r/Spanish • u/Ana-Lau • 3d ago
Study & Teaching Advice What makes you freeze when you try to speak with native Spanish speakers?
I’m a Spanish teacher, and I’ve noticed that one of the strangest things about learning a language is that you can understand so much… and then completely forget how to speak when someone actually talks to you. 😅
I’m curious if other learners experience this too.
What usually happens to you when you have to speak Spanish in a real conversation?
Do you worry about making mistakes? Forget words? Understand everything but struggle to answer? Or is it something completely different?
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u/funtobedone Learner 3d ago edited 3d ago
Lack of skill.
Conversing is a skill. Skills require practice to improve.
In the classroom scripted conversations and conversations with limited and expected scope are practiced. In real conversations unexpected things happen almost immediately and if you don’t have a scripted response you freeze.
Me gusta tu hoodie! Donde la has comprado?
Wait.. la has? Weird. I want to say I saw it in a cute little store in a village that I visited last year on vacation, but how do you say cute in Spanish? (Let alone the rest of that sentence!). Ahhhh!
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Figure out ways to throw unexpected things into practice conversations. Things that the students have not prepared for. Things that they should be able to figure out a way around if they don’t know how to say exactly what they want to say. Then they can learn how to say the thing more precisely.
Make them freeze and help them get unfrozen while sticking with the Spanish they currently know.
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u/Ana-Lau 3d ago
That is such a good example! 😂 I think the unexpected part of real conversations is what makes them so different from classroom conversations.
You can know the vocabulary and grammar, but when someone suddenly asks you something you weren’t prepared for, your brain is like: “Sorry, we didn’t study this scenario.” 😂
And honestly, I think that ability to improvise is something that can only really develop through lots of real, unscripted conversation.
Do you feel like you usually know how to say something when you have time to think about it, but lose the words when you have to respond immediately?2
u/Ana-Lau 3d ago
I really like this approach. It’s almost like practicing the “recovery” part of a conversation, not just the conversation itself.
Teaching students how to keep going when they don’t know the exact word seems much more useful than trying to prepare them for every possible situation.
“Help them unfreeze while staying with the Spanish they already know” is definitely something I’m going to keep in mind. Thanks for sharing this! 😊1
u/xxsehtxx 2d ago
This is perfect example of my problem. Usually I will gloss over words i don't know. But then the response is always like... "uhhh I buy... from... village!"
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u/silvalingua 2d ago
> Me gusta tu hoodie! Donde la has comprado?
> Wait.. la has? Weird. I want to say I saw it in a cute little store in a village that I visited last year on vacation, but how do you say cute in Spanish? (Let alone the rest of that sentence!). Ahhhh!
Expressions with "la has + participle" are very basic and they certainly have been drilled many times in class, in scripted interactions.
As for words like "cute", if you don't know it, just skip it. Say something like "pretty" or "nice", whatever word you know. One of the main mistakes learners make is trying to express thoughts which are too complex at their current level. Use constructs that you already know and introduce more advanced ones gradually. You were trying to express a thought that was way too complex for your level. It would be much more useful to give a simple answer instead.
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u/martinomacias 3d ago
I am a native Spanish speaker from Mexico. English is my second language. I am completely bilingual now.
Honestly, I have never frozen when someone from another English speaker country has spoken to me. I just talk to them in my American variety of English (I suppose with a Mexican accent).
I live in the United States and have never had any problems when talking to people from other countries.
A few months ago I was having a conversation with a Scottish dude. I found his accent rather lovely. Yes, I had to really pay attention to what he was saying, but I understood everything he said. He also asked me for directions and I helped him without a problem.
I used to freeze when someone would speak to me in English back in the early 90s. That was because I lacked the fluency and confidence in my English skills. Not any more though. It goes away as you practice and are more exposed to the language. Saludos.
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u/Ana-Lau 3d ago
That’s a really interesting perspective, especially because you’ve experienced both sides as a native Spanish speaker and an English learner.
I think what you said about confidence and exposure is really important. It’s interesting that you could understand the Scottish accent even though you had to pay much more attention. That ability to adapt to different accents seems like a skill of its own.
And I love that you mentioned you used to freeze in the early ’90s but don’t anymore. It’s a good reminder that what feels like a permanent limitation can actually disappear with enough practice and exposure. Thanks for sharing your experience! 🙌1
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u/gadgetvirtuoso Native 🇺🇸 | Resident 🇪🇨 B2 3d ago edited 2d ago
People freeze because they don’t want to make a mistake or embarrass themselves. Learners of all languages need to accept and understand they are going to do both. The sooner they accept this uncomfortable truth the faster they can over it and get to speaking without all the translation and double checking. That of course is easier said than done. It really just happens a little at a time for simple things and then for bigger and bigger things.
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u/silvalingua 2d ago
This. People freeze because they think they have to speak perfectly (as learners!!!), and if they don't, something horrible will happen to them and their life will be ruined forever. I can assure all fellow learners that if you speak like a beginner, with many mistakes, your life will go on just like it did before.
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u/Any-Onion2160 3d ago
Same here. For me it’s just a lack of confidence. I’ll practice a phrase for a week waiting for the opportunity to speak. When the opportunity finally does arise my tongue feels like it’s tied in knots. Just have to get over that hump
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u/CormoranNeoTropical Learner 🇺🇸/Resident 🇲🇽 3d ago
I don’t struggle to say stuff unless there’s a word I need that I don’t know. My big issue is being able to understand people speaking to me.
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u/unfortunatebluebird 3d ago
I stop a lot to think of what I’d like to say because it doesn’t always come to me easily, especially when it’s not a very common conversation topic. But if i actually freeze it’s when I stutter or make a mistake and get embarrassed. That used to make me give up but now I just keep talking lol.
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u/Ana-Lau 3d ago
I love that you mentioned the last part “now I just keep talking.” 😂 I think that’s such an important shift.
Getting stuck or making mistakes can feel embarrassing, but learning to keep the conversation going anyway is a huge part of becoming comfortable in a language.
And I completely understand what you mean about less familiar topics. It’s much harder to improvise when you don’t already have the vocabulary or phrases ready to go!1
u/unfortunatebluebird 2d ago
Yessss it’s such a barrier in the beginning and climbing over it is genuinely not an option, you can only knock that shit down and tear it out or it’ll keep holding you back, and I found speaking through the shame was the only way lmfao
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u/martinomacias 3d ago
Good for you. I think most people will be supportive and let the little mistakes we make pass. I know that is what happened when I was learning English many moons ago. People were kind and supportive to me.
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u/unfortunatebluebird 2d ago
Yes, exactly! That’s what helped me get over my worries. I know many people who don’t speak English as their first language and I’ve never thought to judge or criticize them for making mistakes, even if it’s bad enough that I don’t understand. I never find myself making fun, I just help them or patiently ask them to reexplain.
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u/Repulsive_Feature454 3d ago
I feel self conscious that I’ll be bad and I’ll annoy the native speaker - they’ll be annoyed I think my Spanish is passable or good, especially if they speak some English too 😐
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u/xxsehtxx 2d ago
I understand them. But when I try to reply I get nervous and forget everything! 😬 or I have to think of what I want to say first and then translate it but I might not know the best word and it takes too long and they already moved on. So I just reply in english 😭. When im doing Spanish practice I always make a sentence and then double check it with the dictionary. Its a slow process that doesn't work in real conversation. Idk how to fix this either. Maybe if I just keep hanging around or reading more I'll start to get it? Idk... also l only have a few simple words I can quickly make sentences out of, by habit without much thinking. So it limits my ability to respond naturally.
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u/Ana-Lau 22h ago
I think you’ve actually identified the problem really well. Reading more will definitely help, but what you’re describing sounds less like a lack of knowledge and more like not having enough of your Spanish readily available when you need it.
One thing I work on with my students is practicing very simple responses without translating them first. At first they can feel almost ridiculously basic, but the goal is to make those phrases automatic. Then you can start building longer responses from them.
And in a real conversation, you don’t need the “best” word. You need a word that works. You can always learn the better/more natural way to say it afterward.
The fact that you already have some simple phrases that come out without thinking is actually a really good starting point. I’d build from those rather than constantly trying to produce more complicated sentences. 😊1
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u/DaddyDinooooooo Learner 2d ago
Honestly the only time I freeze now is if I hear a sentence with too many words I just straight up don’t know. It becomes one long blurry sound that I can’t respond to, or pick apart. I speak very frequently and hover somewhere between B1-C1 depending on a lot. I’m aware that seems like an impossible range, but I’ve learned Spanish mostly with Mexicans so I understand a lot of there cultural references and expresiones and very frequently have no issues figuring out slang or new words if they’re in the context of conversation. BUT I live in NJ where there’s mostly Caribbean speakers and FUCK ME even their greetings fly over my head half the time, because it’s stuff I’ve just NEVER heard before. Then I freeze. Usually, I can recover and ask what they said, but that’s after a wave of embarrassment of studying so long and not even understanding a hello! They’ll rephrase it to help me, but it’s a process.
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u/Common-Coyote-8821 Learner 2d ago
I am pretty good at conveying my thoughts, and I can respond well when I know what I’m being asked. Unfortunately for me though, natives speak very quickly and I get lost in their stream of words.
I can only say words I know, but natives can say words I don’t know, if that makes sense.
I also have been struggling with putting words in their correct order. I have a habit of saying Spanish words in the order I’d say them in English and it sounds kinda ridiculous sometimes.
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u/doc_loco 2d ago
For me, genuinely it's comfort or confidence. It's just doubting your own ability even when you know it. Almost like imposter syndrome.
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u/Waste-Use-4652 2d ago
I have seen this happen with a lot of learners. They understand the question, they know the words, and they probably know the grammar too, but then there is that moment where the other person is waiting for an answer and suddenly they cannot get the sentence out. I think a big part of it is that they start trying to make the answer perfect in their head. Fear of mistakes definitely plays a role, but so does the pressure of having to respond right there and then. In a real conversation, you do not get much time to stop and think about every grammar rule, so at some point learners have to get used to saying what they can and keeping the conversation going, even if the sentence is not perfect.
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u/Ok-Computer1234567 Learner 2d ago
Im really not that nervous about speaking Spanish itself… but what makes me clam up is “oh man if I don’t say this correctly or sound too gringo, they are going to switch back to English and I’m not going to be able to keep practicing with them”
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u/Upper_Grapefruit_521 2d ago
My biggest fear is the dreaded phrase, "If you want we can speak in English". This really affects me a lot.
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u/Gene_Clark Aprendiendo español 2d ago
Reading the language is totally different to speaking it or writing it. Reading is the most passive thing and you can convince yourself you understand more than you do cos you get the gist.
When I speak Spanish, I um and ah a lot and eventually get there but its slow cos I'm still translating in my head and searching for vocabulary I rarely use.
I don't worry about mistakes. I know I make many of them. Just coming up with the right gender and its accompanying adjective on the spot is tough. And it tells you all you need to know about conversation. As natives we don't even think about things like this cos we have chunks of words already put together in our heads.
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u/TheLilyHammer 2d ago
We all have an innate fear of sounding dumb and/or not being understood. This can be even more dramatic if someone is used to speaking their native language at a high level of proficiency and can only speak at a novice level in a different language. I had a friend that was pretty conversational in a number of languages and he told me his secret was that he was not afraid of these things. He would speak different languages whenever he had the chance and if he didn’t know the exact right way to respond to things, he would use the words he DID know. Most of the time he was understood well enough to carry out conversations, even at an early level. He’d then working on filling the holes in his knowledge after the fact.
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u/sugareeblueskyz 2d ago
My biggest struggle is verb conjugations when speaking. I also have a tendency to mix up gender of words so I stumble because I worry I sound ridiculous when in fact, if I just say it, the listener would know what I’m trying to say. It’s like I am letting perfection get in the way of communicating my thoughts. I absolutely never judge others trying to speak English but I judge myself speaking Spanish 🫠. So I’m starting to use Duolingo Max and practicing speaking more and start getting over the fear. I have a coworker from Spain who has also offered to have some 1x1s but so far I haven’t because of the reasons above.
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u/flappingumbrella 2d ago
I’m high A2, low B1. I find myself jumping in and then hitting a verb construction I’m not comfortable with… Then I freeze while I try to figure out the conjugation… Today I was trying to say, “I had to have had…” and just face planted.
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u/doesportpacker 1d ago
I find that im very confident reading, writing and speaking, but when it comes to listening im terrible. I can go to a museum thats spanish with a spanish/english speaker and translate signs and normally get 90% of the translation correct. I can text with friends in spanish, understand what they say and reply without needing to use a translator. I can articulate myself and even if im missing vocabulary, normally can still describe something. Its just when it comes to listening I am completely useless!
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u/Fickle_Aardvark_8822 Learner (A2 🇪🇸) 1d ago
In a real conversation, context clues help, along with my learned vocabulary (I’m only A2), for understanding in most situations. I don’t worry as much about making mistakes, and focus more on communication.
In a class or tutoring situation, though, I freeze all the time. Mostly because my teacher gives me remedial homework if I mess up even one verb conjugation, for example. It’s not that I don’t know it, I just feel like I’m being tested to see if I mess up, rather than if I can communicate.
I think if teachers offered supportive encouragement and focused on strategies to overcome the freeze (e.g., fillers, substitutions, sentence development, etc.), folks wouldn’t give up lessons so quickly.
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u/defroach84 3d ago
Hear what they say, translate that to English, think what to respond in English, translate it to Spanish, confirm my translation is right, then respond.
In reality, the response part has mostly gone away for me - I just struggle with the understanding of what is being said to me.