5 ways to become confident bilingual

Ludwig Wittgenstein once said: “The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.” Whether we like it or not, gone are the days when people use to live their whole lives with one regional or national language. Also, we may have Urdu as the national language of this country but the fact remains that official and corporate language has always been English for this part of the world. Though our education system hasn’t done much to address this issue in order to prepare the youth for the job market as we still have Urdu Medium vs. English Medium schooling system in place for any reason better known the people in authority in this country. 

We must understand that language fuels our brains, frames our thoughts and makes complex communication possible. The words, expressions and quirks unique to our language largely define how we see and understand the world. If you’re monolingual, that world has clearer limits for you. But in an age of borderless communications and global travel, it seems almost archaic to be limited to one language only – even if you’re lucky enough to speak a global language i.e. English.

But is being bilingual – speaking two languages – or even multilingual - does it really open up the world to us when Google Translator can do so in one easy click? Can it make economies more successful, help us earn higher salaries, maybe even lead to a happier, more connected lives? And is it, as popular culture likes to claim, the secret to bringing up super smart children? The answer is Yes. It opens the gateway to progress and much more. 

For the aspiring youth, who want to make their careers in the corporate world shouldn’t be making excuses as their schools didn’t prepare them well. As they say in English: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”. They need to take charge of their lives. All successful people anywhere in the world weren't produced by the English Medium Schools anyways. 

Now coming to the “How” part, we need to have a fair idea as how do we prepare for learning languages. During the process you might feel like you’re taking one step forward and two steps back on the road to learning a new language. It’s easy to feel stuck when you’re constantly forgetting new expressions you’ve learned and grammar rules keep getting jumbled up in your head. Many learners face barriers that are seemingly impossible to overcome. 

But the good news is, with the right tools and practices, there are lots of things you can do to make your life easier. In this article, we will focus on learning one foreign language i.e. English, essential for our careers that helps us become bilingual. 

1. Leave Your Comfort Zone

A common mistake that learners make is that they don’t push themselves to use the language they’re learning in real-world scenarios. Try to spend as much time as you can with people who don’t speak your native language. This way, you’ll be forced to practice outside of the classroom. 

If you don’t have any English-speakers around, go to meet-ups and language exchanges or find people to chat with online. At first, it won’t be easy: you might feel self-conscious and worry about what other people think when you make a mistake. But remember, learning is a process and you’re making progress every day. Just leave your comfort zone: that’s where growth happens.

2. Learn from your mistakes

Language learning is generally a slow process. When you’re already feeling frustrated and your ego is in a fragile state, it’s easy to take criticism the wrong way. But the truth is, asking for feedback and learning to appreciate criticism is one of the best things you can do to speed up the learning process.

Next time you talk to someone in English, ask them to gently correct you or repeat an incorrect sentence you may have said in the correct way. It might feel strange at first but you’ll get used to it and you’ll learn so much from your own mistakes. Keep in mind that your mistakes don’t define you – they’re a part of the journey towards growth. 

3. Read books or watch movies / TV shows in English

Remember that book you loved so much and you have been planning to re-read? Now’s the time. Just make sure you start reading English books only. Same goes for your favourite English movies or TV shows with English subtitles. 

Reading books and watching movies is one of the best ways to enrich your vocabulary and get more comfortable with the English language. It’s even more beneficial if you’ve already read the book in your native language. If you don’t understand something, there’s a good chance you’ll remember what happened and you’ll be able to fill in the blanks. 

Make sure the book you read is at the right level for you. Click here to take a language quiz and find your reading level!

4. Follow social media to learn English

We spend so much time on social media every day, we might as well make the most of it. Fortunately, there are some amazing social media sites out there that can help you learn English in a fun way. 

Whether it’s your pronunciation, your grammar skills or your vocabulary that you’d like to improve, you can find masterfully curated accounts run by teachers and educational companies. If you’re not sure where to start searching, check out these 10 great social media pages for language learners.

5. Start thinking in English

Have you ever tried to turn your inner monologue into English? Maybe that long-awaited “switch” hasn’t happened yet, and you’re still thinking in your native language when speaking English, translating sentence by sentence.

Here’s something you can try. Whenever you catch yourself thinking in your native language, try switching to English. You won’t feel embarrassed because no one can hear your thoughts, but you can still practice by making up mini-conversations or describing things around you to yourself. It might sound a bit silly, but take our word for it. It will help you start thinking in English when you’re having a conversation that’s not in your head. 

Last Word

Time are changing and multinationals, while advertising jobs, have started asking for more than one foreign language. We need to understand that there are clear and very tangible benefits to being bilingual. Although there is limited proof that growing up bilingual gives children a significant cognitive edge, lifelong learning and using a second language regularly does indeed seem to make our brains nimbler and more resilient. The economic benefits, moreover, can be substantial. Speaking more languages also makes us more open-minded and helps us feel more connected to other cultures and to the world. Who knows – bilingualism might even foster peace and understanding at a global level. If that’s not a good reason to learn another language, I don’t know what is.

Learn how sometimes smaller things in our lives make huge impact and you can take some learnings on a personal and professional level by following me on LinkedIn and on our official website. Also follow us on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Medium, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Muhammad Sajwani is the Founder, Managing Director and Principal Consultant at Evolve HR which aims at transforming, enriching and evolving Human Capital of Pakistan, At Evolve HR thrives in challenging assumptions that hinder organisational aspirations, by creating innovative solutions that yield maximum impact, scalability & benefit to a wider base of stakeholders. As a Business Coach and Organisational Consultant, Sajwani knows how to combine business insights with people insights to transform organisations and put them on the path to growth.