A small success in an unfamiliar language can change how confidently someone enters the next room.

Confidence in a new language is built out of very small completed events. One exchange that goes right, where you were understood and the answer made sense, resets what you expect from the next one, and expectation is most of what determines whether you speak at all. The reverse is also true, which is why a single bad encounter can silence someone for a week.

If you are learning, choose an easy exchange on purpose and let it count. If you are on the other side, slow down slightly and let someone finish their sentence. A patient shopkeeper changes somebody’s afternoon.