Anyone else want to learn a language but...

[Baburra]

I experience this a lot. I think it's just because I'm not used to using it often enough. When I'm speaking in my native language, it feels like second nature, just like walking, and that doesn't require me to think about it, but when I speak another language that I consciously have to dig up from my memory, it becomes a conscious decision and I do get self conscious. I think the best way to fight it is to just immerse yourself and maybe even practice with people online where you can feel a bit more secure about practicing so you don't feel so shy about it when it comes to offline experiences.

[angelicagapit]

I have this problem daily. I currently live in the Philippines, but I was born and raised in California, so my native tongue is English and I only know intermediate Filipino. The thing is, I have a job here in the Philippines and I deal with Filipino customers from all social classes, and some of the lower classes don't speak so well in English. So I have a hard time trying to explain to them in Filipino because I end up stuttering and eventually we don't understand each other. It's embarrassing and at the same time, funny on both our sides.

[pipps]

I can completely relate with, you don't worry. I am that just everything I have learnt will be scrambled in my head and I won't be able to communicate. I'm also afraid that I won't be able to understand them if they are talking very fast. I think that watching videos in the language you want to learn will help you get use to how they speak, and how fast.

The first time I have to speak it to someone I will be so afraid.

[mbnuss]

I am currently studying Italian in school. Although I don't live in an area where people speak fluent Italian, I feel that if I went to a place like Italy, I would be shy too. This is because although I've been studying Italian for a while, I can't roll my R's well among other things. I just don't want to appear like an uneducated tourist. I would want to be able to really connect with the locals. So although I don't actually understand your feelings, I think that I would if the situation presented itself.

[erikao1o]

I think that everyone has a bit of shyness about them when they're learning a new language. I taught English in South Korea, and I found that a lot of my adult students and adults that I met were super shy about speaking English in front of me and making mistakes. I found that children were the exact opposite, they didn't care what mistakes they made at all! In the case of learning a new language, it would be great if we were all more like children!

[Trellum]

I have the exact same problem, op.  I am a bit shy when it comes to speaking a language I'm starting to learn, I had this same issue with English and I'm not having it with Dutch!

I feel so shy when my boyfriend asks me to tell his sister what I have learn in Dutch! This language is so hard to pronounce right, so I actually feel a bit concerned I will sound funny, because I do have a strong accent in English (I have heard myself speaking in videos!). 

I'm guessing in Dutch it will  be way worse. I will sound very funny, but I guess as I get better and feel more confident my fear to speak the language in public will disappear.