If you want to grow your career in Europe, then beyond English, mastering another foreign language is a decisive asset. In my article “Do you really have to speak the local language to work in Europe? Debunking linguistic requirements in European firms” I explained how to gauge a job’s language expectations. Here I share lessons learned by myself—and many friends who have been working in Europe for years: you don’t need to turn into a language scholar. Aim instead for the proficiency your job actually requires, and choose the learning battlefields that will give you the fastest return!
Table of contents
- Embrace your accent
- Focus on one, job-critical arena
- Imitation: the ultimate accelerator
- Reinforce the basics in parallel
1 | Embrace your accent
First, cut yourself some slack: you have an accent, and you’ll make mistakes. Accept that “this accent is part of my identity.” Rather than chasing perfect pronunciation and fearing to speak, proudly own it: “Yes, I have a Taiwanese accent; naturally—I’m from Taiwan!”
Vocabulary or grammar slips are also relative. If most people around you are more fluent, they generally understand you despite an awkward turn of phrase. Tolerance levels do vary: during a high-stakes meeting where you present key data, the margin for error shrinks; in casual conversations, forget the fear of mispronouncing and focus on fluency.
2 | Focus on one, job-critical arena
Language matters, but trying to improve on every front at once only adds pressure. Pick a domain tightly linked to your daily tasks and concentrate your effort there.
Example: if you work in sales, first polish your ability to chit-chat with clients in the local language, then switch to English for technical points. If you are in finance, start with presenting a financial analysis locally, and resort to English for broader discussions. Grow in small steps—more vocabulary, better phrasing, more confidence—until you can handle the full conversation in the target language.
3 | Imitation: the ultimate accelerator
Study how your boss and colleagues write e-mails. Save a few examples in a folder and mimic their style whenever you draft one. It is an extremely efficient way to upgrade your day-to-day language.
Likewise, as your listening improves, note down handy phrases you hear in meetings—linking words, short expressions, debate formulas… Most blocks stem not from lack of ideas but from not knowing how to start a sentence or connect thoughts. These ready-made structures are gold.
Build a personal glossary tied to your job: useful words, technical terms, expressions your boss loves… Very soon you’ll be viewed as “that foreign colleague who really masters the work.”
💡 Further reading:
– What is PCM? From communication to leadership and influence
– Cracking the English barrier in global roles: 5 tips to prove your professionalism
4 | Reinforce the basics in parallel
The tips above are shortcuts. Let’s talk fundamentals:
- Total beginner. If you can’t even interview in the local language, book an intensive one-to-one course before starting. Share the company website and job description with your teacher and role-play realistic scenarios.
- You understand but struggle to reply. Maybe you follow meetings yet answer in English, or ask for e-mails in English when copied as primary recipient. Keep a weekly language journal: write what you want to say, then look up—or ask ChatGPT for—better phrasing. Don’t paste huge paragraphs for direct translation; draft first, then request corrections (e.g. “Please correct this sentence in American English: …”). Writing builds structures that later surface in real-time speech.
- Functionally competent but imperfect. You already work 100 % in the language but know you still slip here and there. Colleagues politely stay silent. Use resources designed for natives and do a “rapid global review” to spot and fix fossilised errors. In French, for instance, I used a summer-bridge workbook (end of elementary → start of middle school) to detect weak spots, then subscribed to Projet Voltaire online, not to sit the exam but to polish elegance and credibility in brand writing.
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