Why you freeze when you speak English and what to do about it

Hey there,

Welcome back to another newsletter :) And this week, we’re addressing something that might hit close to home for many people, including yourself. Just think about it, you’ve probably been in a situation where you know what you want to say. You know the words, the structure of the sentence, and the idea is clear in your head. But… when it’s finally your turn to speak… your mind goes blank…

This is quite a common problem for English learners, and most of the time it doesn’t really have anything to do with your grammar skills or whether or not you have a lack of vocabulary. The ‘freezing’ is usually more of a processing issue, rather than a language one. And I have good news for you. This ‘problem’ is fixable once you understand what is happening! 😎

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When English disappears the moment you need it

Your brain is trying to do too much at once

You are probably aware of this, but when you’re speaking, you need to make several decisions simultaneously - choice of words, tone, speed, accuracy, is it appropriate or not, the list goes on! Now, when you’re talking in your mother tongue, you’re probably not even thinking about any of these things. However, when speaking in another language, you’re most likely trying to control everything at once, and what happens is: you get overwhelmed. This could manifest in the following ways:

• You pause because you feel like you have to choose between two sentences

• You restart your sentence because you phrased it ‘weirdly’

• You abandon your point because it only sounded ‘good’ in your head

There are a few things you can do in these cases, but I don’t want to overwhelm you, so I’m leaving you with these two:

1. Practise finishing ‘imperfect’ sentences rather than trying to sound perfect. It’s okay to make mistakes. If you mispronounce a word, you can just correct yourself. If someone doesn’t understand you, use it as the perfect opportunity to practise paraphrasing (which means to basically explain an idea using different words).

2. Wait to correct yourself until after you’ve finished talking. Many times, we notice the mistake we’ve made mid-sentence, but if we try to correct ourselves in the moment, we tend to get lost with what we were actually saying, and then the panic kicks in. So, finish your sentence, take a deep breath, and then correct yourself (if it is really necessary).

You’re anticipating judgment before it happens

What if I told you that when you freeze, it often starts before you even open your mouth? Crazy, right? Well, we oftentimes experience this pressure because of our own thoughts… Because of the reactions from others we imagine we will receive, not real ones. Think of it - how often do you practise your sentence internally, and then, once it’s ‘your turn’ to talk, you lose the moment? Or you stop in the middle of your sentence because you suddenly think it might sound unnatural. Or, you stay silent… only because you prefer that to sounding unsure or making a mistake.

Just remember, even native speakers can make mistakes, or are you telling me that you NEVER mispronounce or misspeak by accident when talking in your native language? I don’t believe you if you said no. So, don’t let these fears take over you, and this can actually be applied to anything and everything in life!

Your speaking habits are too narrow

I hope this subtitle is not too misleading, but many English learners rely on a small set of ‘safe’ structures that they won’t move away from when speaking. ‘Where’s the issue?’ You might ask yourself… Well, the ‘problem’ comes when a conversation moves outside that range you’re comfortable with, and then your system collapses completely. Imagine using English primarily at work; you feel very confident using English in professional settings, but when you need to use it in more laid-back, social contexts, you freeze. Or, you’re great at explaining ideas and complex topics you are very familiar with, but then struggle to react spontaneously. I’m sorry to break it to you, but the only thing that helps in this case is practice, practice, practice. You need to practise reacting on the spot, not just explaining in English. Also, train giving short responses, how to react when you’re hesitating or using fillers intentionally to give yourself some time to think, rather than freezing and your mind going blank.

Silence feels longer to you than it does to natives

Many learners see their silence as failure. Native speakers, however, see it more as thinking time. Sometimes, taking a little breather and maybe even pairing it with a sentence like ‘Let me think for a second’ sounds more natural or advanced than allowing panic take over because you were silent for half a second.

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If there is one thing I want you to take away from today’s email, it is that your goal should be communication and not performance. Try to reframe these freezing moments as a signal of (potential) overload, rather than incompetence. Sometimes, using a simpler language or taking a short moment to breathe is more effective than trying to monitor the situation when you actually feel out of control. 

I hope this email was encouraging and helpful, and I am always happy to read what you think about this topic! Feel free to reply with your ideas 😌

Until next time! 

Camila