Can I Talk To A Native Speaker?

No matter how much you practice, you will probably never be entirely comfortable in talking to a native speaker. Let's face it - it's the same reason that talking to an attorney about law or a professor about their discipline can cause you to roll over and agree with anything they say.

They are the experts, right?

Although I've been practicing Spanish diligently for months, I still get tongue-tied and make mistakes when I try to actually speak with a native.

Speaking to another person is a lot like public speaking - you may feel as if your whole value as a person is being judged! But working through that feeling is valuable.

So here's a technique I've recently developed - feel free to use it. You don't even have to give me credit:
1) Pick some people you know are not primarily English speakers (regardless of what language they speak)
2) Learn one or two words in their language (I recommend hello and goodbye)
3) Every time you see those people, use these words
4) If they correct you, try to implement what they suggested next time. If they don't correct you, ask them if you are saying these words correctly.

Although you may learn 5-10 words in languages you will never speak, you will get practice using simple words to speak to someone in another language. And that practice will help you lose your fear of speaking the language you are trying to learn.