WOMEN IN CIVIL

MY ENGLISH JOURNEY

WRITTEN BY SABA JAZI, a committee member of wic.

An Iranian, Saba arrived in Australia in 2019 after gaining her Master of Civil Engineering – Road and Transport qualification. She started her first job as a graduate engineer and was promoted to project engineer at McMahon Services Australia pty ltd after just one year. Here, in her own words, Saba shares her English learning experiences. For her, it is only the beginning of a long and exciting journey to overcome fear and achieve success in her adopted country.

When I was asked to write about my English learning experience, I was not confident enough that I could write a two-page story in English. But I thought it would be good to share my story with others to encourage the second language users and give the native speakers an idea of how they can help their non-native colleagues. LIVING IN A COUNTRY OTHER THAN YOUR HOMETOWN IS EXCITING BUT CAN ALSO BE VERY CHALLENGING.

Based on my personal experience, one of the most daunting steps is using a second language within the workplace. You have to make sure your message doesn't get lost in translation, and you need to be more professional in your writing and speaking while focusing on your duties. When I started my job as a graduate engineer, it was absolutely frustrating for me when I could not understand the conversations much. I had to listen carefully, write down some of the sentences, and translate them later to make sure I understood the message correctly. At times, I just wanted to give up and potentially lose this opportunity. I FOUND OUT THE ONLY WAY TO COPE WITH THIS ISSUE WAS TO LEARN AND PRACTISE.

I took a notepad everywhere, writing down all the new words and practising every night. I was listening to the conversations around me and trying to copy their accents, which helped me pronounce the words correctly so people could understand me better. I remember I was asked to make a phone call; I was so nervous that I couldn't understand most of the keywords, and at the end, I asked the person on the other end of the line to send me an email instead, which, as you can imagine, was an embarrassing moment for me. I thought I would never be able to live with my second language and could get fired very soon. But sometimes, it's not just about you being able to do something new; it's about getting out of your comfort zone. So, I have started making more phone calls which was so hard in the beginning, and it was pretty embarrassing to ask people to repeat themselves a couple of times and then give an unsure yes or no! I was lucky to work within a great company who understood my problem and helped me improve my English skills. We had a phone calls workshop with my manager, and he taught me how to ask questions, be more specific when required, and how to negotiate with the subcontractors.

Writing in English was another overwhelming task for me. Incorrect spelling was my biggest issue (and still is). Fortunately, most people are switched on enough to understand me even if I missed a letter. However, it was embarrassing and sometimes hilarious if the meaning changed with the different spelling in my emails. I still ask my colleagues and manager to help me with writing, and seek advice on which word is more appropriate, and the correct grammar to use.

SLANG WORDS AND IDIOMS WERE THE FUNNIEST PART, AND I UNDERSTOOD THAT I NEEDED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CULTURE TO GET THE MEANING OF THE SLANG WORDS USED.

I started to listen to the radio, talk more with people, and engage more in Australian culture. It was very hard at the beginning when I did not have any ideas about the movie they watched the previous night on TV, or a program featuring their childhood cartoon characters. But I never gave up, and tried to build more friendships in my workplace. I tried to talk more with my colleagues, even if I did not understand them entirely, and asked them to explain what I did not understand to me. Sometimes my team will push my interest in slang too much and we all have a bit of a laugh when I ring someone to ask for a quote for rubble at PortA-gutta (instead of Port Augusta)! Today, after about two years, talking on the phone is one of my daily routines, and even in my personal life, I prefer to make phone calls than send an email. I feel more confident with sending emails, and even my colleagues and managers have commented that I am more fluent in speaking and writing. My husband asks me to make calls when we are negotiating or calling about personal matters as he says I am much better at it. I am still halfway through my English learning journey and have a long and exciting road ahead. I realise now that my English is not a barrier to learning, it is my attitude and that of others that contribute to my success.