Building Successful Careers

Tip Number 1: Speak only English at your workplace. The best thing you can do for yourself when you are learning a new language is to surround yourself with the language. That is exactly why people go to the country where the language they are learning is spoken. Venture out of your comfort zone (where you speak mostly your first language) and find ways to practice English. If you speak a language that others cannot understand, they tend to resent it and think you are talking about them…telling secrets or making fun. The more you speak English, the more self-confidence you gain. Your skills just keep getting better. ---Pat Zimmerman

Many of our readers are immigrants or first-generation Americans and need to improve their English language skills. Why? Actually, you can live your entire life in the United States without speaking, reading or writing English…if you live in the right place. There are Chinese/Korean/Japanese/Spanish doctors, dentists, bankers and grocers. People have many reasons for not improving their English: I do not have time to work on my English; I am busy working and raising a family; my children will learn good English skills in school. You are fooling yourself if you tell yourself these things. You really will never get ahead in this country without speaking, reading and writing English fairly well. Learning the language of the country where you live broadens your world, opens up opportunities, gives you freedom, helps you gain general acceptance of others and makes your children proud of you. By learning the language, you widen your world. You can enjoy movies, television shows, plays...