How can I improve my English and confidence?
I have been trying hard to improve my English for a while now. I often stay up late at night practicing. I do shadowing exercises, pronunciation practice, and spend a lot of time listening and repeating English. But honestly, it feels like I'm not making much progress.
I am a software engineer with more than 10 years of experience. For most of my career, I worked with people I already knew and was comfortable with. Eventually, that company closed, and I had to look for a new job.
That was when I realized how much my English and confidence were holding me back. I went through more than 20 interviews, and many times I did not get past the initial HR screening call. It was frustrating because I knew I had the technical skills, but I struggled to express myself clearly.
I live in Canada, and improving my English has become one of my biggest goals. I have taken an English proficiency exam six times:
- 1st attempt: L6 R4 W4 S6
- 2nd attempt: L9 R6 W7 S7
- 3rd attempt: L7 R6 W8 S7
- 4th attempt: L8 R7 W8 S8
- 5th attempt: L8 R5 W8 S8
- 6th attempt: L9 R8 W8 S6
Looking at these results, I know I am not starting from zero, but I still do not feel confident when speaking.
I eventually found a job at a new company where I did not know anyone. I am grateful for the opportunity, but I still worry a lot. I am married and have three kids, so there is a lot depending on me. Sometimes I feel that if I lose this job, I will struggle to find another one and might even have to move back to my home country.
Because of that fear, I spend many nights trying to improve my English. I practice as much as I can, but sometimes it feels like I am stuck and not getting better.
Has anyone been in a similar situation? How did you improve your English speaking skills and build confidence? At what point did you stop worrying so much about your English and start trusting yourself?
