How to get over nervousness in speaking Spanish
I am visiting Nicaragua with my family friend. She has tons of family here and she talks to them all the time and translates for me when i should be in the conversation. I can usually understand most of what they are saying. But i am very very shy with speaking to them, because i feel that i will make a fool of myself by speaking, so i usually sit and listen. Can someone tell me how to get over this and just use my spanish?
8 Answers
The proudest moment (for the spanish speaking host) is when the foriegner (gringo) who is visiting their country…honors them by trying to speak their native tongue. They anxiously anticipate awardness and mistakes. Those are some of the proudest moments that they have. By trying and failing, you have provided them the opportunity to share their insights and help with you. You want to be excepted as family? Fall on your face. It will make them so proud of you. ?
Many years ago I studied French, and I made a huge mistake in not forcing myself to speak. Today, I can still read and understand spoken French pretty well, but as soon as I start to speak my tongue seems to tie itself in knots. Why? Lack of practice.
I am determined not to make the same mistake with Spanish. Every Spanish speaking person I meet, I make a point to telling them that I am studying Spanish, but that I am only a beginner. Hotels, bars, restaurants... everyone has been fantastic. Have I made mistakes? Hundreds! Have I made people laugh? Sure - but in a good way.
My advice? Go for it! As a hotelier told me once: "You'll get it wrong - once, twice, twenty, two hundred times, but eventually you will get it right."
The answers given by others is great. You just have to do it!
I practiced talking aloud to myself and my dog...it really helped! Later, I got a Skype tutor to help make my speaking smooth. Now I'm talking to people without even thinking about how to conjugate (unless it's an irregular verb that I don't use much) and I still make mistakes. But, so what? I'm having a great time.
The best thing now is that when someone asks me, "¿Hablas español?" I have the confidence to say, "Sí" without hesitation.
I'm so sure that you've seen thousands of Spanish natives trying to speak English, they know they are not good, you know they are not good, but they try and communicate with you anyway, and this is also your reason. You're not giving a lecture... You're just trying to communicate, you don't have to be perfect... afterall nobody is 
Just do it!
"Can someone tell me how to get over this and just use my spanish?"
Your answer is in the question: get over it and just use your spanish.
I can certainly empathize with feeling a little shy when it comes to learning and practicing your target language with native speakers. It's unfamiliar, there are tons of false friends waiting to make you sound like a total fool, what verb you should use is not always intuitive, and so on...
Aside from poping beta blockers there really is no way to get around this. On the plus side it sounds like you have had some experience with your friend's family, so you at least have some people that you are fairly comfortable with to practice with. If I were you I would let them know that you are trying to learn their language. If they are anything like the native speakers in my life then the problem will take care of itself. 
You can make mistakes and be a fool - people will love you for making them laugh. The court jesters of old did that. You will learn much faster when you make mistakes. People will love to correct you and you will make them feel good when they do.
When I was in Bolivia the "natives" insisted on speaking English. I loved being the "expert"
The advise is the same for every language... more speaking practice - less nervousness...
Yesterday I went around the house purring to practice rolling my r's. Many times people don't understand my words because of the lack of rolling my r's.
