I freeze up when I want to speak Spanish
Today at a party, a Mexican girl approached me and my other roommate and asked, “Hablan español?” I’d been studying Spanish for six months, so I understood everything she said, but I literally froze. It was as if I’d forgotten everything I’d ever known. I really wanted to talk to her, but my roommate interrupted me. It was quite humiliating to see that I knew exactly how to respond but was frozen.Â
How can I prevent this from happening again? Every time someone speaks to me, I completely freeze. Do you recognize yourself in this situation? What causes this to happen?
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Many times this happens because of fear of making mistakes, being judged, embarrassment about pronunciation/accent when speaking another language, or just the panic of going completely blank. Here are some of the main reasons that can cause this situation when we have to speak Spanish (even if you speak it very well):
Fear
It is not uncommon to have it, even advanced speakers and native speakers can externalize it when communicating. Fear is a daily factor in life, and it is easy to identify when you are paralyzed by it. The solution to this is to find the courage to step out of your comfort zone, normalize this feeling and accept that at some point there may be a stumble. We all talk to ourselves sometimes, try to do it in Spanish, and let the words become a habit until we can say them “without thinking”.
Understanding
Getting paralyzed by not knowing how to respond to what someone said because you did not understand it can be solved simply by asking the person to repeat what they said, to explain the meaning, or to communicate in other words. There is nothing wrong with asking for help to get out of the jam, support yourself with the magic expression “please” and a smile and don’t forget the gestures and mimics, do everything possible to use the target language, in this case, Spanish, if you are in Mexico.
Practice
Perhaps the issue is not elsewhere, but rather in the lack of use of language, making it difficult to find someone to talk to. If you’re learning Spanish with an app like Duolingo, that’s great, but if you don’t find someone to practice with, it’ll just be isolated words in your head that aren’t structured. However, there are some options. The idea is that you find the opportunity to practice what you learn in real life, but if you don’t find that space, looking for a teacher with whom you can practice every day or language exchange can be another excellent option.
Pronunciation
 Some words can be difficult to pronounce. Practicing Listening will make the more you perceive and analyze Spanish, the more your pronunciation will gradually approach how it should sound, but not only that, it also helps you to correctly enunciate the connection between what you enunciate: the rhythm and intonation of a sentence.
It may seem obvious or even silly, but learning the sounds, and identifying the alphabet will facilitate your learning, especially in a language like Spanish, which is completely phonetic, that is, each letter has a particular sound, one of the great advantages of Spanish, and if you are learning Spanish in Mexico, a particularity is that in general its pronunciation is clearer than other accents such as Spanish from Spain, or in the Caribbean.
Intimidation
In a situation where you are surrounded by people who speak fluent Spanish, it can be intimidating to have to speak in front of them. There is no reason to feel this way. Creating a sense of security and pride by thinking about how excited we feel when a foreigner who does not share the language tries to speak it and realizing that, instead of judging them, we seek to help them and that even this is admirable, it is always very comforting to meet people who are trying to communicate in our language, in our country, is a way to get closer to the local people more easily.
FrustrationÂ
This emotion is very common when people do not realize their progress with the language and think they speak little or even no Spanish, which causes them not to take part in conversations or activities that involve speaking it, and then give up on doing so in the future. Learning to celebrate every little achievement every time a topic is completed or a goal is achieved, marking progress, and celebrating it with something that makes us feel good is valid and motivating. For example, if today you learned how to order something in a restaurant and you are in a place where they speak Spanish, at first ask for your food in Spanish, try it, then you can rectify it in your language if the waiter speaks it (so you will not get a very spicy surprise in your tacos), remember that speaking, speaking and speaking is the key to get rid of this problem when speaking Spanish or any foreign language.
Self-esteem
The level of self-confidence is often one of the most common impediments. There should be no reason not to say what you have to say, you need to value and give the message you want to convey the importance it deserves. Ignore the inner self -which says that you are not good enough- and focus one hundred percent on what you want to communicate as the priority, and if you get a correction, which is the most normal when learning anything, deal with it in the best way, it is better to make a mistake once by saying “la problema” (which is masculine by the way) and be corrected with the appropriate form which is “el problema”, sometimes these corrections are the most useful.
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Too many inputs
Applications, video courses, audio courses, teachers, grammar books, sometimes less is more, and sometimes having too much information can only confuse us, so better focus on a single method and if possible based on the variant of Spanish you want to learn.
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Not knowing the cultureÂ
I can’t communicate or make myself understood, and I need to understand the culture. The answer is yes, it is very possible that not understanding the cultural codes can cause a cultural shock, which is transferred in that fear when trying to express yourself, remember that language and culture are two concepts that are 100% linked and cannot be separated. Read in your language about the culture of the language you are learning, and observe the local people, this will help you to understand codes beyond the spoken language.Â
Will I be able to stop freezing when I want to speak Spanish someday?
Of course, the most important thing is that you do not miss the opportunity to practice, especially speaking, if you are learning you must create a routine and organization that allows you to learn and advance little by little, it is useless to study 5 hours a day if you only get frustrated with so much information.Â
The Wara-Wara Spanish School learning method, for example, allows you to learn little by little, without rushing, and mainly focused on oral expression, talking every day with your teacher and classmates in Spanish is the best way to lose the fear and to block yourself when speaking. If you are open to forgetting old paradigms and endless copies of grammar, sit in the front row of the classroom, have a cup of coffee, and start speaking Spanish.
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