Tips to Fight the Fear of Being Laughed at
2020-02-26
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1Amy Melendez was in a supermarket in Maryland with friends when it happened to her.
2She had ordered one of her favorite drinks, a corn-based beverage from Central America called atole.
3She began to drink her atole when a man nearby asked if it was good.
4But the man was using casual language and Melendez did not understand his question.
5So she said, "I don't know."
6The man then asked how it was possible for her not to know how the drink was.
7That's when the laughter began.
8The man laughed.
9Her friends laughed.
10Amy Melendez felt a little foolish.
11Her spoken exchange with the man was entirely in Spanish.
12Melendez is a Spanish learner.
13But she is also an English language teacher.
14Currently, she supervises English and service worker training programs at 32BJ in Maryland.
15Melendez has shared the supermarket story with many of her students.
16She wants them to know she can relate to the challenges of learning a language.
17Being laughed at or joked about can happen no matter what language you are learning.
18And it may make some learners nervous about speaking their new language.
19However experts say there are ways to overcome those feelings.
20So on Education Tips today, we offer suggestions from a few teachers.
21But first, let's explore why some people laugh.
22Wynter Oshiberu teaches English in Washington, D.C. and Maryland, including for the International Center for Language Studies and a nonprofit group called Paper Airplanes.
23She says most people who laugh are not trying to be mean or hurtful.
24Instead, a language learner's pronunciation or way of putting words together may sound unusual to some native speakers and can take them by surprise.
25"And they're not thinking about how it might make the other individual feel who's learning the language... It's just a natural instinct when you hear something that sounds a little bit different than what you would expect to hear or how you would expect to hear it."
26If the way you say something sounds different or unusual to a native speaker, that person may not have had much contact with foreigners.
27Josh Plotkin is an American living in Brazil. He has been fluent in Portuguese for years.
28He operates a website called BrazilianGringo.com, which teaches foreigners how to live in Brazil and improve their spoken Portuguese.
29On his website, Plotkin notes that some Brazilians who have little contact with foreigners laugh at him because they aren't "used to hearing an American speaking Portuguese."
30He notes similar experiences when traveling in other countries and trying to speak their languages.
31But whether the reason is lack of contact or something else, we have tips for overcoming the fear of using your English.
32The first suggestion is to relax and be patient with yourself, a piece of advice from Oshiberu.
33She says to remind yourself that you are learning the language, so it is normal to make mistakes. She advises not to be too hard on yourself.
34"I think sometimes the best thing to do is just smile and just breathe and relax and...try not to let the fear of laughter stop you from learning the language or immersing yourself in the language."
35Oshiberu also suggests learners avoid setting learning goals that are too strict, which can sometimes become a barrier rather than help.
36Other experts note that people who make jokes or laugh may not have studied a second language.
37This is yet another reason not to judge yourself by the reactions of others.
38Plotkin warns against worrying that people are thinking, "You look like a fool trying to speak our language."
39Ideas like these can hurt your progress and be a barrier to fluency.
40The second tip is to practice your speaking skills.
41Both Melendez and Oshiberu say practice is one of the best ways to deal with fear.
42Melendez suggests doing role plays.
43In a role play, two or more people act out an imaginary situation; for example, going to a market or talking to a bus driver.
44"If you know there's a new situation - a situation you might not feel comfortable in, what are the phrases you might need? What are the words? Is there someone you can practice with? But definitely just going through those role plays will help you overcome the fear."
45You can imagine, for example, your friend is a bus driver.
46You have a lot of questions about taking the bus.
47You can practice the questions on your friend.
48Melendez says if you are unable to find a practice partner, you can practice in your head or you can talk out loud.
49Oshiberu says another solution is to record your voice as you train by yourself.
50That way, you can listen for mistakes, whether in your wording or pronunciation, and correct them.
51Our third tip is: Don't be afraid to ask questions.
52If you are worried about what to do in the moment when someone makes a joke, the solution can be simple: Kindly ask the person the reason for the laughter, like this, says Melendez:
53"'Is there a different way that I could have said it?' or 'How would you usually say it?'"
54She said the issue could be something very simple.
55Then, once you know the issue, you can bring the information to a trusted person, such as a friend or practice partner, and ask them to help you correct it.
56The fourth and final tip is to keep a sense of humor.
57Keeping a sense of humor can make the long process of learning a language more fun.
58You might even laugh with the person who is laughing or making the joke.
59This may feel strange at first but gets easier with time.
60Josh Plotkin notes that, over time, he has come to understand that being laughed at when speaking a foreign language is not a bad thing.
61He has learned not to take it personally.
62These days, he even laughs along with the people, using it as a way to make new friends.
63I'm Alice Bryant.
1Amy Melendez was in a supermarket in Maryland with friends when it happened to her. 2She had ordered one of her favorite drinks, a corn-based beverage from Central America called atole. 3She began to drink her atole when a man nearby asked if it was good. But the man was using casual language and Melendez did not understand his question. So she said, "I don't know." 4The man then asked how it was possible for her not to know how the drink was. 5That's when the laughter began. The man laughed. Her friends laughed. Amy Melendez felt a little foolish. 6Her spoken exchange with the man was entirely in Spanish. 7Melendez is a Spanish learner. But she is also an English language teacher. Currently, she supervises English and service worker training programs at 32BJ in Maryland. 8Melendez has shared the supermarket story with many of her students. She wants them to know she can relate to the challenges of learning a language. 9Being laughed at or joked about can happen no matter what language you are learning. And it may make some learners nervous about speaking their new language. 10However experts say there are ways to overcome those feelings. So on Education Tips today, we offer suggestions from a few teachers. 11Why do people laugh? 12But first, let's explore why some people laugh. 13Wynter Oshiberu teaches English in Washington, D.C. and Maryland, including for the International Center for Language Studies and a nonprofit group called Paper Airplanes. 14She says most people who laugh are not trying to be mean or hurtful. Instead, a language learner's pronunciation or way of putting words together may sound unusual to some native speakers and can take them by surprise. 15"And they're not thinking about how it might make the other individual feel who's learning the language... It's just a natural instinct when you hear something that sounds a little bit different than what you would expect to hear or how you would expect to hear it." 16If the way you say something sounds different or unusual to a native speaker, that person may not have had much contact with foreigners. 17Josh Plotkin is an American living in Brazil. He has been fluent in Portuguese for years. He operates a website called BrazilianGringo.com, which teaches foreigners how to live in Brazil and improve their spoken Portuguese. 18On his website, Plotkin notes that some Brazilians who have little contact with foreigners laugh at him because they aren't "used to hearing an American speaking Portuguese." 19He notes similar experiences when traveling in other countries and trying to speak their languages. 20But whether the reason is lack of contact or something else, we have tips for overcoming the fear of using your English. 21Tip #1 - Relax; be patient with yourself 22The first suggestion is to relax and be patient with yourself, a piece of advice from Oshiberu. 23She says to remind yourself that you are learning the language, so it is normal to make mistakes. She advises not to be too hard on yourself. 24"I think sometimes the best thing to do is just smile and just breathe and relax and...try not to let the fear of laughter stop you from learning the language or immersing yourself in the language." 25Oshiberu also suggests learners avoid setting learning goals that are too strict, which can sometimes become a barrier rather than help. 26Other experts note that people who make jokes or laugh may not have studied a second language. This is yet another reason not to judge yourself by the reactions of others. 27Plotkin warns against worrying that people are thinking, "You look like a fool trying to speak our language." Ideas like these can hurt your progress and be a barrier to fluency. 28Tip #2 - Practice your speaking skills 29The second tip is to practice your speaking skills. 30Both Melendez and Oshiberu say practice is one of the best ways to deal with fear. 31Melendez suggests doing role plays. In a role play, two or more people act out an imaginary situation; for example, going to a market or talking to a bus driver. 32"If you know there's a new situation - a situation you might not feel comfortable in, what are the phrases you might need? What are the words? Is there someone you can practice with? But definitely just going through those role plays will help you overcome the fear." 33You can imagine, for example, your friend is a bus driver. You have a lot of questions about taking the bus. You can practice the questions on your friend. 34Melendez says if you are unable to find a practice partner, you can practice in your head or you can talk out loud. 35Oshiberu says another solution is to record your voice as you train by yourself. That way, you can listen for mistakes, whether in your wording or pronunciation, and correct them. 36Tip #3 - Don't be afraid to ask questions 37Our third tip is: Don't be afraid to ask questions. 38If you are worried about what to do in the moment when someone makes a joke, the solution can be simple: Kindly ask the person the reason for the laughter, like this, says Melendez: 39"'Is there a different way that I could have said it?' or 'How would you usually say it?'" 40She said the issue could be something very simple. Then, once you know the issue, you can bring the information to a trusted person, such as a friend or practice partner, and ask them to help you correct it. 41Tip #4 - Keep a sense of humor 42The fourth and final tip is to keep a sense of humor. 43Keeping a sense of humor can make the long process of learning a language more fun. You might even laugh with the person who is laughing or making the joke. This may feel strange at first but gets easier with time. 44Josh Plotkin notes that, over time, he has come to understand that being laughed at when speaking a foreign language is not a bad thing. He has learned not to take it personally. These days, he even laughs along with the people, using it as a way to make new friends. 45I'm Alice Bryant. 46Alice Bryant wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. 47_______________________________________________ 48Words in This Story 49beverage - n. something you can drink 50casual - adj. not suited for serious or official speech and writing 51challenge - n. something that is hard to do 52pronunciation - n. a particular person's way of saying a word or the words of a language 53instinct - n. the way people or animals naturally react or behave, without having to think about it 54fluent - adj. able to speak a language easily and very well 55immerse - v. to make yourself fully involved in some activity or interest 56strict - adj. used to describe a command or rule that must be obeyed 57moment - n. a precise point in time 58practice - v. to do something again and again in order to become better at it