You start a conversation with a native English speaker and all of a sudden your heart starts to beat fast.
Your hands get sweaty.
Your mouth gets dry.
You are in a panic!
It’s the English-learner’s panic!
Why is this happening to you and what can you do?
How can you deal with panic when you speak English?
Today you will get 6 ways to stop panicking in English-speaking situations.
What is panic?
When you panic, you start to feel nervous. You might feel intense anxiety.
6 Strategies to Deal with Panic:
- Breathe- take 5 deep breaths
- Ask the representative to wait. Put the phone down and count to 20. Pick it up again and start from the beginning.
- Prepare a list of ways to ask for repetition: “Could you say that again?”, “I’m sorry?”, “What was that?” If you panic during a big test like the IELTS or the TOEFL, you should know exactly what you can and cannot ask the examiner. Click here to learn what to do if you don’t understand an IELTS Speaking question.
- Clarify- repeat what you heard to be sure that you understood the rep. Ask the rep to confirm and explain more. You could say this: “Oh so you mean I get a 10% discount. Is that right?”
- Ask the representative to explain in other words. You could say, “Can you say that in other words? I am not sure if I am understanding.”
- Practice, Practice, Practice- Put yourself in these situations more often, perhaps in lower stress contexts. Check out this episode- How to Practice on the Phone for Free
- Role play similar situations with your tutor
Do you experience panic when you learn English or try to speak English?
Tell us your story below.
