sono gakusei ha nihongo de hanasuno wo hazukasigatte ita ga, zyugyougo ni ha sukosi egao de hanaseta.

その学生 means that student or sometimes the student we’re talking about.

Why その?

• その often refers to something already mentioned or something close to the listener’s side in the conversation.
• あの usually refers to something distant from both speaker and listener, or something more separately pointed out.

So in many contexts, その学生 sounds like that student / the student in question.

は marks the topic of the sentence.

So その学生は means something like:

• As for that student...
• That student...

In English, it often becomes the subject, but in Japanese its job is specifically to introduce what the sentence is about.

Here, で marks the language used or the means by which the action is done.

So:

• 日本語で話す = to speak in Japanese

This is the same pattern as:

• 英語で話す = speak in English
• 大きい声で話す = speak in a loud voice

So this で is not location here. It is showing the medium/language.

The の turns the verb 話す into a noun-like phrase.

So:

• 話す = to speak
• 話すの = speaking / the act of speaking

That means:

• 日本語で話すの = speaking in Japanese

This is called nominalization. It lets a verb phrase act like a noun inside a larger sentence.

In this sentence, を marks the thing the student feels shy or embarrassed about.

So:

• 日本語で話すのを恥ずかしがる = to be shy/embarrassed about speaking in Japanese

Literally, it is like:

• to shy away from the act of speaking Japanese

This is a common pattern with 恥ずかしがる when the thing causing embarrassment is treated as the object.

This is a very common learner question.

恥ずかしい describes the feeling embarrassed / shy directly.

恥ずかしがる means to show signs of embarrassment/shyness or to act embarrassed/shy.

So:

• 恥ずかしかった = was embarrassed
• 恥ずかしがっていた = was acting shy / was showing embarrassment

Why use 恥ずかしがる here?

Because the subject is a third person (that student). In Japanese, when talking about someone else’s emotions, it is often more natural to describe what can be observed from the outside, rather than state their inner feeling directly.

So 恥ずかしがっていた suggests the student was visibly hesitant or shy about speaking Japanese.

〜ていた here shows an ongoing state in the past.

So:

• 恥ずかしがっていた = was being shy / was acting shy

It does not mean just one moment of embarrassment. It suggests this was the student’s state over some period of time before the contrast in the second half of the sentence.

Yes, が can be a subject marker, but here it is a conjunction meaning:

• but
• although

So the sentence structure is:

• [The student was shy about speaking Japanese], but [after class, ...]

This が connects two clauses and shows contrast.

授業後に means after class.

When は is added:

• 授業後には

the は adds contrast or emphasis.

So the nuance becomes something like:

• but after class, at least...
• however, after class...

It contrasts the earlier situation with what happened later.

So:

• 授業後に = neutral after class
• 授業後には = after class, though / as for after class

It is the same particle で, but its role is a little different.

• 日本語で: で marks the language/means
• 笑顔で: で marks the manner/state

So:

• 笑顔で話す = to speak with a smile

Here, 笑顔 is a noun meaning smiling face / smile, and で means something like in the state of or with.

This part can feel slightly flexible in English.

• 笑顔で話せた = was able to speak with a smile
• 少し can mean a little / somewhat / slightly

In context, 少し most naturally suggests a small, modest change:

• the student could speak a little
• or could speak with a slight smile
• or more broadly, could speak a bit more comfortably

A natural English translation often smooths it out as something like:

• but after class, the student was able to speak a little with a smile

If Japanese wanted to make a little speaking especially clear, it might also say 少し話せた.

話せた is the potential past form of 話す.

So:

• 話した = spoke
• 話せた = could speak / was able to speak

This is important for the nuance.

The sentence is not just saying the student spoke. It is saying the student managed to speak, or became able to speak. That fits the contrast with earlier shyness.

Japanese often omits information that is already clear from context.

The topic その学生は is given at the start, so in the second clause it is understood automatically that the same student is the one who 話せた.

Repeating it would usually be unnecessary unless the speaker wanted extra emphasis or contrast.