Bilingual but Not Bland: How to Sound Like You in a Second Language
When I moved to France, I went from feeling sharp and articulate to sounding… well, a little cute. I’m a native English speaker, and I found myself in a fully Francophone work environment where I was expected to lead meetings, present ideas, and speak to large groups—in French. My thoughts were the same, my ideas were solid, but they often didn’t land the way I wanted them to.
In English, I came off as crisp, polished, and direct. In French? I often sounded softer, charming, and less assertive. Not exactly what I was going for in a professional setting.
That tension—between how you feel on the inside and how you sound on the outside—is something I see in my clients all the time. Speaking in a second language can make you feel like a diluted version of yourself. But the goal isn’t to become perfectly native or lose your accent altogether. It’s to find a way to sound natural, credible, and you. One video that helped me early on was from Alexander Stubb, the former Finnish Prime Minister. He speaks six languages and said something that stuck with me: Everyone has an accent. Just speak. That single mindset shift made everything easier.
So how do you get there? It starts with letting go of perfection and focusing instead on rhythm, clarity, and tone. Many multilingual professionals overcompensate with stiff phrasing or overly formal vocabulary that doesn’t reflect how they actually think. My coaching helps you identify the register that fits your voice—whether you're pitching in English, leading a workshop in French, or navigating both. We fine-tune your delivery so you sound intentional, not robotic. And when you learn how to use your tone, pauses, and body language strategically, you don’t need to rely on flowery language to make an impact.
If you’re working in a second (or third) language and want to sound confident, credible, and like yourself, I’d love to work with you. My coaching is fully bilingual, culturally aware, and designed to help you show up with clarity and conviction—wherever you’re speaking.