English Speaking Issues

Posted on Edited on In

Brain Freeze

Please revisit this blog to help youself understand what caused public speaking anxiety and how to overcome it.

Brain freeze: mind going blank usually come when:

  • speak to native speaker.
  • speak to more senior people.

The underlying fear is judgment or negative evaluation by others.

  1. rehearse/rɪˈhɜːrs/ to increase confidence, don’t memorize words but focusing on message delivery.
  2. speak slowly, clearly, take deep breath.
  3. practice with written notes, bullet points, keep discussion on track.
  4. practice recovering from a brain freeze: purposely stopping the talk and shifting attention to elsewhere, use notes to bring back.
  5. practice for the worest: what to say to the audience if our mind goes blank.

Self-help videos.

Fluency Disorder

Language learner with fluctutations in fluency:

  • Comfort level: You may feel more fluent when you’re in a relaxed, familiar setting or speaking with people you’re comfortable with. Anxiety can affect performance.
  • Topic familiarity: If you’re talking about a subject you’re familiar with, it’s easier to find the right words. Less familiar topics can cause hesitation.
  • Mental focus: Sometimes, fatigue, stress, or distractions can impact your ability to think clearly and express yourself.
  • practice and confidence: On days when you’ve been practicing more or feel confident, your fluency improves. Confidence boosts flow, while self-doubt can block it.

With more practice and consistency, you’ll likely notice fewer ups and downs

How to Stabilize Fluency

  • Practice regularly: Consistent speaking practice.
  • Build Vocabulary: learn new words in context.
  • Think in English: This speeds up your response time and makes your speech more natural.
  • Relax and Slow down: understand conversation flow, reducing hesitation, When you feel tense, your speech can become disjointed. Take a deep breath and speak more slowly to give yourself time to think clearly.
  • Embrace mistakes: Focus on communication rather than perfection.
  • Prepare for specific topics: rehearse sentences
  • Use filler phrases: When you’re stuck, use fillers like “Let me think,” or “What I mean is…” to give yourself a moment to collect your thoughts without losing fluency.
  • Record yourself
  • Stay positive and patient: Celebrate small wins and remind yourself that fluency will improve with time and effort.