You know the words.
You have learnt the grammar.
You have practised in class.
And then, suddenly, a real French person speaks to you.
Your brain empties.
Nothing comes out. Not even bonjour feels accessible.
If this has ever happened to you, let me reassure you of something important: it is not a language problem. Instead, it is a nervous system problem.
What Is Actually Happening When You Freeze?
When someone suddenly speaks French to you, your brain switches into alert mode. As a result, your thoughts may sound something like this:
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What did they say?
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I didn’t catch that.
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I’m going to get this wrong.
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They’ll think my accent is terrible.
At that moment, your brain is not calmly accessing vocabulary. Instead, it is scanning for threat.
Even mild social pressure can trigger that response. Because of that, recall becomes harder.
In other words, the problem is not knowledge. It is stress.
The Mistake Most Learners Make
When this freezing happens, many learners decide:
“I’m just not good at languages.”
Or:
“I need to learn more vocabulary.”
But here is the truth.
You probably already know enough.
What you need is a strategy for when your mind goes blank.
Here are three practical tools you can use immediately.
1. Buy Yourself Time
First of all, French has wonderful thinking phrases.
For example:
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Alors…
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Attends…
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Voyons…
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Eh bien…
These are not filler words. On the contrary, they are confidence tools.
They give your brain a few seconds to catch up. As a result, you feel more in control.
2. Have One Safe Sentence Ready
Secondly, choose one reliable sentence that you can always say.
For example:
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Je ne suis pas sûre d’avoir bien compris.
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Vous pouvez répéter, s’il vous plaît ?
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Je cherche mes mots.
If you know you can say something, you will freeze less often. In fact, certainty reduces panic.
3. Practise Imperfectly
Finally, confidence does not come from perfect grammar. Instead, it comes from surviving small moments.
Each time you respond, even clumsily, you teach your brain that this situation is safe. Therefore, the next time becomes easier.
You Do Not Need To Be Fluent To Respond
You only need to be willing.
Rather than aiming for brilliance, aim for participation.
That small shift changes everything.
A Small Challenge
Next time someone speaks French to you, do not aim for perfect. Aim for one sentence. Just one. Then build from there.
That is how you stop freezing and instead, how you start sounding more French.
Bon courage !
Frannie x
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