The role of confidence and mindset in how you can speak English.

​When I first started teaching, it was all about the traditional elements, so grammar and pronunciation etc.

However, I soon noticed there was a key aspect missing. I would have two clients with a very similar level of English but their English work performance differed massively. This was due to more than just nerves. The belief that many of my clients had that their English should be perfect, was reducing their ability to speak.

If you think
-you shouldn't make any mistakes when you speak
-you need to learn every English word you don't know
-you need to impress your audience with complex grammar or vocab
-you should have an accent like a native speaker

you are probably making your English worse!

You are taking your focus away from where it should be - your message.
Your fluency and your ability to listen to other people in the room suffer.
You are putting huge amounts of unnecessary pressure on yourself.
And most likely you are often keeping quiet even though you have important things to say.

If you can see yourself in the text above, please remember 'real life is not an English exam'. Your goal for speaking English at work is to communicate your point, not speak flawless or high-level English. If you can remember this, it will both take the pressure off and help you communicate better.