Do you know the story about the donkey that turned a hopeless situation into a stepping stone to freedom? 

No?

Then let me share an unforgettable tale of resilience and wit with you ..

The Donkey’s Fall

One day, a poor farmer’s donkey accidentally fell into an old, dried-up well. 

The donkey cried out loud. But the farmer and his neighbours couldn’t pull the poor animal out of the deep, dark shaft.

After a while, the farmer felt he had no choice. It broke his heart, but he decided it was time to let the donkey go.

Since they had been planning to fill up the old well anyway, they started shovelling dirt and debris into it, with the donkey still inside.

You can imagine how the donkey felt when it realised what was happening.

It cried even louder than before. But after some time, everything went quiet. The men kept shovelling, not saying much to each other.

A Surprising Discovery

Finally, curious and a bit scared, the farmer peeked into the well.

And guess what he saw?

Something amazing.

With each shovel of dirt that had landed on the donkey’s body, it had shaken it off, stomped it down, and slowly risen higher and higher.

Before long, the well was filled enough for the donkey to climb out of the hole on its own and run away.

The moral of the story

Sometimes, what seems like a huge disaster at first can turn out to be a big opportunity. 

It all depends on how you handle the dirt thrown your way.

Emojis can be tricky, can’t they? 

→ Ever sent an emoji wondering if it could be misinterpreted?
→ Or found yourself squinting at the screen, trying to figure out what that emoji even means? 😅
→ Or spent too long trying to find the perfect emoji to express your emotions?

Emojis can add fun, illustrate emotions—and even replace words. But they can also confuse, mislead—and cause misunderstandings. 

Let’s take a closer look at 10 popular emojis. And how we can use them in sentences:

😂 Face with tears of joy:
“That joke was so funny. 😂 I couldn’t stop laughing!”

❤️ Red heart:
“Sending you lots of love ❤️ on your special day!”

😍 Smiling face with heart-eyes:
“I just saw the cutest puppy at the park today 😍🐶”

😊 Smiling face with smiling eyes:
“Thank you for your help today. 😊 I really appreciate it!”

😭 Loudly crying face:
“I can’t believe the film ending. 😭 It was so emotional!”

😅 Smiling face with open mouth and cold sweat:
“Even though I was nervous, I did well in the presentation 😅.”

🤣 Rolling on the floor laughing:
“After hearing Sarah’s hilarious joke, I was 🤣 rolling on the floor laughing for minutes!”

😘 Face blowing a kiss:
“Miss you already! 😘 Can’t wait to see you again soon!”

🥰 Smiling face with hearts:
“Your posts always make my day brighter. 🥰 Thank you!”

😁 Grinning face with smiling eyes:
“I got the job! 😁 Feeling ecstatic!”

P.S. Tell me … do you have a favourite emoji?

OMG, krass! Ich, Greta, BWL-lerin aus Köln, die Englischkönigin von damals (okay, ist ‘ne Weile her), traue mich endlich wieder an die Weltsprache. 

Business auf Englisch? Mit internationalen Kunden? Hölle, ja! Aber hey, not alone. Mit Christine, der English Conversation Coach, und meinem Englisch-Profi-Boyfriend Franz an der Seite kann nix schiefgehen.

Okay, mein Business-Englisch ist etwas eingerostet, aber hey, dafür ist Christine ja da.

Franz hingegen, der Angeber, plappert schon wie ein Wasserfall.

Heute hat Christine mich erneut auf einen typischen deutschen Fehler hingewiesen, den ich ständig mache. 

Im Englischen verwendet man ja das Simple Present für allgemeine Tatsachen und wiederholte Handlungen,

Christine schmunzelt immer, wenn ich Sätze sage, wie: “I’m working in my office every day.” Für sie ist das Simple Present, also “I work in my office every day“, die richtige Form. 

Sie erklärt mir, dass das Simple Present im Englischen auch für Zustände verwendet wird, die immer gleich sind, wie zum Beispiel “I live in Germany” oder “I’m a career coach”.

Ach ist es schwierig, mich an diese Regel zu gewöhnen. Immer wieder ertappe ich mich dabei, dass ich das Present Continuous verwende, obwohl ich eigentlich das Simple Present benutzen müsste. 

Aber Christine ist geduldig und hilft mir immer wieder, die richtige Form zu finden.

Man sagt nicht: “I’m always getting together with friends at the weekend” (Am Wochenende treffe ich mich immer mit Freunden), sondern einfach nur: “I always get together with friends at the weekend.”

Jetzt habe ich es verstanden. Trotzdem kommt es immer wieder vor, dass ich solche Sätze falsch baue.

Zum Beispiel habe ich neulich zu einem Kollegen gesagt: “I’m not usually going shopping in the evenings” (Normalerweise kaufe ich abends nicht ein), anstatt einfach nur “I don’t usually go shopping in the evenings.”

Christine hat mir den Unterschied so klar erklärt, dass ich jetzt auf jeden Fall bewusster darauf achten werde.

Ja, ich werde die Notizzettel mit “Simple Present” beschriften und an den Schreibtisch kleben! Vielleicht auch an den Kühlschrank?

Deine Greta, die sich langsam, aber sicher verbessert (dank Christine!)

I remember back in the day, when “with deepest gratitude” and “I trust this message finds you well” were the norm in our correspondence.

As a former Bilingual Private Secretary, I’ve witnessed many changes in writing styles over the years. Today, people want clear and simple language they can easily understand.

So, let’s ditch those dusty phrases and update your email writing for the modern world! 

Ready to make your emails shine? Let’s dive in!

Rather than this …	Try this …
I would like to express my gratitude for …	Thank you for …
Kindly be informed …	I wanted to let you know …
I would like to bring to your attention …	I’d like to point out …
I refer to your email dated …	Thank you for your email of …
Please accept my sincerest apologies	My apologies / I apologise
As per our discussion	As we discussed
For your kind consideration	Please review (this document/proposal)
In conclusion …	To sum up / Finally …
I trust this email finds you well	I just wanted to check in
Best regards	Talk soon / See you soon / All the best

Should you require any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please contact me if you have any questions. I’d love to help.

 

Have you ever noticed how much we Brits love to chat about the weather?

It’s our favourite national pastime, right up there with queueing and drinking tea! ☕️🌦️ 

One minute we’re basking in the sunshine, the next we’re caught in a downpour. It’s all part of the charm of living in the UK, isn’t it? (Well, that’s what I remember!)

But let’s be honest, we’re never truly satisfied, are we?

If it’s not pouring down outside, we’re complaining it’s too hot. And if it’s not too hot, we’re grumbling it’s too cold. 

It’s a constant cycle of weather dissatisfaction! 😂 

So, next time you find yourself starting a conversation with “Lovely day, isn’t it?” remember, it probably won’t last.

But that’s okay, because it gives us something to talk about. 

Out of curiosity, what’s your favourite type of weather?

PS: This post is meant to be taken lightly and with a dash of British humour. No offence intended.

Forget idioms! You don’t need them to sound natural!

Why? Because idioms can be tricky, even for native speakers! They’re like secret codes, not everyone knows them.

For clear communication, use plain English! Simple words are powerful.

For example, take the saying “to get on like a house on fire.” Does it sound good or bad? It’s actually positive, but if you don’t know the idiom, it can be confusing!

So, how can you sound natural and confident?

• Speak clearly and direct English.
• Use interesting words, but avoid confusing expressions.
• Practise and have fun with English. 

Sure, idioms can impress native speakers… if you use them perfectly! Getting them wrong can lead to confusion or even funny misunderstandings.

Focus on clear communication. Simple English is powerful English.

Want help in making your English clear and effective? Let’s chat!