Over the years I have become better at it, but I definitely cannot say that I am as confident in English as I am in Italian (not sure I’ll ever be…), and I am always on the lookout for ’tools’ (in the broadest sense) that can help me.

This is what has been working best, so far, for me:

Deepl

It is way, waaaaaaaay better than Google Translate. I use it when I want to double check that what I wrote in English matches what I wanted to say in Italian, and when there’s a sentence in English that I cannot understand.

Reverso Context

The translator shows you how words are used in real-life contexts, and it covers a wide range of registers of speech. I use it to check if the word I have in mind is the right one for what I want to say, and when I don’t know how a word translates into English.

Netflix, Prime Video…whatever

TV series and movies in original language, and English subtitles on. I do it to get used to how words are being pronounced (…here I wrote “pronunciated” 🙃, it was highlighted as a mistake, I went to Reverso Context to check how to write it right…), and to pick up some new terms and idioms.

Podcasts

I recently started listening to Podcasts for the same reason as above. Sadly, I cannot do anything else while listening, as I would do if the Podcast was in Italian 🙄, but it is worth it. Nowadays I am listening to Change by Attraction, by Esther Derby.

Working in an international context

Last but not least, the best ’tool’ has been having the opportunity to work with colleagues from across the world.

Other non-native English speakers gave me the courage, years ago, to move from a “oh gosh I am not good enough at this” state of mind to a more resourceful “it’s not perfect, but I can make myself understood!” approach to communication.

The native English speakers supported my efforts by never laughing at me for my mistakes and my Italian accent, by speaking slower than they could, and by also making use of amazing idioms that enriched my vocabulary.

I hope this can be of help to other non native English speakers - would you add anything else to the list? Is there something, a tool, a strategy, that has been working well for you?

Photo by Belinda Fewings on Unsplash