Stop Hiding in Email: How to Build Confidence Speaking English
- William Todd
- hace 3 horas
- 3 Min. de lectura
Professional English isn’t built in a day — it’s refined through consistent practice and the right support.
If you value clarity, guidance, and practical strategies you can use at work, follow along and explore what I share here:
If English is your second language, email probably feels like home.
You can think. You can edit. You can choose your words carefully. You can avoid mistakes, interruptions, and uncomfortable pauses.
And most importantly, you stay in control.
So when something feels delicate, complex, or high-stakes, your instinct is simple: I’ll write an email.
Not because you can’t speak English. But because writing feels safer.
And that instinct makes perfect sense.
But over time, it creates a gap: Your English looks confident on the page…and cautious in conversation.
Why writing feels safer than speaking
Writing gives you:
Time to process
Time to revise
Protection from real-time pressure
No exposure to pronunciation or rhythm
Emotional distance
Speaking removes all of that.
Speaking is immediate. Visible. Final.
When you speak, your thinking becomes public in real time. That vulnerability is what makes it feel risky.
So your brain learns something quietly but powerfully:
Writing = safety Speaking = danger
This isn’t a language issue. It’s a nervous system pattern. Build confidence speaking English.
The hidden cost of always choosing email
Email is useful. But when it becomes your default, something shifts.
You start:
Delaying conversations that matter
Reducing your presence in discussions
Limiting your influence
Training yourself to avoid real-time interaction
Each time you choose email instead of speaking, you reinforce the idea that your spoken English isn’t trustworthy.
Not consciously. Neurologically.
Your confidence doesn’t grow through perfection. It grows through exposure.
Speaking is not performance. It’s thinking out loud.
Many professionals treat speaking as a test: “Will my English be good enough?” “Will I sound professional?” “Will I make mistakes?”
That mindset creates pressure.
But speaking is not a performance. It’s a draft.
Writing is where you polish ideas.Speaking is where you build them.
When you speak, you’re not expected to be perfect. You’re expected to be present, clear, and engaged.
That shift alone removes much of the fear.
Build Confidence Speaking English: How to bridge the gap between writing confidence and speaking confidence
You don’t need to abandon email. You need to stop using it as a shield.
Here are practical ways to make speaking feel safer and more natural.
1. Start using “spoken drafts”
Instead of:
“Let me write you an email.”
Try:
“Let me talk this through with you first.”
Even imperfect spoken English is powerful because it:
Shows initiative
Clarifies direction
Builds connection
Signals leadership
You can always follow up with an email. But lead with your voice.
2. Say your emails out loud before sending them
Before you hit send:
Read your message out loud
Or record a short voice note
Listen to how it sounds
This trains your brain to connect: Your written clarity → Your spoken clarity
You start realizing:I already know how to say this. I’ve just been choosing not to.
3. Build low-stakes speaking habits
Confidence grows in small, safe repetitions.
Examples:
One-sentence verbal updates
Quick clarifications in meetings
Short spoken summaries
“Let me say this out loud” moments
These micro-exposures retrain your comfort with real-time language.
4. Use time-buying phrases that protect authority
Silence feels dangerous when you don’t know how to hold it.
These phrases turn thinking time into leadership:
“Let me think this through for a second.”
“Let me frame this clearly.”
“I want to be precise here.”
“Give me a moment to organize this.”
You’re not hesitating. You’re structuring.
The real shift
Writing gave you precision. Speaking gives you presence.
You don’t need to choose one over the other. You need to stop using writing to avoid trusting your voice.
Because the confidence you want isn’t in better vocabulary. It’s in believing that your thinking deserves to be heard before it’s polished.
If this topic resonates with you, start by understanding how you currently use English at work.
Download the free guided self-assessment:
It helps you see:
Where you rely on writing
Where you hesitate to speak
Where confidence can grow naturally
And if you want support turning that awareness into real change, coaching helps you retrain your relationship with spoken English in a structured, calm, practical way.
Not to sound perfect. But to sound like yourself. Make your English work for you.
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