Speaking

There are many ways to practice speaking when you’re learning a foreign language. The first way—and the least intimidating—is to talk to yourself.

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Most of us talk to ourselves anyway, either out loud or in our heads. In fact, many of us can’t help but talk to ourselves. Sometimes, we fall into the habit of belittling ourselves. The next time you find yourself thinking, “This person doesn’t like me,” or “I’m not qualified so I shouldn’t apply for that job,” pause, take a deep breath, and then try expressing those thoughts in English (or whichever language you’re learning). This will help you in two ways: it will distance you from these negative thoughts, thereby making them feel less true; and it will give you a chance to build your speaking skills.

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Of course, you should also practice saying nice things to yourself in English. Whenever you start talking to yourself, no matter what situation you’re in, try talking to yourself in English. If you’re singing in the shower, sing in English. If you’re in the kitchen, tell yourself the recipe in English. If you’re rehearsing a conversation that you want to have with a friend or loved one, try rehearsing it in English as well. This will help you keep track of your progress and prepare for every social situation.

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Talking to yourself is a great start, but it’s not enough to achieve fluency. If you know anyone else who’s also learning English, practice speaking with them. Conversing with another learner can be easier and less intimidating that conversing with a native speaker. You may not catch your own mistakes, and they may not catch their own mistakes, but they might catch yours, and you might catch theirs. This will help both of you learn and grow.

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At the end of the day, though, you’re probably learning English because you want to communicate with native speakers. You will have to practice talking with native speakers sooner or later, and when you do, you will probably feel very self-conscious. You might notice that you’re not pronouncing words the same way they are, that you’re speaking more or less formally than they are, or that you’re having difficulty understanding what they’re saying. All of this is normal. Don’t be afraid to ask native speakers to slow down and repeat themselves. If you’re comfortable, you can even ask for feedback or corrections. Most people will be happy to help you learn to speak their language. Many will even be very impressed by your efforts. Even if do you run into someone who’s rude and judges your pronunciation, just remember, you can always ask them to switch to your language and see how they do!

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Don’t let fear of judgment stop you from practicing, and don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t sound exactly like a native speaker. You may never sound exactly like a native speaker, and there’s nothing wrong with that. As long as you’re able to express yourself clearly and fluently, you should congratulate yourself in every language that you know!