After years of working with executives, founders, consultants and specialists, I’ve noticed something delightful. No matter how senior or experienced someone is, certain English‑communication behaviours appear again and again.

So today – purely for fun – here’s a tiny typology of the characters we might meet in real business conversations.

The Silent Nodder

• The vibe: Nods enthusiastically in every meeting, especially when the discussion gets fast.
• The reality: Understands about 40% but has perfected the international gesture for “Please don’t ask me to jump in.”

The Perfectionist Pauser

• The vibe: “I would like to… um… add… one… point…”
• The reality: Translating a beautifully structured sentence from their native language, searching for the perfect nuance while everyone waits politely. 

The Apologetic Expert

• The vibe: “My English is terrible, sorry.”
• The reality: Delivers a clear, elegant, ten-minute explanation of a complex business topic using vocabulary most native speakers avoid.

The Google-Translate Gambler

• The vibe: Uses words like “behoves” and “henceforth” in a casual project update.
• The reality: Copy-pasted from a translation app. Zero comprehension. Full confidence.

The Accent Metamorph

• The vibe: British on Monday, Australian on Wednesday, American by Friday.
• The reality: Their pronunciation depends entirely on last night’s Netflix choice.

The Idiom Enthusiast

• The vibe: “Let’s bite the bullet and hit the sack – it’s raining cats and dogs out there!”
• The reality: Found an idiom list and is determined to use all of them immediately, context optional.

The “Yes” Trap Survivor

•  The vibe: Manager: “Any questions?” Professional: “Yes.”
• The reality: They meant “Yes, all clear.” Now everyone is waiting for a question that doesn’t exist. Internal chaos begins.

If you recognised yourself — or a colleague — in any of these, you’re in excellent company.

Even highly skilled professionals move through these phases on their way to calm, clear, confident English.

P.S. If you’ve met another ‘type’ in your international meetings, let me know. I’m always happy to expand the collection.

We’ve been connected for a while. Or maybe you’ve just found me. Either way, here’s a little about me.

I was born and grew up in England, but I’ve lived in Germany for more years than I care to admit. I took up square dancing about 2 years ago (and no, it’s not just for cowboys and cowgirls).

I help German-speaking entrepreneurs and executives speak English with confidence, without chasing “perfect”. I also mentor language trainers who want support in building their own work. And twice a month, I host free Speak Easy Sessions for business professionals who want a safe place to practise speaking.

Before running my own language training business, I worked as a Personal Assistant and Technical Translator. Those years taught me that plain, global English beats sounding flawless every time.

Outside work, you’ll usually find me reading about copywriting and marketing, making prints without a printing press or out walking with my poles or Smoveys (you may have to Google those). Or visiting one of my four children, spread around Germany and Austria.

Your turn now. Tell me one thing about yourself. What’s your favourite snack, your strangest hobby or your biggest English challenge?

A client said to me recently, “I’m worried they’ll notice my mistakes.”

I understand that feeling.

But here’s what I see again and again… The people listening to you aren’t focused on every tense or preposition.

They’re listening for your message.

They’re asking themselves, “Is this useful? Does this answer my question? What can I take away from it?“

When you spend all your energy monitoring your English, you have less left for the point you’re trying to make.

And that’s the part people remember.

(I still catch myself doing this in German more often than I’d like.)

Next time you speak, put your attention on being clear and not perfect.

💬 What would change if you trusted your message a little more than your grammar?

Good news about to, too and two. Out loud, you can never get them wrong. All three sound exactly the same.

The worry only turns up when you write. You finish a quick email, hover over one small word, and suddenly you’re not sure which one you meant.

So this was never a speaking problem. In a meeting, on a call, in the corridor, the difference simply isn’t there. Your ear hands the right one to the listener every time.

Which means you can stop carrying this into conversations. Keep the second glance for the page, where it actually belongs. (I still take that glance myself, by the way.)

Quick win: when you’re writing and unsure, remember that “too” has an extra “o” for its extra meaning, “also” or “very“. “Two too many” uses both. The plain little “to” quietly covers the rest.

💬 Which little word makes you pause before you hit send?

You saw the list. The best free apps to finally speak English. You downloaded one, maybe two, full of good intentions. Then opened them twice.

Your English is already good. An app that scores every sentence only adds one more place to be marked wrong, all day.

A client told me last week she had three of these on her phone. She still held her breath before every English call. The apps were never what held her back.

What helps costs nothing, and no app sells it. Permission to be understood instead of perfect. To let a sentence out before it’s polished, and stay in the room as yourself.

Quick win: Before your next English call, take one slow breath and tell yourself, “Understood” is enough today.

A new client proudly told me she’d learned 1,000 new English words in a month.

Then Monday came. And a colleague asked, “How was your weekend?”

She froze. Not because her English was poor. And not because she didn’t know the grammar. She’d spent so much time collecting new words that she stopped trusting the ones she already knew.

She could explain complex ideas. She understood specialist vocabulary. Yet she struggled to say, “It was sunny.”

A lot of professionals make the same mistake.

They download vocabulary lists, save useful expressions and mark up every article they read. But they rarely use the English they already have.

So they end up with a larger vocabulary, but not more confidence.

Most conversations don’t need impressive words. They need words you can reach for quickly. Words that sound natural coming from you. Words you can use without searching for them.

Fluency isn’t about how much English you know. It’s about how much English you can use when you need it.

Quick win: Before you learn five new words today, use five you already know.