Teentalk

We all are aware of the experience of feeling like a child again, when we do not have enough words to express ourselves. Also, who would have not faced the struggle to maintain their dignity in the face of self-criticism? There are some things you can do to grasp and overcome your nerves when speaking another language, especially English.

People who are not fluent with English always have a voice on their head, which says, ‘not to open your mouth or you’ll look stupid’. Sadly, most people listen to it. Also they have a tendency to assume that they are criticised. Here are a few tips that will hep you overcome your English phobia.

Know your fear

What is it that you are afraid of? Anxiety about speaking English usually boils down to fear of failure or of being negatively evaluated. If you have noticed unusual or strange words coming out of your mouth during a conversation or interview, you too probably have the same fear. To fight this, ask yourself how you feel when a foreign person makes an effort to speak your language. Hopefully you wouldn’t judge then in a negative way.

Listen carefully

Speak in English with people with whom you are comfortable enough and who have a good command over language. Listen to English songs, watch good English movies or sitcoms and also pay attention to conversation in English (available on youtube).

Work out on your language

Build your vocabulary and learn grammar. You can start by learning greetings and salutations in English, followed by names of different things, like animals, fruits, vehicles, utensils. Also try to learn proverbs and famous sayings in English language.

Keep up your confidence and remember it’s just a language and no rocket science. To quote Lao Tzu, ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’, and this is an excellent first step.

Frustration is hard to ignore, especially when you are in your teens and have pressures of school, friends, family, peers, and hormones. Feeling oppressed by the authority of your parents, hurtful experiences from dating and friendships or uncertainty of the future, there are numerable triggers of frustration. However, luckily, there are ways to cope up with it.

Don’t run away

Whenever you feel like nothing seems to be working, sit back, relax and take a closer look. Never try to run away from your feelings of frustration. Acknowledge the fact calmly that you are depressed.

Talk it out

Talking to someone who is close to you will help you feel better and gain a new perspective into why you are feeling frustrated. If not, then you can write down your feelings and read it over and over again to see if there is anything you can do to change things for better.

Let go

You also have to understand that there are certain things which are not under your control. Therefore, it is only wise to accept those things as they are and never fret about them.

Shift your focus

As we know anger and frustration go hand in hand, try to shift your focus as the slightest hint of anger. Shift your focus on small but demanding activities. For example, go for a walk or clean up the mess that you’ve been thinking to do since a long time, cook something or any other activity which will divert your attention for the time being.

Know your accomplishments

Make a list of all your breakthroughs including big and small. When you will realise that you have succeeded in the past, your current burden of frustration will get loosen up a little.

Remember - It is only normal to get frustrated at some point in life, but you should never let your frustrations drive you. Take control of your anger and try to stay positive as much as you can.