I start writing my ‘Sparks’ directly on the computer.

It’s very rare that I write something and post within minutes.

I reread my text. Perhaps I add a sentence here and there. And sometimes I delete text.

To tell you the truth, I do this many times. Until I’m satisfied. 

Copywriter Eddie Shleyner has a great tip. He nearly always gives himself a deadline.

Perhaps it’s something I could try out. Or perhaps you’d like to, too. Especially if you take a long time to write. Like me!

Do you use workplace jargon and phrases like the ones in the picture or the title here?

According to studyfinds.org, in a survey of 2,000 remote and hybrid workers commissioned by Slack and conducted by OnePoll, two-thirds of the workers stated that they disliked their colleagues using workplace jargon.

Respondents found the following phrases overused or bothersome:

• ASAP (15%)
• Keep me in the loop (15%)
• Just checking in (14%)
• Team player (14%)
• Give 110 per cent (13%)
• Sorry for the delay (13%)
• New normal (13%)
• No worries (13%)
• Touch base (13%)
• Think outside the box (13%)
• Loop me in (13%)
• Back to square one (13%)
• Circle back (13%)
• There’s no I in team (13%)

I try not to use these phrases, because many non-native speakers of English might not understand them.

You can avoid these phrases by learning to use clear English.

An example. Instead of saying:

“We need to get back to square one”

you can say:

“We need to go back to the beginning”.

It makes it easier for everyone to understand!

“Very great change starts from very small conversations, held among people who care.”
Meg Wheatley

It was a small conversation with my brother-in-law that inspired my daughter to go to the University of Applied Sciences in Rheinbach rather than to the University of Cologne. (My sister’s husband had heard that they were offering a new programme in Applied Biology in English!)

Yes, small conversations matter. They can act as building blocks to what lies ahead.

If you like the idea of having some inspiring (and sometimes deeper!) conversations in a relaxed atmosphere to improve your English speaking skills and to gain more confidence, you’ll love our Colourful Conversations on Thursdays.

 Come and meet the group.

There’s a saying that travel broadens the mind.

We gain a greater perspective on and knowledge about the world, other people, and ourselves when we travel to different places.

So do we travel to help make us into better people?

Well, that’s what The School of Life thinks, according to their video The Point of Travel on Youtube.

If you’ve never thought of travel helping you to grow into a better version of yourself, you might after having watched the short video.

Have you asked yourself this question before?

I know I have.

So is technology destroying our memory or is it helping it?

Yes, we live in a world of constant distractions, but technology does have its advantages.

Listen to what Lisa Genova, author and neuroscientist, has to say about the topic.