What happens when working with a language coach?
What does a language coach do? And what’s the difference between language training and language coaching?
Learning English is not only about grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. It also comes with a wide range of emotions – stress, fears, perfectionism, expectations, identity – and past experiences that can stay with you for years. Some are positive, some are painful.
These emotions influence how you speak.
And this is where language coaching, in addition to language training, can make a huge difference. As a language coach,
I give you clear, practical language tools
I help you build effective strategies for using English at work
I support you as you work through your own, personal English challenges
Below, you’ll read about two real journeys. They show how working on your English and your emotions helps you speak with more confidence and calm.
Begoña: The SAP consultant who avoided English at all costs
Begoña is an SAP consultant who works internationally. She’s an expert in her field, highly valued by her company, and a self-confident professional who knows her worth. She’s warm and lively and a great communicator.
Her English level was around B1, and she has strong listening skills. But when it was her turn to speak, everything collapsed. She felt her mind go blank, her heart race, and her words disappear.
For years, she avoided situations where English was needed. She asked colleagues to speak for her. She declined client calls and tried to handle everything by email. She avoided interacting with international clients during coffee breaks, trying to hide away.
All this behaviour made her feel ashamed – but her fear was stronger than her need to communicate.
This is how we worked together:
Part 1 - The language training side: Building clear, simple English
Begoña didn’t need complicated language. She needed English she could trust. Together, we focused on:
Short, solid sentences she could use even when nervous (instead of long structures that made her freeze).
Essential vocabulary for explaining technical issues, delays, and solutions.
Pronunciation clarity for problem words that were blocking her: migration, initialized, purchases.
Strategies to ask for clarification while staying professional.
These teaching sessions helped her feel more organised. But she was still terrified every time English appeared.
Part 2 - The language coaching side: The emotional blocks behind the silence
Begoña is a highly competent professional with very high standards. But seeing that her English didn’t meet her own expectations, she would feel small, incompetent, and exposed, so she decided it was safer not to speak English in client meetings.
This belief went deep:
“If I speak English, I will embarrass myself and my company.”
Through coaching, she started to understand:
Her fear was protecting her, not punishing her. (It was trying to keep her safe.)
Her identity as a “competent SAP consultant” felt threatened when she spoke English.
Perfectionism was blocking her progress. She thought mistakes meant failure.
We worked on:
Normalising mistakes, especially in a second language.
Changing the stories she told herself so English became a tool, not a threat.
Small, manageable speaking tasks to rebuild confidence step by step.
Techniques to calm her nervous system before meetings.
The result
Little by little, Begoña started to make short, clear contributions in meetings. One day she went on a business trip. That’s when she felt she was in control. When she returned, she said,
“For the first time, I wasn’t running away from English. I was able to speak in meetings and during coffee breaks.”
Her English didn’t suddenly become perfect. What changed was her relationship with it. English stopped being the “danger zone” and became a colleague she could start to rely on.
David: From “I know the grammar” to “I’m comfortable with English”
David is a mechanical engineer who works with international clients. He’s thoughtful and sensitive, and values human interaction.
When we started working together, his English level was around B2. However, he didn’t think of himself as a competent user of English. He was able to explain a complicated machine to me – only to ask me afterwards,
- “Did you understand what I just told you?”
- “Of course I did!”, I replied.
He was concerned about making short, informal conversations with clients at international trade fairs. And he often told himself, “I don’t always understand everything” or “My English isn’t good enough.”
On paper, his grammar and vocabulary were fine. In real life, his fear of making mistakes blocked him every time he tried to speak.
Part 1 - The language training side: Clear, practical skills
In our sessions, David wanted to improve his pronunciation and his listening comprehension. So we worked on:
Listening comprehension. We used real-life interviews in different accents and about a range of topics. He learned everyday expressions, expanded his vocabulary and trained his ear.
Pronunciation tools. We worked on different aspects of pronunciation so David felt comfortable when he spoke. And as a bonus, it helped him understand other speakers even better.
Phrases for conversations and small talk. Useful language for showing interest, giving opinions or asking for clarification. Simple structures David could use even when nervous.
He liked that the teaching part gave him “tools in his pocket.” But tools alone weren’t enough. He still froze when it was time to speak. Something else was needed.
Part 2 - The language coaching side: Emotions, mindset and identity
David realised his real challenge wasn’t English itself. It was the emotional pressure he put on himself when he used English. So we explored:
Perfectionism. As an engineer, David values precision and accuracy. He believed he had to sound almost “perfect” to be respected. This expectation made every interaction feel like a test that seemed impossible to pass.
Identity and self-worth. To David, speaking English was like stepping out of his “professional self”. As a result, he felt less competent, even though his skills were strong. He was afraid to look unprofessional if he asked for clarification or spoke slowly.
Through coaching tools, he learned to:
Separate his value from his English level.
Lower the pressure to “perform” and focus on establishing a connection with clients.
Build trust in his English by using it step by step in real-life situations.
This way he found real confidence in his English: the kind that grows through positive experiences, not through understanding grammar.
The result
After some weeks, David started feeling more comfortable using English. He said:
“I realise that my English doesn’t need to be perfect. I can make myself understood and connect with people in English without feeling unprofessional.”
He didn’t become “perfect”. He became more comfortable.
His message was clearer, his presentations and client conversations flowed more easily, and he no longer felt stressed in international settings.
If you would like to start trusting your English, I have a personalised, one-to-one, twelve-week programme to help you. Find out more through the button below.