Whether it’s through fear of embarrassment, self doubt or perfectionism, most learners experience foreign language speaking anxiety. And whilst completely normal and natural, it can also present significant hurdles to reaching your language goals.
Read on as we discuss the causes of language anxiety and what you can do to overcome it.
What is Language Anxiety?
Also known as xenoglossophobia, foreign language anxiety is the feeling of nervousness or fear that someone experiences when learning or using a second language.
It is particularly common when learners are speaking or listening in their target language.
Why Speaking A Foreign Language Can Feel So Intimidating
Fear of Mistakes
Whether it’s mispronouncing a word or using the incorrect grammar, many language learners are afraid of saying the wrong thing. It’s a fear that stems from the belief that mistakes will make them sound foolish or unintelligent.
Fear of Judgment
Language learners often worry about how native speakers or even fellow learners perceive them. Will they laugh? Be annoyed? Correct them harshly? This aspect of foreign language anxiety is especially common in group settings such as classrooms.
Perfectionism
Some learners feel they must speak perfectly before joining a conversation, which holds them back from practicing. Instead of seeing mistakes as a valuable part of learning, perfectionists tend to view them as failures which leads to frustration and embarrassment.
Why It Feels Harder To Use Your Target Language in Front of Native Speakers
They Know More Than You
Native speakers of course have an instinctive grasp of the language. Grammar, idioms, slang and cultural context are all just second nature. And so especially in real-time conversations, where there’s little time to think, there can be an unspoken pressure to get things right.
Fear of Offending
When learning a language, it’s easy to misuse a word or phrase. And sometimes in a way that could be culturally inappropriate or accidentally rude. But this fear of unintentionally offending someone leads to foreign language speaking anxiety and can make learners overly cautious.
Concern You Won’t Understand The Reply
One of the most common fears around second language anxiety is that you’ll speak a sentence correctly, only to be met with a fast, fluent reply you can’t follow. This situation can feel embarrassing and discouraging, making you reluctant to initiate a conversation next time.
Self-consciousness About Accent
Accents often carry emotional weight. With English language speaking anxiety in particular, learners may worry that their foreign accent sounds strange or even wrong. This self doubt about language ability then leads to feelings of self-consciousness when speaking.
Practical Tips To Overcome Language Speaking Anxiety
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Acknowledge your foreign language speaking anxiety and discuss it with your teachers.
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Pay attention to which situations trigger language anxiety, it’s the first step to manage it.
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Practice speaking your target language in supportive and low pressure environments.
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Reframe mistakes with positive self-talk to shift your mindset to errors being helpful.
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Learn through fun indirect speaking activities such as singing and games.
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Arrange an immersive homestay with a supportive family who understands.
How Immersion Helps Foreign Language Anxiety
In casual social interactions, native speakers aren’t expecting to “teach” you, which can make mistakes feel awkward or even discouraging. By contrast, in immersive homestay environments there is a shared understanding that learning is the goal.
Therefore hosts are patient, supportive, and most of all used to helping learners. This makes it easier for those who have anxiety in second language acquisition to ask questions, slow down conversations, and build the confidence needed for real-life interactions.
Lingoo has a wide range of welcoming homestay hosts throughout Europe and beyond.
Each immersive language experience is individually tailored to help you grow both in confidence and in knowledge in whichever area of your target language you need the most help with.
Simply register for free today and take your next step to overcoming foreign language anxiety.