Meet your English: From stranger to trusted teammate
Imagine this: it’s Monday morning, you arrive at the office, get your coffee, sit down… and suddenly your English walks in.
Yes, your English – the one you need in meetings, in emails, in presentations, and in those small moments when international colleagues casually ask, “Hey, what do you think?”
Your English sits next to you, smiles and says:
“So… are we working together today, or are you going to avoid me again?”
It’s a funny image, but it reveals something important: many professionals treat English like a stranger who appears only in stressful situations.
You don’t really meet it.
You don’t really get to know it.
And because of that, you don’t truly trust it.
This blog is your invitation to change that relationship.
To meet your English.
To welcome it into your team with kindness, curiosity, and confidence.
Let’s look at five ways to help your English feel less like a stranger and more like a colleague you can rely on.
1: Start with honesty: recognise what makes English feel distant
English often feels intimidating – not because you “aren’t good enough”, but because of the emotions attached to it: pressure, fear of being judged, perfectionism, old memories from school, past mistakes in meetings.
Your English usually appears when:
the discussion suddenly switches to English
someone unexpectedly asks for your opinion
you must present something
you try to participate but the words come slowly, like a website that takes too long to load
With these experiences, it’s natural that English feels like a colleague you don’t fully trust yet.
So this first step is having an honest conversation with yourself:
What situations make me nervous?
What aspects of my English do I fear people will judge?
How realistic is it to expect perfection before I even speak?
This honesty reduces the emotional distance.
It’s like talking openly with a colleague you’ve been avoiding for months: gradually, the tension disappears.
2: Invite English into your routine so it feels welcome
A good work relationship grows through positive, frequent contact – not only during high-pressure moments.
If you only use English when something important is happening, your brain associates it with stress.
But when you use it regularly and in relaxed moments, English becomes a presence you know well.
Small interactions make a big difference:
Speak to yourself in English while making coffee.
Write one short message in English every day.
Read a quick paragraph in English every morning
Practise a simple introduction or explanation for five minutes.
Repeat a challenging word or expression until you feel comfortable pronouncing it.
These moments say to your English:
“You’re welcome here. You’re part of my team, not just a tool for emergencies.”
Trust grows through connection: not intensity, but consistency.
3: Build an open relationship with English
Relationships improve when there’s curiosity and open-mindedness, not judgement and resistance.
Instead of criticising your English (“My vocabulary is terrible”, “I sound awful”), observe how English works around you:
What simple words do colleagues use instead of “perfect” vocabulary?
How is that long word pronounced?
What phrases are there to ask for clarification?
When have others understood me more easily than I expected?
You could even ask your English, metaphorically:
“What do you need from me so we can work better together?”
Often, the answers are simple:
a bit more patience
more positive contact
less perfectionism
more small moments where you allow English to show what it can already do.
When you stay open and curious, English becomes someone familiar, not an intimidating stranger.
4: Build trust through safe, supportive conversations
Trust grows slowly, through repeated positive experiences.
If you only speak English in high-pressure meetings, your confidence cannot grow.
But in a safe space – a coaching session, a supportive colleague, a relaxed moment – you discover something important:
You can communicate.
People understand you.
You don’t need perfect grammar to express your ideas.
Mistakes don’t break conversations.
Each safe conversation changes the emotional side of your relationship with English.
It becomes easier to speak, easier to listen, easier to stay calm.
This is where the real transformation starts:
Your English becomes a teammate you work with, not someone you fear.
Want to build more trust in your English at work?
In Trust Your Speaking, you practise speaking in a safe, supportive space and learn to use your English more calmly and confidently in 12 weeks, without chasing perfection.
5: Show kindness to your English (and yourself)
Every good teammate needs understanding, especially on difficult days.
Some days your English will feel strong and fluent.
Other days you’ll forget a word, misunderstand something, or freeze for a moment.
These moments are not failures; they’re normal parts of communication.
Instead of saying…
“I’m terrible.”
“Everyone noticed my mistake.”
“Others speak much better than me.”
…you can say:
“It’s okay. We’re still a good team.”
This gentle attitude changes everything:
Kindness reduces stress.
Stress reduction improves clarity.
Clarity improves confidence.
Confidence helps English feel like someone you trust, not someone you apologise for.
So, what happens when English becomes a trusted colleague?
Imagine yourself in a few months from now.
You join a meeting feeling calm.
You speak slowly and clearly.
You ask for clarification with confidence.
You ask and answer questions naturally.
You contribute ideas without waiting for the “perfect” words.
You stop apologising for your English.
English is no longer a stranger.
It’s a colleague you know well, someone who supports your work instead of blocking it.
That is the transformation.
Remember: Your English is already trying to help you
Your English is already part of your team.
It’s not here to embarrass you.
It’s trying to help you connect, participate, and grow professionally.
It doesn’t need perfection – it needs presence.
More openness.
More kindness.
And a bit more courage.
Now it’s time to build the relationship.
Whenever you’re ready, you can take that first small step – and invite your English to have a coffee with you.
Ready to meet your English? My programme can help build that relationship.
Meeting your English is easier when you don’t do it alone.
In my 12-week programme Trust Your Speaking, you create a calm, supportive relationship with your English so you can speak at work with more ease and confidence.
You practise in a safe space, work through the fear and perfectionism that block you, and learn to use the English you already have – clearly, naturally, and without pressure.
This is not about sounding perfect.
It’s about trusting yourself when you speak.
If you’re ready to stop avoiding English and start working with it like a teammate you trust, Trust Your Speaking is your next step.