The perfectionism has obvious advantages in situations in which we may find ourselves throughout the day. When learning a foreign language, the perfectionism is also useful to a certain point. Perfectionists tend to appreciate especially linguistic details and exceptions, and could even experience some kind of pleasure in the complex study of a language or in the respect received from others.
Attention to details and the numerous grammar rules can exhaust even the most trained brain and, as a result, instead of communicating and transmitting what we feel, we may experience mental blocks and become ridiculous. Different languages raise different problems during the period of study and it is necessary to master these linguistic details or rules. At the same time, we must measure our efforts and not exaggerate with new information during the study sessions. A rich vocabulary does not necessarily mean that the speaker has also proper conversational skills. Thus, although we know a great number of synonyms for the word house in Spanish, we may not know how to express the idea of home.
To avoid the unpleasant situation of a mental block during a conversation, you can think that the person you are speaking to in a foreign language is certainly more likely to be a worse speaker of your language. Perfectionists value the opinion of others, so this last suggestion can help in many situations. You can relax during a conversation by imagining the level of pronunciation or writing of the interlocutor in your language.
Another suggestion would be, if affordable, to get in touch with native speakers. It can be expensive and not affordable for everyone, but there is no doubt that native speakers offer great opportunities to improve conversation skills when studying a foreign language.
Therefore, if you are particularly interested in the individual study of a language, linguistic details and grammatical rules, do not neglect oral communication. This is essential from the very first day of study, to ensure your progress. Be a perfectionist when you communicate something verbally!
