Boost Your Confidence: Embrace Your Language Skills and Shine.
One of the most common issues I encounter with students is their tendency to underestimate their own abilities.
Convincing them otherwise can be a challenge. Over my five years of tutoring, during which I’ve conducted thousands of classes with countless students, I’ve noticed a universal trait: no matter how advanced their skills, students often struggle with low self-confidence.
This lack of confidence is perfectly normal for anyone learning a new language, but overcoming it is crucial. Building self-confidence is a key part of my tutoring process and essential for students to realize that they can converse confidently in any situation.
Shift Your Perspective
The first step to overcoming low self-confidence is a simple shift in perspective. Instead of saying, “Oh, sorry, my English is not good,” I encourage students to adopt a more positive mindset: “My English is good, and I am working on making it better.”
This subtle change in self-talk helps break down the self-imposed wall of doubt and reluctance. Saying “My English is not good” creates an excuse to stay silent, avoiding potential embarrassment from making mistakes. This is self-defeating and rarely reflects the truth.
Most students are perfectly capable of speaking, reading, and understanding English when they are comfortable and focused. They simply lack the confidence to use their skills and hide behind the notion that their English isn’t good enough.
Embrace Mistakes
Another reason for low confidence is the fear of making mistakes and embarrassing themselves. This fear is normal but unfounded.
Native speakers often appreciate the effort non-native speakers make, and other non-native speakers understand the struggles, having faced them themselves. People are generally forgiving of mistakes as long as they understand the context.
Making mistakes is a valuable part of the learning process—it encourages questions and keeps the conversation going.
Developing a personal, consistent, and natural style is a critical skill, but that’s a topic for another article. For now, focus on the foundation of building confidence in your language skills.
Believe in Yourself
No matter what level you’re at, you are far more skilled than you believe. You have the capability to achieve much more by simply shifting your perspective and believing in yourself. “My English is good, and I am working to make it better” is a powerful way of thinking that boosts confidence and allows you to show the world how well you can speak another language.
Remember, no matter your current level, you’re doing great. Believe in the effort you’ve put in, and let that belief shine through in your conversations. You’ve got this!
