BBC Learnings · Section 11

Scared to speak English

Have you ever been scared of speaking in English? In this episode, we're talking about why speaking in a foreign language can be so stressful.

Level: B1 · 100 sentences

Transcript

  1. Have you ever been scared of speaking in English?
  2. In this episode, we're talking about why speaking in a foreign language can be so stressful.
  3. So, Pippa, do you ever get nervous speaking in a different language?
  4. Yes, I learnt French when I was younger and I was actually quite good at it,
  5. I think, but I was really nervous when I was speaking French.
  6. How about you?
  7. Yeah, I've always felt like that with Spanish.
  8. I am scared to speak because I don't want to make mistakes,
  9. even though I know it's okay to make mistakes.
  10. Well, in this episode of 6 Minute English, we'll be hearing about
  11. how to feel less nervous when you speak English.
  12. So English has around one million words, but on average...
  13. How many words does a typical English speaker use in daily conversation?
  14. Is it a between 2,000 and 3,000,
  15. b between 20,000 and 30,000,
  16. or c between 200,000 and 300,000?
  17. I'm going to say a, 2,000 to 3,000.
  18. OK, well, we will find out later in the programme.
  19. Now, Pippa, you said you found it stressful speaking in French,
  20. even though you are quite good at it.
  21. Now, someone else who has had this experience is Hanan Razek.
  22. Hanan is a journalist at BBC Arabic and also host of the podcast Beating Speaking Anxiety.
  23. Here she is telling BBC Learning English presenter Georgie about speaking English.
  24. My English was actually pretty good.
  25. But having conversations with people, I found it really difficult.
  26. So when I first joined the BBC,
  27. the Learning English team made an assessment of my English level,
  28. which they used to do for all new joiners to see
  29. if they need any help or courses.
  30. My results were pretty good and I was fluent.
  31. but on that very same day,
  32. leaving the building and going to get some coffee,
  33. I couldn't really understand what the barista was saying
  34. and I felt pretty nervous to order coffee
  35. and was trying to stress every single word,
  36. hoping that my grammar is correct
  37. and I'm pronouncing the words right.
  38. Yeah, I'm sure that's a situation lots of people can relate to.
  39. Hanan's results on her English assessment were pretty good.
  40. but she was still pretty nervous to speak in English,
  41. for example, when ordering a coffee in English.
  42. The modifier pretty means quite or a bit.
  43. Georgie says that Hanan's experience is something that lots of people can relate to.
  44. If you relate to a situation, you know what it feels like,
  45. usually because a similar thing has happened to you.
  46. So lots of people feel nervous speaking another language,
  47. even if they're good at it, like Hanan.
  48. We can call this speaking anxiety.
  49. Anxiety means an uncomfortable feeling or worry about something that is happening or could happen in the future.
  50. So why do so many people
  51. have anxiety about speaking a foreign language?
  52. Experts think it's connected to the beliefs we have about ourselves.
  53. Han Luo, professor of Chinese at Lafayette College in the United States,
  54. explains more to BBC Learning English presenter Georgie.
  55. You know, usually the beliefs that cause anxiety, especially severe anxiety,
  56. are we call it irrational beliefs
  57. and also like some low self perceptions,
  58. fear of negative evaluation, all those learner internal, you know, factors.
  59. And Han says that learners worry about mistakes
  60. because they're scared of negative evaluation.
  61. In other words, that people will judge them
  62. for their mistakes and think badly of them.
  63. Han argues that irrational beliefs can make us anxious.
  64. Irrational beliefs are beliefs that aren't
  65. based on things that are true.
  66. They're not logical.
  67. Han says some people who have speaking anxiety have low self-perceptions.
  68. Your self-perception is what you think about yourself.
  69. Self-perception and irrational beliefs are both internal factors.
  70. They come from inside your head,
  71. not from the people around you.
  72. So, for example, when you speak your first language,
  73. you might feel confident and intelligent.
  74. But when you speak in a new language,
  75. you make mistakes and feel less confident.
  76. You can't show people what you're really like, and this is frustrating.
  77. But as we tell people all the time
  78. at BBC Learning English, mistakes are normal.
  79. You have to try to speak even though you make mistakes.
  80. And mistakes can be a good thing.
  81. They can help us learn.
  82. And if you want more tips to improve your speaking,
  83. listen to the Beating Speaking Anxiety podcast.
  84. There's a link in the notes below this episode.
  85. But Beth, I think it's time for the answer to your quiz question.
  86. Yes, I asked you how many words
  87. does the average English speaker use in daily communication?
  88. The answer is 20 to 30,000.
  89. That's quite a lot. Yeah, that's loads.
  90. OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learnt.
  91. Pretty can be used as a modifier
  92. to mean quite or a bit.
  93. If you relate to a person or situation, you understand them,
  94. usually because you've experienced something similar.
  95. Anxiety is feeling uncomfortable or worried about something that is happening
  96. or could happen in the future.
  97. Irrational beliefs are beliefs about something that is not true.
  98. They're not logical.
  99. Self-perception is the way you see yourself.
  100. And internal means inside the body or mind.