C.F. Elite Tutors Helping People Overcome The Fear Of Speaking Greek With It’s Easy To Use Language Cheatsheet

Do you get sweaty palms, an upset stomach, and the urge to find the nearest hiding place when it comes to speaking the Greek language? Do nerves make your mind go blank and can you feel people (or your classmates or your teacher) waiting while you scramble to find the words while trying to speak?

Cyprus, 29th Aug 2022, King NewsWire, Do you get sweaty palms, an upset stomach, and the urge to find the nearest hiding place when it comes to speaking the Greek language? Do nerves make your mind go blank and can you feel people (or your classmates or your teacher) waiting while you scramble to find the words while trying to speak? 

Even if you have studied the language in depth, you may still be afraid to use it and you may feel tongue-tied. I had exactly these feelings in the past with all the languages I studied, but now I don’t miss a chance to use them, even if I am not always correct! 

One study suggests that fear can make you underestimate your language abilities.  Another study takes it a step further, suggesting that language anxiety can affect your skills in the foreign language, and in our case, in Greek.

It is a fact that there is a reluctance on the part of students to speak Greek, regardless of age or level of knowledge. Usually, this reluctance is expressed as follows: “Δε μπορώ/ δεθέλω να μιλήσω” (“I can’t / I don’t want to talk”), “Ντρέπομαι!” (“I’m embarrassed!”), “Καταλαβαίνω, αλλάφοβάμαι/ δε μπορώ να εκφραστώ” (“I understand, but I’m afraid to/ I cannot express myself verbally”).

To not be scared to speak you need practice. But practice means that you need to speak. So, you come to a dead end. The key is to face your fear and reduce it. 

1. Accept that you will never feel ready, unless you just do it.

You cannot become a better speaker of Greek unless you speak. Full stop. End of story.

1. Understand your fear.

What exactly are you afraid of? 

• Fear of failing
• Fear of not being able to speak
• Embarrassed about speaking slowly
• Fear of making silly mistakes
• Fear of being laughed at
• Fear of not being understood
• Fear of saying something inappropriate or embarrassing
• Need to study more words/ grammar / to do more practice

Are these some of your fears? What other fears do you have?

1. Identify your problem areas. 

When you’re not used to speaking Greek, your brain needs time to process incoming words, translate them, think of a response, and translate that. Rather than trying to formulate an answer in your head while the other person is still talking, clear your mind and truly listen to what they’re saying. Then take a moment to gather your thoughts and answer. 

Don’t forget that you can, also, use Google Translate. Another idea is to add non-verbal communication; just wave your hands and smile. And after all that, if you still cannot understand, politely ask the person you are speaking to, to speak a bit slower and clearer (“Συγγνώμη, δεν καταλαβαίνω. Ξανά, σεπαρακαλώ! /Πιο αργάσε παρακαλώ!”).

Tips on what you can do to overcome your fear:

1. Start speaking Greek in an environment in which you feel safe.
2. Start chatting on-line.
3. Start by writing imaginary dialogues-conversations-opinions in Greek and then repeat aloud what you wrote.
4. Practice in front of the mirror. The mirror helps you understand how you speak in front of people. Continuously practice in front of the mirror so that you grow confident.
5. Work on your pronunciation. It’s essential to listen to the language (e.g., radio, tv shows, series, movies, podcasts, youtube). And listen to the Greek language every day!
6. Don’t take mistakes personally. You don’t always need to be perfect! You can learn a lot from your mistakes. When someone corrects you or doesn’t understand you, simply take it as a sign that you need to learn more vocabulary, improve your pronunciation, or understand grammar better.
7. Learn connectors and fillers. This is one of the many great language learning hacks, by the way. When you use these, you feel more confident, and you have more time to think.

“Εεε”, like the English “Umm” is at the top of the list. We use it a lot, and in that way we gain a few seconds to think about how or what to say. 

Other fillers are: “λοιπόν = so, well”, “εντάξει = ok”, “κοίτα,.. = look, …”. 

1. Use the things (vocabulary, grammar) that you already know. For example, if you need to use a word that you don’t know, use more simple vocabulary to explain that word.

Remember that expressing yourself by saying anything is better than nothing. Confidence is the key!

Nancy Alexopoulou – Greek Tutor

Media Contact

Organization: C.F. Elite Tutors Ltd

Contact Person: Nancy Alexopoulou

Email: Send Email

Phone: +357 99323091

Country: Cyprus

Website: https://www.theonlinegreektutor.com/

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