To provide some context of my experience, here is a bit of my language background:
My first language is Mandarin. I speak Pu Tong Hua, but I have an accent when I speak it. Most people, especially older generations, in my hometown speak dialects (yes, plural) that people outside the region can find difficult to understand. I guess I was somehow bilingual before I knew it!
I started learning English in sixth grade, but honestly, my English learning was mainly for school purposes (e.g., to get good grades for College Entrance Exam and TOEFL).
I came to the U.S. for graduate education in 2014. It was the first time I visited an English-speaking country. So far, I’ve been studying and living in different states in the U.S. (and trying to pick up some dialects lol).
I evaluate my English proficiency using measures like making friends who don’t speak Mandarin, enjoying podcasts and shows in English, engaging in academic conversations, and writing and publishing my work in English.
Firstly, visit your university’s writing center’s website or their office on campus!! Writing centers have so many language learning resources and staff who have experience and empathy with international students. Things I have found helpful:
Courses and workshops for second language learners like grammar and presentation skills. My experience is that these courses taught hard skills but also exposed me to common expectations in an American classroom, some of which were new to me. For example, later, I realized that taking ESL courses made me feel more comfortable asking questions in a class or in settings like seminars and talks. I also practiced how to contribute to small group discussions through these courses - it was less stressful to discuss with classmates who may also struggle with expressing their ideas in English.
Writing groups. I have received a ton of helpful feedback on my drafts, writing accountability, and emotional support from my writing groups over these years. Participating in writing groups also helped me to learn how to provide feedback on others’ writing, which I think is an important skill in academia.
Language editing services. Yes, you can get quality feedback on various writing for free!!
Conversation circles or speaking groups. You will have opportunities to chat about interesting and non-academic topics (e.g., how people in your culture celebrate New Year) with both native speakers and folks who are learning English like you.
Find a language buddy. You may be surprised to learn that many people want to learn your mother tongue! Several years ago, I found a language buddy on a local website to help me learn Spanish. We decided to practice and teach each other the language from things we both enjoy, such as food. We had a lot of fun dining at Latin and Chinese restaurants. We made this rule that we are supposed to greet the waiter and order food in Spanish or Mandarin.
If you feel shy about speaking in English, one thing you may try is to practice thinking in English instead of your first language. I learned this trick from an English professor in my undergraduate who did her PhD training abroad in Psychology. I’ve found this practice super useful in terms of helping me put my thoughts into English words. My hypothesis is that this practice enables me to skip the translation phrase in my brain when I write or speak in English. Sort of related, it has been fun for me to observe how my thinking can be different in a different language.
Embrace your accent. I am not saying you should not try to practice if you feel you have a very strong accent that makes it very hard for people to understand you. But I do think in order to communicate in English (or any language), it is more important to focus on practicing how to express your thoughts and feelings instead of if you speak in standard American English. Besides, everybody has an accent!! Don’t be too hard on yourself.
Depending on how comfortable you feel about this, you may let people you collaborate with (advisor, cohort friends, lab mates) know that you welcome and appreciate language-related feedback on your writing. I am not suggesting you send people drafts without checking them - please don’t do this unless it is an urgent draft. The reason I mention this practice is that sometimes people can get offended by others’ edits. But if your goal is to improve your writing, it does not hurt to tell people that you appreciate their editing suggestions. Besides, you may find extreme kindness in your American colleagues and friends - don’t be bashful to ask for their help!!
Take notes on mistakes you often make and save drafts with others’ tracked changes. For example, I recently found my advisor, who is a great writer, has kindly told me several times about the difference between “among” and “between.” If you speak Chinese, you probably understand why I kept making this mistake. Since my brain made this connection between my advisor and this grammar issue, I am pretty sure I will avoid making a similar mistake!
Lastly, please remember that you belong - if you are accepted to your program, you are never less qualified to be there than anyone else.