3 simple ways to overcome your fear of speaking a foreign language!

Memorise a few standard phrases!

You have no idea where to start? Learn a few basic phrases, like greetings, saying “thank you” or ordering at the café or restaurant. Learn how to ask and answer simple conversation questions: Where are you from? What do you do? Personally, I found it challenging to understand everyday situations when I first started learning Arabic I made the decision to write down and memorise the necessary vocabulary for various contexts, for example at the market. I learnt about fruit, vegetables, numbers and I decided to try my luck! It was difficult, to be sure, but I was able to communicate and, as time went on, I not only reused this lexicon, but I was also able to enrich it and be more comfortable over time The more you practice, the more these phrases will pop into your head naturally when you are speaking!

Practice basic, everyday conversations

Many of the same conversations will come up again and again in everyday life. Shopping, dining out or simply talking to a colleague or a friend…a good start serves as a foundation for a great conversation! While learning Arabic, I came to the realisation that, while I did not fully understand every aspect of a conversation, I could at least, for example, introduce myself. The natives are always curious to see that you learn their language and that leads to beautiful encounters. By the way, you can also use gestures and facial expressions… laughter guaranteed!

Forget about perfection!

In the beginning, you’ll almost certainly make mistakes and feel awkward at times. That’s nothing to fear! The best is to breathe deeply and say to yourself that you can do it. Positive thinking is a miracle worker. Conjugation or intonation errors, for example, are unavoidable to be able to speak correctly in another language. Personally, I made significant progress because those around me supported me and corrected my grammar… it was thanks to my mistakes that I was able to feel more confident. So, embrace your mistakes!