Sometimes, things don’t go as planned. You might feel ill, have an emergency or just realise you can’t make it. But how do you cancel an appointment at short notice without upsetting the other person?

1. Say sorry. A simple “I’m really sorry for the late notice” shows that you respect their time.
2. Give a reason (if possible). You don’t need to explain everything, but something like “I’m not feeling well” or “Something urgent came up” is polite.
3. Show appreciation. Instead of saying, “Thank you for your understanding”, try “I really appreciate your patience” or “Thanks for your flexibility”. This sounds warmer and more personal.
4. If possible, offer to reschedule. Saying “Can we find another time?” shows that you still value the meeting.

A little kindness goes a long way—even when cancelling! 😊

When journalist Angela came to me, she was about to start a new job that required a good command of English. She wasn’t feeling confident enough, so she reached out to work on her fluency and confidence.

How did we start?

We began by talking about her background. I asked simple questions like, “What kind of work do you do?” and “What’s your experience in journalism?” These helped Angela relax and talk about what she knew best.

We identified the areas where she felt unsure—like speaking up in meetings or explaining her ideas clearly. No grammar exercises! Just real conversations based on her real life.

While she spoke, I made notes in the chat—so she could see gentle corrections and helpful feedback without being interrupted.

We also strategised how she could practise English naturally in her daily routine—during short breaks or social events.

A big win? Angela started speaking on camera and then watching herself afterwards. That helped her notice small improvements and feel proud of her progress.

She was ready—and confident—for her new role.

The other day, I received an interesting message from a German-speaking colleague.

He wrote, “To my German ears, ‘take care’ sounds like a warning, like I’m in danger – for example, ‘When climbing Mount Everest, take care.’“

At first, I smiled because I understood the confusion.

In English, “take care” is a common way to say goodbye, like “stay safe” or “look after yourself.” In fact, I often use it to end an email!

But in German, it can feel like a serious warning, especially if you’re not familiar with the phrase.

If you’re looking for other ways to say goodbye in English, you could try:

• “Stay healthy”
• “Take it easy”
• “Until next time”
• “All the best”

These all carry a friendly tone and are used to wish someone well, without the feeling of danger. 

“Let’s table this.“

An engineer in Germany said this in a meeting. His client in India looked confused. The U.S. project manager sighed.

Why? Because in American English, “let’s table this” means “let’s postpone the discussion” or “let’s set this topic aside for now”.

In British English, “let’s table this” means almost the opposite: “let’s put this on the table for discussion right now” or “let’s bring this topic forward for immediate consideration.”

In plain, global English without idiomatic expressions, you could say:

• “Let’s discuss this another time.”
• “Let’s delay deciding on this.”

OR

• “Let’s discuss this topic now”
• “Let’s address this issue right away”

This is a perfect example of why teaching global English without idioms and phrasal verbs is valuable. Especially for business professionals who communicate internationally!

If you want to speak fluent English, stop learning.

Stop memorizing word lists.
Stop obsessing over grammar rules.
Stop chasing a goal you don’t even need.

You’ve been told:
👉 “Sound like a native speaker.” – Why? 90% of your conversations are with non-natives.
👉 “Master English grammar.” – And then what? You’ll still freeze in meetings.
👉 “Learn 500 new words.” – Great. But how many will you actually use?

Want to know what really works?

Speak.
Messy.
Unpolished.
Imperfect.

Let your English be chaotic. Let it be real.
Have the courage to be understood instead of perfect.

Because real communication begins where perfection ends.🔥