Eleven countries, one team. Nobody fixes the grammar.

This summer, watch a football team. The players come from many countries. Not one of them stops to ask, “Is my English correct?“

A player from Senegal, a goalkeeper from Germany, a coach from Italy. They shout three quick words to each other while they run. The English is messy. Some words are missing. But it works. They only care about one thing: Did my teammate understand me?

In your next meeting, you ask two things. Did they understand me? And was it correct? The second question makes you wait. You wait so long that the moment is gone.

Play it like the football players do. Say the messy version. Get understood. Keep going.

Quick win: Next time a sentence feels not quite right, say it anyway. Ask, “Did they understand me?” — not “Was it perfect?