I Had No Idea About English When I Began Living In England
That’s no joke. This was only four years ago.
By the time I was wandering around feeling skeptical about life after the breakup, I got a VISA allowed me to stay in the UK for two years. I thought it would be a good opportunity and journey I took to know what I wanted and who I was.
To work, to traveling, to experience various people and cultures, I decided to find a job first in England. Right, like the headline, I had no idea about English and a huge language barrier for me. Then how was I able to get a decent job?
I memorized the list of 100 English job interview questions and answers that might be asked at least once enough to speak well without stuttering before having the job interview. And boldly, I dressed neatly and had job interviews. The result? I made it. Six out of ten of the places I had the interview sent acceptance letters. I felt excited to work in a new place and a little worried about it at the same time. The thing is, the job I passed was one of the jobs where I had to communicate proficiently. Anyway, I was truly happy at that moment.
“Fake it until you make it”
-Unknown
However, It was a HELL door to pain and stress. It was extremely hard for me to understand and communicate with other colleagues because all I could understand was interview questions and answers. People around me started to recognize that I didn’t understand English and I felt like a dumb who couldn’t speak properly. There was not only the fear of them looking at me but also the frustration of not being able to say all my thoughts.
I couldn’t stand still to survive. Below was what I had been doing this routine repeatedly for six months.
Firstly, Throughout working, I paid attention to what they said, carried a memo, jotted down words that I didn’t know, and searched after work.
Secondly, I’d done my best studying English related to work every single day after work and memorized all work-related tasks to avoid inconvenience to my colleagues so that there was no inconvenience in communication, which made me improve a lot in many ways.
Thirdly, once in a while, I participated in Meetup, a group of local communities that share interests to learn how to communicate in everyday English, not in business-related English.
I gradually got used to the tasks, my English improved much better and ended up being a full-time permanent employee after six months of probation. Even when I was leaving the job for a new challenge, my boss filled out more than two pages of sincere references for me. And this experience was back to me better opportunities afterward.
More to the point, through those life lessons, I was able to communicate with various people from different countries and backgrounds and listen to their thoughts and values. It was the first event that changed my values and the way I treated my life.
The thing is
It was awkward, painful, daunting, and embarrassing. but It didn’t kill me and even destroy my life. It was just a moment.
It begins with the belief that there is a way.
