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| Posted on 2011-12-25 18:41:22 |
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| Valeria13 |
| Valeria Korneeva |
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My question is in the headline of this thread. How not to be afraid of speaking English with friends by Skype? I get too nervous when somebody calls...I don't want to look silly. I would like to be good interlocutor and tell other people something interesting...but I think my English is just at intermediate level and I can't improve it...  |
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| Author |
| Posted on 2011-12-25 19:46:52 |
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| Kosinus |
| that summer had its charm |
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I don't know. Last time I have spoken English was probably in high school - that was 7 years ago. So I think I understand you completely. It's hard if you're out of practice.
I have an additional problem: my vocabulary is pretty thin. |
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| Author |
| Posted on 2011-12-25 20:53:23 |
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| Valeria13 |
| Valeria Korneeva |
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| I have an additional problem: my vocabulary is pretty thin. |
And my vocabulary is thin too. 
I would like to be more educated but it's impossible for me due to different reasons.
Recently I've found one problem in communication. When I think that I talk something suitable, my interlocutors don't think so. And then I begin to feel myself very uncomfortable. Maybe, it happens because I can't understand them, their habits and customs, culture and traditions...
I'm tired of being boring. I'm tired of somebody's unpredictable reaction on my words. If I could be cleverer and if people could realize that I'm just kind and simple person with bad knowledge of spoken English... |
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| Author |
| Posted on 2011-12-26 05:53:53 |
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| Kosinus |
| that summer had its charm |
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Maybe you're too hard on yourself. Are the people you're talking to all perfect in English? I bet they're not. |
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| Author |
| Posted on 2011-12-26 11:18:42 |
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| Valeria13 |
| Valeria Korneeva |
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| Maybe you're too hard on yourself. Are the people you're talking to all perfect in English? I bet they're not. |
Perhaps, you're right. But these troubles in communication are not only in my knowledge of the language.
I suppose there are some psychological reasons of this problem. For example, sometimes I can't understand somebody's mentality, especially that person lives abroad. I've never been abroad and I may seem very primitive. I guess they laugh at my naive conversations about my village where I spend summer...
Yes, I like to talk about nature, sky, my travels by the bike...but it seems to me, my friends can't understand what all it means to me. I've never been exalted and hysterical person, but when I open my heart and tell about something important for me, I would like to meet understanding...All these failures make me very introverted person. I don't know whether foreigners are so calm or maybe some of them are just cold ones?  |
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| Author |
| Posted on 2011-12-26 20:41:16 |
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You two are having a great conversation in English!
So, Valeria, you should not worry.
You can never tell "somebody's mentality" in only a short time.
It takes time to learn how other people think.
You said you were using Skype.
That allows you to see the other's persons face and their expressions,
smiles, frowns,laughs, hesitation or delay in answering you.
If you are calm, happy, and pleasant I'm sure the other person you are talking with would enjoy the experience.
Maybe the other person is nervous also!
I hope you learn to just relax and be yourself because reading your words here you sound genuine - a nice honest person!
If anyone has a problem with that, it is their problem.
Not yours! |
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| Author |
| Posted on 2011-12-26 22:28:35 |
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| Valeria13 |
| Valeria Korneeva |
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You two are having a great conversation in English!
So, Valeria, you should not worry.
You can never tell "somebody's mentality" in only a short time.
It takes time to learn how other people think.
You said you were using Skype. |
Kv2.0, thank you for this kind comment! 
But my contact list contains less than 5 people and some of them never talk with me by microphone.
So, I'm not able to see their faces and know their thoughts when I write something. Sometimes I feel deep loneliness and want to talk with somebody of them but I can't begin the conversation when they're online. Why? I can't explain it. I feel like I am an uninvited guest, because time to time they don't answer me in the chat. I try to write neutral things, but where is the balance? If I say something neutral, it can be boring. And if I say something interesting and captivating for me, my foreign friends may think I'm fool...
Yes, I'm describing very strange mood!  |
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| Author |
| Posted on 2011-12-27 00:33:13 |
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Just be yourself! You are doing fine.
If they don't answer you they are probably preoccupied with their own thoughts, or if you are one against three or more other people in a chat - I can see where it would be hard to be heard.
If things are not working out in a chat room find other rooms to visit and maybe you'll find people you like better and can communicate with (with common interests). Of course, try to engage them with the mic so you can practice speaking English you'll get better as time goes by. Remember you never get anything without asking for it! |
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| Author |
| Posted on 2011-12-27 14:42:38 |
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| Valeria13 |
| Valeria Korneeva |
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Kv2.0, thank you for these reasonable arguments, I think you're right. |
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| Author |
| Posted on 2011-12-31 20:23:00 |
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| Kosinus |
| that summer had its charm |
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So how does it go now? Is it better? |
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| Author |
| Posted on 2011-12-31 23:38:04 |
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| Valeria13 |
| Valeria Korneeva |
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| So how does it go now? Is it better? |
Right now I'm reading this forum.
Happy New year! By the way, some of my foreign friends can speak Russian when we talk through Skype...That's very cool! |
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