How To Conquer Anxiety When Speaking

Whether you become nervous speaking in your native language or not, many second language learners have anxiety speaking to target language speakers. You may stay silent or stumble over your words. These reactions are generally associated with a lack of confidence. You may believe your not competent, you can't recall the words quick enough, or perhaps you have general social anxiety.
The best technique to conquer this fear is preparation. But proper preparation is a much longer process than just making a list. For the best results, give yourself at least 2-3 days to practice.

First choose a scenario. For example, let's say you want to buy groceries and you will have to talk to the shopkeeper to find your items. If possible, try to picture a place you have been before. Write down the initial conversation. You'll most likely find short words:

• I want...
• Show me...
• Give me...
• Do you have?
• etc.

Next, visualize the opening scene. You go into the shop, you ask for some bread or milk. Imagine the room, the smells, the sounds. Continue these sequence, thinking of only the positive outcome. You ask for it, you get it, you leave. Repeat the dialogue out loud.

Now, once you feel comfortable and hopefully more confident, sit down and visualize three of the word-possible scenarios. Think about what could go wrong: There's no milk, they are out of butter, they'll have to order bread, the shop is closing when you arrive, etc. They may even try to sell you something you don't want.

This may initially give you some anxiety, but overall you can use this to your advantage. Now that you've listed the worst possible outcomes, create a dialogue that resolves these problems. No milk? Fine, ask when more will arrive. Could you please order some bread? This is the brand I want. And so on.

Once you feel comfortable with these dialogues, you'll be completely prepared to handle your trip. Jot down some answers or difficult words if need be. Regardless, you can feel more confident in your ability to handle the situation.

If you still need more exercises, here are some tips for practising the dialogues:

• Record yourself. This will help you recognize errors in pronunciation, speaking pace, vocabulary, and word order. Try to make several new recordings of the dialogue to see how you improve over time.
• Practice in front of a mirror. It may not be the same as speaking with an actual person, but you will get used to seeing yourself speak. The better you become, the more this self-image should boost your confidence.
• Get a partner. A good speaking partner is the easiest way to practice, but they are also the hardest to find. When searching for someone to talk with, keep in mind that you will need someone who is patient. Many people don't understand how to teach or speak with someone who has anxiety, so you'll want to find someone who can at least give you time to work things out.

This technique is the most effective one I've tried. What do you use to overcome your speech anxiety?