For many people, learning a new language causes a lot of anxiety. Will I sound unintelligent if I make a grammar mistake? What if my poor pronunciation causes me to be misunderstood?
It’s normal to feel anxious about learning a new language. It’s normal to feel like a fool when a 4 year-old native speaker speaks better English than you. What you need to keep in mind is the big picture. Try flipping the questions: Is is better to speak and make grammar mistakes than not practice at all? Is it better to mispronounce a word and be corrected that way you remember the correct pronunciation?
The bigger picture is that you can’t control whether other people judge your English. They may judge you for your mistakes. Or, they may judge you for not trying. Or, they may not judge you at all. Speaking a new language can be intimidating, but the more you practice, the more comfortable you become speaking the language.
- Have you experienced anxiety surrounding speaking English? Why?