Top English Confidence Hacks

I discovered 18^th August is Never Give Up Day, and I love the idea behind this day.

It is encouraging us all to focus on our mindset, to be determined, to give our best to achieve our dreams, and remember that if we keep motivating and inspiring ourselves, then we will get there.

This really resonated with me in my own self-development & personal growth, and I think this is true for many of my clients, and maybe you feel this too.

You reach a plateau in your English communication skills, when you are told you have reached an advanced level of English by traditional testing methods.

But you do not feel that way. Whether in meetings, chatting with colleagues, presentations, or writing professionally, you just do not feel that confident to communicate in English clearly, naturally and professionally in a way which enhances your performance and helps you achieve your career dreams.

So, here I am sharing my top English confidence hacks, to inspire you, motivate you, support you on your journey and so you never give up!

1. Make English learning habits part of your daily life

Learning is a life-long habit and frequency is critical. Improving your English confidence can be built into your daily life through exercises which leverage your existing habits, for example while walking or doing other tasks around the home.

2. Keep the conversation going, even if you hear your own mistakes

Trust in your skills and abilities that you can find a way to express yourself, even if you do not say it perfectly, have to stop and start again, or explain your ideas in a roundabout way. Sure, ideally you would be grammatically accurate and use lots of natural expressions every time, but we have good days and bad days, so do not be hard on yourself. Plus, speakers of English as a first language often make mistakes too! So, focus on the other person/ people and the message, rather than getting caught up in self-judgement.

3. Use every opportunity to speak and improve

I know it can be tough, but the only way to swim is to get in the water. The same is true for improving your English communication confidence. Sometimes we just have to try and speak, even if we are not sure how we will say it. Initially, this will feel challenging, but with practise and building your English confidence muscle, then you will suddenly find speaking confidently in English comes more easily, and even possibly enjoyable!

4. Use feedback to review and refine

Just as you would in any performance-related task at work or if you are training for a fitness-related goal, feedback is critical, so you can learn, refine and improve. Ideally ask a colleague who speaks English as a first language to feedback to you after your next meeting or presentation. Ask for specific feedback about the areas of your communication which you want to improve and are important to you.

Or if you want an in-depth feedback session with me, then ask me about my English Communication Evaluation.

5. Eye Contact and Smile

Remember body language is an important part of communication and connection to other people in your interactions. Simple things work well, such as maintaining eye contact, smiling and nodding. This is especially important in online meetings, where I encourage my clients to keep looking directly at the camera as much as they can, so people feel like you are talking to them and they feel engaged with you.

I hope you have found my top English confidence hacks useful, to inspire and motivate you! Which one is most useful for you?

If you are looking for an English motivation partner to take you to the next level for your English communication confidence, then let’s set up a time to talk about your needs & how I can help you achieve your goals.

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