Getting Comfortably Conversational: How to Build Confidence in Speaking Another Language

Everyone who learns a second language has been there: after a few weeks or months of lessons and studies, their speaking skills still don’t feel natural or fluid enough. Sure, they can utter a few coherent sentences, their vocabulary is growing, and they can mostly understand native speakers.

Yet…something isn’t quite right.

And that something is confidence.

Just as it takes time to acquire new words, speak new phrases, and develop those critical listening skills, it also takes time to learn how to build confidence in speaking a foreign language.

So…you want to learn how to be confident speaking another language? All it takes is the right mix of skills, dedicated practice, and even a pinch of brashness. Oh, and using a proven learning platform like Pimsleur^® doesn’t hurt, either. With the Pimsleur Method™, you’ll learn to speak any language in an entertaining, enjoyable, and effective way.

Why You Feel Nervous Speaking a New Language

A bit of anxiety is common while speaking a new language, especially for novices. But don’t worry—confidence will come with time! And think about it…even the most famous figures in any field didn’t start off as masters of their craft or even wildly confident about their career prospects. Legendary quarterback Tom Brady started as a sixth-round draft pick, passed over by every team multiple times—and his career saw a record seven Super Bowl championships!

Before you go on your own personal winning streak with your chosen language, eventually speaking with total confidence, it helps to know why you get nervous when speaking a new language. Three primary reasons are:

Translation takes over. More fluent speakers start to think in their new language while beginners naturally self-check with their native tongue first. The process for beginners goes something like this: you produce a thought in your native language, then you translate that to your new language, and finally you speak the translation out loud. Of course, this process slows you down. It’s hard to know how to be confident in speaking a foreign language when you’re focusing on translating before speaking!
Social anxiety. Your brain is hard-wired to adjust to awkward situations and mistakes. New language speakers naturally tend to get nervous when talking, particularly to a native audience. It’s totally normal for that adrenaline rush to hit, which negatively impacts your short-term memory, causing those sweat glands to go into overdrive, and jamming up the speech-producing processes in your brain.
Inability to express your personality. Expert speakers in a foreign language communicate effectively while maintaining their own personality quirks and nuances. But new speakers are often forced to speak in shortened, halting sentences while using relatively basic vocabulary. And to top it off, their pronunciation isn’t refined yet. These emerging skills limit a person’s ability to express their personality through speech, and nervousness naturally follows.

If you want to learn how to be more confident in speaking a second language, knowing how to get past these roadblocks is essential. Let’s focus on the “how.”

How to Be Confident Speaking Another Language With Real Conversations

Want to learn how to build confidence in speaking your target language? Get ready to be a bit uncomfortable—but that’s OK, it’s all part of the learning process.

Build fundamental phrases. Confidence doesn’t happen right away. When conversing with a native speaker, have a few “comprehension query” phrases to fall back on. Try “I can’t find the word I’m searching for, but it’s similar to…” You can also say, “I’ll try to say that another way.” These will reduce the panic factor and build confidence as you’re learning.
Don’t think—just speak. We talked about the paused, mechanical speaking that defines many new language learners. Once you’re able to speak sentences, just go ahead and speak them; don’t worry about getting the exact right word initially or getting the accent correct. In other words, focus on flow. This suppresses the urge to overthink, and also gets the conversation going.
Keep expectations realistic. Very few people can learn a language and be conversational right away. And don’t worry…native speakers expect a novice speaker to have their share of struggles. While starting out, try to convey simple thoughts and expressions, then build up to more complex phrasing. If your speaking goals are too lofty, frustration can take over quickly.

Improving your pronunciation, vocabulary, and fluency are three solid ways to build confidence. Try mimicking a native speaker to build all three skills. If you’re interested in figuring out how to build confidence in speaking any language, sometimes, simply copying a conversational speaker is all you need to extend your base knowledge into real-world, practical communication. And Pimsleur is here to help – our Voice Coach provides real-time feedback as you mimic a native speaker, consolidate new vocabulary into your memory, and practice reproducing new sounds with ease.

How to Develop Confidence in Speaking with Practice & Mindset Shifts

Daily practice will boost your confidence, particularly if you’re conversing with native speakers. And there are a few mental adjustments you can make to improve confidence:

Focus on keeping the conversation going instead of pausing to find the “perfect” phrase.
Realize that the level of your speaking skills doesn’t have to limit your ability to communicate – be willing to make mistakes!
And always have those fundamental phrases (“I’ll try to say that another way.”) at the ready to help reduce anxiety.

Learn to Speak Confidently with Pimsleur

Pimsleur is your go-to resource for learning a new language. Our unique instructional techniques – informed by the Pimsleur Method and easily accessible via our go-anywhere, learn-anytime Pimsleur app – are designed to quickly build confidence as you acquire a new language. We’ll teach you how to be more confident in speaking through ample opportunities to listen, speak, and refine your new language skills.

Get started with a Premium or All Access subscription today, and watch your confidence go from small to sizable in a matter of weeks!