Hi Shirley I'm shy too. We can be friends and you can practice your English with me. I bet your English is much better than you think. 我的汉语很可怕，可是我还练习跟我的朋友们 ：） Once you start practicing your English will improve very fast. :) :) Bye for now 你的朋友 Malini

Hi Shirley, here are 5 Ways For Overcoming Shyness: 1. Some of the components of shyness are lack of self-confidence and anxiety around others, difficulty carrying on a conversation, and a lack of knowledge about the expected behavior in social situations or a lack of words whilst learning a new language. If you want to make progress overcoming shyness you need to attend to these issues. 2. You must first determine why you are shy. There are always underlying reasons for the way a person reacts in certain situations. You could prepare/memorize a conversation beforehand. Next, try behaving in a confident manner in private and practice until you begin to see results in public. You can practice saying, Hi my name is xxxx, pleased to meet you in front of the mirror. As ridiculous as it may seem, forcing yourself to act as if you are not shy can be very helpful in learning how to overcome shyness altogether. 3. One way to boost your self-confidence is to always look your best. Looking great makes you feel great and does wonders for your self-esteem. Reduce your fear of rejection by imagining worst case scenarios and how you will handle them. Observing strangers and acquaintances and how they relate to others can also be a great tool in learning how to overcome shyness. 4. If you are having difficulty overcoming shyness, join clubs/ sites or go to events that interest you. It's a lot more comfortable to engage in conversations with those who have common interests. The initial conversation will be much easier since you'll already have a topic of conversation that interests you both. 5. If you do not have the confidence to approach someone new, then smile and try to be approachable. Most people are receptive to a smile and a friendly face. Overcoming shyness can start with something as simple as a smile!

hey dont be shy....and keep faith in yourself.....and feel like that you can do anything.....believe me just start talk...you will see you are no more shy with that person with whom you are talking.........ok....so be confident....

Seek for the reasons that make you feel shy. After you balance it, you will be able to feel more comfortable.

Hello Shirley, Are you shy also when you talk in Chinese ? Or is your shyness related to speaking a foreign language that you don't speak well enough ? If that is the case, it is normal to feel a little anxious ,it is termed " foreign language anxiety ". You are not the only one feeling so, we all do at times when learning a new language. I would love to help you. 我在学习中文，我可以帮助你，你也可以帮助我学习中文！ Here are some tips to help you overcome this particular kind of anxiety ( I 'd call it so rather than shyness)： * Just don't be afraid to act and sound silly and get used to it, without any fear of "getting it wrong". * Know that shyness and embarrassment might otherwise impede your progress.So make sure you choose your language partners and teachers well , ones who encourage you and appreciate your progress. * To avoid shyness in general take a speaking course, volunteer work where you can make more friends and build your self confidence. Good luck:)