The Fear of Speaking Up.

   Many if not most students try to overcome the fear of speaking in a new language. The fear of speaking is not because of lack of vocabulary, or grammar misconceptions. The fear is nothing else but the display of our lack of confidence. 

   Self-confidence is extremely important in almost every aspect of our lives, yet so many people struggle to find it. Sadly, this can be a vicious circle: people who lack self-confidence can find it difficult to become successful. After all, most people become uncomfortable when someone is nervous, fumbling, and overly apologetic. On the other hand, they might be influenced by someone who speaks clearly, who holds his or her head high, who answers questions assuredly, and who readily admits when he or she does not know something.

   Believe that mistakes will eventually happen, that they can not be avoided. Accept that notion because mistakes are the poles for stability in our future learning. They should not be seen as shameful, but instead as a key to improve even more. 

   Laughing at ourselves is yet another way that helps with overcoming the fear of speaking up.  As pointed out before, making mistakes is unescapable, so instead of trying to avoid situations where we should speak up for fear of embarrassment( such as keeping quiet, avoiding meetings/social gatherings etc.), we should learn to find the humor in the situation. Give yourself and others permission to laugh along. This way, you will become known as the person that took chances and is not afraid of saying what you think because of a possible mistake. 

So fight through the fear! Do it anyway!