Do you ever struggle with feeling like you become mentally blocked when you’re trying to use your English in everyday conversations or when you’re trying to respond to one of the speaking tasks on the CELPIP?
Today I’m answering a question I was asked over on Reddit:
“What about on the speaking part? i always get mental block when speaking. i did review but didnt really practice talking”
Fluency Matters!
Fluency, according to the Cambridge dictionary, means, “the ability to speak or write a language easily, well, and quickly.”
The more your fluency increases, the less you’ll experience those awful moments of not knowing what to say – freezing. Drawing a blank.
But before I go on, I want to make sure you’ve thought about something important:
You have moments where you draw a blank or freeze in your first language. It might not happen very often, but you need to be aware that these things happen to everyone. It’s kind of part of being human.
We all have those moments where we simply don’t know what to say next. It happens to me.
But because it’s our first langauge, we often (not always) don’t give it very much importance. We shrug it off and keep going.
Not in our second language!
Nope. When we have those moments of not knowing how to respond in English, or whatever language you’re learning, we tend to add a lot of negative baggage to that normal experience.
I drew a blank, that means I must suck at English!
I will never be able to do this right.
Maybe I’m just not cut out to be an English speaker – I don’t have what it takes.
Might as well just give up.
To name a few of the negative things I’ve told myself about my developing spanish skills, and what past students have told me over the years about how they feel about themselves when mistakes happen.
Change How You Think About Making Mistakes!
If you have those kinds of thoughts rolling through your mind when you draw a blank in the middle of a conversation or when you’re trying to respond to a speaking task question, then go ahead and hit pause on them.
Replace those negative words with the truth: everyone draws a blank from time to time. It’s normal, and I’m working to get better.
Here’s how you can start getting better:
If you want to see your fluency skills in English improve, you need to take steps outside of your comfort zone.
Now, I know this advice sucks. Nobody loves being uncomfortable. I sure don’t.
In fact we’re wired to stay away from things that push us away from comfort, aren’t we?
But here’s the good news: those mini steps really can be mini steps!
They don’t have to be giant ones, especially if you’re just getting started or feeling overwhelmed with your schedule as it is.
Mini steps totally count and can be powerfully effective as long as they are happening on a frequent, daily basis.
It’s not enough to want to take them.
And it’s not enough to sign up for a CELPIP prep course, though it’s a good move in the right direction.
It’s also not enough to go around buying CELPIP prep books, or attending CELPIP training sessions on the CELPIP youtube channel.
You can fill your time with these things, but a book, a class or a webinar won’t help you unless you put them into practice.
That’s where those mini steps come in.
If you want to cut down on the number of times you blank out and don’t know what to say, then you need to push yourself into more situations where you need to speak. (I know. That sucks. What you really want to do is avoid those experiences, right?) But go the opposite direction here!
Throw yourself into them as often and as frequently as you can.
Here’s how a mini step might look like to start making that happen:
- The next time someone asks you, “How are you?” Say more than ‘I’m good, thanks. How about you?’ Change it up: “I’m good, thanks. Tell me about your weekend!” or if you’re on your way out of a work meeting, turn to a coworker and ask: “So, what did you think about that meeting?” But here’s the secret: be ready to offer your answer to that question too. (Even if they don’t ask you for your response. Give it anyway.)
This doesn’t have to be a long talk. Aim for 5 minutes.
Ready for a bit more of a challenge? Try A small step:
- Grab a coffee/tea (so you can hide behind it if that helps!) and join in that break time conversation happening that you usually just stay away from. You know which one I’m talking about, don’t you? The one where only English speakers are standing around together or sitting together. I know that just putting yourself out there to actually join in on that can be terrifying enough – as an introvert myself, I know EXACTLY what you’re going through if you’re breaking out in a sweat just thinking about this challenge – but trust me: you can do this. I’ve done it, and I continue to push myself to do it – so I can practice my spanish skills. I actually did this just this weekend during a mini marriage workshop our church put on. My wife was talking with a group of 6 spanish speakers in one of our coffee breaks. My go to introvert response: grab a coffee and just stand quietly next to my wife. Let her and everyone else do the talking. But instead, I pushed myself hard. I grabbed my coffee and jumped into the conversation that was happening – everyone was sharing how they first met, so when it came to our turn, I did my best to share my side of how I met my wife. I did feel nervous and made a few verb mistakes, but I threw myself into it because getting better with my Spanish fluency skills is important to me. And I want to be practicing what I offer you as advice too. So yeah, if you want a bigger challenge, join in that next coffee gathering and actually join in the conversation that is happening.
And if you’re up for an even bigger challenge, try this:
- Sit with English speakers at lunch. Come prepared with a few questions to ask. Here are some great ones: “How was your weekend?” “What are you working on today?” And like I said a few moments ago, come prepared to talk about your own answers to these questions – and give them even if you don’t get asked them in return, which you likely will.
Here’s a quick pro tip: avoid questions where ‘yes’ or ‘no’ could be the only answer you get. This will help keep some “pressure” off you to keep the conversation going. Look for open ended questions that draw more out of someone than just a quick answer.
Stepping out of your comfort zone is the only way I know to begin seeing your English fluency improve, and the only way I know that will help you cut down on the number of times you draw a blank when you speak.
IT will still happen to you, but the more you push yourself into those experiences where you need to use your English skills – you’ll notice that those moments of freezing will happen much less.
And yes, engaging in day to day conversations in English with English speakers DOES help you get ready for the CELPIP.
Each time you do it, you’re building your confidence, your vocabulary, your ability to think quickly and under pressure while you express your ideas as completely as you can.
That’s super powered practice, in my opinion.
So, my challenge to you today is: How will you step out of your comfort zone this week? (Even small steps regularly taken will help you get where you want to go!)
Was that helpful?
Would you like even more help with your CELPIP prep ?
I’ve taught English for 17+ years, and I’m a certified CELPIP trainer. I’m inviting you to join me in the CELPIP success school.
I help newcomers to Canada get ready for their CELPIP exam. I can help you too.
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