5 questions for a health professional about speaking in English

What do health pros say about speaking in English when it’s not their first language?

Teresa is a doctor from Spain who works as a general practitioner in an English-speaking country.

How do you feel about speaking in English?
It’s fine when I have time. But when there is time pressure, I often feel anxious and stressed.
What’s the hardest thing about speaking in English?
Thinking and talking at the same time. I want to spend time with my patients but there are always more people waiting, so I can’t take too long. I think my speaking slows me down too much.
How do you overcome this?
My coach in EPRO Express helped me see why my speaking speed was slow and we did exercises to help me speak more quickly and confidently.
What are your speaking goals?
Now I know that I can speak more fluently, I want to keep improving so that it’s easier for native speakers to understand me.
What’s your advice for others who need to speak in English?
I meet my coach online once a week and her feedback and advice help me to speak more clearly and with more confidence. So I think getting help is the best idea.

See here, here, and here for more stories on speaking.

Do you need to improve your speaking for work, too? EPRO Express can get you unstuck.

Liked this? Sign up for email alerts and get a free taster of how we can work together to energise your professional English.