Spoken English – A Personal Story
Not long ago I was unable to speak English very well. I was too embarrassed to have a conversation in English. I could understand some words that were spoken to me in English, but I was could answer in English. Why was this an issue for me? Quite simply it was holding me back in what I wanted to achieve with my life.
The English language was all around me – the media (television, radio, newspapers), my friends & my social life. Also, I had always dreamed of having a job in a large international company. Here in India, such companies use English as the corporate language. I was unable, however, to speak English. I had tried many times to learn the language, but each time became frustrated with the teaching methods, myself and other things always got in the way.
If I was going to achieve what I wanted in my life, things had to change. Most importantly, I had to change. It is always easy to blame everything else when things don’t go your way; that was me five years ago. It was only when a close friend took me aside and suggested that if I wanted to realise my dreams I needed to take responsibility.
I did. It didn’t happen overnight, but it did happen. I knew that if I was going to learn spoken English I needed to find the right learning material and the right mindset. Learning English could unlock the door in so many ways. Yet for so long I had lacked the confidence and the knowledge to do so. “How I learned to speak English” I will leave to another day, but it is possible. I took action and made it happen. It has made a huge transformation in my life. I have the career and the social life that I want and I also have a level of confidence and self-belief that allows me to do things that I never thought possible only five years.
Stick with it! Find the right learning methods, have the right mindset and keep practicing.
Wishing you every success, Poppy
