Last week I read a lovely article at The Guardian:
I am not going to lie – I definitely know where she was coming from. Even when you live somewhere for years, it is so easy to feel like your language skills don’t measure up and that you make too many mistakes. Sometimes it feels like half of the conversations I have in unfamiliar situations result in me feeling ashamed when I walk away, even though I know I shouldn’t. When I try to be helpful and explain something or show someone the way, I always wonder if the other person understood me.
Which is silly. Deep down I know it is silly. My Dutch is great. It’s not native, but neither am I. My self-confidence could use some improvement, though!
Looking back, I have obviously improved. Years ago I would spend a few minutes rehearsing what I wanted to say before I approached someone, for instance, a worker at the supermarket. Imagine my panic at those sudden situations where I didn’t have time to prepare. ARGH!
So if, like me, you are learning a language and you think your skills aren’t good enough, take heart. Sometimes the most important thing to help you succeed is to boost your confidence so that you feel more willing to dive into situations. Only by believing in yourself can you improve.
(And by reading. And listening to podcasts. My Dutch vocabulary absolutely rocks these days!)
Life in the Hague 