In this episode, I reflect on conversations at a language exchange event in Guadalajara, where I met learners who were communicating successfully in their target languages but still apologised for their mistakes. One German learner in particular reminded me how often we judge our own abilities far more harshly than others do.I discuss why self-doubt, not mistakes, is usually the biggest barrier to speaking a language. Drawing on my own experience of struggling for words at times, I explain why effective communication matters more than perfection and encourage learners to trust the people who are happily talking with them rather than their inner critic.If you need one-on-one language guidance, schedule a consultation session with me at languagehacking.com/chat.And don’t forget to check out the Fluent in 3 Months Bootcamp here!Or you can follow me on all Social Media channels:Follow my Spanish InstagramInstagram: @irishpolyglotThread: @irishpolyglotTikTok: @irishpolyglot