by Christine Burgmer | Aug 25, 2026 | Sparks of English |
When German efficiency meets British politeness in English I read a post this week. It compared British and German messages on LinkedIn. A bit exaggerated, but very true. The British version says sorry a lot. “Sorry to bother you. Feel free to block me.”...
by Christine Burgmer | Aug 21, 2026 | Sparks of English |
When “sympathisch” isn’t “sympathetic” A German colleague introduces you to someone new. You want to say something nice, so you smile and say: “You are very sympathetic.” Good intention. Wrong word. In German,...
by Christine Burgmer | Aug 20, 2026 | Sparks of English |
You probably don’t need more English vocabulary That might sound strange coming from an English coach. But hear me out. Most professionals already know far more words than they actually use. The challenge isn’t learning another list. It’s making the...
by Christine Burgmer | Aug 19, 2026 | Sparks of English |
8 expressions I wouldn’t teach my clients People often ask me, “Should I learn lots of idioms and funny English expressions?” My answer? Not at the beginning. Expressions like: hit the hay going to see a man about a dog in the departure lounge not...
by Christine Burgmer | Aug 18, 2026 | Sparks of English |
The German word English speakers wish they had Have you ever had a moment where you know exactly what you want to say in German, but English just doesn’t seem to have the right word? Take ‘Fingerspitzengefühl.’ It’s a beautiful German word. It...
by Christine Burgmer | Aug 17, 2026 | Sparks of English |
Why is the first word after “Dear” capitalised? A small detail. A common mistake. And something German speakers often notice when writing emails in English. In German, we write: “Sehr geehrter Herr Müller,vielen Dank für Ihre Nachricht.” The...
