“I don’t dare to speak because I don’t want to make mistakes.”

Does this sound familiar? Have you said this to yourself?

If so, listen to me. This mindset will only hold you back from speaking English fluently.

Babies don’t worry about making mistakes. They learn by trying!

Do you think babies worry about pronouncing their first words perfectly? Of course not! They simply experiment, babble away, and eventually, we understand them.

That’s exactly how you should approach language learning. Forget about your perfectionism. Mistakes are a crucial part of the learning process.

Here’s how you learn a new language:

• By speaking. The more you use the language in everyday situations, the faster you’ll learn it.
• By making mistakes. You learn from your mistakes and improve your language skills.
• By mispronouncing words. Good speakers of the language will still understand you and might even help you improve your pronunciation.
• By fumbling sentences. This helps you get used to the grammar and sentence structure of the new language.
• By using words in different contexts. This broadens your vocabulary and teaches you to use the language flexibly.

So, be bold and speak up. The more you speak, the better you’ll become.

Remember: Mistakes are not failures, but signs that you’re learning something new.

Why should you believe me?

Because I’ve been working with German-speaking business professionals for over 24 years. And I see that it works.

While we all learned about Pi in school, did you know it has a quirky connection in an everyday German phrase?

In German, there’s a saying: “Pi mal Daumen,” which literally translates to “pi times thumb.” It means “roughly,” “about,” “approximately,” or “at a rough guess.”

This phrase harks back to times when people used their fingers for calculations, even using thumbs to estimate distances. (Have you ever tried to estimate a distance with your outstretched hand?)

Here’s the funny part: for years, I completely misunderstood the meaning. I used to confidently say “Prima Daumen,” not really giving the phrase much thought. I just assumed it was the correct phrase.

My husband couldn’t stop laughing when he finally realised my mistake (after all those years!) and corrected me.

Suddenly, everything made sense. Had no one heard me misuse the phrase before? I felt embarrassed but also saw the humour in the situation.

Have you ever completely misunderstood a phrase and used it for ages? I’d love to hear your funny language mix-ups.

Frank tauchte gestern wieder im Englischunterricht auf (er kommt nicht regelmäßig!). Christine strahlte wie immer ihre ansteckende Fröhlichkeit aus, lachte oft und gab uns aufmunternde Blicke, während Franz… nun ja, Franz blieb Franz.

Zwar lässt er mich mittlerweile öfter zum Wort kommen und seine bissigen Witze über meine Aussprache sind seltener geworden. Sogar seine Grimassen zucken nur noch gelegentlich über meine Sprachversuche hinweg. Heute nahm er mich aufs Korn und meinte, mein “Goodbye” klinge eher nach “Good pie” als nach dem eigentlichen Wort.

Ich fand seinen Scherz nicht besonders witzig, aber Christine lächelte. „Es klingt eigentlich ganz süß,“ sagte sie und schenkte mir ein ermutigendes Lächeln. Danach sprachen wir über unsere Hobbys. Christine wollte wissen, womit wir unsere Freizeit füllen. Ich erzählte ihr von meinen entspannten Spaziergängen im Park, meinen Fahrradtouren an der frischen Luft und meiner Leidenschaft für Bücher. Franz hingegen prahlte nur mit seinen Erfolgen „in the fitness studio.“

Christine schmunzelte und klärte uns auf, dass “Fitnessstudio” im Englischen “gym” heißt. (Wer hätte das gedacht?)

Wir beschäftigten uns anschließend mit weiteren Wörtern, die im Deutschen und Englischen unterschiedliche Bezeichnungen haben. Zum Beispiel heißt “Showmaster” oder „Talkmaster“ im Englischen einfach “host” und “Casting Show” wird dort “talent show” genannt.

Ach, bin ich froh, dass ich mein Englisch nach langer Überlegung wieder aufpoliere, und freue mich darauf, noch mehr Wörter zu entdecken und meine Sprachkenntnisse zu verbessern.

Bis bald, liebes Tagebuch!

Greta

P.S. Gestern Abend beobachtete ich Franz heimlich, als er nach Hause ging. Tatsächlich verabschiedete er sich von jemandem mit “Good pie” statt “Goodbye”! Ich konnte mir ein Lachen nicht verkneifen.

Learning English is fun, but sometimes words can be tricky—like slipping on a banana peel.

Let’s have a closer look at three tricky troublemakers: inhabitable, inflammable, and invaluable.

And be prepared for a surprise.

Inhabitable means suitable for living in. It means exactly the same as habitable. For example, “This remote island is inhabitable despite its small size.”

Inflammable actually means something that can easily catch fire. It means the same as flammable. For example, “Be careful with that inflammable material near the fire.”

Invaluable means extremely useful, incredibly valuable, valuable beyond estimation, or priceless. It’s nearly the same as valuable. For example, “Her guidance was invaluable to the success of the project.“

So there you have it. Now you can conquer those tricky ‘In-‘ words and avoid any misunderstandings.

Remember, language learning is all about having fun and not taking yourself too seriously.

Want to test yourself?

1. Which word would you use to describe something that is suitable for living in?
2. Does inflammable mean it catches fire easily or not at all?
3. Would you describe a rare gem as valuable or invaluable?

In a bustling city, two brothers lived vastly different lives. One brother thrived as a successful entrepreneur, leading a team of many employees, while the other struggled with homelessness.

Naturally, the townspeople were curious. How could two brothers, raised in the same household, end up in such contrasting circumstances?

“My father was a drug addict and an alcoholic. He couldn’t even keep a houseplant alive, let alone take care of me,” the homeless brother lamented, his eyes filled with regret and weariness. “With a role model like that, how was I ever supposed to build a stable life?”

The townspeople nodded sympathetically, but their curiosity led them to the successful businessman, eager to hear what he had to say.

“My father was a drug addict and an alcoholic, and he never took care of me,” the businessman stated, his voice firm with determination. “Witnessing his life spiral out of control, I resolved never to follow the same path.”

The moral of this tale? We hold the power to shape our destiny. Our beginnings do not define us; it is our choices and actions that truly matter. We always have a choice.