A few months ago, I shared a personal anecdote about linguistic insecurity, and how it showed up for me in the form of silence. You can check out the post here in case you missed it: https://coaching-accent-aigu.kit.com/symptoms-of-language-insecurity
Insecurity when speaking another language is something that’s not complicated to explain, but it is complex. It has to do with your nervous system and conditioned responses; it has to do with mindset and emotions.
Today, I thought that instead of explaining the concept of insecurity in second-language speaking, I would identify common “symptoms” of this phenomenon, and concrete examples of how they may show up. This list is not exhaustive, but these are definitely some of the most common ways that you can know whether you are experiencing insecurity.
For context purposes, the following examples are about English-speaking Quebecers who have insecurities about their French. However, the actual symptom of insecurity can apply to wherever you are, and whichever language you’re speaking.
Sign 1: You avoid situations where French is required
Example: You have to call La Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ), but when you dial and hear the pre-recorded message saying that all interactions must occur in French, you hang up and put it off for another day
Sign 2: You replay mistakes that you made over and over in your head
Example: You have an interview for a new job, and after leaving, you’re consumed by shame and embarrassment for all of the times that you used “le” instead of “la,” and all of the times you incorrectly conjugated le conditionnel présent
Sign 3: You stay quiet in group settings instead of taking risks
Example: You’re on lunch break with your co-workers and have something really interesting to add to the conversation, but because you’re not sure how to say it, you sit in silence, just smiling and laughing but feeling horrible inside
Sign 4: You assume that people are judging you
Example: Every time you know that you are about to have a conversation with a native speaker, you feel like you have to mentally gear yourself up for a battle
Sign 5: You feel a drop in confidence when you switch languages
Example: Whenever you do speak French, you feel like a smaller one-dimensional version of yourself, one who isn’t your “real you”
I’m curious to know, which of these symptoms resonate with you? Do you have other examples of insecurities that you’re facing?
Interested in finding out more? Book a free consultation with me to see how I can help you speak French with confidence: