Talk to yourself. While vacuuming, on the toilet, playing sports – it doesn’t even have to be out loud. Have conversations with yourself in your new language. This tip was given to me by my wife, who is a real language talent. And it’s true! It works. Because your brain stays engaged with the language. The result? You are eager to have real conversations and become more confident and resourceful.

Think of something. There’s not only this one word you can’t think of right now. There are others. In my case, they are usually even easier ones. I had to learn that when I’m so focused on trying to think of one specific word, I’m creating a mental block. Just start over. Start more simply. If necessary, use your hands and feet to gesture. Don’t be a perfectionist. Humility is like a tailwind – there were many times I had to swallow my pride and just start again.

Be proud of yourself! Please listen to yourself and check your attitude. You want to learn another language. Isn’t that great? You want to talk to people in their mother tongue and take a giant step towards them. Can’t you be proud of yourself? Instead of being dissatisfied with your abilities, make sure your attitude is focused on the good. People love it when you try to speak to them in their mother tongue. They aren’t critical, they are usually very grateful.

Let yourself be surprised! When was the last time you were annoyed because you lacked confidence when speaking? Maybe you expected too much from yourself? Set yourself a realistic goal so that it will go better next time. Maybe just one sentence with the bravest smile you have. Courage is rewarded. I know this from my own experience. People notice when something takes courage and usually reward it with reinforcement. Try it! You’ll be surprised how much positive feedback you get.

Find friendly people to talk to. Sometimes we first need to create a safe environment in order to learn to speak confidently. Is there someone friendly in your environment with whom you could speak in the foreign language? If you find that it’s impossible for you to speak with strangers or even acquaintances, then start with private lessons. This will cost, yes, I know that. But it doesn’t have to be forever. You need a foundation, and that is what you’ll get.

Create a phrase book. What is that? A small notebook (also works digitally, e.g., in the notes app) where you jot down sentences and expressions that you like and want to remember. I’m a big fan of these little notebooks. Just by writing it down, the sentence or expression becomes more memorable. And at some point, this book is a treasure trove. You look inside and always find an expression you want to use next time. A book like this also offers a feeling of security as you don’t forget anything, because the book keeps it all for you.

Make a plan. When do you want to invest a few minutes in the language? Maybe during your lunch break before you go back to work? Or in the evening on the sofa before you watch TV or do something on your phone? If you think through your daily routine and schedule a time when you can do something for your new language, you can develop a habit. And habits are great helpers when it comes to learning languages. For example, I read a small text in English to my wife each morning to practice my pronunciation (not so easy as a Spaniard 😉). It’s incredible how far this little habit has gotten me in the last few years.

Be patient. I learned patience is a choice. The decision to keep going even though it’s difficult. The decision to stay positive even though you’re frustrated. Remember, you only lose when you stop trying. We learn languages in stages. You can image them like a staircase. It goes up steeply and then there is a flat part. Only after that does it go up steeply again. Be conscious of this when you get frustrated. And choose to be patient and keep going.