For many language learners, the first conversations in the new language are scary. In fact, one of the biggest fears when learning a language is being able to speak confidently in that language. Foreign language anxiety is a common issue for those using or learning a foreign language and is particularly prominent when speaking.

Users can be known to suffer the feeling of unease, worry, nervousness and apprehension which can come from three general factors; communication apprehension, test anxiety or fear of negative evaluation.

When speaking a language to native speakers, it is common to suffer anxiety from;

Communication apprehension – where you are worried about speaking or listening to individuals.

Negative evaluation – where you worry that people may negatively view your language ability.

Often the main reason that people suffer from foreign language anxiety is due to a lack of confidence, although confidence in itself can come from a variety of causes.

Unfortunately, the problem doesn’t end there, once you have mastered the confidence to engage with native speakers using your language ability, you can stumble across further problems. You may find that there is an unwillingness to engage with you, confusion and comprehension problems and that they may revert back to English, meaning you cannot practice your skills at all.

“The best way to get someone to reply to you in Spanish is by appearing confident in Spanish right from the start”

~~Olly Richards —I Will Teach You A Language

Don’t worry, you are not alone in these problems, in fact, most language learners will have been through the same challenges as you are going through. For this article, we have rounded up stories and advice from the best language learning experts who have shared their experiences, so you know that you are not alone in your plight and even the experts have problems practicing their skills and speaking with native speakers.

With the help of some of the finest language learning experts, we will cover all of the issues you will face when learning Spanish from:

Why people fear speaking when learning a new language

What are the best ways to conquer the fear

The biggest frustrations you will encounter when speaking in a foreign language

Stories from the experts that you will undoubtedly relate to

The best ways to overcome the problems, etc.

So, read on to conquer your language learning fears and master your speaking skills while ensuring that you avoid all of the pitfalls thanks to the advice of the experts who have gone through the same difficulties as you.

Fear of Speaking Foreign Languages

From reading, listening and speaking, speaking is usually the aspect that new language learners fear. Speaking is difficult for a number of reasons and can even cause people to give up learning the language altogether.

When you’re speaking Spanish it requires you to think fast and multitask; speaking is not just your ability to use the right tenses, structures, and pronunciation, it requires a vast amount of language knowledge that you need to tap into almost instantly. An extensive vocabulary is essential so that you can continue a conversation, after all, you never know what your counterpart will say next and where the conversation is going.

When you muster the confidence to engage in Spanish, you do not want to cut a conversation short because you don’t have the words at hand, you want to keep the conversation flowing naturally and letting it take its course, without worry.

Conversations also happen in real-time, this means that you have very limited time to prepare what you want to say, as when you aren’t speaking your time is devoted to listening to the other person and understanding what they have to say. A slow conversation is hideously painful for all sides, to be able to practice your speaking skills you also need to turn on your listening skills. Remember, with talking, 50% of it is actually listening.

Want to improve your Spanish listening so that you can conquer your Spanish speaking? Check out this article.

There are so many reasons that can prevent people from speaking, some of the common fears include;

Not knowing what to say

Not understanding what the other person says

Scared that I don’t know how to say something

That it’s going to be so embarrassing when I mess up

Will they even speak back to me?

As with any skill, it is important to conquer those fears, and the best way to do this is to practice, practice, practice….and did I say “Practice”?

Best Ways To Practice Speaking Spanish

There are many ways to practice Spanish and hone your speaking skills; all experts will commonly suggest these three ways as the best ways to become fluent in Spanish;

Find a native

Go to a Spanish-language speaking country

Don’t be afraid to talk even if it’s only a small amount.

Speaking With A Native

Finding a native speaker can be an intimidating experience, but is often the best way to learn. Speaking with a native allows you to steer away from textbook Spanish and lets you learn local nuances, slang phrases as well as giving you a chance to hear Spanish with a regional dialect.

Unfortunately, engaging with a native takes confidence, willingness, and perseverance, you have to commit and be bold. The lesson Coffee Shop Spanish founder, Daniel Braun gives is simply to make it happen.

“I have spoken Spanish for over 17 years, and every time I have wanted to speak Spanish with a native, I made it happen. I promise you it wasn’t always pretty. If you’re willing to make mistakes and perhaps sound a bit less refined than you do in your native language, you’ll constantly create speaking opportunities for yourself.”

~~Daniel Braun, Coffee Shop Spanish, located in Cincinnati, OH.

Visiting A Spanish Speaking Country

Visiting a Spanish speaking country not only gives you the opportunity to practice your language skills but also allows you to immerse yourself in the culture and gets you to enjoy all of the aspects of the language. It is likely that feeling comfortable visiting a Spanish speaking country is one of the reasons you want to learn that language and if not, it definitely gives you a great excuse to go.

What’s important when in a Spanish speaking country is that you have to make the first move to speak their language, commonly they’ll talk to you in English for your ease (IF they know how to speak your language of course), and you will then naturally answer back in English. Before you know it, you’ll be a ‘Gringo’ living in a country forevermore, while still not being able to speak the language. The ease of slipping back in English so quickly can make you forget all about advancing your language skills when you’re out there, and you may give up learning altogether.

Don’t Be Afraid

Wherever you have the opportunity to speak Spanish, make the most of it, even if it’s only small such as asking for directions when you’re out, even if you know the way. If you’re at home, there are plenty of opportunities to practice speaking.

Got the house to yourself? Put on your favorite Spanish music and sing along — Loudly. I am a big fan of using Spanish music to improve your Spanish. In fact, I’ve a section on this website where you’ll find a bunch of songs where you’ll be able to read the lyrics in both English and Spanish, you can check it out here.

It may not be engaging with others, but it is a great way to enjoy learning Spanish and practice saying/singing the words out loud. Learning Spanish by listening to music is a creative way that will up your skills. Music also gets you more into the the Spanish culture. I’ve always said that if I didn’t turn to Spanish music, I would have probably quit Spanish. It gave me the chance to hear, feel, and enjoy something “Real” on a consistent basis. Music is short and sweet, it’s repetitive but incredibly fun.

You’ll eventually get to a point when some songs will become your all time favorites –not just your all time Spanish-language favorites, but in general!

If Bob Marley is your favorite artist, soon Romeo Santos or any another Latino artist will be right up there with him, imagine that?. Once something like this happens, you’re at as what I like to call, “the no point of no return” and quitting simply won’t be an option because it’s now part of your life — even if you still have a hard time getting the natives to speak with you.

I was able to get Spanish-speaking people to take me more seriously by mentioning certain artists or quoting certain lyrics. You’ll become less “Gringo’ish“, haha, just made that word up :-).

The more serious you come across in regards to learning the language, they more accepting the natives become and they will be more willing to speak with you.

By the way, music is how this Gritty Spanish thing all started, believe it or not. My frustration with natives not really speaking to me is also why Gritty Spanish, especially the original version has a dark, aggressive tone.

Other ways you can practice is speaking at home, even if it’s only a little bit. You can walk around your house and say the name of things that you see. It may feel childish, but it builds your word database up quickly. The internet and apps are full of interesting ways to help increase your Spanish speaking in a fun way, so explore what works for you and watch your confidence build step by step.

I am also big on recording yourself. Most of us have cellphones that has the capability to record both voice and video…So why not try that too? Don’t ever use that excuse of Spanish-speaking people not talking to you in Spanish to just quit.

The Biggest Frustration

Undoubtedly conversing with a native is not only a goal of your Spanish learning experience but an incredible achievement, something that will make you proud of yourself and you can marvel at your new-found ability. Once you’ve practiced speaking, gathered all your vocabulary and realized that you can beat your self-confidence issues, you finally summon the courage to talk to a native speaker.

You start your conversation, and you think you’ve done well, and then they talk back to you in English. There is nothing more demoralizing. When this happens, you start to question your ability, were you not good enough? Did you not say it right? Do they think you’re stupid?

When native speakers talk back to you in English it is generally not rudeness; it is usually because they are very polite. Some may realize that their English is better than your Spanish, so it is easier to converse in a language that works for the both of you. Generally, people want to help and speaking in your language shows that they want to assist you wherever possible.

“I am a native Spanish speaker from Puerto Rico and many times I have been in situations where an English speaker talks to me in broken Spanish and I answer back in English right away. But let me explain, I am not doing it because I am mean. First, in scenarios like that, I don’t know if the English speaker is trying to practice Spanish or if he/she is just making an effort to communicate with me without knowing that I also speak English. I just answer back in English to let them know “don’t worry, it’s ok to speak English with me.”

~~Diana Romey, Speaking Latino

Many people just identify common ground, particularly if you seek out native speakers where you live, they may feel like they have to use English. Others are just like you and see your conversation as a chance to practice their English just like you want to practice your Spanish.

If you come across this encounter, you are not alone. We’ve reached out to many language learning experts who have shared similar frustrations. Through these experiences, you’ll see that you’re not alone and it can happen to anyone during the language learning experience.

Stories From The Experts

Unfortunately for many language learners, they forget that they’re the only one who sees the conversation as a chance to hone your skills. While this shouldn’t put you off, don’t be defeated and downhearted if someone replies to you in English, they just think you want to have a conversation with them, not that you’re practicing your Spanish.

“When you start talking to another person, you’re the only one who considers it language practice! For the person you’re talking to, it’s just another social encounter. If they switch to English, it’s not because they’re trying to make your life hard, it’s because English is probably the strongest common language”

— Olly Richards, I Will Teach You A Language

Most people are friendly and want to help others, even strangers, but even then, there are limitations to people’s kindness. Nobody wants a strained and painful conversation; it’s awkward and uncomfortable for all those who are involved. This point is made clear by John DuQuette from Yabla who says:

“I think people, in general, unless you are paying them to be your teacher, are going to go to the language that will make the communication the fastest and most effective. Basically, if they speak English better than you speak Spanish, they are going to recognize that and speak to you in English”

Just as you find it difficult to speak to a non-native in English, Spanish speakers will feel the same frustrations. While people are usually very grateful that you’re making an effort, it can be frustration, Diana Romey from Speaking Latino finds it immensely challenging, even with her brother-in-law!

“It’s not easy to have a conversation with a person that doesn’t speak your native language fluently. When I first met my brother-in-law, he had just moved to Puerto Rico. My boyfriend (now husband) specifically asked me to talk to him in Spanish so he could practice. “Ok, no problem!”, I said. The reality… it was hard to understand, difficult to follow and, sometimes, the conversation was very slow.”

~~Diana Romey, Speaking Latino

While these experiences may make you fear talking even more, do not be disheartened. The only way you will improve and build your confidence is to keep talking and keep making progress, even if it only seems like baby steps. One day, you’ll walk away from a conversation, and you’ll realize that it felt natural and even easy. What an achievement to be near fluent in another language!

If you’re scared of annoying people with your slow conversation and broken Spanish don’t be. As Daniel Braun from Coffee Shop Spanish says;

“Spanish speakers are typically the most encouraging, grateful people when you just try and I have never heard any native speaker of Spanish criticize a non-native for their errors.” With Spanish, you’re in safe hands, in fact, I normally get great feedback on my efforts when I try out my skills in a Spanish speaking country. Getting feedback is a great motivation to advance further and to push you to learn more. While you may find that some people may criticize, more often, it is because they want to help you and in turn, you’ll want to up your game so they can’t help but compliment you next time they see you.”

~~Daniel Braun ~~ Coffee Shop Spanish



The key to bear in mind is that sometimes your intentions aren’t always clear and people may find conversing with you difficult, especially if they don’t realize that you’re only talking to them because you want to practice speaking Spanish. Fortunately, our team of experts has come up with some great ways to help you avoid this problem and make your Spanish conversation enjoyable for everyone.

More Expert Advice: How To Win At Speaking Spanish

You’ve gone through the worries, the confidence issues, and the painful speaking experiences. Now is the time to bite the bullet and talk without getting an English answer in response. Here are five tips direct from the experts on how you can make speaking Spanish stick, with no English comebacks!

Converse With Those Who Don’t Speak English

Whether you are vacation or engaging to a Spanish speaker at home, people will naturally talk to you in English as it is the easier option for everyone. The way to get around this? Strike up conversations with people who you know don’t have good English.

“Some years ago when I was on holiday in Mallorca, every time I spoke to someone in Spanish they answered me back in English. They just didn’t seem to want to speak to me in their native tongue. In the end, I was forced to talk to the hotel gardener who fortunately couldn’t speak a word of English and so had no alternative than to talk to me in Spanish!”

— Gordon Smith, LightSpeed Spanish

This doesn’t have to be on holiday, keep your eyes peeled at home, often you’ll encounter people throughout your day where you notice they speak Spanish and perhaps their grasp of English isn’t great. Make an effort to talk to these people; they’ll probably be grateful for a break from trying to master English.

Go Remote

While many people suggest going to a Spanish-speaking country to refine their speaking skills, this only works if the place you are going isn’t a tourist hotspot, or is a place that doesn’t naturally attract English speakers or rarely uses the English Language. John DuQuette, the founder of Yabla, suggests;

“I advocate going to some remote corner of a Spanish speaking country and living there for a while (at least a month), conducting your day to day business (shopping, playing, socializing, etc.) all in Spanish. Basically, you are going to a place where most people have no choice but to deal with you, in Spanish, since nobody around speaks English (in fact in some countries you don’t even have to be that remote, as long as you stay away from tourists and places tourists go). For the most part, you will probably be welcomed and make some friends quickly — people more than willing to help you. The only exception is when you encounter someone learning English, and, even if they are worse at English than you are in Spanish, they will be so excited to find a native English speaker that they will want to torture you with their English just as much, if not more than you want to torture them with your Spanish. But those people will be in the minority — and you can just avoid them (or use them wisely).”

Start Confidently

The best way to engage in a conversation is to go in with confidence. People will assume you’re a good Spanish speaker if you prepare and rehearse a great opening for a conversation.

“Work hard on your introductions, or other phrases you use when talking to someone new. Write them out and prepare them. Rehearse them with your tutor or a friend. Very quickly, you’ll learn to give a very strong first impression, and have a better chance of making the conversation stick in Spanish!”

~~Olly Richards, I Will Teach You A Language.

Olly had written a similar general language article on his website, titled, “How to stop people talking to you in English“.

By preparing introductions in advance, it also gives you speaking practice when you’re alone at home and want to talk, but don’t have someone to converse with. You can even add an introduction that you are learning Spanish and want to practice with them, the worst someone can do is say no, so there is nothing to be afraid of.

Make A Deal

Commonly, Spanish speakers will want to practice speaking English as much as you want to practice conversing in Spanish.

Patrick Jackson, founder of Learning Spanish Like Crazy recalls a time when he had this problem talking to a Dominican woman in a club;

“After greeting her with “hola” I proceeded to ask some very basic conversational questions Spanish such as ¿Cómo estás?, ¿Cómo te llamas?, ¿De dónde eres? etc. But all of her responses were in English, but with an accent that suggested she knew about as much English as I knew Spanish. Finally, she said to me, while sounding somewhat annoyed, “Why do you keep speaking to me in Spanish when I am speaking to you in English?” That’s when I responded, in English, “Why do you keep speaking to me in English when I am speaking to you in Spanish?” I then explained to her in English that I really wanted to improve my Spanish and that every chance I got to speak to native Spanish speakers, I used the opportunity to improve my Spanish. And she told me that she felt the same way about improving her English. That is, she took advantage of every opportunity she got to improve her English. Since I was the one offering to pay for her drinks and her friend’s drinks, for the remainder of the conversation that night, the three of us had an in-depth conversation in Spanish.”

While learning Spanish shouldn’t leave you out of pocket, remember that native speakers may not find it easy to converse with someone who speaks in broken Spanish, or has an accent which makes it difficult to understand. Where possible find ways to make a deal with someone that is the best of both worlds.

You can perhaps find someone who you can practice Spanish with, providing they can practice English with you, this will be slow and painful for both of you, but a good way for a win-win situation.

Be Persistent

Finally, persistence and perseverance are key to learning a language successfully. If someone answers you in English, keep answering back in Spanish. If you find someone that doesn’t want to talk to you in Spanish, keep making conversation until you find someone that will engage with you.

You never know when speaking in Spanish will pay off for you, such as in the story that Lindsay Dow from Lindsay Does Languages shared;

“I remember this one time when I was a youthful 18-year-old in Costa Rica, and this tout who met us off the plane at Tortuguero would only speak to me in English, which was a real power play thing. I tried to speak to him in Spanish, but I think if we spoke in his native language, he would have found it harder to try and scam me! A real-life example of that famous Nelson Mandela quote about languages – “If you speak to a man in a language he understands, it goes to his head. If you speak to him in his language, it goes to his heart.”

I had come across a video by Ambie Gonzalez, a woman who is extremely passionate about travel and language learning speaking about this very same topic. In this video, I remembered Ambie spoke about, finding “hole in the wall” places to hang out. I know I’ve visited several spots on Jerome Ave in the Bronx, where the bartenders didn’t know any English. I’ll throw some Dominican Slang Words at them and the would open up more . Fun stuff, but everyone is not that crazy and adventurous

In conclusion

If you ever find yourself losing confidence or not making an effort to make conversation in Spanish, it is time to get a little more creative with your learning methods. Keep finding new resources and new techniques to keep your interest and don’t be afraid to chat away to anyone that will listen. If ever you find yourself feeling afraid to speak Spanish, read this article so that you can get your mojo back.

Hopefully, you’ll be inspired by the tips these experts have given and be brave enough to put your speaking into action!