Today, I called the IT service number my company gave us, in order to reset my password which was about to expire. It is not the first time I did so. In fact, for the sake of security, our personnal passwords expire every three months and therfor, we have to change them by calling the IT person who is in charge of doing this task. Given that I am in this very same compagny for almost four years, I did this same operation multiple times. However, usually when I call, they ask me first to choose my language and I always go with french automatically without even paying attention because it is often between two meetings when I am often runing out of time.

However, today was completely different! Indeed, when I called, I immediately noticed that the platform had changed somehow. The opening automatic message was different and they didn't propose to me to choose my language. They sent me by default to an english speaking person to provide me the support I needed. To be totaly honnest, I was a little bit scared or let's say stressed at the very beginning because it wasn’t something I had planned at all. Well, this feeling doesn't last too long. The person in the other side was very kind and suportive (I think she felt that I wasn't super comfortable 😅) and after few seconds, I started speaking and interacting with her without any problem at all.

It was a pretty long exchange because before she was able to assign me a brand new and safe password, she first had to check some informations and make sure that my profile was updated. Consequently, I find myself going back and forth with her and exchanging way more longer that I was expecting but more importantly, it went in a very smooth way!

What happened is that because it was in a work farm and I was kind of concerned about not having acces to my e-mail and stuff... I didn't took this conversation in an educational way or as a way to kind of test my level and practice my language. It was just something I had to get done absolutely, in order to be fully operational at work! Therefor, I wasn't in the mindset of the english learner who was in like a test or a practice session. This very mindset that usually puts too much pressure on my shoulders and transform an exercise that should be fun to an unpleasant chore!

In one word, I was in a different environment and it made a world of difference! It was amazing! I wasn't overthinking about which word to pick up or which tense to use. I never got stuck and never lost my means in the middle of the conversation. In fact, I reached the point where you are having a cool conversation with a person and where your full attention is toward the other side! A real and genuine exchange! I have heard a lot of language learners describing the moment when they have experienced this very same experience for the first time and it seemed to be amazing! Now that I had it as well, I can confirm that it is so fulfilling and rewarding!

I think we should always tackle a similar experience this way. There is no need to overestimate it or overthink about it because it would quickly turn to a huge burden! Instead, we should just enjoy the conversation, forget about what the other might think about our level or the mistakes we would inevitably do anyway or whatever... Because while doing so, you are certainly missing out so many beautiful things and you could never be fully part of the conversation! I made it completely by chance today but believe me, I will continue to have the same approach I had this morning because it is so enjoyable and has given me a different and amazing new perspectives!