Do you have impostor syndrome?

and find out about my Conversation Club

Photo by Ugur Akdemir on Unsplash

Hello!

Do you sometimes think your English is worse than everyone else’s?

Do you avoid speaking up and keep your thoughts to yourself? Do you worry about making a mistake when you speak because then people will discover your English isn’t as good as they thought it was?

When somebody tells you that your English is good, do you believe them? Or do you think that they’re just being polite or trying to make you feel better?

Do you worry that your accent will make you sound less intelligent or less professional?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you might have impostor syndrome.

What’s that? Keep reading and I’ll explain.

Vocabulary

First, there are a few difficult words today so here’s some vocabulary to help you:

impostor = somebody who pretends to be somebody else

syndrome = a medical or psychological condition

psychological = related to how the mind works

impostor syndrome = feeling like you’re not as good at something as people think you are and that other people will discover that you’re not good enough

a fake/fraud = a person who isn’t who they say they are or doesn’t have the skills they say they have

anxiety = the condition of feeling very worried

depression = the condition of feeling unhappy or without hope

What’s impostor syndrome?

Impostor syndrome is when you doubt yourself and your abilities, even though there’s evidence you are succeeding. For example, when somebody praises or compliments you, you don’t believe them and you feel like they’re just saying it to be polite.

You worry that other people will discover that you’re not good at your job or that you’re a fake or a fraud. Or you feel that you don’t deserve your success.

Impostor syndrome is a combination of a lack of confidence and a fear that other people are going to find out that you’re not good enough.

Anyone can experience this feeling of impostor syndrome but it happens more often to minority groups.

This means women experience it more often than men. And non-native speakers of English are likely to experience it if they work in an English-speaking environment.

Impostor syndrome is a problem. Your anxiety about your English may stop you from speaking up at work, or it may stop you from applying for a job you’d be good at.

Or it might stop you from doing other things you want to do, like joining an international community or travelling. It can also lead to mental health problems like stress, anxiety and depression.

What’s the solution?

If you have feelings of impostor syndrome when you think about your English, here are some things you can try.

1. Instead of thinking “I can’t do this,” tell yourself “I can learn/improve this.” Think positive thoughts! It’s OK to want to keep improving. It’s not OK to say that your English will never be good enough.

2. Don’t compare yourself to other people. You only see what’s on the outside. Just because they seem confident on the outside, this doesn't mean they aren’t feeling just as nervous about speaking English as you are.

3. Don’t put pressure on yourself to speak like a native. You don’t need to speak like a native and you don’t need to be perfect. Instead, focus on simple and clear communication, and connecting with other people.

4. Share your experiences and feelings with a friend. You will feel better if you talk about it and you’ll feel even better when you realise you’re not alone.

5. Find a safe place to practise your English and build your confidence. This could be with a friend, with a teacher or in a class.

Conversation Club for Women

If you like the idea of a safe space where you can practise your English without worrying about what other people will think of you when you make a mistake, join my Conversation Club for women!

Here’s what you need to know:
DATES: Every Wednesday for 4 weeks, starting 4th June
TIME: 5.00 p.m. UK time
PLACE: On Zoom!
GROUP SIZE: maximum 6 (3 places gone, 3 left)
PRICE: £40

You can find out more here.

This is what a couple of members said:

"I really enjoy our Wednesday meetings." - Daria

"Thank you Katie, this club is a real pleasure to attend. We mainly practice speaking and we learn grammar and pronunciation by speaking." - Diana

If you’d like to join us, or if you’d like more information, just reply to this email or leave a comment below.

If you're interested but this time doesn't suit you, please get in touch anyway. I'd love to start a second group at a different time.

This group is for women but I’d be happy to start a mixed-gender group as well, so again, contact me if you’re interested.

See you next week!

Katie