You don’t sound rude. You sound German.

by Christine Burgmer | Aug 27, 2026 | Sparks of English | 0 comments

You don’t sound rude. You sound German. If I could tell every English learner just one thing, it’s this. You don’t sound rude. You sound German. And that’s fine. A client asked me last week whether her directness in English came across as...

The sentence you practise in your head

by Christine Burgmer | Aug 26, 2026 | Sparks of English | 0 comments

The sentence you practise in your head … will never sound exactly the same out loud. Many German-speaking professionals rehearse sentences silently before they speak. They want the perfect version before they say anything. But conversations don’t wait for...

When German efficiency meets British politeness in English

by Christine Burgmer | Aug 25, 2026 | Sparks of English | 0 comments

When German efficiency meets British politeness in English I read a post this week. It compared British and German messages on LinkedIn. A bit exaggerated, but very true. The British version says sorry a lot. “Sorry to bother you. Feel free to block me.”...

When “sympathisch” isn’t “sympathetic”

by Christine Burgmer | Aug 21, 2026 | Sparks of English | 0 comments

When “sympathisch” isn’t “sympathetic” A German colleague introduces you to someone new. You want to say something nice, so you smile and say: “You are very sympathetic.” Good intention. Wrong word. In German,...

You probably don’t need more English vocabulary

by Christine Burgmer | Aug 20, 2026 | Sparks of English | 0 comments

You probably don’t need more English vocabulary That might sound strange coming from an English coach. But hear me out. Most professionals already know far more words than they actually use. The challenge isn’t learning another list. It’s making the...