Why can't I speak?

Three reasons why speaking English is difficult

Photo by Spencer Backman on Unsplash

Hello!

Imagine you’re at work and somebody speaks to you in English. You want to reply but you discover that you can’t say what you want to say. This makes you feel uncomfortable and frustrated.

Why does this happen and what can you do about it?

Here are some possible reasons why it happens and some solutions.

1️⃣ Worrying about mistakes

The problem:

You’re afraid of making a mistake. You worry about using the wrong grammar. So instead of thinking about the message you want to communicate, you’re thinking too much about the grammar rules. This slows you down and makes you more anxious.

The answer:

Remember that your English doesn’t have to be perfect in order for you to communicate well. Focus more on what you want to communicate and focus less on trying to be perfect.

People will still understand you, even if you make a mistake. And even if they don’t, they can always ask. People won’t even care that you made a mistake. They will be listening to your meaning and not your mistakes.

2️⃣ Worrying about your accent

The problem:

You realise that you speak English with an accent and you worry that people will judge you. Maybe you even wish you could sound more British or more American.

The answer:

You don’t need to have a British or American accent in order to communicate effectively. Your accent is a beautiful part of who you are and not something that you need to change. Focus on speaking clearly and stop worrying about your accent.

3️⃣ Nerves

The problem:

You can speak English just fine when you’re talking to a friend or to your teacher but as soon as you have to speak English in a meeting, for example, you get nervous and can’t find the words you need.

The answer:

This is just a problem of not having enough confidence. The good news is that the more you practise, the more your speaking will improve. And the more you make yourself speak even when you don’t want to, the more confident you will become.

I’ve experienced this last one myself. When I was in Poland, I had one-to-one Polish lessons. I could have a simple conversation with my teacher in Polish but as soon as I was in a shop or restaurant and somebody I didn’t know spoke to me, I froze! I couldn’t understand what they said and I struggled to reply. My level of Polish was not the problem. It was my confidence.

If you have problems like this, you’ll like my email course: “Your 5 Steps to Confident Communication in English at Work”. 

I wrote it for professional women who want to be able to use English at work with confidence so they can get the job or promotion they need, or just feel more comfortable using English in the office.

If that sounds like you, sign up here and you’ll get five emails with tips on how to improve your English confidence. ⬇️

See you next week!

Katie