How confident are you about your English?
And how can you improve your confidence?
Hello!
You may have heard me talk a lot about blocks and barriers recently - things that get in your way when you’re trying to learn English.
(If you missed it, read last week’s post about how to stop forgetting everything, and this post from two weeks ago about fear, perfectionism, inconsistency and comparing yourself with others.)
A lot of learners think that what they need to overcome their blocks is more vocabulary or better grammar. Of course, this may be true for some people, depending on your level, and these things are definitely important.
But very often, learners already have enough language knowledge to communicate well but they still hold back out of fear. What they need is not more grammar or more vocabulary but more confidence.
This is what my business - Learn English with Katie - is all about.
Most of my clients, not all, are professional women who use English at work or want to in the future.
As well as helping people with their English - their speaking, grammar, vocabulary and everything else - I also help them to feel more confident and no longer too afraid to speak up.
Let me give you a few tips to help you with your confidence today. And at the end, I’ll tell you how you can get even more!
Three tips for confidence
1. Feel the fear and speak anyway
Are you waiting until you feel more confident before you start speaking or using your English? I’m sorry to tell you but that won’t work.
You can only get more confident by doing the thing you’re scared of.
If you’re waiting until you feel ready, you’ll never start!
Instead, you have to be brave and take small steps and try to use your English - even if it’s just one sentence at a time - and eventually your confidence will grow.
2. Stop apologising for your English
When you make a mistake and somebody corrects you, do you say “Sorry”?
Try saying “Thank you” instead.
This isn’t just about changing what you say, though. It’s about changing how you feel. When you see a mistake as a learning opportunity and not an embarrassing moment, your confidence will grow.
Words are powerful. So when you change what you say and what you think about mistakes, this can actually change the way you feel, too.
3. Set manageable goals
If your goal is to speak English like a native speaker, you’re probably going to feel depressed and lose your confidence.
It’s not even necessary to speak like a native speaker!
Instead, focus on smaller and more manageable goals, like asking a question in your next meeting at work, or trying to read a little English every day for a month.
Then celebrate when you’ve achieved your goals and feel your confidence grow.
Free mini-course
Would you like more tips on how to speak English more confidently?
I’ve created an email mini-course, aimed mainly at professional women who use English at work.
It’s for women who’d like to be able to join in with small talk in the office and build relationships with their colleagues.
It’s for women who know that English confidence would make their day-to-day life less stressful and more enjoyable.
It’s also for women who need to feel more confident before they can get a promotion or apply for their dream job.
If that sounds like you, I want to help you reach your full potential in your career, without feeling held back by your English.
I created my free mini-course for you. It’s called “Your 5 Steps to Confident English Communication at Work”.
You can sign up for it here.
See you next week!
Katie 💙
Thanks a lot!