Hello friends, this is Simerjeet Singh, back again with another video in this series, Ask Simerjeet. My main target through this series is that I can answer as much questions as I can on camera which you send through LinkedIn, Facebook, twitter and E-mail. This is my target!
I believe many youngsters pose such kinds of questions which also come in the minds of other people as well. And if I can answer those questions successfully, I believe, questions of many other people will also be solved. You can also send us your questions, the E-mail id is shared with you in the description below.
And we will be happy to answer them on camera. So let’s start with today's question which is sent by one of our friends belonging to Kolkata, And he is writing that, “Sir I am a big fan of yours. ” So, thank you very much!
Thank you very much! It is due to the support of people like yourself. By your support, my Facebook page, YouTube channel and where I am today, is all because of the blessings of my supporters and their support, so thank you!
He writes, “Sir I am suffering- 'suffering' from heavy mother tongue influence problem! This is the first time I have listened to this kind of a problem. "Heavy mother tongue influence problem suffering” while speaking in English.
It is coming subconsciously while speaking and effecting my carrier growth as I have to talk to guys, my company counter parts in the US. Any tip or suggestion that how I can get rid of this issue! My friend, the issue that you have told, I know it’s an issue but you said it with a lot of seriousness I feel like it’s a disease “Mother tongue influence” and you will learn it subconsciously, not consciously because, you have to understand today I want to remove this confusion we had made an another video which was based on improving your communication skills which received much love from your side but the confusion I want to remove is that English is our 2nd language; it is not our mother tongue Therefore, it is clear that whenever you will speak, the influence of your mother tongue will come.
It’s not a disease! Yes of course, English trainers and corporate trainers by giving it a name of MTI had made it a big issue That, people have built inferiority complex that if I can't speak english well, and well means, like Americans and Britishers then I am not good enough! Friend, please listen this carefully If your company has given you this position where you are communicating with your US counterparts That means your company trusts you, believes you on your skills, on your experiences In this, the only thing you are feeling is language competency and this is just a language which you can improve just like anything else in your life.
If you work on this, then that will also improve, for sure. And why are you scared of your US counterparts, they are not God right! They are human beings just like you and you have to understand that the day your US counterparts, talk to you in Hindi, as frequently and easily as you can and in the same ascent, Hindi ascent with the same efficiency with which you speak english, then you will be on the same level.
But at this moment of time you are doing more hard work, because you are not only capable of speaking your regional language, your Hindi language but you are speaking English as well! So you are actually a lot of steps ahead of your US counterparts as far as the language is concerned. So you should be proud and not be ashamed of it.
I will repeat it again that when you’re US counterparts, British counterparts or Australian counterparts speaks Hindi as frequently as you speak English then you will be equal till then, friends, keep this in mind that you are many steps ahead of them. I would like to explore the second side of this. As far as improving english efficiency is concerned, I would like to share 5-6 step plans with you.
By which you can improve your English speaking skills by attacking from multiple sides. and keep this mind that the ability to express yourself clearly in English and articulate your ideas, if you are able to express what's inside your mind so that the others understand. This ability is great!
I am not saying that you shouldn’t develop your English speaking skills But I am trying to say that, believe in yourself, remove inferiority complex and side by side make an improvement plan which can be divided into 5-6 steps. No. 1 READ Start reading a lot of material in English which will help you like newspapers, magazines, novels, self-help books or whatever you can find.
No. 2 Write Start writing blogs and if you are posting something on social media then don’t just put a photo there, but also write a description about it So that your mental faculty exercises and you have a better grasp on the use of words of English language. No.
3 Watch I want you to watch more stuff especially by native English speaker whose 1st language is English Be it from Australia broadcasting, Canada, New Zealand, Britain, and America. There are news anchors, documentaries, and Netflix series, I want you to watch them. Even a small kid by watching a cartoon series named Peppa Pig, are picking up British english so well!
Psychologist refers it as vicarious learning. So, vicarious learning is your ability to learn just by observing others. So make a curriculum for yourself that I have to watch this and this and that's going to helps you a lot.
No. 4, my friends is, Listen Download audiobooks, there are so many apps available. If you are commuting daily then in your smartphones or headphones, go with some stuff which is said by a native speakers in English, and listen to that carefully.
Do not waste your time while you are travelling. Have some material available with you and listen to as much stuff as you can by the speakers which subconsciously improve your vocabulary, improve your diction, improves the type of words to be used in a context. This reminds me of a great example.
I attended a program in IIM Lucknow which included a series on communication and in that series, my professor, who is now head of IIM Indoor, if I am not wrong, He shared a perfect example with us that a single sentence like “The door is open”, and if we use this sentence in different context, the meaning of the sentence changes! Suppose, after the lecture of a professor ends, a student approaches and says, " Sir, I want to become an IAS Officer. " and the Professor replies, "Sure, of course you can do it, The door is open.
” So here the door is open means that the opportunities are open. Suppose it's a month of January, although it is February and it's freezing cold, and a student attending the same lecture of the same professor, is feeling very cold and he approaches the professor and says, “Sir today is very cold, please do something! ” And the professor uses the exactly same words which are, “Son the door is open” that means, the door is open and the cold breeze is coming in, so close it.
Same set of words, same location but the meaning changed widely. Third Let's say the same classroom, the same professor, the same student gives feedback to his sir after the session, “Sir I don’t like your lecture, I am not feeling good! The professor can use the same set of words,once again, which is “The door is open” Which means, son, if you don’t want to attend the lecture, you can go outside.
Now, you see One set of words, one sentence, when used in different context, its meaning changes. and this thing is going to improve in you by listening. So, let me just do a quick recap.
No. 1 Formulate a reading plan, right! Magazines, Newspapers, Journals avoid reading newspapers, especially the 1st page as it includes with a lot of negative things going across the world which is a negative mental tide Read something more inspiring.
No. 2 Write something, be it on your Instagram posts, Facebook posts, blogs, diary etc. , Start writing your own thoughts No.
3 Watch more stuff by native English speakers, be it news anchors, Netflix series. No. 4 Listen to more audio materials especially when you are travelling.
Your commuting time will be consumed which is otherwise getting wasted. No. 5 As much as possible, wherever you get the opportunity, speak in English as much as you can, right!
So, What is going to happen? Now, a very interesting and funny thing, a research is published stating that, After drinking alcohol, people are more comfortable in speaking foreign languages. Stop!
Before you make any conclusion, I am not suggesting you to drink alcohol to improve your English language skills, But what happens is, Alcohol numbs down your barriers, brings your barriers down, reduces your self-consciousness So, this may be the reason that people in north India, start speaking english frequently after drinking alcohol in the evening. But jokes apart and this is a joke, not a serious suggestion, jokes apart When your self-consciousness will decrease, your ability to express yourself will improve. and your self consciousness will decrease through practise.
So wherever you get an opportunity, wherever you get a chance, communicate more in English. This is going to improve your English language skills. And the last 2 steps are very important.
Experiment and believe! What are the last 2 steps? No.
1 is Experiment No. 2 is Believe Experiment means, "Do not be afraid to make mistakes. " When you speak with your US counterparts, be willing to experiment with new words.
If you have heard new words or you have heard about one of their festivals and you want to wish them, then do experiments with those words and believe in yourself while you are talking. Remove this belief from your mind that only your English language skills are being evaluated, No! Your computing skills, your technical skills, your experience, your vision, your creativity and many more things which they should value and they will, if you believe in yourself!
So it is really very important. So once again let me just sum-up the question which was, “I am suffering from a heavy mother tongue influence, what should I do”? And my answer to that is “It is very natural because English is a foreign language, right!
" It’s not a disease, don’t be too harsh on yourself, don't be too hard on yourself and also believe in yourself, that this is not a big issue, There is so much more to your personality then just how you speak certain words. Don’t make this mistake my friends that often people commit to be fluent in English that is to put on an accent, that is speaking English words in the accent of other countries, without being comfortable with it, without having naturally experienced it. Just to appear hep or just to appear smart.
Right! and that sounds fake and doesn’t impact that well. You will become a joke, which you don’t want too.
So let it come to you naturally and through hard work, and in the meanwhile let me reassure," You are good enough! " Just because you can’t speak a foreign language with 100% efficiency doesn’t mean that you are less than anyone else. and untill people of US, Australia, England and Britain who are the natives of those countries, can't speak Hindi as frequently as you can, you are two steps ahead of them, not behind!
Thank you, Bbie!
