Language is just a medium of conversation, a way to express thoughts, share ideas, and connect with others. Then why is it that if you don’t converse fluently in English, you are immediately judged?
Is it written anywhere that weak English means weak intelligence?
Is there a rule that says if you struggle with grammar, you are not educated or smart enough?
I don’t trust this baseless statement.
Language exists to communicate, not to label people. Whether you speak Hindi, English, Marathi, or any other language should never be a problem as long as the other person understands what you’re trying to say.
My Struggle with English and Confidence
Earlier, I used to mess up my English whenever I was nervous. Even today, I don’t fully understand why that happened. But because of that, I was judged, constantly.
- During my thesis presentation
- When my boss shouted at me for minor grammatical mistakes
- While sending emails, which I used to read 100 times before clicking “send”
Not because the message was unclear, but because I lacked confidence, confidence that was slowly taken away by people who chose to judge rather than understand.
Cut to Now
Today, I run my own marketing business and write motivational blogs.
I speak with n number of people every day in English, Hindi and Marathi. And you know what? Language has never been a barrier. Sometimes, I even conduct interviews in Hindi just to make the interviewee comfortable. Once they relax, the conversation naturally shifts to English.
Because comfort builds confidence.
And confidence builds communication.
Not the other way around.
A Small Moment That Changed My Perspective
At my daughter’s school, a group of mothers and I used to chit-chat daily, always in English. One day, I noticed a lady who would stand nearby and simply smile at us. She never joined the conversation.
One day, I walked up to her and started talking. That’s when she shared something that stayed with me.
She said, “I always wanted to come and talk to you all, but you speak in English, and I only know Hindi. So I never approached.”
I felt terrible.
Not because we spoke English but because without realizing it, we had made someone feel excluded. Made someone doubt herself. Made someone believe she didn’t belong.
I told her just one thing:
“From now on, we will talk in Hindi. And you will never be judged by us.”
That moment reminded me how silently language can become a wall. Not because of intention, but because of ignorance and how easily that wall can be broken just by choosing inclusion over comfort.
A Message to Anyone Feeling Under-confident
If you feel insecure about your language skills, don’t let others define your worth.
People who judge others based on language usually have nothing meaningful to focus on in their own lives. So they judge:
- Academic marks
- Job profiles
- Language
- Looks
- Status
If possible, avoid such people.
And if you can, remove them permanently from your life.
Your ideas matter.
Your thoughts matter.
Your voice matters
No matter which language you use to express it.
