Hi Language Buddy!

I'm going to start off this post by addressing a common phenomenon in the language learning journey: stage fright. This is when you're perfectly comfortable during self-study sessions, but the moment you step into a conversational interaction with a real person, whether it be an online instructor or a native speaker, you suddenly freeze up. Why does this happen? And, more importantly, how can we overcome this paralyzing fear?

In my experience, I've found that the key to successful language learning is not taking myself too seriously. The truth is, language learning is a process where you inevitably feel clumsy, awkward, and, yes, sometimes even stupid. There will be times when you can't express yourself properly, when your pronunciation is off, when you make grammatical mistakes, and when you fumble or freeze. And that can feel downright awful. But believe it or not, these uncomfortable experiences are necessary. They're part of the process, and navigating through them is what helps you progress.

One thing that has helped me immensely during these awkward moments is laughter. When I mess up, I laugh about it, and more often than not, the person I'm conversing with will laugh along with me. Not taking myself too seriously takes a lot of pressure off and makes the whole process a lot more enjoyable. I remember having a conversation with my Italian teacher after not seeing her for several months. During our chat, she commented that I was much more conversationally at ease and mentioned that I wasn't making my "squishy face" anymore, a funny face I apparently pulled when searching for a word. We both had a good laugh about it, and it was a lighthearted reminder not to take myself too seriously.

If you can learn to approach your language learning with this spirit of light-heartedness, it can do wonders. And this isn't just true for language learning; it's a life lesson. I've heard it said that one of the biggest regrets people express on their deathbed is that they didn't make more mistakes in life. So, don't be afraid of errors. Embrace them. Laugh at them. Coping with the feeling of making mistakes is a significant part of language learning and personal growth.

So here's to us, Language Buddy, to not taking ourselves too seriously and to more laughter on our language learning journey! Take care, and until our next post, bye!