It has often been said that English in Spain is poorly taught and, although this is relative, what is a fact is that it is more difficult for us Spaniards to venture into public speaking in English. We may know all the grammatical rules, we can write an email perfectly and we watch as many movies as possible in the original version, but we still find it hard to lose our fear of speaking in public. If you identify with this and want to learn how to speak in English in public without nerves, you’ve come to the right place.
Tips for learning to speak in public in English
Sign up for conversation classes
You may think there’s no point in joining an English language school if you already know all the theory, but here’s the good news!
There are conversation classes that focus on speaking. In them, you will improve your pronunciation and improve your listening skills.
After a while, you will notice that you speak much more fluently, without translating in your head and, most importantly, they will help you lose your fear!
Imitates native people
If you’ve ever had a thorn in your side about being an actor, now is your time to make it happen.
A good trick to become fluent in English is to imitate native English speakers. You can watch celebrity interviews or movies and try to act as if you were that person. Can’t think of anything to start with?
Pick up your favorite series!
And if you’re thinking that most of the series you watch are American and you’re interested in a British accent, the entire cast of Harry Potter is English.
No more excuses!
Think about how the English speak Spanish
Comparisons are odious and we don’t think it’s right to generalize, but for British and other native English speakers it is very difficult to conjugate verbs well in Spanish, and most have only studied the language for a couple of years. You’ve probably been familiar with English for a longer time! Don’t worry if you still don’t pronounce a word as if you were born in London, you’ll have time for that and we assure you that native speakers will understand what you mean anyway.
How to lose the fear of speaking English in public?
If after doing all these things you still feel paralyzed when speaking in front of strangers, the best advice we can give you to learn how to speak in public without nerves is to relax.
You don’t have to be afraid of making a mistake, because it’s okay if you do!
From FunTalk we encourage you to start practicing.
We are a language center in Barcelona specialized in teaching through fun.
We have classes for both adults and children and, if you are too embarrassed to join one of our courses, we also offer private classes for all ages and all levels.
What are you waiting for? Contact us!