> Not being a native speaker sure feels like a major disadvantage. Attempting to articulate your thoughts in a foreign language takes substantially more effort,

> Not being a native speaker sure feels like a major disadvantage. Attempting to articulate your thoughts in a foreign language takes substantially more effort, which could have been spent doing actual work instead. Does it? I just switch thinking to another language, it's not a big deal (as long as you have reasonable fluency). I thought it was reasonably common (all the people I spoke with about it seem to do the same) When I'm reading HN I think in English, when I talk with my team I think in English, when I talk with my girlfriend or go grocery shopping I think in my native language. It's difficult to use both languages at the same time, but it's rarely the case (e.g. I might continue speaking English and not notice when I started a conversation in a multinational group but then I talk to someone I can speak a more suited common language with) . In terms of work I do, I think I'd struggle with my native language more, as there is no equivalent terminology and I'd have to use English anyway.