Nobody is measuring the right things.

There is a large industry built around helping professionals improve their English. Courses. Apps. Certificates.

All measuring progress the same way.

Grammar correct: pass. Grammar incorrect: more practice needed.

Nobody is measuring whether you finished your last sentence. Whether you paused without apologising. Whether you stayed in the meeting when it went faster than you expected.

These things don’t fit on a certificate. They fit in the room – in the moment after, when you realise you didn’t disappear.

Quick win: After your next English conversation, don’t ask: “Did I make mistakes?” Ask: “Did I stay?” That’s the measurement that matters.

We have very precise instruments for measuring the wrong things.

💬 What do you measure after a conversation in English?

— Christine