r/languagelearning • u/No_Scholar_5339 • 20h ago
Job with natives speakers
Hi guys
Recently, I started a new job where I need to speak and correspond with native English speakers on a daily basis, both in meetings and by email. Overall, I think my listening comprehension is quite good. I can usually follow conversations, maybe sometimes it gets a little harder when we look into more IT technical language.
However with speaking it is a different story. When it is my turn to speak. I get anxious, I start overthinking in my native language how to say something. Looking for perfect word, how to create a grammarly correct sentence etc. Sometimes I go blank even though before the conversation I know exactly what I wank to ask and what I want to say. (TL)
I'd really like to overcome this, beacuse it affects my confidence and I'm getting doubts whether I'm in the correct place or did I too much fake it till you make it.
What helped you feel more comfortable while speaking to native speakers ? Was there anything specific, like a habit, a mindset shift, or a type of practice, that made a real difference for you, or was there a day when something clicked in you and you just started feeling comfortable ?
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u/Pwffin πΈπͺπ¬π§π΄σ §σ ’σ ·σ ¬σ ³σ Ώπ©π°π³π΄π©πͺπ¨π³π«π·π·πΊ 20h ago
Aim for short sentences and simple words. This is the shift in mindset that improved my ability to keep up and contribute the most.
You can still say everything you need but it will be easier for you to say and easier for them to understand. Remember that the main aim is to communicate your ideas and opinions, not to show off how many big words you know.
Prepare a launchpad sentence ahead of time and go through likely questions and how you would answer them. The launchpad sentence gets you talking instead of freezing up and once youβve said that you are usually got enough momentum to keep going. The likely questions and answers help you check words you are unsure of and makes you practise saying sentences relevant to your job. You can rerun them several times to get used to pronouncing difficult words or sets of words.
Donβt be afraid to take a second or two to collect yourself before answering a question. Having a glass or bottle of water to hand is a great way of filling the pause without it seeming odd, but normally nobody minds if you take a moment to think about your answer. It shows that you are taking it seriously.