Sara
Que puedo hacer
What I can do
I am a university student, but unfortunately I feel that I am not progressing with my studies. The point is that my career is taught mostly in English. Which complicates me in understanding the subjects of the subjects, I have a low academic performance and lose subjects ..
I love the profession, but my lack of command of English hurts me #career : ( The most advisable thing would be to continue studying and to improve in English, look for an English course or talk with people who speak the language, work where you can develop the language. All that I have taken into account, I have applied to many jobs related to my professional skills and others that did not require so much studies, but in all of them they asked me for experience or advanced command of the English Language ... In my mind I have an idea and I don't know if it is the correct one .. But if I postpone my studies and focus on improving my English and having a certain command, apply to an international exchange program to develop my English ... But for this I would have to leave university and dedicate myself to learning English ...
I want to graduate, but I feel that if I do not develop my English it will harm me in my profession ...
4 answers
Irene Chen
Irene’s Answer
I'm not sure which profession you wish to pursue, but since you love it I encourage you to keep working towards it! I think a possible barrier people encounter when they are learning a language is getting caught up in learning the technicalities and then feeling intimidated because there is so much to learn. However, often the first step is simply to get a point across, in which case basic vocabulary and grammar would be sufficient. Based on your question, it seems you will need more advanced knowledge, but being comfortable with day-to-day conversation is already a great start.
If you currently don't meet the language requirements for the jobs you are applying to, maybe you could consider volunteer opportunities that allow you to speak to others in English. For example, if your university accepts international students, you could join/create a club that allows international students and local students to connect with each other. This could provide you with opportunities to speak English with both native speakers and other English learners, depending on where the international students are from. I was fortunate to participate in an exchange program through my university a couple years ago and I attended this type of club during that semester; it was a fun way to meet lots of other people!
Regarding your idea about doing an exchange program to develop your English, perhaps you could look into the following options: (1) find a summer program so it won't interfere with your studies or (2) look for a program that allows to you take classes and study English simultaneously (i.e., your course load during the program would have a couple courses related to your degree plan plus one or two courses dedicated to learning English).
Here is a list of free online learning resources: https://aaac.co/en-us/en-eng/online-english-classes/9584/
Here is a list of paid online learning resources: https://www.fluentu.com/blog/english/english-learning-software/
You could also reach out to professionals in the field and ask them to share their English learning journey - the level of proficiency needed, what tools they used, etc. You could connect with professionals through your personal network, at career fairs, or through online networking sites like LinkedIn.
Lastly, the most common advice I have heard from friends/family who are English learners is to be brave and practice as much as possible. We are often scared to make mistakes or sound silly when we are learning a new language, but I trust that most, if not all, people go through that phase. Practice makes progress, and eventually you will reach your goal! Buenos suerte!
Selene Castillo
Selene’s Answer
Fernando Iriarte
Fernando’s Answer
