Fear is one of the biggest aspects that hold people back when learning te reo.
When people get started in learning a a second language, they usually start by reading some books, listening to some audio and maybe even practicing some words to themselves.
But it can often stop there.
When it comes to actually conversing in the language, people tend to retreat.
They don't want to be heard, and they don't want to be seen...for one main reason...
The FEAR of Judgement
They don't want to be seen making mistakes - "What if I stuff this up?"
They don't want to be judged by a more experienced speaker - "What if say the wrong thing?"
They don't want to look bad - "What if I am judged?"
But don't worry, these aren't just fears that are unique to language learning. They are fears seen in the family unit, at work, on the sports field and in public.
So how do we overcome these fears?