What do you guys do when you don’t feel confident enough ?

[GreenLandss]

English is my second language, lack of fluency in English affecting my confidence and this is one of the causes for my anxiety…

My profession demands good communication skills. This makes me anxious before every shifts🥲.

[Vonus5591]

english movies?

[Starrlight]

give myself a pep talk.

[Arymretep]

Feel the fear, and so it anyway 👍

[LivingInTheDark]

People can be cruel and judgmental but just be you and try your best! Nobody is perfect.

[punkster]

I think the best way to get better at another language is immersion. I lived with a roommate from Japan when I was in college and she came to the USA to learn English. She hung around with all her friends in the exchange program and they all spoke Japanese. At the end of the year she didn't speak a lot of English. Do you speak English at home? Do you socialize with people that speak English? I find that generally people are patient with English language learners if they know that the person is making an effort to learn. Also, as another poster suggested, watching TV can help.

[rbbmessenger]

look up dunning Krueger effect and recent studies only thepeople who realize they may not be adequate at something are the ones who can accomplish something. people who are " dumb" don't even realize they are NOT good at something. it's a real thing

[GreenLandss in reply to rbbmessenger]

I appreciate you sharing this, its is really inspiring👍

[SongofAmergin]

Depending on your situation, you might say, "Sorry, my English isn’t perfect. Could you speak more slowly, please?" It all depends on if your job requires that you be fluent in English. Maybe you are putting too much pressure on yourself. Perhaps no one expects you to speak fluently, and you are just assuming that you must speak better. Or you could say, "I’m learning English and sometimes I have trouble understanding. Could you repeat that, please?"

I can relate to your situation. I'm a U.S. expat who has been living in Mexico for 14 years, and I still am only at a beginner Intermediate level.

I suggest you memorize certain phrases: first of all get a box of index cards and write down all the special terms you need in your particular area of employment. Second, memorize phrases like "Can you repeat that?" and "I didn’t understand, can you explain it in another way?" Also, when it comes to very important things, like agreements with someone, memorize, "Could you write it down, please?" I also ask people to put things in an email or text, and that way I can review the email and text whenever I get the chance. That way you have it in writing, and there is no question about what was agreed upon. I also use Google Audio Translate - that has come in handy in the doctor's and dentist's office.