The synonym of courage is FEAR. Each one of us has felt fear at one point or the other in our lives. We are all familiar with this emotion that can paralyze our mind and body into inaction. One such fear is to speak in English. The fear of being judged, the fright at the thought of blurting out something wrong and being laughed at and the pain of being perceived as worthless due to lack of being able to communicate in English.
As a language trainer I come across plenty of people asking me one single question, “how can I overcome my fear, hesitation or confusion to speak in English?” So today I am going to tell you six ways to leave the fear behind and gain the courage to speak English confidently.
- Move out of your comfort zone- Being a non-native speaker, we are very comfortable speaking our own language, which works very well for us until we face a situation where speaking in English becomes essential. In that moment we realize how handicapped we are just because we shy away from the language.
We do not speak English for the fear of being ridiculed even though we may have many things to convey. So we go back to our comfort zone and start communicating in the language we are most well versed with. Now from here on we have to do exactly the opposite. We have to step out of that comfort zone and speak in English. We have to stop our mind from telling us that we may make a mistake and we may be wrong. Yes, we may be wrong but that’s how learning works. Only when we speak English we struggle for words, we try to understand the sentences and only by making mistakes we learn from them and move on to the next level. So next time you face your fear, by all means speak in English no matter how much your mind tells you to go back to your comfort zone.
- Mistakes are natural part of learning- You would be very surprised if I told you that I know a two year old who writes an essay of 350 words with ease. I am sure you would not believe it. Yes, you agree, you do not believe it. Why is that? It is because at that age a child is barely learning to hold a pencil let alone writing an essay. This very philosophy applies to grown-ups. You cannot expect to speak immaculate English at the very initial attempts of speaking the language. It’s a gradual road which has many bumps and jerks and would require a lot of patience and effort from your end. But do not give up. Do not fear making mistakes, on the contrary, make as many as possible since making mistakes is a proof that you are trying.
- Do not be afraid to fail- Children are the best role models for anyone trying to learn something new. You may wonder how? They are never afraid of failing. They do not know fear of failure. They have the courage to try anything new even up to a thousand times without being concerned with the result or being made fun of. In that very process of failing they master whatever they are trying to do. We all know the famous story of Thomas Edison who failed 1000 times but invented the bulb in the next attempt. He never looked back since then. Similarly, you have to let go of the fear of failure, to meet the courage required to overcome your hesitation of speaking English.
- Focus on the goal to get success- If speaking long sentences makes you nervous, try and practice short sentences. Do not focus on the now but the end result of where you will be if you master small sentences every single day. Do not hesitate to take baby steps. For example learn to say”hey, long time, how are you?” to greet someone you meet after long. Another example would be to say,” see you around, take care” when you say goodbye to someone. You just need to decide on a few words or small sentences to practice daily till they become a part of your speech. Remember to keep these sentences short and simple till you master them and move on the next stage.
- Read and listen- Reading and listening benefits anyone trying to master the language tremendously. One may reason that one is not free, or has no interest in reading, but you cannot undermine the importance of these two factors. Just start small by reading a joke, a short story, a brief article, a poem or anything that captures your heart. Likewise, you can try to listen to ted talks, motivational videos, and speeches pertaining to your interest and so on for a few minutes daily. This will bring a dramatic change in your language and also give you a much needed motivation to converse in English. Practicing this daily will benefit you in the following ways-
a) Enriched vocabulary- On a daily basis you will come across new words, their meanings and usage as you will learn them in context and not individually. This in turn will enhance your word bank.
b) Increase in knowledge- You will never again be at a loss of stories or incidents to narrate for every situation and set up.
c) Boost in confidence- You will get rid of your hesitation and fear gradually, as you will never struggle for the right word again. Since, practicing reading and listening in the long run will make your vocabulary strong and vast.
d) Familiarity and comfort- last but not least, you will become familiar with the various sounds, words and their pronunciations, which in turn will raise your comfort level to speak in English manifold.
- Believe in yourself- While practicing the language you will encounter many disappointments and face ridicule but don’t let that discourage you. Do not give up on your dream to master the language. Be patient with yourself. Be your own hero and reward any accomplishment you make on the way. Remember that good things come to those who wait and it holds all the more true for learning English. It is a slow and tedious process but anyone who perseveres is rewarded with the courage to speak English fluently and confidently. At any moment you begin to doubt yourself just repeat these words-
Conclusion and call to action
I urge you to take that first step and move beyond your fear. Always remember that even when you are failing, you are moving forward with a priceless lesson. Speak English every single day till it becomes an integral part of your personality.
Hope you enjoyed this post. Would love to hear from you in the comments about your struggles, your fears and your courageous victory.