In Part 1 last week, I wrote about the quiet rejection many international professionals experience at work. I spoke about my own experiences with this. And how painful it can be.
Not obvious rejection, not loud exclusion. Just the slow feeling of being slightly outside the conversation when language makes it harder to speak freely.
But where does it come from? It comes from a judgement that sits inside many people in the industry, and it the world.
A misunderstanding that is so common in global workplaces that most people don’t even notice it happening.
Fluency is often mistaken for competence.
And the consequences of that are enormous.
When someone speaks English smoothly, confidently, effortlessly, we tend to assume they are capable.
And when someone pauses, searches for words, speaks with an accent, or chooses simpler language…
We assume something else. That they are uncertain of their ideas. We assume lack of expertise.
Sometimes, unfairly, we assume lack of intelligence.
We’ve all heard the quote:
“English is a language…. Not a measure of intelligence”.
Anyone who has worked in multilingual environments knows that this is often not how the lack of fluency in English is seen.
And how wrong that is.
Some of the most technically brilliant people I have met have been the quietest in meetings. Not because they had nothing to contribute.
But because contributing in a second language requires an extra layer of effort that native speakers rarely have to think about.
You are doing so much more work than native speakers.
You are going through the technical idea generation…
and translating your thoughts…
and monitoring your grammar…
and trying to sound professional…
and worrying about how you’re being perceived…
All at the same time.
That isn’t a communication issue. That’s cognitive over-load.
And it changes how people show up.
I’ve seen professionals with years of experience become hesitant, not because they doubt their knowledge, but because they doubt their English.
I’ve seen people with excellent ideas hold them back until they’re perfectly formed — and then never say them at all.
And I’ve seen workplaces lose insight, creativity, and leadership potential simply because the wrong people are being heard.
We end up listening to the ones who speak most easily. Not necessarily the ones who think most deeply.
This is one of the quiet injustices of international work.
Communication confidence becomes confused with competence.
And the people who are still building fluency are often underestimated long before they’ve had a real chance to contribute.
This isn’t just something individuals need to “fix.” It’s something workplaces need to understand.
If you’re a leader in a global team, the question isn’t:
“Who speaks the most?”
It’s:
“Who might have something valuable to say, but doesn’t feel able to say it yet?”
And if you’re the person working in your second language, I want you to know this:
Your accent is not your ability. Your pauses are not your intelligence.
Your English is not the measure of your expertise.
Fluency will come. But your ideas already matter.
I wish I could find a way to give you some confidence in order to help you out of the immediate situation. But I can’t.
It took me years to find my own way to give it to myself.
And it’s only through the action of finding your own way that you can, in fact, get the confidence.
Just knowing that you aren’t crazy, that there isn’t something ‘wrong’ with you, is a great first step.
Joining a community of people who are all navigating this journey will give you the support you need to start building the confidence needed to get back in control of your communication and career.
We are so happy to see you here.