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Beating Speaking Anxiety

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How to fight the fear of mistakes

Episode 260120 / 20 Jan 2026

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The fear of making mistakes

The fear of making mistakes can come from the fear of judgement. Often we're worried mistakes will make us sound foolish or less intelligent in front of others. Personality traits such as perfectionism can also increase the fear of mistakes. 

Try these tips

  • Remember that speaking isn’t about perfection – it’s about communicating your ideas.
  • Give yourself an everyday topic, set the timer for 30 seconds and challenge yourself to talk about it without stopping – and don’t think about your mistakes.
  • Practise with someone you feel comfortable with, who you know won’t judge your mistakes.
  • Find someone to do a language exchange with - an English speaker who wants to practise your first language. You’ll be in the same situation, so both of you can make mistakes without judgement.

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Learn more from experts and learners in the podcast epsiode:

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Do you have experience with English speaking anxiety? What do you think of this series? Send us an email to learningenglish@bbc.co.uk and tell us all about it. 

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