How Babbel Helps You Overcome Foreign Language Anxiety
Contrary to that voice inside your head and your high school teacher’s scare tactics, learning a new language doesn’t have to be a chore. Thinking about grammar drills, vocab lists and rote memorizations would give anyone foreign language anxiety. But you when you’re learning a new language, you shouldn’t have to worry about the jitters or the paralysis that so many people feel when they put their language skills to practice with native speakers. Because at the end of the day, the ultimate goal of learning a new language isn’t taking tests and reading textbooks; it’s having real-life, authentic conversations — with confidence. That’s why we’ve designed Babbel with language learning strategies to get you speaking a new language without fear and anxiety, from your very first lesson.
Where Does Foreign Language Anxiety Come From?
If you’re ready to put your new language know-how to the test but the fear of having an actual conversation leaves you trembling in your boots, you’re not alone. The anxiety around speaking a new language can be a major mental obstacle to having real-life conversations. In fact, one of the most frightening parts of practicing new language skills cited by learners is speaking it in front of others. There are always reasons why speakers can convince themselves their language skills just aren’t “good enough”:
- Negative foreign language learning and speaking experiences in the past
- Comparisons with more advanced speakers, especially native ones
- Worry about failing to recall important vocab and grammar rules from memory
- The fear of looking foolish after making a language mistake
- The lack of speaking practice in real-life situations
The list goes on. Plenty of people get nervous about mispronouncing a word, forgetting a conjugation or not being able to keep up with the pace of conversation, all of which can lower your confidence and your perception of your own competence. But speaking a new language doesn’t have to be so demoralizing.
Who Said Learning A New Language Can't Be Easy?
Sure, foreign language anxiety makes learning a new language seem scary. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Our fundamental belief is that everyone can learn a language. Even if you think you’re “bad” at languages, with the right amount of practice and the right language learning strategies, you can dispel the myth that you’re “just not wired” for it, that you don’t have the “language gene.”
With Babbel, we make it easy. Our app is designed to work for all types of learners by mixing elements of auditory and visual learning in speaking, writing, reading and listening exercises. And Babbel’s bite-size lessons make it easy to take your language-learning with you wherever you go. Our science-backed learning method, created by more than 150 language experts and linguists, gives you the tools you need to learn a new language and retain it.
People love Babbel!
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"Learning a language can be intimidating, but Babbel has made it so easy for me."
Pam Norberg,
Babbel User
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"Babbel is clean, modern, easy to navigate, and highly-interactive."
Jake Watling,
Babbel User
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"The way Babbel keeps bringing back words in new situations helped me remember more. It’s so scientific."
Joe C,
Babbel User
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"The Babbel language App is great, because it’s intuitive, interactive and always at my fingertips."
Carrie S,
Babbel User
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"I’ve always wanted to speak Spanish, but I kept putting it off. Then one day I thought, I need to start now. That’s when I found Babbel"
Melanie Thompson,
Babbel User
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"Learning a language can be intimidating, but Babbel has made it so easy for me."
Pam Norberg,
Babbel User
-
"Babbel is clean, modern, easy to navigate, and highly-interactive."
Jake Watling,
Babbel User
-
"The way Babbel keeps bringing back words in new situations helped me remember more. It’s so scientific.""
Joe C,
Babbel User
-
"The Babbel language App is great, because it’s intuitive, interactive and always at my fingertips."
Carrie S,
Babbel User
Language Learning Strategies For Curbing Anxiety
At Babbel, we understand the importance of not only knowing a new language, but also being able to speak it without fear and apprehension. Luckily, there are loads of language learning strategies that can help you root out this foreign language anxiety when it threatens to paralyze you. Babbel is specially designed to give you the skills you need to speak with confidence:
Practice Real Conversations
Our lessons get you on the shortest path to being conversational by honing your pronunciation with our speech recognition software and by immersing you in practical, real-life situations and dialogues, all from your very first lesson.
Focus On Understanding, Not Memorizing
By tailoring lessons in your target language to fit the one you already speak, Babbel’s explanations, grammar cues, hints and tips will boost your comprehension by making your new language click — and stick.
Actually Remember What You Learn
Our 10-to-15- minute lessons draw on what you learned in past lessons to apply to new contexts and are perfectly sized to lock just the right amount of information in your long-term memory at a time. And Babbel’s dynamic Review Manager helps ensure that you retain your smarts and strengthen your recall where you need it most.
It’s all geared toward helping you speak a language with confidence. After all, isn’t that what learning a new language is all about?
