How can I lose the fear of speaking German?

Most people who are learning German (or another language) know this: You know more and more words, already understand a lot, have worked out the basics of grammar – but as soon as you want to say something, you freeze up and can‘t get a word out. That can be pretty frustrating. Here are a few tips on how to finally start speaking.

Read aloud

It is important not only to be able to read the words and phrases you learn, but to pronounce them out loud. Feel free to walk around the room while doing so. Reading aloud gets the speech muscles used to actually using the words.

Mix with other languages

Although many advise against it, it does not hurt to mix a language you already know when learning a new language. For example, you can speak English but say all the words and phrases you already know in German. Over time, the proportion of German words will then become larger and larger.

Don't think too much about grammar

German grammar can be quite exhausting. The choice of the correct articles, the question of whether the object is in the dative or accusative case, whether the verb comes in second position or at the end of the sentence, etc. It is almost impossible to recap all grammar rules before every sentence you want to say and form a completely grammatically perfect sentence. Therefore, it is advisable to practice grammar separately but to think less about grammar when speaking and just speak as it comes to you spontaneously. That means you will make mistakes, but nevertheless your German will get better over time and the mistakes will become fewer.

Avoid perfection

It is impossible to pronounce everything correctly and form all sentences without errors from the start. Don’t try to be perfect. More important than correctness is that you achieve your communication goals. Did the waiter in the café understand you and bring the right drink? Did your colleague tell you how her weekend was after you asked her? The result is more important than whether you used the articles completely correctly.

Active listening

Speaking is closely linked to listening, less so to reading. It is therefore important to train your listening comprehension a lot. Listen actively – to the people around you, in the café, on the subway, at work, etc. Even if you don’t understand much, you get used to the sound of the language, the intonation, the word order. Remember individual small building blocks and use them creatively.

Humor is important

Accept that you will not get everything right immediately. That is always the case in life when you start something new; only in this way do you develop further. Mistakes, misunderstandings, crazy situations are part of the journey. Take it with humor and learn to laugh at yourself.

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