Social anxiety and learning a foreign language

Especially as psychologists, we need to abstain from labelling other human beings.

 Yes, social phobia is a clinical diagnosis.

 However, we all feel a certain uneasiness in social situations. Some people more than others.

 When learning a foreign language, we tend to forget our psychological setup. We put the blame for out communication problems almost entirely on the new language.

In reality, we need to work on both: on the foreign language and on our psychological limitations.

The more we address our personal issues, the more we will succeed in the foreign language.

But it works also the other way around.

Improving in a foreign language contributes to higher self-confidence. Your self-image improves, as you demonstrate to yourself and others that you are capable of speaking in a foreign language.

Becoming able to express yourself in a foreign language may also help you to open up emotionally. To speak about your emotions in a foreign language is actually easier than in your native language, because the respective words are not attached to your past.

To say “I love you” in your native language may feel awkward, but in a new language you may feel much freer to say it.

What do you think? Leave a comment below. 

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Want to get rid of insecurity and bad feelings regarding the foreign language(s) you have already started to learn? Want to learn a new language, without going through various levels of standard courses? You feel you are making no progress?

Go to Amazon and grab a copy of my classic book ”The GO Method – breaking barriers to language learning”.

https://www.amazon.com/GO-Method-Breaking-barriers-language/dp/1973118688/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ZLMGYKR6PDY3&keywords=Gerhard+Ohrband&qid=1694099394&sprefix=gerhard+ohrband+%2Caps%2C239&sr=8-1

Get the first two chapters for free by subscribing to Gerhard's weekly newsletter, with advice and resources on selling in foreign languages. Just click here.

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Do you feel a bit insecure when doing business internationally, maybe even in a foreign language?

Profit from new strategies, insights and techniques that will make you use foreign languages more successfully in international business communication.

Get rid of fear of mistakes and blocks during trade shows, presentation and sales calls.

Gerhard Ohrband is a communication consultant, psychologist and author of 9 books from Hamburg/Germany. He speaks 11 languages fluently and assists individuals and companies in doing business in foreign languages.


 

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