Speaking skills cover a wide range, from engaging in simple conversation to formal public speaking. It certainly plays a vital role in communication process. It is the most important type from the types of linguistic activities. Developing speaking skills help in creating an effective connection among the individuals’ network.
Yeah! I am getting overtly expressive with the importance of speaking skills. Now some technical part, speaking is a complicated mental process and a productive skill. Producing speech is not a single skill, rather speaking is an interactive process of constructing meaning that involves producing, receiving and processing information.
Effective Speaking includes two categories; accuracy and fluency. This means that developing speaking skill involves the correct use of vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and having the ability to speak spontaneously. Doing all of this at the same time brings in the ‘unwanted guest’ here: ANXIETY.
Speaking is affected by these variables; therefore, foreign language speaking anxiety is one of the most prominent factors that has a negative influence on the oral performance of speakers of other language learning English whether as a second language or a foreign Language.
Anxiety is a negative way to present human feelings. When we are anxious we feel nervous, worried and fearful. It is usually associated with unpleasant feeling and is similar to fear.
Anxiety in communicating in a second language, especially when that language is English can have an adverse effect and can influence the speakers’ targeted goals.
There can be different reasons behind these anxiety attacks:
- Lack of preparation
- Feeling of covering too many points in a short period of time
- Fear of being judged by the audience
Now that we know the problem, let’s have a look at the solutions to cure these problems.
- Identify your fears: you can’t work on improving yourself until you identify the problems. Introspection is the key here.
- Accept the problems and share your feelings with others or write them down- read aloud for as long as you are unaffected by how it sounds.
- Mistakes are the best way to learn so that we are less likely to keep making them.
- The most important step is to keep practicing.
Always remember you are learning to master a second or may be a third language while many native speakers do not even speak a second language.
Schedule a free 30 minutes session with me to understand how you can overcome this anxiety. Or write to me at archana@archanaparmar.com