What is the one thing that stops so many Italians from speaking English? The fear of making a mistake!

And how can you take that fear and turn it into something positive?
How can you turn it into progress?

I’m Nick Simcock, a certified language coach. I help Italians to unlock their English. 

Se sei italiano e vuoi capire ogni parola di questo podcast, vai sul mio sito speakwithnick.it podcast: potrai ascoltarmi mentre segui la trascrizione completa. In più, troverai la sezione “Language Focus” per scoprire le frasi più particolari che uso. Go on my website, don’t miss it! Ogni tanto a questo punto mi piace anche sottolineare che non sono AI, I’m not intelligenza artificiale. It’s me. I’m here. I make mistakes. I’m a human being, just like you! So let’s start. Let’s get into this. 

So many Italians, so many English learners I work with, begin with the same fear

What if I make a mistake? Some even avoid speaking completely, hoping that one day, one magic day, they will feel confident, fluent and ready. 

But here is the truth: the only way to improve your speaking is… to speak! Yes, even with mistakes

The truth is, speaking is like thinking out loud, and it can be messy. Even in your own language, you sometimes pause, um, forget words, change direction, or repeat yourself. This is not failure. It’s simply human. And your English will be human too!

Remember, language is a muscle. English isn’t something you understand once and then have forever

It’s a muscle and muscles only grow with use. When you go to the gym or practise a sport, you don’t improve by watching others lift weights or run laps. You improve by moving your own body, step by step. It’s the same with English. Every sentence you speak is practice, practice that builds strength. 

It’s important to think ‘communication not perfection’

Many learners still carry the school idea that English must be perfect before it can be spoken. But perfection is almost impossible in any natural conversation. English isn’t an exam. It’s a tool for real communication. 

And remember, mistakes don’t break communication

Adults hate being wrong. I know, I’m an adult too. We like control, competence, and instant success. So we try to hide mistakes or pretend that they never happened. But real listeners don’t behave like grammar teachers. They are more interested in what you are saying than in how you are saying it. They care more about the conversation, and they don’t pay attention to small errors like a missing ‘s’. So if you say, He walk to work every day, people will still understand you. And the conversation continues.

Now, I know what you’re thinking…

Obviously it would be nice to recognise my errors and correct them.

Well, the good news is, the more you are exposed to the language and the more you use it, the more you will intuitively correct yourself. So dive in with no fear. It’s a natural process. It’s the way you learnt your mother tongue, your first language. 

But it’s also true that when you are in an English-speaking country, the average person in the street won’t correct you. They don’t want to offend you or stop the conversation. Certainly you can’t walk around with an AI bot on your phone that constantly gives you the correct phrases you need – well, actually you can, but it’s not natural. Most importantly, you’re not learning, the AI is doing it for you. If you do that, then there is zero human interaction, and for me zero satisfaction. It’s not the joy of using language and communicating. 

Anyway, one really great way to correct your mistakes is to use English with other English learners.

Speak 100% in English. Make your errors together and remember that every error is a golden opportunity to improve. Work together, make progress together. And with the guidance of an English coach, you can’t go wrong!

So remember, in conclusion, perfection doesn’t exist, mistakes are a natural part of learning and communication is more important than accuracy. The only way to improve your speaking is to speak with courage, curiosity, and yes, with errors. 

😀 If you want a safe, friendly place to learn to start speaking English, or to maintain your English have a look at my community English Second Nature on my website. Sign up to radically improve your English!

Remember people, stay creative, keep it real,
and I’ll speak to you in the next podcast!

Ciao for now!