How do you build confidence to talk to someone

[Jackcsw]

Hey so. I know I keep posting allot forms but I want to learn as much Chinese boy I love this language! So how do you build confidence in speaking to someone half the time when I try to I get all nervous and I get scared and the weird thing is I forgot everything I leanenrd and sound like a robot! So how does one avoid this!

[Lu]

Prepare and practice.

 

Preparation won't always work (for example, if you meet with a friend, you don't know beforehand what you're going to talk about), but if you know the subject, or you know what you want to say, you can review the related vocabulary beforehand.

 

Apart from that, it's practice. Speaking Chinese is difficult, and it is normal that you find it difficult. Just keep trying. You get a lot of credit for the attempt.

 

It usually also helps if you're comfortable and relaxed when talking, for example, when you talk with someone you already know and trust. Once you're old enough, a little alcohol works as well.

[DavyJonesLocker]

Are you normally confident talking to people?

 

Basically the "ah I don't care and just yap away" approach works best for me. No need to over think it. 

 

It's like jumping into a swimmingly pool without testing the water. Cautious at first, but once you start talking and fumbling your way through conversations it becomes fine. 

[Flickserve]

9 hours ago, Jackcsw said:

So how do you build confidence in speaking to someone half the time when I try to I get all nervous and I get scared and the weird thing is I forgot everything I leanenrd and sound like a robot! 

 

This might sound a little strange but when I just concentrated on listening practice for a couple of months (and very little speaking practice), my confidence got a lot better. Then when I tried speaking again and words started coming out a bit easier. That means those long pauses became a bit shorter and some of the intonation became easier. 

 

Of course, then you can practice some set phrases to get them out smoothly. 

[lakesandrivers]

Confidence plays a major role, if not the biggest. This comes through learning the language and getting better day-by-day. Do you already have an effective and fun method on learning? Try a search on this forum for the many tips.

 

Find an environment that allows you to relax, which means an environment where you are expected - hence allowed - to make as many mistakes as you want. That is why there are language clubs in universities. There are English Clubs in Australian universities, and I heard also in Chinese universities. These banter places serve a very useful purpose. Since this thread is only about speaking (and listening), let us park reading for another day.

[AaronUK]

18 hours ago, Lu said:

a little alcohol works as well.

 

I'm not sure how the people I'm talking to feel about my chinese level, but I feel like I'm almost native when I've drunk enough... could come down to not listening much and just talking about what I want to.. *facepalm*

 

http://time.com/4989850/alcohol-foreign-language-speak/

"[Native] speakers rated people in the alcohol group as having better fluency — specifically better pronunciation — than those in the water group. Ratings for grammar, vocabulary and argumentation were similar between groups."

[mungouk]

In my experience with various other languages, alcohol-based inhibition reduction really does work wonders... ?   (And it really is about inhibition rather than confidence.)

Haven't had a chance to test this with Mandarin yet though.

[NinjaTurtle]

Jack,

 

Is nervousness an issue in others parts of your life too, or is it only when you try to speak Chinese?