Anna is an adult from Spain. She wants to learn English. She studies every day. She reads books and watches videos. But she is very nervous to speak English with others. Her heart beats fast when she thinks about talking. “What if I make mistakes?” she thinks. “People will laugh at me.”

One day, Anna finds an online platform. It is called Free4Talk. On this platform, non-native English speakers practice together. They are from many countries. They talk about simple things like food, work, and hobbies. There are only a few native speakers. Everyone is learning. Anna thinks, “This is perfect for me!”

She joins the platform. She logs in every evening. She listens to the conversations. People say hello and share stories. They make mistakes, but they laugh and help each other. Anna wants to join. She opens her mouth, but no words come out. She feels scared. “Not today,” she tells herself. She just listens and types messages sometimes.

Days turn into weeks. Anna feels sad. She practices alone in her room. She speaks to her mirror. “Hello, my name is Anna. I am from Spain.” She says it again and again. But online, she stays quiet. She watches a woman from Brazil. The woman speaks slowly and makes errors, but she keeps trying. Others say, “Good job!” Anna thinks, “They are kind. Maybe I can try too.”

One evening, after a long time, Anna feels a little more brave. The group is talking about favourite foods. Anna loves paella. Her hands shake, but she clicks the microphone button. “Hello,” she says softly. Her voice is small. The group stops. “Hi! Who is that?” someone asks. “I am Anna from Spain,” she says shyly. “My favourite food is paella.” She waits, nervous.

Everyone cheers. “Welcome, Anna! Nice to meet you. What is paella?” a man from Japan asks. Anna smiles. She explains slowly. She makes some mistakes, but no one laughs. They listen and help. Anna feels happy. Her nervousness starts to go away.

From that day, Anna speaks more. She joins every chat. She makes friends. Her English gets better. She is not shy anymore. Anna learns that mistakes are okay. Everyone starts somewhere. Now, she helps new shy learners. “You can do it,” she tells them.

---

Vocabulary Notes

Nervous: Adjective.
Definition: Feeling worried, afraid, or uneasy about something, often causing physical reactions like a fast heartbeat or shaking hands.
Example: “She is very nervous to speak English with others. Her heart beats fast when she thinks about talking.”
Context: Anna feels nervous because she is scared of making mistakes when speaking English.
Similar Words:
Anxious (e.g., “I feel anxious before a test.”)
Scared (e.g., “She is scared to talk in class.”)
Afraid (e.g., “He is afraid of speaking in public.”)

Platform: Noun.
Definition: An online system or website where people can interact, share, or do activities together, like chatting or learning.
Example: “One day, Anna finds an online platform. It is called free4talk.”
Context: The platform is a safe place for Anna to practice English with other learners.
Similar Words:
Website (e.g., “I use a website to learn English.”)
App (e.g., “This app helps me practice speaking.”)
Site (e.g., “The site has many English lessons.”)

Mistakes: Noun (plural).
Definition: Errors or incorrect actions, often made when learning something new.
Example: “What if I make mistakes?” she thinks. “People will laugh at me.”
Context: Anna worries that her English errors will embarrass her, but she learns that mistakes are okay.
Similar Words:
Errors (e.g., “I made some errors in my homework.”)
Faults (e.g., “Don’t worry about small faults in your speech.”)
Blunders (e.g., “His blunders in English made everyone smile.”)

Brave: Adjective.
Definition: Having courage or being willing to do something difficult or scary.
Example: “One evening, after a long time, Anna feels a little brave.”
Context: Anna feels brave enough to speak for the first time, overcoming her fear.
Similar Words:
Courageous (e.g., “She is courageous to try speaking.”)
Bold (e.g., “He was bold and joined the conversation.”)
Fearless (e.g., “The fearless student spoke without worry.”)

Cheer: Verb.
Definition: To shout or express happiness and support for someone, often to encourage them.
Example: “Everyone cheers. ‘Welcome, Anna! Nice to meet you.’”
Context: The group cheers to make Anna feel welcome when she speaks for the first time.
Similar Words:
Applaud (e.g., “They applaud when she finishes her speech.”)
Encourage (e.g., “We encourage new students to talk.”)
Support (e.g., “The group supports each other’s efforts.”)

Story written by SteveUK and Grok AI.

Image created by Grok AI.

#Britishshortstories #learningEnglish #Englishspeaking #Englishspeakingpractice #Englishreading #Englishreadingpractice #readingEnglish #ieltslistening #Englishlisteningpractice #shortstory #storytime