Remember that language is about being understood. You do not have to be perfect. It's okay to have an accent. It's okay to be different. Find your own way of using English so you feel comfortable. When I learned Spanish and Japanese, I would make some phrases to have with me at all times. If I didn't understand something, I had backup phrases to use! Haha

i always encourage students that the should be proud with the English they are able to speak. remember, the sooner you start using the English you able to speak, the sooner your language confidence improve and your English improves too. Practice makes perfect dear.

Hello Andre. Engaging in conversation practice with native speakers will help you to be more confident when speaking. I am a native English speaking tutor from South Africa and I offer conversation practice lessons, kindly book with me and I will help you to be less shy when speaking English.

Practice, practice, practice! I know it’s not easy; when I learnt Mandarin I haaaaated speaking because I was so embarrassed about everything I said. But as time goes on, you get used to making mistakes and realise that they are an important part of the learning process. It’s natural to be nervous, but the only way to get over that is by practicing. Almost 100% of the time people don’t mind that you make mistakes. Just be prepared to have to repeat yourself a few times, and remember that your language level isn’t a reflection of your intelligence or worth as a person. So if you make mistakes or if the person you are speaking to doesn’t understand you even after you’ve repeated yourself 100 times, don’t worry. It doesn’t mean that you can’t speak your target language, or that you won’t ever be able to learn. This is all an important part of the learning process and it has happened to us all. One thing I would recommend is to remember to slow down your speaking just a little. Something I find with ESL students is that they speak too fast and the brain and mouth aren’t in sync so that’s when mistakes are more likely to happen. I like to tell my students to imagine that the person they are speaking to also speaks English as a second language, so naturally you want to speak a little slower and clearer. Also I would recommend you find a native or near-native speaker to practice your speaking with on a regular basis — either a teacher here on italki or just a language buddy. Start with some topics that you are familiar with to build your confidence, and then slowly try talking about some more complex topics. And remember, it’s okay to prepare for these conversations in advance by researching some vocabulary and idioms to use. Take every opportunity you have to speak English, don’t worry about your mistakes, and have fun! If you put in some effort, I’m sure you’ll surprise yourself. All the best, Andre! Anna

Hey, Andre. I'm a shy tutor so I understand your issue. I think the best way is to just focus on one topic at a time. This way you will build confidence from 'mastering' conversation on one specific topic. Then you move on to 'mastering' another topic. After you can speak on a few topics with confidence, you will be less shy to openly speak about other general things.