Tricks for Getting Over the Fear of Speaking

Many students learning a new language are afraid to speak at first; they don’t know what they sound like. The more they think about it, the worse their fear becomes. This is normal. You should expect it, but how do you get past the fear? How do you start building confidence?

One trick you can use is talking to one person at a time. If you’re in a group, make eye contact with the person you’re talking to. Focus on them. It’s easier talking to one person than to a group. If you’re in a group, though, you shouldn’t talk to only one person. The others might feel ignored and offended. Start by talking to one person; focus on them. When you talk again, focus on someone new. Keep doing this each time you speak. The people won’t feel ignored even though you’re not talking to all of them at the same time.

Another trick is one that actors use. Do you think it’s hard talking to 5 people? Try talking to an audience of 200. Yikes!! However, actors have to do this; it’s their job. They prepare by doing an exercise called “Talking to the mirror” (or to their smartphone or tablet computer). The actor will look at themselves in the mirror and start talking.

This isn’t a natural act. It’s scary, especially the first time. It allows them, though, to see what they look like. They’ll know what they look like to the audience. They’ll feel calmer and not worry about their appearance. Now they will feel more confident.

Smartphones and tablet computers have an extra advantage: they can record your voice. It’s almost impossible to talk and hear/remember what you said as you talk. Even native speakers find this hard to do. Recording your speech will help you catch mistakes (pronouncing words wrong, saying the wrong word, and so on). If you’re nervous, practice this in private. Remember that when people see you talking on your phone or tablet, they’ll think you’re talking to another person. They won’t care, so there’s really nothing to be afraid of.

Now it’s your turn. You can write something and read it out loud, but try to talk naturally without reading. It’s not as hard as you think. Once you’ve done it once or twice, it will be easier. Do it several times, and you won’t be worrying at all.