Day. 10 English as a therapeutic role play He welcomed his adult years with depression and social phobia having experienced a few out of ordinary events in his early young years. Nervous when around people, he would more mumble than speak at a barely audible volume. Only when speaking German. When he spoke English, his voice was far from being deafening, yet very pleasant to the ear and easy to understand. Is our diction language specific? He was not able to say anything good about himself and was not able to allow any compliments to enter his heart. Only when said in German. As a child, he was taught to believe that he was worthless, yet that worthlessness existed only in the German language. His mind was not contaminated with any hurtful remark in English and consequently taking compliments in English was much easier than in his native language. It taking complements language specific? Working at school seemed to be out of reach. He lacked self-confidence and trembled when surrounded by people. Only when working at a German school. He started working in one of the bordering countries and surprisingly discovered that teaching was fun. Is self-confidence language specific? He speaks clear German, believes in himself and works in Germany. Role-play pedagogy is known for its benefits. Role play involves acting out an adopted role and can liberate us from our conceptions about the self and others. Can speaking a foreign language offer the same advantages?