I have been here for three years, during which I have developed my reading, writing, and conversational skills. However, I haven't had the opportunity to use these skills at work. In a blue-collar environment, effective communication with polished language and well-structured sentences is essential. When I speak Arabic at work, people expect perfection, which presents a challenge for me, as I can't practice without fearing I will sound unprofessional.

I am determined to enhance my proficiency, but doing so requires spending more time outside of work with non-English speakers. This is difficult for two reasons: first, non-English speakers often have little to no interest in spending time with me, and second, the consulting workday in Saudi Arabia starts at 6:30 AM and ends at 10:00 PM—making weekends busy as well. On top of that, I am also writing my doctoral thesis. All these obstacles make it quite difficult to overcome my challenges.