Written by: Sarah Henderson-Sharon, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
I am fascinated by the intersection of psychology and language learning. The more I work with non-native speakers, the more I think the psychology behind language learning matters. This should be obvious, really.
Our motivation levels, our ability to set goals and work towards them and whether or not we are willing to put ourselves in uncomfortable positions depends on how we think and feel about ourselves. In other words, learning a language is about far more than learning rules and lists of words. It is a much deeper process that may, at times, impact on the ways we see ourselves and the world around us.
Let’s explore three aspects of learning a second language that I think are ignored by traditional language teaching:
Traditional Language Teaching
In traditional language teaching, we are taught grammar rules and vocabulary along with easy-to-test skills such as reading and writing. If we are lucky, we also get help with speaking and listening. However, traditional language teaching generally omits any mention of what is happening psychologically for the student. In my twenty years of teaching English, I have never encountered a course book that discusses strategies for managing nerves, overcoming fear or developing a healthy mindset towards learning (if you know of such a book, I would love to hear about it!). I have come to believe that this is a serious omission that significantly impedes the ability of many non-native speakers to perform at their best. Let’s explore these three problems in more detail:
Managing Nerves
There are many situations in which non-native speakers might find themselves in situations that cause anxiety. Obvious examples include exams, interviews, meetings or delivering a presentation. These four are all situations that could be taught in a course book. For instance, a student can work towards an exam in a language school, or attend a business English course to improve their use of English at work. However, there is unlikely to be much help in learning how to manage performance-related nerves within the course book.
Overcoming Fear
As I explained in my previous article, some non-native speakers are so terrified of speaking that they can barely bring themselves to say anything at all. A lot of this fear stems from worrying about making mistakes, being misunderstood or being harshly judged by others. Again, the fact that speaking a foreign language can be a very scary experience is not explored in mainstream course books or in class; learners who are very shy may struggle to find the support they need in order to learn how to speak up.
Developing a Healthy Mindset
Our mindsets form early on and are shaped by the experiences we go through as children and, later on, as adults. When it comes to language learning, much of our mindset is based upon our previous experiences with education which may not have been helpful. As an example, it is common for proficiency-level non-native speakers to constantly find fault with their speaking and to expect themselves to never make mistakes. From working with many people in this situation, it appears that their early education made them afraid of making mistakes and led them to believe that mistakes are wrong or bad. This belief is then carried on into adulthood and can have very limiting effects. Again, there is little mention of this in course books or training programmes.
So, what can you do as a non-native speaker to help yourself overcome these negative situations?
Managing Nerves
There are many strategies that can help you overcome performance nerves, including positive visualisation and doing enough practice. One absolutely key thing, though, is healthy breathing. When we are anxious, we tend to breath quickly and in a shallow way. We may feel rushed as we speak and as though the words are coming out of our mouths without our control. These two things add fuel to the panic fire and if we are not careful, we can create a vicious circle of anxiety. We always have more time than we think and there is always time to stop and take a deep, calming breath. Learning how to manage nerves through controlled breathing is, for me, the simplest and most effective action we can take to get a hold on our anxiety.
Overcoming Fear
Overcoming the fear of speaking a foreign language requires you to explore your fear and the beliefs that have created it. The question prompts below are to help you start to do this:
What do you believe about your speaking? Do you believe you are awful and that no-one will understand you? Do you believe others will judge you? Where do these beliefs come from and how do you know they are true?
When did the fear start? For example, did you go to a school that punished you for making mistakes? Did you have a teacher who corrected you every time you made a mistake? Did your education teach you that only perfect people succeed?
How does the fear manifest in your life today? Does it stop you from doing things you want to do? What kind of effect is it having on your personal and professional life? How might your life be different if you were free from this fear?
What does the fear feel like? Is it a hot or cold feeling? Whereabouts in your body do you experience it?
How would you describe it?
Sometimes, just acknowledging the fact that we feel afraid can help us to shift the way we think and feel. However, if you are really struggling to deal with fears around speaking a foreign language, it can be worth looking for professional help and support.
Developing a Healthy Mindset
Many language learners have extremely unhealthy beliefs and unrealistic expectations about themselves and their abilities. For instance, people might expect themselves to:
speak perfectly at all times
speak their foreign languages as well as they speak their first language
understand everything they hear the first time
never make a mistake
It should go without saying that these beliefs and expectations are impossibly high and need to be challenged. For example, people don’t remember that they are not perfect in their first language, particularly when they are tired or stressed out (interestingly, although people may accept this in their first language, it becomes a source of self-blame to be less than perfect when tired in their second language!). Just like with overcoming fear, you need to dig deep into what’s happening here and ask yourself whether your beliefs and expectations are reasonable, possible and kind to yourself. And if they are not, what could you believe instead?
Ultimately, I believe that the way languages are taught needs to change and move with the times. As society becomes more attuned to neurodivergence, special learning needs and mental health issues and how these impact on a wide range of people, I sincerely hope that language teaching will start to become more holistic in its approach and will start to offer learners concrete strategies to help them understand and overcome their fears and anxieties, In my opinion, doing this would not only result in happier language learners, it would also have a knock-on effect onto the emotional well-being of the whole person.
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info!
Sarah Henderson-Sharon, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Sarah Henderson-Sharon is an expert in helping non-native English speakers overcome Second Language Anxiety: the fear, shame, and anxiety they experience when speaking English. A teacher with 17 years of experience, Sarah became aware of the damaging impact of Second Language Anxiety four years ago. Since then, Sarah has dedicated herself to helping her clients understand and move beyond their fears so that they can use English with confidence. She is the founder of Think Positive English where she offers 1-2-1 programs and a community speaking club empowering members to improve their spoken English.
