My Language Journey
Some of us are naturally more outgoing and confident than others, but I grew up an incredibly shy person. Even if you are more confident, I imagine we all have times when we feel scared or anxious to use another language.
My Personal Experience With Fear
I have been to Japan twice.
The first time I was shy, nervous, anxious, and afraid of making mistakes.
The second time, I spoke every chance I could get. I was still scared but I did it anyway.
My negative self-talk told me what kind of person I was. I told myself that I wasn’t good enough and that everyone was judging me. Every time I spoke to someone I would do something embarrassing and feel terrible about it and want to run away.
The second time I decided to focus on the positives. Rather than think about what I didn’t know, I focused on what I did know. I put myself out of my comfort zone and use every positive experience to fuel me and motivate me to go further.
Takeaways
Focus on the positives in your language learning and learn to laugh at your mistakes. We are all human and we can relate to that.
When travelling, try to meet people as friends (not just staff members) to gain confidence and have fun!
Feel the fear and do it anyway. Make a habit of acting when you feel the fear or anxiety in your chest.
Fear is not an excuse.
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