EspEng Language Solutions

Has it ever happened to you that you get sweaty hands when you need to speak in another language, or that you feel nauseated, your body trembles, or any other uncomfortable sensation that doesn’t allow your ideas to flow? It’s happened to me, and perhaps to you too. This is known as linguistic anxiety and, when we can’t control it, it can limit us or even prevent us from continuing to learn a new language.

1. What is linguistic anxiety?
   1. How does it strike us?
   2. So, why does this happen to us?
2. Here are a few suggestions to overcome the anxiety of communicating in another language

What is linguistic anxiety?

Linguistic anxiety is the set of unpleasant, emotional, or physiological sensations that we experience when we must speak in a foreign language. Among the most common of those sensations, there’s the fear, nervousness or worry that some experience when they must communicate in a language that they don’t fully master. This anxiety can affect both language students and non-native speakers, at work and in their everyday life.

When we choose to learn a language, at first, we are usually very motivated. Yet, when the time to communicate comes, to interact with others or produce written content, some begin to doubt and question whether they’re doing it well. The intensity of such sensations is different for each person, since there are those who don’t mind about it, and those who get paralyzed and avoid similar situations because it’s almost impossible for them to handle the discomfort.

What everyone should know is that linguistic anxiety is more frequent than it seems, and understanding what it is and how to overcome it can help us improve our process of learning a foreign language.

How does it strike us?

Language anxiety can manifest itself in a variety of ways, emotionally and physically. Emotionally, we may experience fear of making mistakes, difficulty remembering vocabulary and sentence structures, insecurity when speaking with native speakers, and the feeling that we are not communicating effectively. Physically, we may experience symptoms such as muscle tension, nausea, sweaty hands, or tremors, which can impair our ability to communicate, as well as reduce our confidence in our abilities to speak in another language.

People who experience language anxiety tend to underestimate their own skills more than those who do not, and that, in turn, has an impact on their learning process, performance, motivation, and evolution. Hence, the importance of knowing techniques that help us identify the signs of linguistic anxiety, to control it and move on.

Experiencing anxiety when communicating in another language is normal. If it happens to some of us when we speak in our native tongue, it can get even more intense when we speak in another language. You’re not alone! What we must do is prevent it from becoming a limitation that makes us give up when we feel uncomfortable.

So, why does this happen to us?

Linguistic anxiety can be produced by different causes, from learning difficulties to each person’s beliefs and experiences. We must consider that, when learning a language, we’re not only learning a new coding system, but also interacting with other cultures and ways of seeing the world, which may be quite different from ours. It is normal to feel doubts and fears, especially at the beginning, because we don’t want to be inappropriate or disrespectful while we communicate.

Here are some of the elements that could increase our linguistic anxiety:

• fear of ridicule because we don’t want to be made fun of;
• setting ourselves unrealistic goals, such as mastering the language to perfection, or wanting to learn it in a very short time;
• peer pressure from the group with which we are learning when we can’t keep the pace;
• fear of failure or lack of confidence in our own language ability;
• feeling ashamed of our accent; and
• to unwillingly offend someone or be misunderstood.

As you can see, the causes can be many, but we can keep them under control with the help of our peers and a lot of self-awareness.

Here are a few suggestions to overcome the anxiety of communicating in another language

To overcome linguistic anxiety, it is important to adopt a positive and understanding attitude towards our own mistakes and the challenges that we face when learning a foreign language. Mistakes are part of the learning process and should not be a reason for shame or discouragement. Besides, keep in mind that effective communication doesn’t depend only on perfect grammar and pronunciation, but also on the ability to adapt to the context and understand meaning, beyond words.

There are several strategies to reduce linguistic anxiety. Here are the ones that have worked for me:

• Normalize the use of the language you’re learning.

Sometimes people will call you crazy, but no worries. The more you use the language you are learning, the more comfortable you’ll feel using it. So, at home, try talking to yourself while you shower, tell yourself what you did during the day, or the tasks you still have to do. Tell your relatives or friends the phrases, or sayings, that you have learned. It doesn’t matter if they don’t understand you; you can translate after. And so, include the new language in your day to day.

• Take part in conversation groups with native and non-native speakers.

Many times, we’re told that the best way to learn is only by speaking with native speakers, but it often happens that interacting with people who are also learning helps us gain confidence; because we’ll know that we are not alone and that making mistakes is part of the process.

• If you are looking for language lessons, choose a teacher or center based on the methodology and values they promote.

Many times, we make a choice based on the prestige or popularity that an institution or a teacher has, and we don’t take into consideration the methodology they use and how they get students involved. Remember that there are many teaching methods and not everyone learns in the same way. If you are one of those who has high levels of linguistic anxiety, look for options that offer a personalized plan, based on your interests and with teachers who inspire security and confidence.

• Learn about things that interest you.

Grammar books and exercises to fill in the gaps are no longer your only option. It is proven that motivation is key when learning. So, if you look for readings, music, movies, or activities that interest you, in the language you are learning, you can improve your language skills in the context in which they are used. Also, it will be easier to remember vocabulary and structures because you are enjoying what you are doing.

Finally, understanding what language anxiety consists of and how to manage it, as a student, allows us to identify our emotions and what we can do to lessen the intensity or better cope with discomfort.

As teachers, it helps us to better understand how our students approach their learning process and what their expectations are, so that we can create a safe space in which the person feels comfortable and motivated to continue learning.

Let’s not let our fears dominate us because, to communicate, we only need to want to express something.