situations where you’ll feel comfortable and supported. This way, you won’t feel anxious and self-conscious, and will feel able to forget the fact that you’re speaking a second language. You might want to consider getting in touch with a language exchange partner – someone who is also learning English and who will be happy to speak with you in English. You could also try joining an online language exchange community, where you can make virtual language exchange friends who can help you practice speaking English in a non-threatening environment. If you attend a language school, find out if they run any practice speaking events. You could also consider joining a language meet-up group – these are groups of people who meet regularly to practice speaking the language they’re learning. If you belong to a language learning website or forum, you could also try posting messages in the speaking or language exchange sections, to see if you can get in touch with other people who would be happy to practice speaking English with you.
Relax and be yourself
When you’re learning a new language, you’re bound to make mistakes, and that’s a normal part of the learning process. But if you’re feeling overly self-conscious about making mistakes, you might be putting unnecessary pressure on yourself. So try to relax and be yourself when you’re speaking English. You’ll learn much more if you’re relaxed and confident than if you’re feeling stressed and self-conscious. If you’re speaking with a language exchange partner, be open about the fact that you’re still at the beginning stage of learning the language and that you’re making mistakes. Your partner will probably be happy to help you, and might also be making mistakes as they’re learning too.
Make mistakes without feeling embarrassed
If you make a mistake while speaking English, don’t let it make you feel embarrassed. Everyone makes mistakes – native speakers of English make them too! Just let the mistake go and move on. If you feel really embarrassed by your mistake, you might want to consider letting it go, or even not mentioning it if it’s really a big mistake. But if it’s a minor mistake that you’re worried about but other people wouldn’t worry about it, you might want to mention it, so people don’t think you’re being dishonest. This way, people will understand that you’re not being deceitful, but rather that you’re just being self-conscious about making a mistake.
Be patient with yourself
Remember that it won’t happen overnight. You might be surprised by how slow and gradual the process of learning a new language can be. So be patient with yourself and how quickly you progress. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, and don’t try to rush the process. The more relaxed and patient you are, the easier it will be to pick up new vocabulary and grammar points.
Seek out opportunities to speak English
If you want to get more practice speaking English, you might want to try to find out if there are any events or activities where you can get together with other English speakers. For example, you could try looking into joining an English club or social group in your area, or going to an English-speaking café or bar. The more opportunities you create to practice speaking English, the easier it will be to feel confident practicing your English. Over time, as you practice more and more, you’ll see a real improvement in your confidence and ability to speak English. And you’ll find that being shy or anxious about speaking English becomes a thing of the past.