Scared to speak in French? Does this feeling of fear get in the way of talking to people? Listen to today's episode as I share with you the most helpful and actionable tips of the podcast so far to boost your confidence and overcome your fear of speaking French. This episode will help you narrow your focus to what matters most now. But remember: it's one thing to know what to do in theory, and it's another to actually take action. So enjoy the episode, but more importantly, apply the tips, and the rest will follow!
In today's episode, you'll learn about:
- the difference between your proficiency level and your confidence level
- the reason why you don't feel like you're progressing even though you truly are
- the hidden mental block that prevents you from reaching your full potential
- the two areas to focus on to build up confidence
- the one question that instantly boosts your confidence each time you answer it
Today's takeaway:
1. Do you want to overcome your fear of speaking? You must uncover the root cause of your fear first
Your fear of speaking is merely a symptom of a deeper issue. That issue is what you need to start working on. Is it making mistakes? Is it getting stuck, being judged...? For more info, check out Let’s dive in and talk fear #2
2. Do you want to improve your confidence by studying more French? Realise that your confidence is unrelated to your level
It all starts with how you feel inside, and your energy when you speak. Not the level of your French. Practise speaking confidently by counting from 1 to 20 in a confident and compelling manner. Discover that confidence-building exercise: Confidence: it’s not about your level #40
3. Have you hit the intermediate plateau? Congratulations! That's great news!
Most learners never hit that stage. You have. And it's a beautiful thing. That means you are not a beginner anymore. Learning a not a linear process: you've reached the stage where you are still learning but cannot immediately see the results of your learning. Hang in there. You have nothing to overcome. For more details, check out Embracing the dread of the learning plateau #11
4. Your fear of making mistakes could be hidden: what activities are you subconsciously avoiding?
What is one thing you find so difficult to learn that you believe you're unable to do it? More often than not, your answer will be based on a fear of failure rather than an actual skill issue. Embrace the challenge and make plenty of mistakes. Discover the full list of questions to uncover your underlying mental blocks: Mistakes in French: the good, the bad and the ugly #24
5. Do you believe you'll become more confident when you get "better" at French? Learn the difference between confidence and competence.
Being confident is about taking action even when you don't know everything. It's about going for it even when you aren't ready. Successful learners do not wait to know everything to engage in conversations, and they understand the difference between being well-rehearsed and confident. For more info, check out Step into your confidence #3
6. Do you know not what to start with to nurture your conversation confidence? Focus on those two things.
1: do exactly what scares you. 2: be as stupid as you can. To implement this, list all the situations you dread the most, then rank them on a scale of 1-10, and practise each situation progressively and gradually. More details at Focus on this, ignore the rest #9
7. Do you even know not what you're good at? Become more confident by expanding on your assets
What are your signature strengths? To boost your confidence incrementally, ask yourself the following questions each time you do an activity. 1) Name two things you did well. 2) How can you expand on those things? These two questions will help you focus on your assets, find your learning sweet spot, and build up confidence naturally. Find out more at This one question will make you confident in French #27
8. Do you struggle with conversation skills? How often do you practise live conversations?
We often think that quality is more important than quantity. But how many hours do you dedicate to real conversations with native speakers? Of course, conversation will feel difficult. But not because you're bad at it, but because you never do it nearly often enough! Quantity leads to quality, which leads to confidence. Not the other way around. More info at Quantity over quality #36
Resources and references:
Listen to the episodes in full to get the full benefits of today's tips:
Alors? Ça t'a plu?
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