The Fear of Speaking Never Disappears – You Learn to Handle It.

It’s tricky to write about something that, in theory, “shouldn’t be said.”But just like in every class, honesty and respect come first. If you’re learning German, this text is for you.

One of the sparks that ignited this project was a phenomenon that moved me deeply:watching so many young people—women and men—decide to live in a new country and build a life in a language they were only beginning to learn. That courage inspires me every single day.

Many of them arrived in Germany believing the language would come almost magically the moment they stepped off the plane in Frankfurt. Others had no real sense of the challenge ahead.That mix of excitement and “unawareness” touched my heart and motivated me to become a better teacher and to create a space where we could share a passion for the German language and culture.

What impresses me most isn’t that they have no fear, but that they choose to keep going despite it. Because the fear of speaking in a new language doesn’t go away—you learn to manage it. And in that process—stumbles, awkward silences, small victories—is where true learning begins.

It happened to me, and it still does.There are moments when nerves make me “speak worse” than I normally do. But then I think: that happens to me in Spanish too, my native language.

At gatherings with friends I want to impress, at the doctor’s office, in front of people whose opinion matters to me, I often listen to myself and think: I could have said that better.When I’m nervous, every reaction from the people I’m talking to feels like a clueto how well—or poorly— I’m speaking. Sometimes they don’t even realize that German isn’t my first language.

In those moments of insecurity, I connect with the Laura who once didn’t know a single word of German,and I remember her.The last thing I want is to be ashamed of everything that dreamer Laura accomplished.That thought, that respect for my past self,helps me set aside my insecurities and, in a way, to do her justice.

So I often think: this is something I should tell the people I so admire for taking on this challenge.I feel that encouraging them is just as important as being honest:I don’t believe the fear of speaking ever disappears; I believe you learn to handle it.And I believe every conversation is a chance to honor the version of yourself who dared to begin—to show her, and no one else, that you are on the right path.