Are You Scared to Start Working?

Some English language learners are not ready to speak English outside the safety of the classroom or away from their computers and online English tutor. It is a daunting, or scary, experience. Finding a job is necessary for many people, however, whether they feel comfortable communicating with co-workers and customers in English, or not. They have bills to pay. If this is you, don't worry. Here are a few job options that might help ease you into the job market. Remember that any entry-level job you take is not going to be your job forever. The purposes this job serve are to provide job experience in your new country, English practice, and to help you pay bills.
Education Jobs

Education jobs provide an environment in which new English speakers might feel more comfortable speaking the language. Nurseries and preschools are full of children who are less likely to judge your language abilities than adults. Although you have to talk to parents about their children's progress on a daily basis, you can form relationships with them, which makes it easier to practice English than if you worked in a customer service environment in which you have to deal with dozens of new customers every day.

Service Jobs

Other English learners may feel more comfortable working in service positions, such as clearing restaurant tables or cleaning offices. These types of jobs do not require much speaking with customers, but they do provide the opportunity to build relationships with co-workers and to listen to English for extended periods of time. As you listen to new words, try to remember how they were used in a sentence, and use at least one or two new words a day.

Practice, Practice

Don't be scared to try out your English. Although there may be some people that won't be friendly to English language learners simply because of their accents or lack of vocabulary, most will be happy to help if they see that they are trying to learn the language. Ask questions about what words you don't know mean. Be clear when you do not understand something someone has said, and ask people to repeat themselves if you need to hear a word again. Use new words as often as possible. Seek out opportunities to speak English with customers if your job does not provide much contact with the public. The more aggressive you are in learning English, the better you will be at learning and at impressing not only your customers and employer, but yourself.