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Introduction

Do you ever feel scared to speak in English? Lots of people find speaking a different language stressful. Beth and Pippa talk about learning languages and how to fight your fears of speaking English.

This week's question

English has around one million words, but on average, how many words does a typical English speaker use in daily conversation?

a) between 2000 and 3000
b) between 20000 and 30000
c) between 200000 and 300000

Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

Vocabulary

pretty
used as a modifier to mean quiet, a bit

relate to (someone)
understand, usually because you've experienced something similar

anxiety
feeling nervous or worried about something that's happening or that might happen in the future

irrational beliefs
beliefs that are based on things that are not true, that are not logical

self-perception
what you think of yourself

internal
inside your mind or body

TRANSCRIPT

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Pippa
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Pippa.

Beth
And I'm Beth. Have you ever been scared of speaking in English? In this episode, we're talking about why speaking in a foreign language can be so stressful. So, Pippa, do you ever get nervous speaking in a different language?

Pippa
Yes, I learnt French when I was younger and I was actually quite good at it, I think, but I was really nervous when I was speaking French. How about you?

Beth
Yeah, I've always felt like that with Spanish. I am scared to speak because I don't want to make mistakes, even though I know it's OK to make mistakes.

Pippa
Well, in this episode of 6 Minute English, we'll be hearing about how to feel less nervous when you speak English. And as usual, we'll be learning some useful new words and phrases. You can practise these with the quiz and worksheet on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.

Beth
But first I have a question for you, Pippa. So, English has around one million words, but on average, how many words does a typical English speaker use in daily conversation? Is it a) between 2000 and 3000? b) between 20000 and 30000. Or c) between 200000 and 300000.

Pippa
I'm going to say a) 2000 to 3000.

Beth
OK. Well we will find out later in the programme. Now, Pippa, you said you found it stressful speaking in French, even though you are quite good at it. Now, someone else who has had this experience is Hanan Razek. Hanan is a journalist at BBC Arabic and also host of the podcast Beating Speaking Anxiety. Here she is telling BBC Learning English presenter Georgie about speaking English.

Hanan
My English was actually pretty good but having conversations with people, I found it really difficult. So when I first joined the BBC, the Learning English team made an assessment of my English level, which they used to do for all new joiners to see if they need any help or courses. My results were pretty good and I was fluent. But on that very same day, leaving the building and going to get some coffee, I couldn't really understand what the barista was saying, and I felt pretty nervous to order coffee and was trying to stress every single word, hoping that my grammar is correct and I am pronouncing the words right.

Georgie
Yeah, I'm sure that's a situation lots of people can relate to.

Pippa
Hanan's results on her English assessment were pretty good, but she was still pretty nervous to speak in English, for example when ordering a coffee in English. The modifier pretty means quite or a bit.

Beth
Georgie says that Hanan's experience is something that lots of people can relate to. If you relate to a situation, you know what it feels like, usually because a similar thing has happened to you.

Pippa
So lots of people feel nervous speaking another language, even if they're good at it, like Hanan We can call this speaking anxiety. Anxiety means an uncomfortable feeling or worry about something that is happening or could happen in the future.

Beth
So why do so many people have anxiety about speaking a foreign language? Experts think it's connected to the beliefs we have about ourselves. Han Luo, professor of Chinese at Lafayette College in the United States, explains more to BBC Learning English presenter Georgie.

Han Luo
You know, usually the beliefs that cause anxiety, especially severe anxiety, are, we call it irrational beliefs. And also like, uh, some low self-perceptions, um, fear of negative evaluation, all those learner internal, you know, factors.

Georgie
And Han says that learners worry about mistakes because they're scared of negative evaluation. In other words, that people will judge them for their mistakes and think badly of them.

Pippa
Han argues that irrational beliefs can make us anxious. Irrational beliefs are beliefs that aren't based on things that are true. They're not logical.

Beth
Han says some people who have speaking anxiety have low self-perceptions. Your self-perception is what you think about yourself.

Pippa
Self-perception and irrational beliefs are both internal factors. They come from inside your head, not from the people around you.

Beth
So, for example, when you speak your first language, you might feel confident and intelligent, but when you speak in a new language, you make mistakes and feel less confident. You can't show people what you're really like, and this is frustrating.

Pippa
But as we tell people all the time at BBC Learning English, mistakes are normal. You have to try to speak, even though you make mistakes, and mistakes can be a good thing. They can help us learn.

Beth
And if you want more tips to improve your speaking, listen to the Beating Speaking Anxiety podcast. There's a link in the notes below this episode.

Pippa
But Beth, I think it's time for the answer to your quiz question.

Beth
Yes, I asked you how many words does the average English speaker use in daily communication? The answer is 20000 to 30000.

Pippa
That's quite a lot.

Beth
Yeah. That's loads. OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learnt. Pretty can be used as a modifier to mean quite or a bit.

Pippa
If you relate to a person or situation you understand them, usually because you've experienced something similar.

Beth
Anxiety is feeling uncomfortable or worried about something that is happening or could happen in the future.

Pippa
Irrational beliefs are beliefs about something that is not true. They're not logical.

Beth
Self-perception is the way you see yourself.

Pippa
And internal means inside the body or mind.

Beth
Once again, our six minutes are up. But if you'd like to find out more about speaking anxiety, then head over to our website, bbclearningenglish.com to find our Beating Speaking Anxiety series. There are podcasts about the things we find scary when speaking a different language, and videos with tips to help you feel more confident with speaking.

Pippa
Thanks for joining us and goodbye.

Beth
Goodbye.

Watch Georgie's tips for improving your speaking