Overcome Your Foreign Language Anxiety

douglas540
Aug 25
6 min read

Updated: Aug 27

Many language learners feel nervous when they speak a new language. This feeling has a name: Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA). It is different from normal text anxiety. It is specifically a worry about sounding terrible especially when speaking another language. Researchers first described it clearly in the 1980s, and since then many studies have shown how it can affect learning and performance.

What does FLA look like?

FLA is not just “being shy.” It shows up in the mind, the body, and behaviour. Let's look at five characteristics of Foreign Language Anxiety. Do any of these apply to you? First, there is a Fear of negative evaluation. You worry other people (the teacher, classmates, or strangers) will judge your speaking or writing. This fear often keeps you quiet in class because you worry other people (the teacher, classmates, or strangers) will laugh at you. For example, in class, you know the answer, but you don’t raise your hand because you think others will laugh if your grammar is wrong. Or you may want to write a message in English on social media but you delete it three times because you’re afraid of spelling mistakes.

Do you feel stressed when speaking English?

Second, you may feel communication apprehension. This is when your heart beats fast, your mouth goes dry, and words “disappear” when you need them. You may know the grammar and vocabulary, but you cannot get the words out during real communication. For example, durin

g small talk with classmates, you understand the question but freeze and just smile instead of answering. The third one is a big one: test anxiety. Even after excellent preparation and hundreds of hours studying, you still freeze during quizzes, interviews, or high-stakes tests like IELTS. When the examiner asks the first question, your mind goes blank! You can't speak properly and all your nice vocabulary has run away somewhere to hide. Or in a listening test, you panic when you miss one word, and then you cannot focus on the rest of the recording. Next, there may be performance effects. Anxiety is linked with lower scores and slower or less fluent speech. Newer studies also show that boredom and enjoyment interact with anxiety and can raise or lower achievement. In other words, boring language classes increase your anxiety and hurt your motivation. Think back to boring high school classes in English. Was your teacher fun or boring? This will have an effect on you, even today. Some examples of performance effects might be only giving short answers like “yes” or “no,” (even though you could say more). Or you speak too slowly because you are checking every word in your head for perfect grammar. Finally, there is an online part as well. In recent years, more classes happen on Zoom, Google Meet, or other learning platforms, some learners feel extra pressure when

seeing themselves on camera). You might look at your own face and feel embarrassed, so you turn off your camera and say less. Others feel safer in one-to-one online practice, where the 'audience' is small.

Well, there's good news: recent reviews suggest FLA is malleable—it can change over time and get better if you apply FLA strategies and learner habits. In other words, you are not “stuck” with it.

A quick self-check — is this blog for you?

Answer these questions honestly. If you say “often” or “usually” to several items, you probably experience some Foreign Language Anxiety.

Before speaking, do you feel your heart race or your hands sweat?
When the teacher asks a question, do you think first about mistakes instead of the message you want to share?
Do you avoid answers, even when you know them?
Do you feel safer with silent work (worksheets, reading) rather than with speaking?
In online classes, does the camera make you more nervous than a face-to-face class?
During tests or interviews, does your mind go blank, even if you studied well?
After class, do you replay your mistakes in your head and feel embarrassed for hours?
Do you speak well with close friends but freeze when speaking with teachers or strangers?
Do you delay sending emails or messages in English because you fear small errors?
Do you think other students learn faster than you because they are more “talented” at languages?

If several of these sound like you, keep reading. The strategies below come from research on language learning, anxiety, and educational psychology—and they are simple enough to start today!

Four simple strategies to reduce and control FLA

Prepare for speaking in small, repeatable steps

Many students prepare grammar and vocabulary, but they do not rehearse speaking under realistic conditions. Keep practice real! Try some of these ideas to keep your English ready to use.

Script → record → refine. Write a short 60–90-second script (introduce yourself, describe your weekend, explain a news story). Record it on your phone. Listen once, fix two things (pronunciation or wording), and record again.
Add gentle pressure. Next, do the same talk without reading. Then try it on Zoom with one friend, and finally with a small group. This graded exposure builds skill and lowers fear. Research on online speaking practice and remote tasks shows these controlled steps can reduce anxiety over time.

If you like tech, you can also practice public-speaking scenarios in free virtual tools to simulate an audience before a real presentation. Early results are promising, though more trials are needed.

Use mindset and reappraisal to change what your nerves mean

When you feel your heart beating before you speak, try telling yourself: “This energy helps me focus.” This is called reappraisal. Short mindset trainings in education have lowered stress in social-evaluation settings (like being judged when speaking). Language-learning studies also link a growth mindset (“I can improve with practice”) with lower boredom and anxiety and better persistence.

How to try it this week:

Before class, write one sentence: “My speaking gets better every time I try.”
After class, note one improvement you made (clearer /r/ sound; used a new word). This builds evidence for your brain: motivation up, anxiety down.

Focus on the positive

3. Calm your body first: a 60-second breathing reset + brief mindfulness

Anxiety is physical. A quick breathing pattern (for example, inhale 4 seconds, hold 2, exhale 6) can lower stress and give you a clear start for speaking. Short mindfulness moments—paying attention to breath and sound without judgment—help students manage attention and emotions in EFL settings.

How to try it:

Before you speak on Zoom, do four slow breaths (4-2-6).
During a long class, take a 10-second pause: feel your feet on the floor, relax your shoulders, then re-focus on the task.

4. Create low-stakes contact with the language every day

Many newcomers in Canada do not speak English at home and so English remains like a foreign language. However, anxiety drops when using English becomes normal. Short, daily contact makes speaking feel ordinary, not risky. Try some of these strategies to normalize your English speaking:

Daily voice message. Send a 30-second voice note to a study friend or tutor every day.
Shadowing with subtitles. Repeat natural speech from a short video; match rhythm and intonation (speed, pace).
Error-friendly rules. In your study group, agree that no one should apologize for mistakes. Just try again. Celebrate any attempt to speak. Systematic reviews of classroom interventions say that small, repeated, supportive activities are more helpful than one big confidence workshop.

Final thoughts

Foreign Language Anxiety is common, understandable, and—most importantly—changeable. It touches your thoughts (What if I sound stupid?), your body (fast heartbeat), and your behaviour (avoiding speaking). But with practice, strategies, quick body resets, and daily low-stakes use, you can turn anxiety into useful energy and stronger performance over time. If you like data, you can even track your progress with a short weekly self-check (for example, rate your speaking worry from 1–5 and note one success). Research continues to grow in this area, especially for online learning and fluency development, so you are not alone and you are not guessing—there’s solid evidence behind these simple steps. If you'd like to learn more about this, or practice English online in a one-to-one class, contact Douglas English Centre today!

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References

Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125–132. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1986.tb05256.x SCIRP Foreign language speaking anxiety online: mitigating strategies and speaking practices. (2025). ReCALL, 37(3). https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344025000060 Growth mindset interventions