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This sort of experience happens to me virtually EVERY time I have to speak with someone, at least in a foreign language, and the results depend on how bad I am in the language in question. And the results are infinitely worse if the conversation takes place on the phone!



Did you consider that it is not you but rather the other person who has a problem? You don't speak great Finnish from what I understand so unless you want to master the language by taking some audio courses, I don't see the problem going away.

It's not you. People are supposed to be a little more considerate when they know they are speaking to someone who does not understand local language. So don't be hard on yourself and take some audio lessons. Pimsleur might have a convestational Finnish course online.