There seems to be something frightening about opening your mouth and speaking those first words to someone in a foreign language. You can feel shy, frustrated or stuck. You are just thinking how to say it and if you say it right. Was there any mistake? Will they laugh at me? Do I sound stupid? I know the feeling. When I have come to UK, I was scared to order coffee. Even if I have studied English and spoken language before-even then insecurity creeped out. Nothing wrong with it. We often feel uncertain when doing something new. Especially around people.
How to deal with it?
1)Practice, practice and practice some more
You know that saying- No pain, No gain?
If you don't use it, you lose it. The watching videos or movies can improve your language, but you have to create some effort. You have to do something to get better. Taking action is what makes us better. So just go out there and practice.📷
2) Mimicry or a matter of imitation
How did we learn our first language? By imitation. The same technique works for learning a new language. Try to watch video, movie or listen to a podcast and then repeat it yourself. The best is to have subtitles or transcription to follow. Repeat it few times to build confidence.
This technique is so powerful- not only builds up confidence. It makes you practice pronunciation, accent, natural English. Give it a go.
3)Do not think in your language
The best thing is to learn a language altogether. Not just vocabulary or grammar. The Technique mentioned in point 2 is a valuable tool to do it. The learning of language is taking place on an unconscious level, where you make connections. A Copying native speaker opens door to fluency and confidence. You are learning how it sounds together without thinking. Not everything is expressed the same way in languages. One of the reasons why nonnatives are making mistakes-trying to translate word by word.
4)Do not be afraid to make a mistake
As a learner, it is absolutely normal to do mistakes. Usually, you are understood anyway. If not, you can get questions to explain yourself to solve listeners confusion. Do not worry about that too much. Even native speakers are doing mistakes. Trust me, nobody is perfect( but I not nobody?- Sorry, couldn't resist:D). You can also learn on your mistakes, so be positive and just try your best.
5) Read Aloud
One of the exercises can be reading. Not only for training reading, but you are speaking. You can hear yourself. Reading in front of a mirror or recording your voice in some app. Really good if you are shy and anxious about your performance. Read a few minutes a day. Later record yourself and play it to somebody. You can also read to somebody. Even little toddler can be a great help.
6) Chat buddy
Is there a friend who wants to speak English? You can practice together. It is easier to open up to somebody you know. If nobody available. The Internet offers a lot of online option to find conversation buddy.
7)Be calm, be positive
Few deep breaths and smile on our face. I guarantee it will make wonders.
See you later my friend