If you've already changed the way you think about it, here is some practical things.
Give it a try!
Develop chosen interactions in French!
If your only interactions in French are impatient colleagues, rushed bus drivers or cashier, it will be difficult to build a sereine relationship with French practice.
But look around you: maybe you have have a friend or a family member who would like to practice with you?
Couple of good tips :
1. Choose a kind person, who loves you and with whom you already enjoy spending time.
It's about transforming a relationship you already have, but having it in French.
[go read Stop adding French to your life].
2. Start with only one person, and commit to it!
This person is your Trojan Horse/entry ticket toward the Francophone world.
3. Send them a message to officially tell them that, for now on, you will only be speaking in French with them.
Do it now.
4. Keep in mind: it is a bit of extra brain work for your friend to interact with you in a language you don't master quite yet. They need to choose their words, slow down their pace...
But someone who loves you will do it without hesitation!
Pro tip: you might want to go by Suzy Q to buy their favorite donut when you see them.
You don't have a French friend? No one wants to do that for you? You're to shy to ask ?
-> Check out our Conversation workshops!
Still afraid?
1.Hide behind your phone!
Start with a non-face-to-face conversation: text in French!
What's great with messages, is that it is an almost live conversation, but you can write and modulate the instantaneity of it, without it feeling too awkward.
Messages give you time to quickly search for vocabulary or conjugation of a verb while you are already in the discussion.
Once you feel you're getting good at that, you will try talking face to face.
2. Break it down!
Start with small chunk of time.
For mid-A level, I would say that 10-15 minutes in French is already quite a challenge!
B students could hold to 30-40minutes, while C students should be able to push themselves for an hour or more.
No one is asking you to run a marathon if you haven't run a 5 km first.
3. Divide and conquer!
It might be easier to practice in a small group. If you are only two in a discussion, the entire focus of the other person is you, and that might be too much!
Share the load: 2 person means you both have 50% of the conversation load.
If you are 3, then each has 33% of the conversation lead.
It might seem more approachable that way.
Courage! You can totally do it!!
If you need some more perspective about learning French, here is an article you might want to read.
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