Confident English Spotlight with Bayan—Episode 7

I LOVE these Confident English Spotlight interviews! This month I talk with Bayan. She’s from Jordan but moved to Saudia Arabia several years ago. Since moving, she’s needed to use English in her daily life and to communicate with teachers at her children’s school.
In this interview, Bayan and I discuss some of the challenges of moving to a new country as well as some of the benefits. Bayan also shares how she worked to become more comfortable in a new country, what she discovered about herself, and how she has worked to be more confident in English.
If this is your first time joining me for a Confident English Spotlight Interview, in 2018 I’m interviewing a woman in my Confident English community every month. I’m interviewing women who have developed a successful career, are doing amazing work for others, are doing something inspiring and have overcome challenges in English. In each interview, I also ask how they became more confident and fluent in English.
And I want to share their stories with you for inspiration and motivation.
After you listen, be sure to review the vocabulary I’ve highlighted below the video. Yulia used two great expressions that I want you to add to your daily English.
If you’ve missed previous episodes of Confident English Spotlight, you can find them here:
Learning how to overcome the challenges of living in a new country and using English.
Lesson by Annemarie
“Find the courage to be the best version of yourself.” —Bayan
Notes from Today’s Confident English Spotlight with Bayan
I’d like to highlight some great language Bayan used in her interview.
to take something for granted
To assume or expect that something will always be available to you; to underestimate the value of something or someone
For example, “I really took my last job for granted. I had no idea how much extra time this new position would take!”
to have a lot of free time on one’s hands
to have extra time available in which there is nothing planned or nothing to needs to be completed
For example, “The summer months are always slower at work so we have a lot of free time on our hands at work.”
not one’s cup of tea
something that someone doesn’t like, enjoy, or care about
For example, “Reality TV shows are not my cup of tea.”
to uproot someone or to be uprooted
to remove as if by pulling up; to displace from a country or traditional habitat
In our discussion, Bayan mentioned that one of the challenges of moving to a new country is that she and her husband feared they had “uprooted” their family.
Now that you’ve watched my interview with Bayan, I’d love for you to share your thoughts. I’ve got a couple of questions for you.
- Have you lived abroad (or do you live in another country now)? If yes, what was the most challenging about your move? And what did you learn about yourself?
- In our discussion, Bayan used a great phrase: to have a lot of free time on one’s hands. If you had more free time on your hands, how would you spend it?
The best place to share with me is in the comments below. I read and give feedback to comments, plus it’s a great way to learn from others in the community. I look forward to hearing from you.
~ Annemarie
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Hi annamarie, I was one of your follower in confidentenglish.com. It was just recently when I found this course and I’m so glad and very thankful to you because I can now start having confidence to have conversation with different people. I just arrived here in Australia five months ago. When I first came here I feel nervous and shy to talk to english people but when I found your website I begin practicing right now speaking in english I just practice and do some of the exercises you’ve given in the videos I just hope I can continue because… Read more »
Hi Regina,
Awesome! I’m so glad to have you in the Confident English Community. I totally understand how hard it is when you first move to another country and you have to live/work in a new language. That’s great that you’re starting to do the exercises I recommended in the training videos and that they’re helping you. I’m thrilled to hear it. 🙂
Dear Annemarie,
I moved from Africa to Australia recently. Right now, as you have said exactly I am feeling Lonely, Lost, Unsure, Frustrated, Homesick. I am using my free time to read books and practice to speak English confidently.
Hi Martha,
Thanks so much for sharing your comment. It certainly can be sad and lonely when moving to a new country. I hope that you’ve started to feel more at home in Australia and are feeling more comfortable in your English as well.
Dear Annemarie,
I moved from Bangladesh to Australia last year.I am not good at speaking.How can I improve my speaking?
Hi Shammi,
To improve your speaking, you must practice speaking. That’s the real truth. It takes time, commitment and hard work. But it’s 100% possible. That’s what I help my students do in Fluency School.
I move to USA from a Caribbean Island, so my nature language is Spanish. Is been a challenge. I hate when Im talking and the answers is: What? You have an accent where are you from? That’s kinda rude.
Hi Nancy,
Thank you for sharing. That is definitely frustrating and it can be discouraging when people respond to you that way. But don’t let it take away your motivation to keep working and moving forward with your English. 🙂
Hi Annemarie.
Thank you for the lesson, there were many new expressions for me.
I want to answer to this question: If you had more free time on your hands, how would you spend it?
Currently, I have more free time in my hands, so I spend time reading, I belong to a reading club, I continue to learn English and work in the community with children and mothers head of household.
Hi Adriana,
I’m glad you were able to learn some new vocabulary! And how lucky that you currently have a lot of free time! I’m envious. I’d love to know what you’re reading in your book club. 🙂
Hi, Annemarie,
I want to tell you, that in this year, we began to read North American writers, starting with Herman Melville, and continuing with Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman and the lost generation: Jhon Steinbeck, Jhon Dos Passos y now William Faulkner, starting with his stories and then with his books: While I agonize and The Noise and the fury, what book so hard for me, but at the end, I enjoy the way it was narrated, with four diferent narrators and the epilogue with an explanation of the writer.
The lecture is a good
Hello Annemarie! I have never lived abroad, but I was uprooted from my habitual environment four years ago with the little child and vague perspectives of new life. We fled from the conflict zone in Eastern Ukraine. We had to learn how to begin life in a new place without friends, job, other familiar things. However I’ve learned about myself that I communicative person, like learning new things, helpful and able to achieve my goals, overcome obstacles. Also, I’ve learned to be grateful. I don’t have a lot of free time, unfortunately. All my free time I spend learning English… Read more »
Hi Yuliya,
Thank you for sharing your story. This is certainly an example of being uprooted (good job using that word) but I’m sorry about the circumstances. I have several students in the same situation due to the conflict. Starting a new life when you don’t want to or when you have no choice is particularly challenging. I’m impressed with your attitude and I think it’s awesome that you’ve learned you can overcome obstacles. 🙂
Hi Annemarie,
I’ve watched some of your videos and i really liked them but it’s the firts time i leave a comment 🙂
I’ve never lived abroad but i’d love to if i had a chance.
I’m a mother of two little girls and i also have a full time job so i don’t have too many free time but if i had i’d like to learn new things, and i’d spend more time to improve my English.
Hi Renata,
Thanks so much for your comment! I’m thrilled that you shared. If you could live abroad, where would you like to go?
I’m certain that with two little girls and your work, you’re very busy. I’m impressed that you still find time for English!! 🙂
Thanks for your sharing. Actually I’m not good at english speaking.You sharing video is great for me who want to learn how to speak english confidently.
I’m so glad this interview was encouraging for you! Don’t give up. With practice, you can definitely become more confident and fluent in English. 🙂