English has become the universal language of business. Culturally diverse work environments are more common than ever. Whether it’s on a physical location or working with remote teams scattered worldwide, speaking English unlocks opportunities everywhere. Tech talents paving their way to a career abroad have asked themselves: how can I get enough English skills to receive an international job offer? If that is your case, we have some answers for you!
Sharon Wilkinson is a researcher with Ph.D. in French and Language acquisition. In an article for the learning app Duolingo, Wilkinson wrote that when it comes to being able to speak a second (or third, fourth…) language, two things matter the most: exposure and need.
She explains that exposure means all how you can encounter the language. It ranges from hearing people talk, listening to music, reading the news, and so on. Need is, of course, the reason you have for using the language, like needing to pass a test or getting hired abroad.
Improve your English skills by maximizing your exposure
“Interestingly, exposure and need in language learning are most powerful when they occur together”, the researcher says. “Picture a group of people from one country living together in another. If they stay within their bubble, they won’t need to learn much of their hosts’ language despite being surrounded by it. On the other hand, it’s also possible to need another language but not have enough exposure, like a spouse who doesn’t have a shared language with their in-laws”.
If you are here, we bet your need is evident. You want to improve your English Skills enough to get a job abroad. The next step is to make sure you are being exposed to the language as much as possible. Are you?
You can get some English Skills studying by yourself. And some you just can’t.
Speaking of Duolingo, our Premium Academy instructors do recommend language apps, but they say you should be aware of their limitations. Even though you can learn a lot by yourself, at some point, interacting with other people will be the best way to improve your English skills. They say an excellent progression would be learning the basics with apps like Duolingo, then moving on to listening to a few podcasts, then signing up to learning tools like online platforms, and finally actually using the language to communicate with other people. “I think group lessons or one-to-one lessons with a teacher is where the real progress happens” says Evan Reinhold, ESL teacher and English instructor at VanHack
Ukrainian VanHacker Mariian is currently living and working in Canada. But before he landed his international dream job, he quit the one he had to study English. He attended not one but two language schools for a year before joining VanHack and starting to apply for opportunities abroad. Now that’s commitment!
https://blog.vanhack.com/blog/ukrainian-tech-talent-relocating-to-canada-how-mariian-berezovskyi/
Seven ways to improve your English skills
Suppose you have moved past the level of studying alone and are taking classes. Congratulations! The British Council has some valuable tips on how to improve your English skills. They are effective for people building the ability and those who want to keep it from getting “rusty”.
1. Listen
The first step in improving your speaking skills is working on your listening. It allows you to pick up new words, phrases, and ways to respond in conversations. Secondly, listening provides opportunities to understand the pronunciation. We omit words when we speak. Or we join them together. Fluency comes we know the rhythm, the intonation, and the sounds of language. The British Council offers these tips:
- Pick your favorite TV show or YouTube channel.
- Listen to a clip and notice carefully what the characters are saying.
- Repeat any dialogues or phrases that interest you.
- Replay the same clip until you understand every word. You could also turn on subtitles or look at the transcript of the video if available and practice saying the dialogues with the characters.
Podcasts and audiobooks are great options too.
2. Imitate
After listening, it’s time for some imitation. Yes, that’s right! Copying someone is a wonderful to improve your speaking skills. Just think of how babies and children acquire language!
To effectively improve your speaking skills, you need to follow these steps:
- Listen: Play an audio clip or video and listen to it carefully. Play as many times as you like to understand each word.
- Repeat and record: Try repeating the words and conversations precisely as you heard. Pay special attention to the intonation, stress, and rhythm of language. Record yourself while repeating the phrase.
- Compare: Listen to the audio again and compare it with your recording. Does it match? Note down changes that you may need to make.
- Correct: Repeat the entire process until you get better and more accurate.
3. Read
Whether you prefer a novel or an article, reading a few minutes every day will help you improve your English skills. Reading even for a few minutes is enormously beneficial. Short articles or notes in English are great for this. They only take a few minutes to read and are easy to find. If your goal is to improve your speaking skills, it is good to read aloud. This will help you practice unfamiliar words and improve your pronunciation and fluency.
4. Reflect
Reflection means thinking about what you learned, how you learned, what progress you see, and you can improve. Recording your thoughts in a notebook after every learning session will help you see your progress over time.
5. Prepare
If the idea of speaking English in a social or professional setting makes you nervous, we get it. The British Council offers a “simple” solution. Prepare beforehand. Create cheat sheets with the phrases and words you are most likely to need during these situations.
6. Speak
The best way to improve your English skills is to put them to use! Make sure to practice speaking as much as you can. Try friends, online platforms, and in-person social events. May we remind you of our free English Course for Tech Talents? We offer plenty of opportunities for you to keep sharpening your English-speaking skills.
7. Practice
“Regular and consistent practice is the key to success when it comes to speaking English”, the British Council stresses. There is no shortcut.
https://blog.vanhack.com/blog/english-for-devs-communication-in-a-multicultural-environment/
Join our free English course
We offer a free English Course for tech professionals dreaming of working abroad.
The classes are designed to boost the language knowledge you need to navigate the international job search and the tech work environment. We offer +24h worth of content, emphasizing practical learning that will up your game when it comes to grammar, vocabulary, listening, and writing skills.
If you have ever used a dictionary to look up a word in your native language, you know that the learning process never stops. Gui Sarkis, innovation facilitator and instructor at VanHack’s Premium Academy, says we must embrace that. “You just have to get yourself out there and try. Allow yourself to make mistakes and find the courage to just keep moving and learning“.
…
🌎 VANHACK, LinkedIn Talent Awards Winner 2021, is Canada’s most respected recruitment company. With more than 1,500 hires, VanHack is on a mission of increasing diversity and creating a borderless world. So if you are a software developer looking for a job abroad, in Canada, the US, or Europe, join VanHack today. 100% free for candidates, plus you will get all the preparation you need when your profile is shortlisted.
Visit our platform to become one of our many VanHackers hired abroad 😃
For success stories and tips about working in Canada, check out the VanHack Podcast 🎧
Learn more about 📒Premium Academy
Check out the next VanHack event 🗓