I am not confident at all at my job
A year and a half ago, I made the decision to work abroad as a software engineer. English is not my native language, which has presented some challenges. During team or company meetings, I often struggle to grasp what's being discussed. Topics like sharing GVMs and planning can be especially difficult to follow, and my attention span is quite short. I find it hard to focus on unfamiliar subjects. I often wonder how I'll progress in my career, given that my ultimate goal is to transition from coding to a managerial role. My preferred approach has always been to work on small, manageable projects, repeatedly delving into the same domain until I feel confident in my understanding. However, this situation is taking a toll on me. I frequently thinking about giving up my entire career and staying at home. On the positive side, I take ownership of my work and pay close attention to small details. Nevertheless, the frustration of not knowing specific terms or technologies, even if I currently don't need them, is a constant source of stress. I find it difficult to accept that I will learn these things when the need arises, and this feeling of being overwhelmed haunts me on a daily basis.
Focus first on your context and what's in your lap. That's the most efficient way to learn a language. Dont stress about what's currently outside your domain. Step by step. This applies also to skills, not just spoken language. Every new job has it's own jargon and processes. It will always initially be a humbling process. Yes, the language barrier adds more of a challenge, but how you manage and approach the situation is the same. Kids learn language as fast as they do because it's context specific. They don't start out needing to learning what "clean up your toys" means and "world economic forum." They absorb what's in their context before moving on to more. Take a deep breath, be humble, build a foundation with your current responsibilities, keep moving forward, absorb your context (perhaps listen to audio or videos about the technology and development processes you're currently using). Repetition is key to language learning so hearing others talk about it is helping you whether you realize or not. Same as with kids, parents repeat the same thing multiple times a day/week amd eventual kid understands what parents are saying. Don't become disheartened and block out/zone and lose focus on what's going on just because you dont understand. Be humble and realize that's the learning process. Embrace it and see yourself grow in a few months to a year. At this point your mindset is your greatest enemy.
Record your meetings and play em back.
This. I normally have to do this when the content is over my head, but i need to figure out what's going on capture action items.
Do all the time, after 10 or 15 I think you will start to get better ❤️🩹
Initially it will take some time. With in some timr you will be able to grasp the accent naturally. I remember I found it very difficult to understand what my manager (korean) is saying in English due to the accent with time it gets better naturally. About the ultimate goal of moving from tech to management is stereotype Think about it as you go ahead in your career Lastly moving abroad to a foreign country is a big challenge that you already achieved so don’t be hard on yourself. Take time, relax and get to know the country,people, culture and enjoy
I mean.. you write better than like 50% of blinders already so I dont see the problem here unless you spend the entire day in meetings
No, this is because I focus and repeat and use grammar check to make my point clear
That was my thought too. The OP's writing is excellent but I do realize sitting in meetings with "fast talkers" is a different situation.