You've reached an advanced level but there is still so much you can't do.
You were told that once you were advanced, all of your English stresses would disappear. That you would understand everything and never struggle to make yourself understood. That all would be sunshine and roses.
OK, OK. So, you knew it wouldn't be perfect. But you had no idea it would still be this hard!
How is everyone else doing it!? Going into meetings, moving countries, making friends, getting promotions... don't they panic and worry and beat themselves up like you do?
They told you more language would make all this anxiety go away so the problem must be that you simply don't have enough yet...
Better get back to the grammar book, sign up to a new course, and hire another English teacher.
But... but more language doesn't seem to helping. The language in your exam class seems so different to the language you hear outside, and no matter how many new structures you learn, you find they simply disappear as soon as you need to use them.
Let's find a way to get through this.
There'll be a particular area of your life which is harder than all the others.
You've been working in English for two years, and most of it feels second nature—until Tuesday afternoons.
Tuesday afternoons are hell.
That’s when the weekly meeting with your European counterparts happens. You have to report on your team’s progress, and all eyes are on you.
It doesn’t matter how proud you are of your work; you leave those meetings convinced everyone thinks you’re an idiot.
Why can’t you get your point across?
Why do you always forget that one word?
And why does your colleague never speak clearly, even though she knows how hard you find it?
This meeting wrecks your week. Your husband doesn’t even ask how work was on Tuesdays—he knows that conversation will end in tears and talk of quitting.
But what can you do? It’s not about learning more vocabulary or practising—you speak English perfectly well every other day.
So, the cycle goes on.
Tuesdays still suck. You’re still frustrated. And you keep telling yourself, “There’s nothing I can do.”
The truth is that those moments you're struggling most with in English are made up of lots of different elements:
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there's the "pre-situation", where your anxiety starts to rise in anticipation of how horrible it's going to be.
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there's the situation itself; a moment where you don't understand, or make a mistake, or begin to panic.
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and there's the "post-match analysis" where you kick yourself for having been such a mess.
So much (too much, in my opinion) of language teaching focusses on those tiny bits in the middle - but we can make improvements in every part of equation, and you can finally feel like you're moving forward.
The 5-Day Mindset Challenge
Over the next 5 days, this challenge will guide you through a difficult situation of your choice and help you see a completely new way forward.
You will receive:
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5 unique meditations to help you see your struggles in English from a new perspective.
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A helpful workbook to guide you through the meditations with questions for you to journal and reflect on.
You will leave with:
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A clearer understanding of exactly what you find difficult in English
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An awareness of the impact your thoughts and body play on your experiences of using English
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An action plan for how to make real progress, entirely tailored to your situation and your goals for the future.
The 5-Day Mindset Challenge is completely free!
Simply sign up with your name and email to join!