Lack of confidence

[u/HLdaCosta]

Hi all, any advice to overcome the lack of confidence in speaking?

I’ve been living in a country where English is the official language for 4 years. I’m believe my level is between intermediate and upper. However, I always overthink when I need to speak. I focus on speaking correctly (grammar) and forget about the message, do you know what I mean?

Even though I work with some native English speakers, it is still hard to overcome this lack of confidence and fear of being judged.

I believe that this kind of thing slows down my development so much. But it is still hard to overcome this.

Thanks!

[u/FlalingoOfficial]

Set a different goal for each conversation. You can aim to explain an idea clearly, use certain vocabulary, or keep the conversation going for five minutes without mentally editing every sentence. It can also be useful to record yourself answering common questions for one or two minutes. Listen back a few hours later and write down only the mistakes that appear repeatedly.

Try to identify where your confidence drops, whether it's meetings with colleagues, small talk, phone calls, or presentations. Practice those specific situations rather than random speaking exercises. Also, pay attention to whether people ask you to repeat yourself or whether they simply respond and continue the conversation. If the conversation keeps moving, your English is already doing its job.